After Divorce She Shone The World Novel – I witnessed with tear-blurring eyes as my husband,Ethan stood stark undressed in his office with his erect member buried deep in the womanhood of another woman. “Just bear with me a little longer, yeah? Once I get everything she has, I’ll toss her away.” “And what’s that?” woman asked. “Her limo, her house, and her practice…” He said, grunting hard as he pulled out and penetrated her from another angle. I gagged. He wanted Everything? Everything I had worked hard to earn? I tightened my grip on the electronic device in my hands and took a few… Pleasant and rather photogenic displays of my husband making love with his mistress. “Cole, I want you to prepare me divorce paper.” I entered the office of my exclusive attorney Cole Jameson. I added as I put the photos I had just taken on the desk, “And, I want Ethan Bennett and this bimbo to be ruined.”
With each step Vanessa took towards her husband’s office, she felt her heart hammer loudly in her chest, drowning out the hushed sounds of her footsteps. God, why was she doing this again? She tried to think amidst the pounding of her heart and the twisted, sickening feeling that had settled in her stomach ever since two days ago. The answer came as fast as the harsh realization she had gotten when her best friend, Lorraine, informed her that she had seen Ethan, her six-year-long husband, making out with another woman in public. She remembered it vividly, the pain at that time. Betrayal, anger, hurt, all those emotions thrown together into her heart made her feel sick… wronged. She had abandoned every thing for him! Past friends, family, promising opportunity, and eloped with him, all in the name of love and this is how he treated her! She had confronted Ethan and of course, like the cheat he was, he got angry, flaring up at her and accusing her of being paranoia. He stormed out of the house, stating that he would crash the night at one of his friends. It was his usual trick.
Throw a tantrum and blame her for everything. He expected her to bury herself in tears at home like she always did and as long as he refused her call for some days, she would confess and beg him to come home like an obedient dog. But this time, Vanessa acted otherwise. Instead of being the lovely, timid wife she had turned herself into over the years, she kicked up her boots and stalked him instead. Now, here she was, tip-toeing through the halls of his empty workplace. It was already well past working hours so all office lights had been switched off. Except for one; Ethan’s office. From the slightly ajar door, Vanessa could see the light creeping into the hallway, basking the plush red carpet that concealed the sound of her approaching footsteps and the closer she got, the more she got the urge to hunch over and vomit the afternoon’s lunch that she had barely stomached down. Another woman was moaning out her husband’s name while the said man groaned in pleasure, coupled with the sound of skin slapping against each other. Mere inches away from the cracked open door, Vanessa’s eyes fluttered with pain and she felt her heart drop the lowest it could.
She had held out the expectation that Lorraine and she might both have been mistaken. She’d even reflected on whether she’d been too busy with work neglecting him. But with ironclad evidence before her eyes, she couldn’t fool herself any longer. She witnessed with tear-blurring eyes as her husband, the very same man whom she loved and trusted more than anyone in the world, stood stark undressed in his office with his erect member buried deep in the womanhood of another woman. “Serene… You’re so tight!” She heard Ethan groan and watched as he rolled his hips back before passionately thrusting back into his mistress. “Yeah? But you like it that way, don’t you?” A silvery giggle sounded out at the end of the female’s voice. “Yes, I do!” Ethan responded, giving several hard thrusts seconds after. “I missed this. I missed you.” The woman said. Ethan chuckled. The sound had Vanessa’s stomach-turning, the urge to vomit growing stronger.
How could he afford to laugh like that while cheating on her, with another woman after refusing to touch her for a whole year, using work stress and promotion as a cover-up?! “You should have said something. I would have dropped everything for you.” Ethan said, voice hoarse from the exertion. “And leave your wife behind?” Ah, so his little bimbo knew that he was married, yet she dare have an affair with him. “She’s not as important to me as you are Serene. Heck… She can’t even hold a candle to you. She couldn’t even do a simple wife’s duty and bear one child. She’s utterly useless.” That’s when Vanessa heard her heart crack upon hearing Ethan’s words. How dare this jerk belittle her, calling her barren all to please his little bimbo? How dare he blame her for her infertility? If he hadn’t tricked her into tasting the forbidden fruit, she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant before 18, she wouldn’t have broken away from her family only to stay with him.
