Blurb：
On their eighth anniversary, Julian Vanderbilt receives a necktie from his wife Sophia Mitchell—a gift chosen by her personal assistant Lucas Young. Calmly, Julian asks for a divorce. Sophia agrees, but soon regrets it, begging him to stay. As tensions rise, Lucas’s presence becomes unbearable. Julian discovers Sophia’s affair and her prioritization of Lucas over their marriage and daughter. Fed up with being sidelined, Julian leaves, forcing Sophia to confront the consequences of her actions. Will their love survive betrayal, or is this the end for Julian and Sophia? Dive into a story of love, power, and heartbreak.
Content：
On our eight years of marriage anniversary day, my wife gave me a necktie as a gift.
The moment I received the gift, I called her, and calmly asked her for a divorce.
On the other end of the line, I could hear her young boyfriend sobbing an apology:
Mr. Vanderbilt, it’s all my fault for overstepping. Please don’t be angry with Ms. Mitchell.
Sophia Mitchell gently comforted him for a while before speaking to me, “If that’s what you want, I agree with you!”
But when I saw her again, her eyes were red, and she begged me not to leave her.
“Warm some milk for me.”
Sophia came home after midnight and didn’t see a nice meal waiting on the table like usual.
She frowned slightly, gave the order, and headed toward the bathroom.
When she came out, damp and fresh from the shower, I was still lazily scrolling through my phone on the sofa.
She pulled a luxury watch from her luggage, “Take a look—see if you like it.”
The packaging looked like something a younger person would choose.
In the past, when she wanted to make up with me, she’d do anything I wanted.
Now, she just brushes me off with thoughtless gifts.
I didn’t even bother looking.
“When are you free to sign the divorce papers?”
Sophia was always busy—so busy that even our anniversary gift had to be picked out by her male assistant.
When it came to divorce, I’d have to also work around her schedule.
…
“Stop being difficult. Lucas didn’t know you hate red ties. It won’t happen again.”
She poured herself a glass of milk and sat across from me, on the single sofa, smirking slightly.
Lucas Young had been Sophia’s childhood friend.
He’d had a crush on her since they were kids, and right after graduating from an Ivy school, he became her personal assistant.
They were inseparable—even sharing the same suite on business trips.
Honestly, I didn’t blame Lucas for clinging to her.
You know what they say: you can’t blame the fly for landing on a cracked egg.
If she didn’t allow it, no man could get close to her.
I yawned, tears welling in the corners of my eyes.
When I didn’t respond, Sophia seemed to think the issue was over.
She asked about our seven-year-old daughter’s latest exam results.
I shook my head, “No idea.”
It wasn’t to annoy her—I genuinely didn’t know.
The Mitchells believed in elite upbringing.
Our daughter had been raised at the family estate since she was little, with a packed schedule of lessons every day.
It’s almost funny—she’s my child, but I hardly ever got to see her.
I’d argued, I’d fought, but the Mitchells family didn’t care.
To them, my marrying into their family was already a miracle.
Anything more was just wishful thinking.
Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose and told me to focus more on our daughter:
“Even Lucas will be more of a father to her than you are!”
I knew what she meant.
Yesterday was Friday—the only day I was allowed to pick our daughter up from school.
I showed up an hour early and waited until after dark, until the school gates closed.
Then Lucas called to tell me that, Mrs. Mitchell had asked him to take her back to the estate for dinner.
Through the phone, I could hear Sophia laughing, asking Lucas if he wanted some soup.
Coming back to the present, I gave a cold smile:
“Perfect. I’ll step aside, and he can be the esteemed Mitchell’s son-in-law.”
Something in my words must’ve stung her.
She went quiet for a few seconds, then suddenly exploded:
“I have my limits, Julian. Stop being unreasonable.”
Sophia walked to the study and shut the door firmly.
‘BANG!’
Eight years of marriage, countless arguments.
I was always the one to apologize.
…
But this time, she never heard my hesitant knock on the door.
Half an hour later, she opened the door and searched the entire house, but I was already gone.
…
I was Sophia’s first love.
No one could believe that a straight-A student, a beautiful heiress from a wealthy family,
would fall for a broke young man.
Our first meeting was happened in a grimy, stinking alley where a group of thugs were robbing an honors student.
I happened to walk by, and one of them shouted at me to get lost.
So I rode my bike straight into the crowd, fought off the troublemakers, and accidentally rescued the rich girl being robbed.
After that, Sophia fall in love with me.
She waited for me after school, followed me everywhere—nothing could shake her off.
She gave me roses, which I coldly tossed in the trash.
She made me expensive lunches, which I handed to homeless people on the street.
My friends joked that I had a rich, lovesick puppy following me around.
Anyone could see we were from different worlds.
But this same girl forced her way into my house when my gambling father beat me so badly that I couldn’t go to school,
carried my half-conscious body, and rushed me to the hospital.
While the doctor stitched me up, she stood with her back to me, shoulders shaking, wiping her tears over and over.
The doctor asked why she was crying when I was the one hurt.
She said she didn’t know why— but her chest just hurt terribly.
She even naively asked if she’s getting a heart attack.
I remembered…
Back then.
In the hospital room, Sophia clumsily peeled an apple for me.
“I never want to feel this way again. Julian, please don’t get hurt anymore. I’m begging you.”
I nodded, then glared at her:
“Then will you be my girlfriend?”
We both blushed and couldn’t say another word all day.
