OWNED BY MY EX-HUSBAND'S STEPBROTHER

Victor fell silent instantly. He wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't hate Gloria. When they had first married, he had cherished her. He had believed he would love her forever and build a big family together. Having a child had been appealing, but during her pregnancy, her appearance started changing. She wasn't as beautiful as she used to be in his eyes anymore. He loathed the idea of having sex with her.

That first affair had unleashed an ecstasy he couldn't resist. He'd spiraled, sleeping with woman after woman while neglecting Gloria. After Annabel was born, it only worsened; he had new women to fuck every day.

If he claimed he loved her now, she'd see through the lie, and she'd be right.

Gloria bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks freely. "Fine, I will ask a simpler question," she stammered. "Are you willing to make love to me like you used to, before I got pregnant?"

The question hung unanswered.

Victor almost gagged, but he wouldn't admit that the thought repulsed him-her body changed by pregnancy, then motherhood, making her seem unkempt and undesirable. Even after she'd slimmed down and gotten back her hourglass shape, the damage was done. It gave him every excuse to seek out his secretary and the other women, with their tight pussies.

He gulped, completely at a loss for words, not knowing what to say to her.

Gloria's heart sank at his silence. She knew she was no longer attractive to him. There was no point in staying.

"I will take your silence as a no," she said, her face flushed with rage. "That's reason enough for a divorce. Sign the papers. I will handle the rest."

"No, I'm not signing any fucking papers."

Gloria was stunned by his firm refusal.

"What do you want then? What do you want from this loveless marriage? If it's about Annabel, we can share custody and make her believe everything's fine. Simple as that," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn't fathom him. "I can't do this anymore, Victor. You don't want me, yet you expect me to play the perfect wife while you sleep around. Am I just furniture to you? Are you insane?!"

She struggled against his grip, and finally, he released her wrists. She glared at him through tear-glazed eyes.

Victor took a deep breath. He had to turn this back on her. She shouldn't talk to him like that!

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know you, you just want half my money in the settlement so you can sleep with other men, right?" he accused calmly.

"Leech," he spat.

"How dare you! I don't need your money-not after everything you have done to me!" Gloria yelled. "I will only take my belongings and my daughter. Nothing else. You can keep your property and your money; I don't need them."

She stormed off to their bedroom, where she'd already packed her essentials into large suitcases-clothes, a few bags, shoes. She returned, dragging them behind her, while Victor watched her in disbelief.

"Sign the divorce papers," she demanded. "I can't wait for this to end in court."

She headed for the front door, and Victor finally reacted.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere but here. If I stay any longer in this house, I will go crazy. I will pick up Annabel's things once I find a place. It won't take long," Gloria said firmly, dragging her bag out.

"You won't survive without me, Gloria. You're thirty, too old for anyone to hire. No one wants a washed-up ugly housewife like you," Victor said ruthlessly, smirking.

Gloria stopped and glanced over her shoulder, the words cutting deep. She wanted to cry, but she had no tears left to shed for him. She was done with him.

"I hope you don't say the same to the next unlucky woman that will accept to marry you, Victor Anderson," she replied, then walked out, leaving him alone in the home they had built together.

She hailed a taxi to her friend's house. She didn't have much cash on her. Jada had offered to accommodate Gloria and her daughter until she got a job. As the car pulled away, Gloria looked back once more at the beautiful house she had once cherished. So many memories, but the bad ones overshadowed the good.

"My beautiful family," she murmured, mourning the shattered life.

Meanwhile, Victor stood in a daze, collapsing onto the sofa with the divorce papers in hand. He rubbed his temples, wondering if he'd said those cruel things just to lash out.

His gut screamed not to divorce her, even though he knew he didn't love her anymore. The settlement wasn't a concern; he's a billionaire, with wealth from his company and inheritance. Even splitting it, he would still remain a billionaire. Signing would free him from the guilt of cheating on her every day, and he would finally be free to fuck anyone he wanted without any consequences. He could even bring those women to his house instead of hotels. Gloria had said she would take Annabel with her, leaving him free as a bird.

"But why?" he muttered to himself. "Why can't I sign these papers?"

He sat there, lost in thought, until his phone vibrated. He checked the caller, hoping it was Gloria calling to say that she had changed her mind and wanted to fix things.

But it was someone else.

He answered, greeted by a familiar voice-the man who had vanished for ten years after he inherited the Anderson Group. His stepbrother.

Back then, his father had fathered a child with one of his mistresses and brought the same child back for his mother to take care of. His father never hid his favoritism toward his illegitimate son. When their father died ten years ago, he had left all the properties, including the Anderson Group, to his illegitimate son.

But his mother was smart enough to bribe the lawyer to change the will in his favor, leaving his stepbrother with nothing. But recently, his stepbrother had come back as a CEO of a new company.

"What is it, Lukas?" Victor asked impatiently.

"Hey, big brother, you free today? It's been ages since we caught up. How about lunch?"

Victor sighed. He knew not to trust his stepbrother.

"I can't right now. I'm busy."

"Come on, big brother, what could be more important to you than spending some quality time with your little bro?"

"It's not that big. I'll fill you in later. Let's have lunch together another day, okay?"

"Sure, big bro."

Lukas hung up, his eyes fixed on his sister-in-law lugging suitcases into a taxi. The driver loaded them, and as the car drove off from the mansion, Lukas smiled coldly.

"Not that important? Then let me turn her into a real problem for you, big bro. I have finally gotten the right weapon to take my revenge on you and my dearest stepmother." Lukas muttered to himself smiling.