[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":9},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260311FB68BF-8":3},{"id":4,"number":4,"name":5,"content":6,"isLocked":7,"price":8,"hasRead":7},8,"Chapter 8: The Price of Betrayal","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Nora, do we have to get divorced? What about the kid?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked at me, his usual swagger completely gone, struggling to get the words out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"If we don't divorce, I'll terminate the pregnancy,\" I stated flatly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He let out a helpless sigh, rubbing the corner of his eye.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The bright sunlight glinted off his eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He was crying again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He hung his head, mustering his strength before he could finally speak.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Then... I'll do as you say.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When it came to dividing the assets, I gave him a smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I wonder if Sophia will still be into you when you're flat broke?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"She probably will be. After all, you guys were childhood sweethearts.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Wanna bet?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back when Benjamin was at rock bottom, Sophia bounced and booked it abroad for her \"future,\" ghosting him for a full decade.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Did she dip because Benjamin was a broke boi? Nobody really knows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But I bet that whole drama became a massive thorn in Benjamin's side.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Even though my little game was super obvious, he still took the bait.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I bet. And it's not for Sophia.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I watched him sign the divorce papers, the ink proclaiming \"husband leaves with nothing,\" and a smirk just naturally played on my lips.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Benjamin, I told you before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">If there isn't enough love, then I want a truckload of cash.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Having a mountain of money is also pretty sweet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After Benjamin and I called it quits, Sophia didn't exactly win the lottery either.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Which, honestly, was totally in the cards.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She only jetted back because her family's empire had crashed and burned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The dude she was with gave her the boot, and they split.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She always aimed for the stars but had zero game, with a serious case of princess syndrome, refusing to hustle to support herself. So, she crawled back to Benjamin as her safety net.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That \"chance encounter\" at the hospital? Totally her master plan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I'm not Benjamin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I dropped some serious coin on a private investigator to dig up all her dirt.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That apartment Benjamin bought her and all the transfers before the divorce? All marital assets. I snatched them all back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Now that Benjamin's a broke dude with zilch, how could she possibly be living it up?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">One day, on my way home from work, she ambushed me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Weirdly, she was rocking zero makeup, her complexion looking kinda rough from the pregnancy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Looked like Benjamin wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Honestly, you can still live a decent life without being loaded.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As long as you and your partner are a team, Benjamin's skills could totally help you bounce back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But Sophia either didn't get it, or just plain didn't wanna.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was after Benjamin's bank account, not to rough it out with him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Pedestrians were hustling and bustling, the street buzzing with life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then, she suddenly dropped to her knees right at my feet with a thud.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Please, give Benjamin his share of the assets! How are we supposed to live if he has nothing?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"This is what he gets for cheating on me during our marriage. It has nothing to do with me. Please don't bother me again.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">One second she was kneeling, playing the pitiful damsel.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next, she shot up and started screaming at me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"How can you be so heartless, you witch! You've taken everything Benjamin worked over a decade to build!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She jabbed a finger at me, stalking closer with each step.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing her swollen belly, I had no choice but to backpedal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Suddenly, she whipped a dagger from her purse and lunged at me like a wildcat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At the absolute last second, Benjamin dove in and threw himself in front of me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Nora, you and the baby, run!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My hand brushed his back, and I felt a warm, wet liquid seeping through.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once again, I found myself sitting by a hospital bed, staring at an unconscious Benjamin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Only last time, I was a frantic mess, ready to trade my soul to God.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This time, my heart was as still as a frozen lake.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The doctor said Benjamin wasn't in critical condition.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the wound's location was... tricky. He might be dealing with a dull ache for the rest of his life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sophia was hauled off by the cops.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The cold steel of handcuffs clamped onto her wrists as she thrashed around, totally losing it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the last sliver of sunset vanished, Benjamin's eyes fluttered open.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272933172]