The Wife's Regret in Divorce

"Make sure the floor is spotless!"

"Yvette is bringing Mr. Campbeldon from East Gate Group to our house later for a business meeting. If I see even a tiny bit of dust on the floor, you'll be in trouble!"

Matilda Carriwood, the mother-in-law, lounged on the couch, soaking her feet and giving orders with an arrogant tone.

Keane Layton mopped the bathroom over and over again without a single complaint.

"You're a lazy and ungrateful person! You keep taking advantage of my daughter's money and don't even work hard. You're so useless that a dog would be more helpful!" Matilda looked at him defiantly. She flicked the water off her feet and then put her feet up on the coffee table. She showed that she was the boss in this house.

Keane Layton froze for a moment.

An inexplicable rage made him clench his fists.

"What? Are you upset about this, huh?"

"No, Mom." Keane managed to force a smile.

Matilda scoffed, "Don't you dare be!"

"Get your lazy ass up and dry my feet! And then take away the dirty water."

Keane walked over and crouched on the ground.

Suddenly, Matilda violently kicked over the foot-washing basin, drenching Keane with water.

"You think I'm stupid, huh? I can see right through your fake smile and hear the curses you're whispering under your breath!"

"Listen up, Keane, I'm the boss in this house. My daughter has to do what I say. No matter how pissed off you are, you'd better keep it to yourself and don't cross me. Got it? Or do you want me to put you out on the street tonight?"

Keane maintained a composed expression as he dabbed at the water on his face.

"Mom, I've been married to Yvette for three years, and I've been doing all the housework that whole time without a single complaint. I'm doing this so that Yvette doesn't have to worry about her career and her family at the same time. But in the past two years, you've been crossing the line.

Matilda's expression changed dramatically. She jumped to her feet, as if she had been propelled by springs. Her hand shot out and slapped Keane across the face.

Keane did not move or flinch when the slap landed on his face.

"Keane, are you so bored with your miserable life that you dare to talk back to me now? Have you finally grown some balls?"

"You're a useless, temperamental mooch who lives off your wife and still throws tantrums. Do you have the balls to divorce her? Do you have the guts?" Matilda sneered coldly.

Keane sighed.

He was well aware of his mother-in-law's true intentions.

When he married Yvette, she had nothing, and the Lathan Family had millions of dollars in debt. He paid off the debt and helped Yvette start her first company.

At that time, his mother-in-law considered him the perfect son-in-law.

However, as Yvette's career flourished, she began to secretly pursue another person romantically.

Matilda wanted her daughter to divorce Keane.

She desired Yvette to marry into a wealthy and influential family to create a strong and beneficial alliance.

She wished to get rid of her son-in-law, who was only good at doing housework and taking care of the family after getting married.

Since she knew that Yvette would never file for divorce, she devised a plan to force him out of the marriage through hardship, humiliation, and coercion so that Yvette could remarry into a wealthy and influential family.

However, she had no idea that Yvette's success was entirely due to his quiet support behind the scenes.

"I'm not going to divorce Yvette, no matter what you say."

When Matilda heard these words, she became so furious. She raised her hand to strike, but Keane caught her wrist in time.

"Ouch! It hurts! Help me! He's hurting me!"

"What are you doing, Keane?"

At that moment, a cold voice echoed from the living room doorway.

A beauty in a red dress, with skin like pearls and hair like midnight, walked with a graceful stride. She possessed a princess's noble temperament and an ice glacier's stunning appearance. Her hourglass figure captured everyone's attention.

Yvette's appearance brought a splash of color and life to the monochrome-themed living room.

Next to her stood a handsome, elegant, and charming young man from a wealthy family.

"Yvette, I ..."

"Yvette, you're finally home! Look at this little brat! He bullies me when you're not home. He even kicked over the basin and tried to hit me." Matilda sat on the floor, crying and making a scene.

"Mom, please get up."

"You are safe with me."

Yvette rubbed her temples wearily.

"Yvette, I didn't ..."

"That's enough!"

She cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Keane, you've let me down so many times. I'm sick of it."

