My Husband Faked a Divorce with Me for a Rich GirlChapter 1

"Let’s get a divorce, Elodie. My company went bankrupt. But don't worry, it’s only a fake divorce. I don’t want to drag you down with me. This is the only way I can protect you."

My husband, Darien Eugene—the man I had loved for ten years—suddenly asked me for a divorce. A fake one, he said. So that the creditors would not come after me.

He looked so resolute, so sure of himself. I had no choice but to agree, my tears silently falling.

To help him pay off his debts and eventually marry again, I took on five part-time jobs. One of them was working as a housekeeper for the Daelan Family—the wealthiest family in the city. I poured every ounce of strength I had into paying off what he owed, hoping that one day, I could stand beside him again.

Then one afternoon, while I was cleaning the skylight, I slipped and fell. I broke my leg and found out I was pregnant.

Darien came to visit me every day at the hospital.

I held onto those moments like lifelines, believing that even if I had nothing else, at least I still had his love. I wanted to tell him about the baby, but before I could utter a word, a video arrived on my phone.

It was from a CCTV camera.

In the video, my "caring" husband was locked in a passionate kiss with Vienna.

"Darien, now that you’re divorced, when are we getting married? I don’t want my child to be born illegitimate."

"I finally shook her off. Tricked her into a fake divorce so she’d go out and earn money for us. Now she’s pregnant? What good is she anymore? A nanny with a broken leg can’t earn a cent. She’s a burden. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of the baby."

Every word sliced through my heart like a blade.

So that was all I had ever been to them—a means to an end. A money machine.

I did not hesitate. I booked a one-way ticket. Three days from now, I would vanish from their lives for good.

If this were how it ended, then I would walk away with dignity.

***

When I turned off my phone, I could not stop trembling. The hospital room was warm, but I felt cold to the bone.

Ten years of love. One child I had longed for. And Darien—he could throw it all away for another woman. He could ask me to die for their future without so much as a flinch.

I placed a hand gently over my belly, tears blurring my vision.

My poor baby… I’m so sorry. He doesn’t deserve to be your father.