Chapter 1 Divorced After Two Years of Endurement

• Ring ring.
• Charlotte Goldman's phone rang.
• As she reached for the ringing phone, her friend Ben White, seated across from her, intercepted it and wore a concerned frown. "Charlotte, do you truly wish to persist with a marriage like this?"
• He jabbed his finger towards the phone, his voice laced with anger. "Every time Mike calls, it's either to drag you to Lanie's drug trial or to accuse you of harming her again.
• "After two years of marriage, has he ever genuinely cared about you?"
• Charlotte's heart ached as she clenched her lips shut, opting for silence in response. Eventually, she answered the phone.
• "Charlotte, you should be at the hospital for the drug trial. Why haven't you gone yet?"
• Charlotte's face turned ashen upon hearing the cold questioning from the receiver, feeling as though a heavy weight pressed down on her heart.
• It was exactly as Ben had warned.
• Then, Mike Warner's voice continued.
• "As per our agreement, I provide you with at least 120 thousand every month, and all you have to do is participate in Lanie's drug trial at the hospital. Why aren't you holding up your end of the deal now?"
• Charlotte found the absurdity of her two-year-long marriage increasingly difficult to bear. Mike's undivided attention lay with his ex-lover Lanie Smith, treating Charlotte with less regard than a stranger.
• He must have been aware that her body had surpassed its limits after years of drug trials.
• A bitter laugh escaped her lips. How could she have forgotten?
• He showed no concern for her physical well-being; his sole focus was on curing Lanie.
• For the first time, Charlotte ended the call with Mike.
• With tears staining her cheeks, she sat there with a bitter smile.
• This was the man she had once been willing to sever ties with her family and conceal her identity for, yet he showed no regard for his own wife's well-being in favor of his former lover.
• However, he did not prioritize his wife's well-being over his former lover's.
• Just then, her phone buzzed with a few pictures.
• However, those few pictures were the last straw for Charlotte.
• In the images, Lanie appeared affectionate with Mike, holding hands with him and smiling.
• Next to her, Mike gazed at Lanie with tenderness, as though she were his dearest love.
• Charlotte felt overwhelmed, suffocated by pain and disbelief. Mike had never shown her such tenderness.
• His treatment of her had always been distant and impatient.
• Her heart felt like it was being torn apart, bleeding with pain. The humility and pleas she endured for the past two years now felt like fragile glass, shattered instantly.
• Eventually, Charlotte lifted her head and fought back the tears.
• The marriage she had strived so hard to uphold seemed like a farce in Lanie's eyes. Lanie, though not Mrs. Warner, appeared more like Mrs. Warner than Charlotte did.
• Whenever there was a social event or gathering, Mike never accompanied Charlotte, preferring instead to be with Lanie or his assistant.
• Even if Charlotte dared to inquire or attended covertly, she would be dismissed by him and scolded.
• This only served to further belittle and embarrass her in the eyes of others.
• Yet, she endured it all for Mike.
• Now, she was drained and no longer wished to persevere.
• In fact, Lanie had sent similar photos before.
• Previously, Lanie had flooded her with countless photos and hurtful remarks, but Charlotte had always brushed it off.
• However, this time, the photo shattered her self-esteem completely.
• A surge of pain, humiliation, and anger swept over her.
• Her marriage of more than two years now seemed like a cruel joke.
• Charlotte's determination solidified. It was time to put an end to this mockery.
• "Charlotte, are you okay?" Ben asked, his concern evident.
• He gently wiped away Charlotte's tears and urged her, "Charlotte, it's time to end this marriage.
• "If you keep going like this, you'll only suffer more."
• Thankfully, they were tucked away in a secluded corner of the cafe, shielded from prying eyes.
• Taking a deep breath, Charlotte, now composed, dialed Mike's number for the first time. "Ben, you're right. It's time to call it quits," she said, signaling for Ben to remain silent for now.
• Before Mike could say anything, she got straight to the point, "I'll be waiting for you at the Civil Affairs Bureau in an hour. We're getting divorced."