"Go and help my mom up. You better apologize to her for being such a jerk!" Yvette stated confidently.

Keane gave her a blank stare. As a deep sense of disappointment grew stronger, the sparkle in his eyes slowly disappeared.

"Are you deaf? Apologize to my mom, now!"

"Let's just forget about it. I'm the one to blame. You work so hard all day, and you still have to worry about us when you come home. Let's just drop it. It's okay if I'm treated a little unfairly." Matilda said solemnly.

"In our family, those who disobey our rules are cut off from all financial support. If any descendants are disrespectful to their elders, their legs may be broken as punishment. Those who dare to physically assault their elders are cast out to fend for themselves, like stray dogs."

Leonard Campbeldon, the handsome young man in a suit standing beside Yvette, approached and helped Matilda up.

"Mrs. Lathan, are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm fine. I'm not badly injured."

Matilda's face lit up with a smile as she looked at the other person. "You must be Mr. Campbeldon from the East Gate Group, right? As I expected, you're a talented and elegant young man. My daughter has told me so much about you. If you were my son-in-law, I would be filled with joy."

"Mom!" Yvette frowned and gave her a look of disapproval.

"Yvette, am I still important to you?"

Keane stood by and said coldly.

Leonard turned to Keane and said, "You must be Keane, right? Yvette has mentioned you a few times when we were having dinner."

"Listen up, you pampered pup. What's your problem? You think you're so special, huh?"

Yvette looked down and did not answer Keane's questions. She took a deep breath and pulled a divorce agreement out of her bag.

"Keane, I've thought about it for a long time. Let's get divorced."

Yvette placed a divorce agreement on the table. It was obvious that this document had been prepared long ago, yet Yvette had never brought it out until now.

Keane looked sad, but Matilda, who was standing next to him, was so excited that she could barely contain herself.

She had been looking forward to getting rid of her useless son-in-law, and the day finally came. Fortunately, they didn't have any children. Otherwise, it would have had a negative impact on their daughter's life.

"Why?"

Keane looked down, his eyes glued to the divorce papers. He had so much to say, but in the end, he could only ask one question.

Why? What gave this little brat the nerve to ask why? Matilda was so furious when she heard this that she nearly had a heart attack. She was about to scold him, but Yvette stopped her.

After some time, Yvette went up to Keane and gave him a pen.

"If you're wondering why, it's because we have different goals and values. We're on different journeys, and you're not the person who can help me reach my peak. We're only going to drift further apart, and our marriage is destined to fail."

"Reach your peak?"

Keane breathed a sigh of relief. His expression was a blend of tears and laughter, defying description. "When we were a couple, I knew you were ambitious. I loved you, so I sacrificed everything to help you achieve your dreams. I believed that once you had your own company and a stable life, you would appreciate the person who had always been there for you."

"But I never thought I would hear these words from you."

Yvette knew she was in the wrong and dared not meet Keane's gaze. Instead, she took out a bank card from her wallet. "It's pointless to talk about this anymore. Here's 2 million dollars for you. The 1 million dollars is to repay your kindness to me when we were married, and the other 1 million dollars is for the divorce settlement. Also, the car and the apartment in Urban Haven that we bought when we got married will be yours."

"Is it not enough?" Seeing that Keane didn't react, Yvette pulled out another card. "I'm giving you another 2 million dollars, for a total of 4 million dollars. I've done everything I can, so please take it. This way, we can at least leave a good impression on each other."

"Yvette, you're out of your mind! Just kick this jerk out and don't give him a dime! Don't you have better things to do with your money? You can give the money to me or help your brother buy a house!"

"Mom, I'll handle my own affairs. Please don't interfere."

Yvette was more assertive than usual.

Keane played with the bank card given to him, then casually tossed it on the table. "You seem to think that money can solve every problem. Is wealth and power really that important?"

Yvette turned away and gazed out the window, her eyes sparkling with the light of dreams and ambition. "Only those who have reached the peak can understand the view from the top. Those at the foot of the mountain can never truly comprehend. This is the difference between you and me. You will never truly understand what I want."

