Interlude 1 Ex-Wife Doesn't Know Yet
Ex-Wife Doesn’t Know Yet
—A month has passed since the divorce.
At this moment, I am at the peak of happiness.
Ah, finally.
I can finally be with the man I truly love…
Today, I’m enjoying a drive in his luxury foreign car.
He gives me everything I want.
Sure, Shintaro gave me things too, but… he goes above and beyond.
He always puts me first and comes running no matter what.
He’s like a charming prince.
When I glance at him driving, he gives me a refreshing smile.
Just seeing that smile feels like it cleanses my soul.
“Taa-kun. I love you.”
“I love you too, Aya.”
We exchange these words.
The future ahead of us looks so bright.
I grew tired of the dull days of marriage and sought excitement through matchmaking events and dating apps.
Yet, no one seemed to fill the emptiness in my heart.
No matter how much fun I had or what gifts I received, the void remained.
Then, two years ago, I met Taa-kun.
Back then, he was 20, three years younger than me.
His slightly baby-faced, sweetly clingy nature drew me in, and the monotony of my days began to fade.
Finally, just recently, we became a couple…
We even promised to get married!
Ah, my dream has finally come true.
And yet—
I recall the phone call from yesterday.
It was a call from a lawyer.
And not just any lawyer—one with a reputation for brilliance, someone I’d seen on TV…
Apparently, the lawyer was Shintaro’s representative.
They even had an official contract signed by Shintaro himself.
I couldn’t believe it.
—Where did he get the money for this?
—Was this a desperate gamble?
These thoughts flashed through my mind.
Then the lawyer said,
[I need to speak with you regarding the divorce.]
That’s what they said over the phone.
My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my pulse race.
I had an idea of what this could be about.
My ex-husband was smart.
That’s why I thought he might confront me with evidence I hadn’t noticed.
…That’s what I feared.
Had he discovered my affair?
Was he contesting the divorce papers I filed?
Or was it about the money I’d spent?
Which one could it be?
Just thinking about it made my anger surge uncontrollably.
Why is he trying to interfere with my happiness!?
I’m finally about to achieve it!!
Don’t get in the way of my love!!
And yet—deep down, I held onto hope.
After all, my husband had been deeply infatuated with me.
Maybe he wouldn’t even demand alimony.
And as it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.
[You must sever all ties with Ariga Shintaro from this point onward. Acknowledge that there has been no marital relationship between you for over a year.]
That was the lawyer’s request.
If I adhered to it, there would be no division of assets, no alimony for infidelity, and no other legal action taken.
However, if I broke the agreement, all bets were off.
That was the deal.
…Seriously?
Seriously, seriously, seriously!!
How could he be so naive and foolish!
Most of the assets were gifts to me, and I already had them in my possession!!
It was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing—my stomach hurt.
But, well, it couldn’t be helped.
He probably couldn’t find any evidence of my infidelity no matter how hard he tried.
Still, better safe than sorry…
Just in case, I needed to ensure I wouldn’t be sued.
This offer was too good to pass up.
Just two conditions.
It was entirely to my benefit!
So, I signed the documents that arrived a few days later.
I have no intention of ever meeting him again!
Yep, this settles everything!
Everything went perfectly.
“Now I can move on without any worries. I need to tell Taa-kun about the child I’m carrying… Fufu. I wonder if he’ll be happy?”
Ah, my future is looking rosy.
But, at the time, I didn’t know.
I didn’t realize that signing that document would cut off the only escape route I had left…
At that moment, it never crossed my mind.