Due to the poverty, he even coaxed her to quit college. He had sworn to her that he would give her the best life after he graduated and got his law license. To support their small family, she had to work part-time but lost their first child because of overwork. That unplanned abortion damaged her both physically and psychologically. She had been studying and earning money crazily for the past few years, finally managed to get her doctorate and set up her own private practice. Vanessa thought she was finally ready, mentally and physically, to have a child with him again. Yet, each time she came to him, he refused with one excuse after the other, all because he was cheating on her, with no guilt. The tears in her eyes began to cascade down her cheeks. She was hurt, angry, disgusted… And most of all, heartbroken. “Just bear with me a little longer, yeah? Once I get what rightfully belongs to me, back from her, I’ll toss her away and we can fully enjoy our lives.” “And what’s that?” Serene asked, just as curious as their unannounced spectator. “Everything she has.” Came Ethan’s answer. “She has it all because of my status. Her limo, her house, and her practice.
Without me, she could never reach this high. I’m just taking back what’s rightfully mine..” He said, grunting hard as he pulled out and penetrated Serene from another angle. Vanessa gagged. He wanted Everything? Everything she had worked hard to earn, to build from rubbles? And he even dared to claim that it was all HIS! Vanessa felt a fresh wave of anger surfacing. She clenched her jaw and her hands, stopping herself before she could rush into the office and pounce on the dog she called her husband. But as soon as she realized how invincible Ethan was in the lawsuit, she pulled herself back with the last strain of her sanity. Instead, she was had to handle this matter in a way that didn’t involve violence, or Ethan had the finesse to put her in jail first. A mature way, She thought, tightened her grip on the electronic device in her hands and took a few… Pleasant and rather photogenic displays of her husband making love with his mistress, which she was certain was going to help her win the divorce case. Once done, she took a deep breath, calmed herself with a final glance towards that couple, and then walked off. Instead of returning home, she drove directly to the office of her exclusive attorney.
“Cole, I want you to prepare me divorce paper.” She demanded as she entered the office of her exclusive attorney Cole Jameson, who already awaited her with respect after receiving her message. She added as she put the photos she had just taken on the desk, “And, I want Ethan Bennett and this bimbo to be ruined.” – “Are you sure, Mrs. Bennett?” Cole cleared his throat as he had just accessed the documents about the couple and found something strange. “Do you know that Ethan Bennett had a supplement agreement to your prenup? That he will get to keep seventy percent of all your fortune if you ask for a divorce?” Vanessa felt the earth shake again. Why did she have no idea about that supplemental agreement? “When?” She asked with her lips shivering. “About half a year ago and it has your signature,” Cole added. Vanessa clenched her fists as she remembered that at that time point, Ethan had coaxed her into signing a document saying it was for a fund for their future child. So, it was all a lie? He started betraying her that long ago? She thought he would at least have some feelings for their past but actually, he had already prepared various traps for her.
To grab everything from her. With no mercy. She could only but chuckle at his heartless nature, wetting her dry lips as she blinked back a couple of tears. Wow, crying over a piece of trash like Ethan, how far have you truly fallen Vanessa Bennett? “Mrs. Bennett,” Cole’s voice snapped her out of her state of rumination. “May I remind you something more?” He began, “This supplemental agreement will likely affect the inheritance you will receive from your original family of origin even though Mr. Bennett never knew your real background.” That fact hit Vanessa again but the sickening feeling of betrayal made her want a divorce over everything! She would definitely divorce Ethan, but it didn’t mean she would give away the property she and her family had worked so hard to build. Never! “Mrs. Bennett-?” Vanessa raised her hand to interrupt him. “Call me Ms. Reeds from now on,” She requested after taking a deep breath. “Prepare the divorce paper for me and make sure Ethan Bennett won’t get even a penny from me.” She demanded. “As the exclusive attorney of the Reeds,” she looked at Cole with determined eyes, “I’m sure you can help me make it. Don’t disappoint me Cole.” “Of course… Ms. Reeds.” Cole responded with a bow.