Yvette believed that a marriage with a spiritual level gap was unsustainable and would only cause pain for both partners.

"You're right," Keane nodded. "I'll never understand what you truly want. I'll only be the one to hold an umbrella for you when it's raining, prepare medicine for you when you have a stomachache, run seven streets every morning to buy your favorite milk and donuts, keep the house clean and tidy, so that you can come home with a good mood every day."

Keane took a deep breath and pointed at Leonard. "I've heard rumors that you've been getting close to him lately. Is he also one of the reasons for our divorce?"

Yvette hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yes."

"Good, I'm glad I finally found the answer."

"I hope you have a happy and fulfilling life in the future."

Keane didn't hesitate anymore. He picked up the pen and signed his name on the divorce agreement.

Just as birds and fish follow different paths, their paths would no longer intersect. His once gentle gaze turned completely indifferent, as if he had never cared about her at all.

Two bank cards with a total of 4 million dollars were placed in front of Yvette. Keane's eyes turned red as he took off the pendant she was wearing. "I'm taking this back. It was only meant for my one true love, but you're no longer that person."

Yvette remained silent and handed the pendant back to Keane. Keane turned around slowly, his eyes filled with deep sadness as he said, "Yvette, I'm going to be straight with you. I really regret meeting you."

Keane picked up the pendant and walked away without looking back. Yvette's body stiffened as she felt a void within her, as if something essential had been wrenched from her soul.

At that moment, Yvette had finally achieved her freedom, but she didn't feel the happiness she had expected. Instead, she felt a strange sense of loss.

"Yvette, I'm so happy for you that you're finally free," Leonard said as he approached with a smile.

Matilda promptly slipped the two bank cards on the table into her purse and said to Yvette with a triumphant smile, 'Why the gloomy face, darling? Ditch the loser. The sky's the limit for you now, so get happy!'"

"Mr. Campbeldon, please stay here today. I'll have someone prepare a delicious meal and drinks. Let's have fun and get to know each other better. We'll be family soon, right?"

Leonard and Matilda exchanged a smile, their thoughts aligned.

Yvette glanced at them and sighed.

Her intention in bringing Leonard was not to reveal their relationship to her family but to make Keane give up on her.

Despite the fact that Leonard's status and position made him an ideal match for her, her mind was completely blank at the moment.

"Mr. Campbeldon, Mom, I'm exhausted. I need to rest for a bit. Please don't call me for dinner."

Though she had resolved the biggest issue in her heart and should have felt relieved, she felt no joy as she returned to the bedroom in a daze.

Inside the room, photos of her and Keane were neatly placed on the walls.

Keane would wipe these photos clean every day, meticulously and perfectly. However, he could never be the man she was destined to be.

Keane left the Lathan Family.

The slightly glared sunlight spilled down, falling on his forehead through his messy hair.

He took a deep breath of the crisp air outside, then lowered his gaze to the dragon-shaped pendant on his hand.

After three years, he was supposed to be able to let go of his emotions, but when the moment of the breakup came, he couldn't bring himself to be carefree.

He tried his best, but it wasn't enough.

He did everything he could to keep his family life peaceful, putting up with all the harsh words from Yvette's relatives and helping her behind the scenes to make connections and advance her career.

"Ring! Ring! Ring!"

Keane's phone rang unexpectedly.

"Mr. Layton, I need your help with something that could be troublesome." A strong, determined voice came over the line.

"I'm not in the mood right now, so it's best for you to leave me alone."

There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line

"Is everything alright with you and your wife, Mr. Layton?"

"We're getting a divorce." Keane had no intention of hiding the fact that he was getting a divorce. He knew that the old man on the other end of the phone would find out within two hours, regardless of whether he hid it or not.

"Hmm. Aside from relationship problems, you have never shown such obvious emotional fluctuations in all these years.

I have long said that Yvette is not a suitable match. She is a woman driven by ambition and desire, and not worthy of your efforts."

"Get to the point. Why are you calling me?" Keane frowned deeply.