I once told Sophia a secret no one else knew:
Every time my dad got drunk and beat my mom,
the next day, there’d always be a cheap, sorry-looking necktie lying around the house.
So if she ever wanted to break up with me, she didn’t have to say it.
Just give me a necktie as our secret.
“Silly, we’ll be together forever!”
the 18-year-old girl said, looking me deep in the eyes with love, holding me tight, refusing to let me say another word.
To escape my father, Sophia took me abroad with her for university.
Her father cut off her allowance to force us apart.
Back then, besides studying, we both worked two jobs to made money.
Those days were tough, but even while brushing our teeth, we’d play around and make each other laugh.
In that tiny apartment, we bickered and laughed, our eyes full of love.
If only we could’ve stayed like that forever…
…
“Mr. Vanderbilt?”
“Hey!”
“Mr. Vanderbilt? Are you alright?”
The doctor’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
It was my third day out of the mansion, and my insomnia had gotten worse.
While picking up my sleeping pills, I ran into Lucas in the chemist store.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, why are you here alone?”
Lucas blinked innocently.
When I didn’t answer, he said with fake concern:
“Sophia mentioned, that you two have been arguing. She’s been really busy—you should be more understanding.”
“Don’t worry. We will not be together, not anymore.”
As soon as I said it, I saw Sophia walking over, her face darkened.
I didn’t know why she was angry, but she was clutching a medicated spray bottle.
Lucas weakly said he’d twisted his ankle on the steps—
it was nothing serious, but Sophia insisted on bringing him to the hospital.
When it’s my turn came to pick up my medicine, Sophia asked shortly, as if she don’t care:
“You sick?”
When I ignored her and turned to leave, she snatched the bag from me and looked inside.
“Sleeping pills? Since when do you have insomnia?”
“Julian, I’m talking to you. Tell me—how long are you going to keep this up?”
Sophia thought my leaving was just a tantrum to get her attention.
“Come on Julian, don’t be a child!”
She knew!
I hated her to call me a child!
Even now, she hadn’t bothered to find out where I was staying or what I’d been doing.
Her cold, raised voice drew stares from people around us.
Annoyed, I took my bag back and said quietly:
“I’m not playing games with you.”
Maybe my tone was too gentle—she thought I was backing down.
She offered to drop me off first, then take Lucas to the office.
But I shook my head.
“Work comes first. I can get home on my own.”
By “home,” I meant my own place.
My own place I used to escape!
A few years ago.
My gambling father died in a car accident, leaving me some compensation money.
The house I’d once been so desperate to escape—the place where I’d been beaten—was now my only refuge.
Watching my lonely leaving figure, Sophia took a step forward, but Lucas grabbed her arm.
He said he felt dizzy—maybe his blood sugar was dropping.
Sophia hesitated, then turned toward a vending machine instead of following me.
The day the lawyer finished drafting the divorce papers, I got a call from Sophia.
She sounded urgent and tense:
“Our daughter is sick. Be at the Mitchell’s estate by six PM.”
She hung up before I could ask what was wrong.
I printed the papers and felt a wave of relief.
At the Mitchell estate, I found the whole family gathered for a regular dinner.
Our daughter was seated between Sophia and Lucas.
To anyone else, they looked like a perfect family.
Tears in my eyes, I walked over to my daughter.
Touched her cheek gently, and asked softly where she hurt.
She has Sophia’s exact features.
She pushed my hand away and looked warily at me, then turned to Lucas for reassurance.
My heart ached.
Lucas held my daughter close and said innocently:
“Chloe isn’t sick. Julian. Are you sure you didn’t over dose on your meds?”
The Mitchells family shot me disgusted looks.
I knew what they were thinking—especially Sophia’s brother, Alexander Mitchell.
He always thought I was a broke normal man.
In the past, I’d put up with his contempt for Sophia’s sake.
But not this time.
I asked Sophia seriously:
“You said our daughter was sick and told me to come at 6 pm. I rushed over here, and now your boytoy says she’s fine.”
“Which one of you is lying?”
“Or are you both just messed up?”
Lucas looked panicked at me.
He tried to explain, but I cut him off, glaring coldly:
“Lucas, if you want to be the mistress, that’s your business. But don’t use my daughter to play your games, or you’ll regret it.”
My blunt words made Lucas flush, his eyes instantly wet.
Smack!
Sophia slammed her wine cup down on the ground, her face dark and sharp:
“Julian, you are so obsessed with jealousy. Our daughter’s had a cold for days—have you even checked on her?”
“And you were supposed to be here at six. You are the one kept everyone waiting.”
“Since you can’t tell time, go eat in the servants’ quarters.”
Sophia always got her way.
No one in this house dared defy her.
Lucas looked smug, pretending to feel sorry for me.
Alexander rolled his eyes, full of disdain.
I met Sophia’s gaze and smirked:
“You are truly disgusting me.”
As I turned to leave, Sophia snapped, grabbing my wrist angrily:
“Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t say that you could leave!”
Her audacity infuriated me:
“None of your business! Let go.”
Noting Lucas’s expression, Alexander sneered:
“Julian, after all these years, you’re still uncouth. Trash will always be trash.”
Surprisingly, Sophia turned and scolded him:
“Shut your mouth!”
I pulled my hand free while she was distracted.
The pain in my wrist ignited years of pent-up anger.
I scanned the room, then fixed my eyes on Alexander’s face:
“Want to see what real trash looks like!?”
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