How Can Love Be Compromised

There were also some cute anime beauties pasted on the four corners of the sun visor cover.

Except for me, no one dared to use Harvey as a driver and no one dared to sit in the passenger seat.

But, it was so easy to guess who did it.

A sudden, inexplicable fire surged within me, its intensity catching me off guard. 

Though I did not want to admit it, at that moment, I was utterly consumed. Even my scalp prickled and my thoughts spiraled into chaos.  

I had turned a blind eye when Harvey gave a Chanel dress to Stephanie, choosing to let it slide for the sake of peace. 

But then, she had dared to leave her mark in my private space, a blatant act of provocation.  

In five years of marriage, I had never felt anger as raw as that. Every nerve in my body screamed for retribution. 

I wanted to raise my hand and slap Harvey across the face, shove him out of the car and drive straight to Stephanie to deliver two hard slaps of her own.  

But, when I opened my mouth, ready to confront him, the sharp ring of his phone interrupted me.

Harvey did not notice my angry face at all and answered Stephanie's call slowly.

As I started to adjust my seat irritably and then I heard him say, “Okay, don't worry, I'll be there soon.”

My hand paused and I slowly looked up at him.

Harvey frowned slightly, “Stephanie is returning the dress at the counter, but she doesn't have the receipt. I have to go there.”

Then, he continued, “Claudine, I'll call the driver to pick you up. You go home first.”

I said in disbelief, “You're going to leave me behind just for this little thing?”

“Claudine, please don't make it difficult for me. Stephanie has a strong sense of self-esteem. You made her cry until her voice became hoarse. Now she wants to return the dress.”

“Is she being spoiled, or is she deliberately provoking me in front of you? Can’t she come and get it herself?” I asked sharply, my voice tight with barely suppressed anger.  

Harvey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if I were the one being unreasonable. 

“Claudine, is it really necessary to make things hard for a newcomer? When did you start bullying others? You weren’t like this before.”  

His words hit me harder than I expected, extinguishing my anger in an instant and replacing it with a wave of crushing disappointment.  

And then, as if caught in the absurdity of it all, I suddenly found it funny. How effortlessly he turned the blame onto me, shielding her while leaving me out in the cold.

“I am bullying others by taking advantage of my power? Harvey, you have never defended other women in front of me, including your mother. This is the first time.”

A hint of incomprehension appeared on Harvey's stern face.

“We already agreed when we got married that for the sake of the reputation of the Rodrigo and Collins families, you wouldn't flirt with other women and I wouldn't hang out in nightclubs. Are you going to break the rules for that woman?”

Harvey's eyes were deep and cold when he heard that. 

After thinking for a long time and finally called the family driver.

Finally, he leaned over to unbuckle my seat belt, his tone calm and measured. 

“Claudine, you’ve always been so dominant. But we’re husband and wife, not just strategic partners. Can’t you, for once, put work aside and be like other wives, rely on me, trust me and maybe even obey me a little?”

Then, as if delivering a judgment, he added, “After dealing with Stephanie’s matter, I’ll go back to the Collins Family manor for the night. We both need some time to calm down.”

Oh, how convenient, a retreat masked as resolution. So that was his way of showcasing his masculine charm to other women.  

It was laughable, really. 

It was the same man who once claimed to admire my sharp, decisive nature, praising my independence as if it were his greatest treasure.  

But then, he was tired of it. Bored, even.  

And instead of owning up to his own failings, he cloaked them in noble excuses and shifted the blame squarely onto me. As if I were the problem all along.

I got out of the car tactfully and watched the black Maybach drive out of my sight.

I gave him a chance, but he did not know how to cherish it.

I picked up my phone and called my best friend.  

“Claire, help me draft a divorce agreement,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside me.  

I did not truly want to take that step. After all, the Collins and Rodrigo families had a bond that spanned generations, their elders being old friends. 

Harvey and I had been childhood sweethearts once, our lives intertwined from the start.  

But things changed when he went abroad to study. For nearly a decade, we drifted apart, losing all contact.