He Refused My Daughter’s Fee, I Divorced Him

Chapter 2

I had just finalized a lease for a small studio on a rental app when noisy rustling came from the front door.

Amy groaned with a frown and rolled over. I reached out to touch her forehead; it was burning hot.

I ran out of the bedroom. "Ethan, Amy has a fever! Take us to the hospital right now!"

Nina was organizing snacks and fruit by the storage cabinet, freezing in place with a helpless look.

Lucy tossed her phone aside. "I knew it! You just didn't want to host my mom, so you intentionally went out early this morning to avoid us! Amy's tooth didn't hurt earlier or later. It just had to hurt today. Mom, Dad, think about that."

Ethan's brow instantly creased, and he looked at her with impatience. "What is this? Where are your manners?"

Nina instinctively pulled the teary-eyed Lucy behind her.

I glanced toward Amy's bedroom. Now was not the time to argue with a child.

"Let's not get into that now. Hurry and take Amy to the—"

Before I could say "hospital," Ethan looked at me with a somber face, choking back the rest of my words.

"An elder comes over, and Amy doesn't even say hello. She's so ill-mannered!"

I couldn't believe my ears.

Memories flashed through my mind of how Ethan had desperately pulled me off the abortion table just so he could marry me.

And how tears filled his eyes when Amy was born as he lowered his head to kiss my forehead with trembling lips.

Tears fell betrayingly. In an instant, I felt the utter pointlessness of it all.

I quickly packed my things and contacted a friend to pick us up.

"Why are you packing now? Go cook. Nina loves those crabs. Scrub them yourself. I don't trust the nanny to do it right."

I let out a soft laugh. Ethan still thought Amy was faking her illness.

He actually expected me to clean crabs for them!

Zipping up my bag, I turned to head inside to pick up Amy, but Ethan grabbed my arm.

"Jane Hart! What kind of attitude is this? Did you hear a word I said?!"

I shoved his hand off forcefully. "Ethan! If you bothered to go inside and look at Amy for just one second, you'd—"

Before I could finish, Nina stepped forward quickly to play peacemaker.

"Ethan, I shouldn't have come today. Don't ruin your peace over me. We're both mothers, so I understand getting anxious over every little sneeze. Try to be more understanding of her too."

Lucy stood to the side with her arms crossed, scoffing, "Mom, stop trying to make peace. She's just making a scene in front of you because Dad wouldn't cough up $2,000."

The harsh words pierced my ears. I turned to look at Ethan.

"How much did Lucy's back-to-school tech set cost? How much was the new handbag Nina is holding? And how much have you spent on Amy and me?"

His gaze landed on Nina, who leaned against his side with wringing hands, her eyes filled with grievance.

His tone unconsciously softened. "Don't worry. When I divorced you, I promised to treat both children equally. I'll never let Lucy suffer."

When he turned back to face me, his voice was kept low, dripping with displeasure.

"Jane, do you really have to throw a dramatic tantrum right now?"

Looking at Ethan in front of me, I felt he was an absolute stranger.

Back then, I had married him while pregnant out of wedlock.

Everyone advised me that being a stepmother was hard, and that it was a waste to give up my career.

It was Ethan who made promise after promise to me, swearing with all sincerity.

He said I wouldn't have to worry about raising his ex-wife's child or force myself to pander to her.

He promised to handle all the chores, expenses, and educational issues himself without shifting any burden onto me.

All I needed to do was take good care of myself and my own child. He begged me to keep Amy.

For six years after we married, whenever people made fun of my role as a stepmother, he was always the first to stand before me, shielding me from all the gossip.

I had foolishly believed that was his protective, devoted love.

Now I saw that from beginning to end, he was simply keeping score.

I looked up at him, my voice calm.

"Ethan, you have no right to make demands of me."

Irritation welled up in his eyes, but I continued,

"Amy got up at 5 for her appointment and just finished receiving anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication. Now she has a fever. She is your biological daughter!"

Ethan glanced toward Amy's room, his tone softening slightly.

"Kids run temperatures easily, it'll be fine. Just a toothache, nothing to worry about."

I gripped my handbag tightly, my knuckles turning white.

"When Lucy burned her hand on an iron, you called 911! Amy is in so much pain she can't sleep, yet you don't care, won't spend a cent, and even make cold remarks!"

His face darkened instantly.

"All this fuss over $2,000? Jane, when did you turn into such a gold-digger?"

I'm the gold-digger? I blinked back the sting in my eyes.

To ease his burden back then, I waived the engagement gifts altogether, and handed over my entire savings – $500,000 – to fill the gap and keep his company afloat.

After marriage, I hadn't spent a single penny of his, yet now I was being labeled a gold-digger.

I picked up the divorce agreement from the table and slammed it right in front of Ethan.