As soon as she left the office, Vanessa found her way into her car, slamming the door shut with a bang before resting her head on the stirring wheel. How could she have been so stupid! She cursed herself in her mind, recalling how her family members had warned her against Ethan. God, the prenup, how stupid had she really been? Signing something like that in the belief that neither of them would ever ask for a divorce? That their marriage would last just like her parents? She had never felt more ashamed of herself than at this moment for disappointing her parents. They had doted on her, nurtured her with care, and even planned to let her inherit all the family property, but she had taken them as demons that prevented her from pursuing love and freedom just because of Ethan’s sweet words. “Perhaps I should be crowned the queen of stupidity,” Vanessa muttered under her breath as she turned on the engine and began driving home. Halfway stuck in traffic, she received a call from Lorraine. With the phone on speaker, eyes focused on the road, she answered.
“Lorraine-” She didn’t even get the chance to finish her words. “Nessa, Jesus Christ! Why weren’t you picking up your phone? Are you alright?” Lorraine exclaimed, bombarding her with questions. Hearing how concerned her friend sounded, acted as some sort of consolation to Vanessa. She smiled, although it was only faint. “I’m fine, Lorraine.” Her answer, an obvious lie to even herself, tasted like hot coal on her tongue. She swallowed, thankful that she was currently in traffic as she had the chance to look up and blink fresh fears away. “I’m sorry for worrying you.” “Oh, Nessa,” Lorraine cooed once she heard her friend’s voice waver. A wave of guilt washed over her and just like a few days back, she regretted telling Vanessa about Ethan’s affair. But something deep down told her it was for the best. “I should thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be fooled by Ethan. That jerk not only cheated on me but also planned to take all my property!” “Say what?!” Vanessa could hear Lorraine scream in anger. As she pulled into the driveway of her Villa, she added. “But don’t worry, I won’t let him win.” For the first time today, Vanessa said words that even she believed.
“Sure. Always remember, you have me, if anything.” “Yeah, Bye.” Nodding her head even though Lorraine couldn’t see, Vanessa Agreed. Her eyes remained closed for a little while, but when she opened them again, it was clear that she had made up her mind. A solution to the problem had formed. ‘Just you wait, Ethan.’ She thought as she gathered a few papers from the glove compartment before stepping out. Her brows furrowed when she took notice of Ethan’s Maybach parked in the driveway. Ethan returned home? It wasn’t like him. Did he realize she had stalked him? She scowled, clearly not ready to face him after the rather entertaining scene she had watched in his office. Nonetheless, she matched into her home, and just as she had suspected, Lo’ and behold, the devil sat on one of the couches, a glass of whiskey held between his fingers. When he looked up and stared into her eyes, Vanessa felt her insides twist and burn hot with anger. “Why are you home so late?” Ethan questioned in a lazy tone, but the bulging veins at the side of his neck told a different story than what his voice was telling. Vanessa however, ignored his words, simply turning around to take her coat off and hang it. Her action caused Ethan to finally take on a tone matching the veins in his neck.
“I asked you a freaking question, Vanessa!” “Why are you coming in so late and why haven’t you prepared my dinner!” For a second, Vanessa had been taken aback by his raised tone. But as quickly as the shock had come, it faded when she recalled all the nasty things he had said to his mistress. As anger rose to the surface, her jaws tightened and she clenched her fist. Unlike in the past, instead of trying to coax Ethan, she looked him straight in the eyes, mirroring his icy stare. “You must not have seen all the traffic on the road because you were so immersed in work. And as for your food, I suggest you order yourself takeout. I have no plan of preparing you dinner.” “What?” Ethan sputtered as he stood up, caught off guard by her sudden defensive attitude. Vanessa was never one to talk back to him. “Order myself takeouts when I have a wife here at home? Are you even listening to yourself?!”
Ethan couldn’t suppress his anger. Had he been so good to her lately that she had forgotten who was in charge of the house? Vanessa ignored his outburst, placing her bag on the table to gently reach into it and pull out the papers she had shoved into her bag earlier. Pa! She threw them on the table, in front of him before he could say anything else. Ethan looked from the papers and then back to her, raising his perfectly shaped brows. “What is this?” “The documents you suggested to me to expand the co-partnership with Lorraine for the laboratory,” Ethan’s lips curved into a slight smile, which only lasted for a few seconds. “She rejected it. She feel no need to accept the investment of your friend.” “What?”