Chapter 7: The Delivery Debacle

I got home, changed into the dress, and waited, stomach growling. At 8 p.m., the door opened. I ran to greet Jinzhou, but it was Amy, holding a takeout box.

"Jinzhou's tied up with work," she said, smiling. "He asked me to drop this off. You're so lucky, Ginger."

Lucky? My husband's cheating, and I'm lucky?

The box had fancy steak, no chicken breast. My stomach churned. When did Jinzhou change? Flashier suits, secret gym sessions, now sending his fling to deliver dinner?

I held back tears, confronting Amy. "I know about you and Jinzhou. Is this fair to me, his wife?"

Her eyes widened. "He told you? I'm sorry, he swore me to secrecy. Guess he spilled the beans."

I slammed the door, sat in the entryway, and forced down a few bites before throwing up. Divorce it is.

Downstairs, I saw Jinzhou's car. Amy was driving, and he was in the passenger seat, chatting, ears red, looking… shy. They talked forever, my legs numb from standing. Amy pointed at the handmade couple's ornament I'd hung in his car. Jinzhou's lips formed the word "boring."

That ornament was my wedding gift to him. My heart sank.

Chapter 8: The Fu Family Secrets

Our marriage was a deal. The Fu family, a sprawling empire, had three matriarchs. Jinzhou, a late-recognized heir, was forced into an arranged marriage to clip his wings. I was one of many candidates, a nobody from a small family. The head matriarch sneered, "Ginger's parents don't even bother with her. Next!"

I was ready to take the money and leave, but Jinzhou's resume recitation—and the way his suit hugged his waist when he bent to pick up a file—stopped me cold. I blurted, "Let's get married."

Condition: if he didn't become heir within a year, we'd divorce.

Our wedding was bare-bones, no parents attended. The Fus looked down on us both. I took my frustrations out on Jinzhou at night, and he took it in stride. When the head matriarch's grandson bruised my leg, I pushed him down the stairs in a panic. Jinzhou covered for me, taking the blame and a broken arm without complaint.

He taught me how to fight back without leaving a trace. Soon, the Fu family faced "accidents," and Jinzhou rose to power. I thought we were falling in love.

I was wrong.

Chapter 9: Drunk on Chicken

Over dinner with Wanyi, I spilled everything, tears mixing with my chicken breast. "He's been good to me, but now he's into someone else. It's like finding an empty roach nest in our bed."

Wanyi gagged. "Gross, I get it."

Jinzhou's calls kept coming. I ignored them. Wanyi answered one, whispering in the corner. I shouted, "Tell them to bring the biggest, juiciest cut! I'm starving, and if he won't feed me, I'll eat here!"

Wanyi hissed, "Shh! He's checking up on you!"

Drunk and furious, I yelled, "I don't care if he's Jinzhou Fu or Joe Schmoe! I'll eat what I want—laced-up cuts, tender ones, way better than him. He's messing around, so I'm done. Divorce!"

Wanyi pointed behind me, pale. "Ginger, your husband's here… with a rope?"

My buzz vanished. Jinzhou's shoes clicked closer. His cold fingers brushed my shoulder, adjusting my dress and draping his jacket over me. "Enjoying your meal?" he asked, voice calm.