Ex-Husband, We're Divorced!

Three years of marriage, neither warm nor cold, each person living their own life without interfering with the other. For a prearranged marriage like this, Isabella didn’t hold many expectations. She thought that as long as she fulfilled her role as a wife, it would be enough. But she didn't expect that one day, her husband would say that he was disgusting to her... didn’t want to have children with her.

That man, Theodore Wang, the golden man every woman dreamed of sharing a bed with—handsome, wealthy, powerful—flawless. Yet now, his words were as clear as day, spoken with deliberate clarity.

“With a woman I don’t love, why would I have children?” Theodore’s voice was soft, but it carried a cold indifference as if it didn’t matter to him at all.

“It’s been three years already. Let the past be the past. Having a child would be a good and necessary thing.” replied the elderly man, his tone earnest and sincere. He was Dante Wang, Theodore’s grandfather and the patriarch of the Wang family.

Isabella, standing outside the study, was about to knock but then momentarily froze. Her gentle expression turned pale.

The man’s voice sounded again, this time tinged with impatience: “Grandfather, let me make this clear one more time. I will never have children with Isabella. Just abandon the idea.”

“You insolent brat!” the old man snapped, followed by the sound of a teacup shattering on the floor and Theodore’s footsteps exiting the room.

Startled, Isabella quickly retreated into the nearby bathroom. In her panic, her side brushed against something sharp.

Pain spread from her body to her heart, so intense it brought tears to her eyes.

A few days ago, she had received a message on her phone. It was from Rosemary Thomas, the woman her husband truly loved.

The accompanying text mocked her:

"Isabella, you’ve been married to Theodore for three years, and he still doesn’t love you. Can you see how pathetic you are?"

"You have his body but not his heart. Only you could pull off doing something so humiliating and lacking in self-respect. If it were me, I’d have jumped off a building out of shame by now."

It was only after marrying Theodore that Isabella learned he already had someone in his heart.

On their wedding night, she saw the headlines about her husband and the then-popular star, Rosemary Thomas, entering and leaving a hotel together.

At the time, she had clung to the hope that they could still build a happy marriage. She resigned from her job, ready to settle into the role of a housewife.

How laughable it was that, three years later...

As Isabella tried to collect herself in the bathroom, the door was abruptly pushed open. She stumbled back several steps.

Through her tearful eyes, she saw the cold figure of her husband, Theodore, approaching. His face was icy, and his black suit only amplified his harshness. Without hesitation, he grabbed her chin.

“You trick my grandfather into pressuring me to have a child with you? Isabella, your tactics have gotten more brazen over the years, haven’t they?”

Before Isabella could speak, his gaze turned even colder: “Three years ago, you climbed into my bed to become Mrs. Wang, and now you want to use a child to cling to the Wang family for life?”

Isabella’s face turned pale as she bit down hard on her lip: “I didn’t!”

“If you didn’t, then why are you eavesdropping on my conversation with Grandfather?” Theodore sneered, his eyes full of mockery: “Now that you’ve overheard, you know my stance on this. So, Isabella, want to have a child with me? Someone as disgusting as you… doesn’t deserve!”

His cruel words made Isabella clench her fists tightly, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She had always known Theodore didn’t love her, but hearing him describe her as “disgusting” and “unworthy” felt like a dagger to her heart.

For three years, she had worked tirelessly to live up to the title of Mrs. Wang, both in public and private.

She had hoped to melt Theodore’s icy heart over time. But now, she realized his heart was a glacier—ancient and unyielding. No matter what she did, it would never thaw.

“Theodore, in these three years, have you ever… ever liked me, even a little?”

Her voice was faint, her body trembling as she mustered all her strength and courage to ask.

Her timid question made Theodore’s heart flicker with an inexplicable feeling, but it quickly vanished.

His eyes filled with cold detachment: “What do you think?”

His mocking and dismissive words shattered the last bit of resolve in Isabella’s heart. The pain left her almost numb.

Suddenly, she began to question herself. What had all her efforts over the past three years been for?

“I understand.” Isabella said quietly. She turned and left the bathroom.

Her departing figure was cold, but there was an air of resolute determination. Theodore instinctively took a step forward but quickly stopped, his gaze darkening. Remembering all the tricks she had used against him, he closed his eyes coldly.

…

Isabella's mood plummeted, and she barely wanted to think about anything anymore when suddenly a message arrived.

It was from Rosemary.

Even more astonishing was the content of the message: "I am pregnant, give up on Theodore."

