99 Affairs & A Final Goodbye

In our three years of marriage, Caelan had managed to land himself in the tabloids ninety-nine times for his affairs.

Not even the birth of our son could make him settle down. On Theo's second birthday, he took things to a new low—ending up in the hospital after some reckless "enthusiasm" with his secretary. Naturally, it blew up online instantly.

When his mother confronted him, he just shrugged. "I was spicing up a boring life. What's the big deal? Even my wife doesn't care—why are you so worked up?"

I watched his smug grin and felt nothing but exhaustion. Turning to my mother-in-law, I said, "You promised me $150K and a clean exit if I had the baby. I'm cashing in now."

Her face twisted in surprise. "Jane, are you sure? If you take the money and leave, you lose Theo. Just like that?"

I pressed my lips together, not answering right away. Instead, I glanced at Caelan—still texting in his hospital bed, that rare softness in his expression as he typed.

Three years of marriage, and that warmth had never been for me.

I swallowed hard, looked back at her, and nodded. "I only want the money."

The truth was, Theo had barely been mine from the start. The Shaws whisked him off to their estate the day he was born, hiring top-tier nannies. My time with him? Two hours on weekends, if I was lucky. At two years old, he didn't even know me.

No money, no leverage—just empty hands when they claimed they could "give him the best."

My mother-in-law sighed. "For Theo's sake, can't you just... endure a little longer?"

I almost laughed. I'd endured plenty—begging, screaming, breaking down. All I ever got from Caelan was cold indifference, like I was some pathetic nuisance.

And now, watching him text God-knows-who from his hospital bed, it hit me: none of it had ever mattered.

I just smiled at her. She was a woman—she knew.

Finally, she relented. "Fine. You'll get the money as agreed."

A quiet "thank you" was all I offered.

The $150 million hit my account fast, though the divorce paperwork would take time. I didn't push. Instead, I pulled up study-abroad programs, filling out applications with a lightness I hadn't felt in years.