"Ahem! Let me explain it to you, Mr. Layton. You must be familiar with the Compass Group, one of the three major powerhouses in New Jesnia. Your father owed them a debt of gratitude in the past. Now that the company is in trouble, they have approached me for help. I would like for you to lend them a helping hand, as a way to repay the favor that your father owed them."

"My father should repay his own debt. Why should I have to do it?" Keane couldn't help but get angry.

"Your father was unable to do this on his own. That's why he's asking me to inform you to go to New Jesnia and help them out."

"Besides, there's something you don't know, Mr. Layton. When you were younger, you were arranged to marry the eldest daughter of the Compass Group. Now that you're divorced, perhaps you can ..."

"Shut up! Don't you dare to mention this matter again!" Keane interrupted him immediately. "I'm going back to Urban Haven to pack my belongings. Tell the people from the Compass Group to pick me up there. I'll only do this once, so they better not keep me waiting."

"Alright, Mr. Layton. I'll inform them right away."

...

As soon as Keane left, the Lathan Family house became bustling with activity.

Everyone in the family found out about the divorce except for the grandfather. All the uncles and aunts came over.

Matilda announced that she would host a grand feast today and invited all the relatives.

"Mom, will I still get the house in Urban Haven that Yvette bought with her ex-husband after their divorce?" Yohan Lathan asked eagerly.

"You little rascal, we'll talk about that later!"

"Aren't you embarrassed behaving like this in front of your uncle and everyone else?"

Matilda glared at him.

Then, she smiled and greeted everyone, introducing Mr. Campbell to her relatives one by one.

"Wow, the Campbeldon Family from the East Gate Group are a huge family. If Yvette can marry Mr. Campbeldon, she'll be set for life." Uncle Watson praised, clapping his hands. He then lamented that his own daughter wasn't good enough and wondered why women were so different from each other.

"Yvette is ambitious. The Lathan family's success in South Hill City depends on her. She is our pride." A group of aunts gave her a thumbs up in admiration.

After a while, Yvette's father, James Lathan, also arrived. He was well-dressed and carrying a tobacco pouch.

The family used to be poor and in debt, struggling to survive. But now that his daughter was successful, he could finally enjoy some of the limelight.

"James, come and meet your future son-in-law." Matilda hurried over to him and held his hand.

Leonard politely approached and greeted James. His gaze was immediately drawn to the ceramic tobacco pipe in James's hand.

"Mr. Lathan, what great taste you have!" he exclaimed. "Is this a blue cloud patterned tobacco pipe from the Zandora Kingdom? I heard that it was lost in the South Hill City area before. My father asked me to find it, but I couldn't locate it despite searching for a long time. I never expected it to be in your hands!"

James was stunned. "Is it valuable?"

Leonard laughed and said, "Mr. Lathan, you're joking, right? Of course, it's valuable! The starting price at auctions is three million. It's not easy to obtain it without some real skills."

James gasped and exchanged a glance with his wife, Matilda. They could both see the astonishment in each other's eyes.

James then took out another antique he had. It was an emerald ring wrapped in copper wires. The emerald was a deep green color.

Even Leonard, with his extensive knowledge of antiques, was stunned. "Is that really a dragon pattern ring from the late Warren States period? Is it real? Mr. Lathan, where did you get this? Your connections are amazing! This item appeared in Withern City before, but it was said to have been acquired by a wealthy merchant. This is truly a priceless treasure!"

James swallowed hard.

He pulled Matilda back into the room and soon returned with some antique items in his hands. "Mr. Campbell, you have a keen eye. Please help us check whether these items are valuable."

Leonard carefully examined them for a while, and his answer made James collapse to the ground in shock.

All of the items were valuable antiques, with the cheapest one worth over 4 million dollars. They were priceless!

"Mr. Lathan, where did you get all of these things? If we sell one of them, it will shake up the entire antique circle in South Hill City," Leonard exclaimed excitedly.

"Well ..." Matilda stammered, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. "Keane gave these to us as a dowry ..."