The Day I Stopped Loving Him

Part 2: The Secret Behind the Betrayal

“Whatever my father told you, you need to let me explain first.”

Vincent stood in the doorway, his expression unusually tense.

I placed my phone on the dresser.

“Then explain.”

He glanced at the suitcase beside the wardrobe.

“Why are you packing?”

“Because I might be leaving.”

“Claire, don’t be ridiculous. This is your home.”

I looked at him.

“Is it? Or is it just the house where you occasionally sleep between visits to Sophia?”

His jaw tightened.

“Don’t bring her into this.”

I almost laughed.

“She’s already in our marriage, Vincent. You brought her here.”

He ran a hand through his hair before approaching me.

“Your father has been telling you lies.”

“What lies?”

He hesitated.

That hesitation told me more than any confession could.

I picked up my phone and called my father again, putting it on speaker.

“Dad, tell Vincent what you were about to tell me.”

My father’s voice filled the bedroom.

“Vincent, I gave you my trust when you had nothing. My company introduced you to investors, helped you secure shipping contracts, and protected your business interests when other families wanted you destroyed.”

Vincent remained silent.

“And now I discover that you’ve been using those connections to transfer ownership of several properties into companies controlled by Sophia Reynolds.”

My stomach tightened.

“What?”

My father continued.

“Three months ago, Vincent approached me with a proposal to restructure the family investments. He wanted access to the documents Claire inherited from her grandfather. I refused.”

I slowly turned toward my husband.

“Why would you need my inheritance?”

Vincent finally spoke.

“It was a business arrangement.”

My father laughed bitterly.

“A business arrangement? You were planning to use Claire’s inheritance as collateral to secure your debts. And when the transaction was completed, you intended to divorce her.”

The room became unbearably quiet.

I stared at Vincent.

“Is that true?”

He stepped toward me.

“Claire, listen. The situation is complicated.”

“Did you plan to divorce me?”

He said nothing.

I nodded slowly.

“That’s all I needed to know.”

“Claire!”

He grabbed my hand, but I pulled away.

“Don’t touch me.”

His expression changed.

For three years, I had never spoken to him like that.

He was accustomed to my forgiveness. He expected me to cry, argue, and eventually accept another apology.

But I had finally reached the point where his explanations no longer mattered.

My father spoke again.

“Sweetheart, come home tomorrow. I’ve already contacted our lawyers.”

Vincent’s eyes darkened.

“You can’t take her away from me.”

My father answered coldly.

“She’s not your property, Vincent.”

The call ended.

Vincent stood motionless.

Then his voice softened.

“I made mistakes. I know that. But I never intended to hurt you.”

I looked at him.

“Then why did you let Sophia call you sweetheart? Why did you spend our anniversary with her? Why did you tell her I would never leave?”

He looked away.

“She was important to me before you.”

“And I was important to you when you needed my family.”

“That’s not fair.”

I smiled sadly.

“Neither was our marriage.”

I zipped my suitcase.

Vincent suddenly blocked the bedroom door.

“You’re not leaving tonight.”

I looked directly into his eyes.

“Move.”

“Claire, I’m asking you to stay.”

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“No. You’re ordering me to stay because, for the first time, you realize I might actually leave.”

His phone rang.

The screen displayed Sophia’s name.

He rejected the call.

It rang again.

I glanced at it.

“Answer her. She might be worried about your stomach injuries.”

His face turned pale.

I walked past him.

But before I reached the stairs, he said something that stopped me.

“Claire, Sophia is pregnant.”

I turned around.

For a moment, the entire world seemed to become silent.

“How long?”

“Three months.”

I nodded.

Then I asked the question that surprised even me.

“Does she know about the divorce papers?”

Vincent frowned.

“What papers?”

I smiled faintly.

“The ones my lawyer has been preparing.”

And for the first time that night, Vincent looked genuinely terrified.