Chapter 5

That was how I found out Preston was cheating on me with Melanie. Preston had frequently spoken of Melanie in the past, and I had simply assumed their relationship was one of mutual professional respect. It turned out that they had been having an affair behind my back for quite some time now. I couldn't recall how I made it back home, as all I remembered was burying my face in my pillow, crying through the night. I finally calmed down once dawn came and began to plan my departure. Preston returned home the following morning and, acting as if nothing had happened, transferred my allowance to me. I immediately rejected the transfer and returned the money to him, just as it was. Upon seeing the rejection, Preston looked at me with a scornful expression. "You're too proud to accept my money, huh? I'll keep the money, then. You ought to know that you don't have a job now, Samantha, so you're on your own for this month's household expenses!" After my resignation, Preston had solemnly promised me that he would always ensure my financial well-being. I trusted him completely, and as a result, I never saved any money of my own. He exploited this vulnerability to assert his control over me. It was incredibly challenging to run the household without any money, to the point where I even had to cut back on buying groceries. Rowan had frequently complained about the situation. He finally lost it when I wouldn't buy him a new game console. "You don't even make any money, yet you persist in arguing with Daddy. Why are you being so stubborn right now, Mommy? You've dragged me into this as well—how annoying!" I watched Preston, who was standing there, enjoying the spectacle, and felt my heart harden with each passing second. I knew he was waiting for me to cave in and apologize to him, but I refused. I couldn't help but feel that the man whom I had loved for a decade and the son whom I had raised for eight years were complete strangers to me—we no longer seemed like a family. It was only later, in response to Rowan's pleas, that Preston finally relented and transferred the allowance back to me, as if it were a begrudging act of charity. I knew I wasn't financially independent yet, so I didn't confront him right away. It was also then that I realized that love could be generous yet fleeting, and that one could only rely on oneself to survive. Thus, I began contacting former clients and took on freelance commercial design work. Thanks to my reputation and skills, I went from taking on small projects to taking on medium-sized ones. I was able to discreetly secure the massive project from Grandmark Group this time, a highly sought-after client that Preston and Melanie had consistently failed to win over. I would be the talk of the industry once I complete this project, which was why I felt confident enough to confront Preston tonight. Upon seeing me bring up the past, Preston grew both enraged and humiliated. "What can you possibly achieve just by being a housewife, Samantha? Your freelance money isn't even enough for groceries! You'd be better off taking care of Rowan with that free time of yours!" I sneered in response. "Isn't Melanie looking after Rowan now? It seems like he doesn't need me taking care of him. If you think having Melanie by your side is such a blessing, then you should go marry Melanie instead! In any case, I wish to inform you that I've decided to divorce you, Preston!" Preston's expression went from grim to furious. He gripped my hand tightly, his demeanor becoming menacing. "You'd better not attempt to use divorce to intimidate me, Samantha! I'll not yield to such tactics!" Having said that, Preston slammed the door and stormed out, vanishing for the next two weeks and taking Rowan along with him. His teacher called me, informing me that Preston had suddenly taken Rowan out of school for an "educational trip." I wasn't the least bit surprised, as Melanie had already been broadcasting their travels together as a happy trio on Instagram. I paid them no mind and started making my final preparations.