The Secret My Wife Hid in the Safe

My steps faltered as I suddenly remembered how she once begged me to quit my job at Toppest Law Firm and work as a minor legal consultant in her newly opened company.

At that time, I was still the eldest son of the Gray family, and she was just a poor student receiving financial aid.

My act of moving into a shabby apartment for the sake of love was even ridiculed by friends as "bravely running towards love."

Agnes also laughed, saying we were a couple bound by fate and even went to various temples to pray for a talisman of love, hoping we could meet again and fall in love in our next life.

But the talismans she prayed for were completely burned five years ago by a cigarette Milan left smoldering.

I was furious at the time, wanting to fire Milan, but she casually remarked.

"It's just some useless paper from those fraudulent guys trying to scam people for money. Nothing precious. I used to fall for that when I was younger, but not anymore."

I have asthma, so she was the one who initially forbade anyone from smoking inside the villa.

Back then, I didn't want to admit that Agnes no longer loved me, so I stubbornly stayed by her side.

But she remained indifferent, watching as the smoke made my face turn red, while she focused on protecting the fainting Milan.

Step by step, I helped her climb to the top, willingly retreating to the background, sacrificing everything, including my career, for her.

But she thought she had succeeded on her own and even tried to use that to control me.

Is this really the girl I've loved for so many years?

Seeing me stand still for so long, Agnes sneered. "Don't try to use divorce as some reverse psychology trick. I've been over that for ages. If you don't want to be my husband, there are plenty of others who do!"

I looked coldly at the two of them standing side by side. "There are plenty of people who would, right? Isn't the one beside you just waiting for his turn?"

Agnes' face turned ugly, but Milan pulled her into his arms and said.

"I've indeed been waiting for her all this time. So what? She got to where she is today on her own. You're just a freeloader living off a woman. What right do you have to put on airs?

"I can't stand you doubting her! And I can't stand your petty, paranoid jealousy!"

She didn't refute Milan's "righteous defense" of her, tacitly agreeing with him.

It was she and Milan who secretly got a dubious marriage certificate, and it was she and Milan who were ambiguous, yet now I'm the one being accused of being paranoid.

Once a woman's heart changes, it truly leaves one cold.

At this point, no matter how much love I once had, I can no longer continue this marriage.

I went upstairs, packed my things, and placed them in a suitcase.

I took out the divorce agreement Agnes had hidden in the safe and signed it cleanly. "Since you already prepared it, it saves me the trouble of printing one."

As I handed her the pen, bitterness spread through my heart.

I had seen her love me with her whole heart, which made her current indifference all the more painful.

She grasped the pen with a grim expression, without saying a word.

I wouldn't delude myself into thinking her hesitation meant she still loved me.

Because I clearly knew that Agnes just couldn't handle the idea of the man who once pursued her relentlessly suddenly walking away.

You could call it possessiveness or pride, but it certainly wasn't love.

The moment she signed, I caught a flash of excitement in Milan's eyes that he couldn't suppress.

After signing, she flung the divorce papers at me with a haughty expression.

"If you want to make a fuss, I'll entertain it, but you should know, the divorce cooling-off period is only 30 days. If you wait past 30 days, don't expect me to wait for you."

Milan chimed in mockingly. "Tsk! A man in his 30s throwing a tantrum. I think you should just leave him alone and let him calm down."

He really had a knack for sowing discord between couples, not missing a beat.

In the past, I would have snapped back immediately, but now, even saying one more word feels exhausting.

Silently, I took the signed divorce agreement and walked out of the villa.

As a light drizzle began to fall, I couldn't help but look back, hoping she would rush out to stop me. But what I saw was her supporting the wobbling Milan as they walked back inside.

I let out a sneer and resolutely walked into the rain.

At this point, I can't believe I'm still harboring fantasies about her—it's pure foolishness.

I returned to the villa my parents left me, took a quick shower, and went to sleep.

The next day, I woke up feeling dizzy with a stuffy nose and a slight fever after checking my temperature.

I popped a couple of cefalexin pills and was about to sleep again when my phone on the bedside table started vibrating nonstop. Half-asleep, I answered the call, only to hear Agnes angrily demanding.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You knew Mr. Walker was hosting today, and you knew he values harmony between couples. So you deliberately picked a fight with me yesterday?

"Are you just trying to force me to submit to you? Milan was right—children of capitalists like you are so calculating! You're actually trying to use this to threaten me."

Her tone grew sharper, and her words more cutting.

I swallowed my temper and replied, "So, you called me just to say all this?"

She snorted coldly, her tone impatient. "Get over here right now! I have to close this deal!"

I sighed helplessly, wanting to tell her it was none of my business anymore, but she hung up on me.

Her company carried some of my hard work too, so I went anyway.

As soon as I entered the private room, Mr. Walker warmly greeted me.

"Hey, Gray guy, glad you made it!"

Milan was sitting to Agnes' left, serving her food in an overly intimate manner.

A seat had been left empty on her right for me, but I didn't sit there. Instead, I pulled up a chair next to Mr. Walker.

Her face darkened with displeasure.

But I didn't care anymore. I was only here to exchange pleasantries with Mr. Walker, my father's close friend who has always looked after me.

Agnes knew about their relationship, which was why she called me to this dinner.

Thanks to me, Mr. Walker had given Agnes several orders. I owed him my gratitude.

But since I had taken cefalexin, I had to drink water instead of alcohol.

I hadn't expected Milan to chime in with a wolfish grin. "It's been a while since Lawyer Gray dealt with the company. Seems he's forgotten that substituting water for alcohol at the dinner table is frowned upon. Those who don't know better might think you're deliberately disrespecting Mr. Walker."

Before Mr. Walker could respond, Agnes frowned and shot me a look. "Don't you have any manners? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Walker!"

With that, she refilled a glass with wine and pushed it toward me.