Outside, the evening continued, but Isabella no longer had the heart to stay. After touching up makeup and adjusting her mood, she informed Dante of her departure and had the driver take her home.

Sitting in the car, she felt lost. Was it time to give up?

Rosemary was pregnant, and Theodore would never allow his child to be born out of wedlock. Divorce was inevitable.

So, let it end here. It had started well but wouldn’t end happily. This would at least provide closure to their marriage.

When she got home, she took a shower and went to bed.

Just as she drifted into a deep sleep, someone roughly bit her lips. The man’s actions were both passionate and punitive.

The familiar scent told Isabella it was Theodore. Had he come back? Was Rosemary unavailable tonight?

Of course. The baby was still too young. Isabella abruptly pushed him off her and turned on the bedside lamp.

Isabella adjusted the dishevelled collar of her nightgown, then stepped barefoot off the bed. She glanced at Theodore, whose face was dark and brooding as he half-sat on the bed, and spoke naturally: “Theodore, let’s divorce.”

“Are you done causing trouble yet?” Theodore’s cold, indifferent face was full of annoyance and impatience.

He had been away from home for a few days, and his body’s desires needed an outlet. Isabella’s unconscious responses in her sleep had ignited him like a loaded arrow, making him unbearably uncomfortable.

Her rejection now? He saw it as just another of her tactics.

Isabella took a deep breath, suppressing the sour ache in her heart, and repeated her words firmly: “I’m serious. Let’s get a divorce.”

Theodore’s face darkened immediately.

He adjusted his position, leaning back against the headboard, squinting as he asked coldly: “Are you sure?”

Isabella pressed her lips together, saying nothing, letting her silence speak for her.

Theodore curled his lips into a mocking smile, a derisive edge to his tone: “Isabella, do I need to remind you that your father’s and your lazy brother’s company has been losing money for years? If not for the Wang family’s support, they would’ve gone bankrupt long ago.”

Isabella’s body wavered, her face flushing red with shame at his harsh words.

He was right. If it weren’t for her father and brother’s near-collapse of the company, she wouldn’t have been manipulated by her father into Theodore’s bed.

For three years, she had wanted to find an opportunity to explain everything to him, but he never listened, never believed in her innocence.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve sold myself to you for three years, helped them hold on for three years. That’s enough. I owe them nothing now.”

For a moment, a storm brewed in Theodore’s eyes: “So you see these past three years as selling yourself to me?”

“Isn’t that what it is?” Isabella turned to face him, her eyes glistening with tears: “You’ve had someone else in your heart all along. Between us, there’s nothing but the duties of marriage. For three years, I’ve been no different from someone who sold herself to you.”

“Good. Very good.” Theodore’s teeth clenched.

“And what about you, Isabella? Are you willing to give up the life you’re enjoying now? I’ve given you everything except love.”

His scorn and mockery ignited a rebellious stubbornness in Isabella. Lifting her gentle face, she stared into his stormy eyes and replied: “Thank you for the reminder. I have hands and feet. Even if I have to pick up trash or sweep streets, I won’t starve to death.”

Isabella knew that in the Wang family, apart from Old Mr. Wang, no one regarded her as anything significant.

But the truth was, she had graduated from a prestigious university. She had only retired her ambitions early, marrying Theodore right after graduation to become Mrs. Wang. She believed she could start everything over again.

Theodore sneered coldly: “Fine. Tomorrow morning, 8:30, at the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Having said that, Isabella turned and left. Since their feelings were laid bare, there was no way they could share a bed any longer.

But before she could leave, a strong force suddenly yanked her back onto the bed. Theodore’s tall, solid frame pressed her down beneath him.

Isabella struggled: “Didn’t you agree to a divorce? What are you doing now?”

Theodore bit her lip harshly, growling: “We’re not divorced yet. You said you sold yourself to me—why wouldn’t I make use of that?”

Isabella bit her lip tightly.

Under Theodore’s relentless and unrestrained actions, Isabella had an epiphany. He was right—why wouldn’t she take advantage?

Theodore had both the looks and the physique. In this domain, he excelled. After their divorce, there was an 80% chance she wouldn’t find another man as “premium” as him. So why not make the most of it?

With that thought, she wrapped her pale, slender arms around Theodore’s neck, intertwining with him.

Eventually, she even climbed onto his stomach, taking control.

In the three years she’d been married to Theodore, she’d never been this bold or passionate. She had always been shy, reserved, and quiet—in life, and on the bed.

