My CEO Husband Hired His Ex - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

After all these years of marriage to Lucian, I never thought he could sink this low.
Keeping a mistress while refusing to divorce me? What kind of delusional fantasy was he living in?
But it didn't matter anymore. I was already packing my bags—figuratively and literally.
That night, Lucian didn't come home.
The next morning, Marina stumbled into the office late, looking like she hadn't slept in weeks.
I didn't have the patience to deal with their drama. I was too busy finalizing the divorce papers with my lawyer, making sure every last detail was airtight.
At noon, my lawyer met me at the café downstairs. He handed me the documents and left.
Just as I was about to head back upstairs, Marina materialized out of nowhere. She peeled off her sunglasses with shaky hands, revealing swollen, bloodshot eyes.
"Selene… I—I'm in trouble. Please, I need your help."
I stared at her, silent, letting her squirm.
She hesitated, then blurted out, "Last night… Mr. Blake was at my place."
I didn't blink. "I know."
Her face fell. Clearly, she'd expected hysterics, not icy calm. She fumbled over her words, "Selene, I never meant to get involved in your marriage, but Mr. Blake won't leave me alone!"
Then came the sob story.
Debt. No family. A manipulative ex. A child to raise alone. The whole tragic backstory, laid out like a bad Lifetime movie.
But here's the thing—none of that was my problem.
I arched a brow, unmoved. "So, what? You want me to beg Lucian to let you go? Or are you hoping I'll divorce him for you?"
Marina shook her head frantically. "No! I just need money. I'll disappear, I swear."
"How much?" I already knew the answer.
"A million."
I burst out laughing. Was she serious? Did she think this was some cheesy drama where the scorned wife pays off the mistress?
"If I get the money, I'll leave tonight," she pleaded.
I leaned back, studying her with a mix of pity and amusement. "Let's be real—Lucian isn't even worth a million."
I pulled out my checkbook. "Here's five grand. If you really want out, a one-way ticket is all you need. Consider it a fresh start. Don't bother paying me back."
I slid the money across the table and walked away.
The next day, Marina resigned and vanished.
At first, I thought maybe she'd actually taken my advice.
Then Lucian exploded.
He stormed out of his office, grabbed my arm, and practically dragged me out of my chair.
"Selene! What the hell did you do to Marina?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb! She's already struggling, and you made it worse! You couldn't just leave her alone?"
He shoved his phone in my face. Marina's social media post glared back at me—a photo of plane tickets to Valoria, captioned:
[Flight at 2 PM today. Thank you, Ms. Westbrook, for your help and encouragement. I'll start a new life and listen to your advice.]
I hadn't seen it—because apparently, it was only visible to Lucian.
So, Marina had come to me crying about escaping him… then tipped him off.
Clever.
And then it hit me.
Lucian had told her outright: "Divorce? Not happening."
So she set me up instead.
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
"You think this is funny?" Lucian's face twisted in rage. His hand cracked across my cheek. "I can't believe I married someone as heartless as you!"
The office froze.
So did I—for half a second.
Three years of him pretending I didn't exist, and now, for her, he finally acknowledges our marriage?
I met his glare with ice in my veins and nodded slowly.
"Good. You regret it? Let's fix that."
I slapped the divorce papers against his chest and walked out without a backward glance.