Chapter 5
At this point, Joseph had achieved his goal, although the process was far from clean.
He was simply happy to be rid of Ember and immediately agreed to her conditions.
“Fine, I agree,” he said reluctantly.
The guests, who had been watching the spectacle unfold, happily left the venue.
Only President Willson remained, furious, and warned Joseph, “You’ve embarrassed us. Starting tomorrow, don’t come to work anymore!”
Joseph’s face went ashen.
Jennifer comforted him, saying, “Who cares about a broken company? You’re more than capable of becoming a manager anywhere else.”
However, as President Willson walked away, he muttered angrily, “I’ve put up with you for too long. If it weren’t for your wife being my landlord, I would never have hired you. You’re useless. I’ve wasted so many years raising you!”
On the day Ember and Joseph were supposed to sign the divorce papers, Joseph hesitated. He knelt in front of her at the civil affairs bureau.
“Wife, I’m sorry. Please forgive me just this once. Let’s not get divorced, okay? We still have a child!” he pleaded, pushing Lucas toward Ember.
Lucas pulled on her sleeve cautiously. “Mom, I was wrong. I’ll be good from now on.”
It wasn’t until Joseph lost his job that he realized the entire building where his company was located was under Ember’s name.
The rent alone was worth tens of millions a year–far more than his meager salary. He had thought Ember’s family only owned that old house in the countryside.
After learning the truth, he wished he could slap himself for not seeing it sooner.
“You two don’t need to put on an act for me. I overheard everything–how you planned to drug me and ruin my reputation. If you don’t sign the papers today, you’ll be getting a legal notice,” Ember said.
Seeing them try to fake sincerity only disgusted her.
She had wasted ten years of her life on someone like him.
Chapter 5
Frustrated, Joseph said, “Don’t you think you were wrong too? You hid the truth from me all these years. If you had told me earlier, we could still be happy as a family of three. Would we have ended up like
this?”
“If I had told you earlier, you wouldn’t have been scheming to leave me penniless. You would have been planning to inherit my wealth,” Ember shot back.
Joseph’s face faltered, panic flickering in his eyes. “No, wife. I love you.”
Ember laughed bitterly, not wanting to waste another moment with them. She turned to leave.
Lucas grabbed her arm, crying desperately. “Mom, don’t you want me anymore? Don’t you want Dad?”
“Lucas, I gave you a chance. When I asked you to change the juice, what did you do? You’re no longer a child. If you think I’m such a terrible mother, there’s no reason to force yourself to stay with me,” Ember replied coldly.
She shook off his hand and got into the car without looking back.
She submitted her divorce petition to the court, along with evidence of Joseph’s affair and the plot he and Lucas had set up against her.
Joseph didn’t attend the hearing but kept calling her in private.
He even waited outside her villa, but Ember had security throw him out.
He knew she was inside and shouted loudly, “Ember, I won’t divorce you! I love you! I swear I’ll only love you from now on!”
This legal illiterate didn’t understand that Ember had concrete evidence of his infidelity. Even if he didn’t attend the hearing, the court would still grant the divorce.
When Ember received the divorce decree, Joseph’s heart sank for good.
Jennifer grabbed the judgment letter. “How could this happen? You didn’t show up or sign, how could the divorce be finalized like this? You two are married, and her property should also be yours. How did it all go to her?”
Joseph, his eyes red, said, “Isn’t this all because of you? If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be getting divorced.”
“You dare blame me? It was you who came to tell me you liked me. If not for that, I’d be going abroad with Mr. Blake right now. Look at you now. You don’t even have a decent job. If you don’t take Ember’s money, how are you going to support me?” Jennifer snapped.
That day, Joseph sent Ember many texts, all filled with regret about the divorce.
12:11
Chapter 5
They were all pleas for her to give him another chance.
Ember pulled the SIM card out and rushed into the bathroom.
Joseph didn’t give up, though. He camped outside her villa every night, hoping she would change her
mind.
Now that he had no job, he spent entire nights sleeping outside the door, waiting for Ember to forgive him.
But what he didn’t know was that Ember had already gone on vacation.
When the housekeeper sent Ember footage of Joseph lying in front of her house, Ember was lying on the beach, sipping coconut water and watching handsome men.
12:11