This sudden change in her demeanor left Theodore momentarily frozen. In the dark, his breathing grew heavier.

Hearing his reaction, Isabella’s face burned bright red, but she pressed on, cupping his face and kissing him.

From that moment on, she stopped thinking. That night, she and Theodore experienced a harmony they had never had before. Perhaps it was her newfound boldness that made the difference.

The next morning, when Isabella woke up, Theodore was no longer at home.

She remained calm. After washing up and having breakfast, she drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau. They had agreed on 8:30.

But she waited over half an hour, and Theodore was nowhere to be seen.

After another half an hour, she finally called him: “I’m at the Civil Affairs Bureau. When are you coming?”

Theodore’s indifferent voice came through: “I’m in Nimbus City.”

“What?” Isabella was shocked, and her surprise quickly turned into anger: “Didn’t you say 8:30 at the Civil Affairs Bureau to finalize the divorce?”

“There’s an issue with the project here. I had to leave early to deal with it.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Theodore said flatly, then hung up.

Isabella held her phone tightly, an unnameable anger surging within her.

To him, she was dispensable. Even something as significant as a divorce wasn’t worth his attention.

It took her a long time, sitting in her car, to calm herself down. Twenty minutes later, she appeared at the door of her best friend Layla Snow.

Layla was a stunning and popular star, but she was always very calm and gentle. Still, when she heard Isabella had decided to divorce Theodore, she immediately pulled her into a hug with an excited demeanor: “Congratulations! You’re finally escaping that pit of misery.”

Isabella couldn’t help but laugh at Layla’s dramatic reaction, but it was clear how dissatisfied Layla had always been with her marriage to Theodore.

Layla spoke with conviction: “I told you a long time ago, while you're still young, you should leave him early. That way, you'll have the capital to start over."

"I know plenty of fresh, young faces in the entertainment industry. After your divorce, I'll introduce them all to you."

Isabella immediately shook her head: “No, no, no. I don't want to date celebrities. I don't want to fall in love anymore."

Her voice turned sombre as she finished. The three years she had spent with Theodore had truly left her deeply scarred.

Layla sighed with regret, exclaiming: “Really? A stunning beauty like you, full of talent, and you don't want to fall in love? What a waste!"

Isabella lowered her eyes to her glass of red wine and murmured: “What good is love? It's better to focus on building a career."

She wanted to prove that even after leaving Theodore, she could live just fine.

Hearing Isabella mention focusing on her career, Layla's eyes lit up: “Hey, listen. My company has an opportunity for an overseas screenwriting program. If you're serious about diving into your career, I can ask Mr. Smith to help you."

When Isabella was in college, she majored in film studies. Although she married Theodore right after graduation and became the lady of the house, Layla couldn't bear to see her talent go to waste. She had introduced Isabella to part-time screenwriting work.

This was a secret. Nobody, not even Theodore, knew about it. As a screenwriter, Isabella worked under the pen name Bell.

Layla's words filled Isabella with hope and excitement: “Really?"

"Of course.” Layla assured her: “Mr. Smith has always admired your talent. Even though you've only worked as a part-time screenwriter, if you sign on as a full-time writer with the company, Mr. Smith will definitely invest all the resources needed to develop you."

Layla’s company, Smith AA Entertainment, was co-founded by former best actor Vaughn Smith and his best friend after he retired from showbiz. The company boasted a lineup of top-tier writers, directors, and actors, and their dramas had consistently been hits, garnering widespread acclaim.

Without hesitation, Isabella agreed: “Okay, I'll sign."

Getting divorced and going abroad seemed like the best path forward for her now. Once overseas, she wouldn't have to face the mess with Theodore anymore. Maybe then her heart would finally stop aching.

Theodore had been on a business trip for three days, and Isabella had patiently waited for this moment.

On the day Layla accompanied her to Smith AA Entertainment to sign the contract, Isabella also made a trip to the Wang family’s ancestral home. Having decided to divorce, she felt it was only right to inform the family patriarch, who had always treated her kindly.

Half an hour later, Isabella, her eyes red, stepped out of the study with the patriarch, only to run into Theodore, who had returned from his trip unexpectedly.

He wore a grey suit, his tall and imposing figure exuding a cold arrogance. His mature, steady demeanor at thirty carried the commanding presence of a man in power.

Isabella recalled how, back then, she had been utterly captivated by his very appearance, foolishly offering him her heart.