After Divorce, Ex-husband Regretted
Chapter 1
My husband, Stephen Chen, picked me up.
He’s always been aloof and reserved.
Yet, he had his new secretary riding shotgun.
I knew, right then, our marriage was over.
1
Stephen Chen picked me up that day.
Opening the passenger door, I froze.
A young, pretty girl was already sitting there, giving me a sweet smile.
“Hi, sister-in-law!”
She greeted me politely.
But she didn’t offer to move.
I narrowed my eyes, turning to Stephen.
He was on the phone, oblivious to the brewing storm.
We were supposed to go to an auction that night.
I’d gotten all dressed up, anticipating our date, only to find someone else in his passenger seat.
“Hi, sister-in-law, I’m Bella White, Mr. Chen’s new assistant,”
she said, her smile warm and engaging.
Two cute dimples appeared on her cheeks.
“I heard you guys were going to a private auction tonight, and I begged Mr. Chen to take me along. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you.”
My heart sank.
I know this cold, perfect man too well.
He always keeps people at a distance.
He doesn’t let just anyone close.
We’d gotten married for business reasons.
A calculated, mutually beneficial union.
People joked I was going to be a widow in name only.
But after we tied the knot…
Stephen would hug me softly, his eyes warm.
When things got passionate, his eyes would even get a little red.
He’d said, “You’re my wife, my other half; you’re different from anyone else.”
Today, something felt different.
2
But I’m no shrinking violet.
I’m Summer Xia, and I don’t take crap from anyone.
“Get out!”
I coldly ordered her, showing no mercy.
The girl was stunned.
She hadn’t expected such a cold reception.
Maybe my tone was too harsh.
Bella looked utterly bewildered.
“I… I’m sorry, sister-in-law.”
Her voice trembled, her face flushed. She moved to the back seat.
Stephen just finished his call and looked at us.
He realized I was mad.
A look of helplessness and indulgence crossed his face.
He leaned over to fasten my seatbelt.
Noticing the seat had been adjusted, I impatiently readjusted it.
The whole thing made me furious.
“This is ridiculous! Why is my seat always messed with?!”
The car’s atmosphere turned frigid. The girl dared not say a word.
Stephen frowned slightly. He calmly suggested,
“If you’re not feeling well, we can just go home.”
I saw the girl in the rearview mirror, silently crying.
I was incredibly annoyed.
“Bella White, right? I’m not in the mood for this. You take a cab home; Stephen and I are going home.”
The girl’s face paled. She looked weakly at Stephen.
He didn’t intervene.
She got out of the car, dejected.
3
Stephen wouldn’t embarrass me in front of others.
He always knows how to control his emotions.
So, he suggested: go home.
Deal with it at home.
That was our long-standing understanding.
“She’s just a college student starting out. Why are you making such a fuss?”
Stephen held me in his arms.
“It’s the first time…”
Stephen looked confused. “What’s the first time?”
“In all these years, this is the first time you’ve let another woman sit in your passenger seat.”
He hadn’t realized that’s what bothered me.
Everyone knows how desirable Stephen is.
Countless women are after him.
But he’s always been so reserved.
He’s surrounded by temptation but remains untouched.
Stephen chuckled, stroking my hair.
“You’re actually jealous.”
He leaned in to kiss me, his nose brushing against my cheek.
“She’s my subordinate, that’s all.
“There’s nothing between us.”
Stephen cupped my face, looking into my eyes.
He gave me his solemn promise.
4
A woman’s intuition is usually spot-on.
Even though I’d only met Bella once,
I sensed she had ulterior motives toward Stephen.
I thought my initial warning would be enough.
But the next day, the auction necklace—the one meant for me—was around her neck.
Xiao He, Stephen’s chief assistant, sent me a photo and a screenshot of Bella’s social media post.
In the photo, the crescent moon diamond necklace hung around Bella’s slender neck, making her look even more charming.
Her eyes were red and swollen, but her lips curved into a smile.
She must have cried last night.
And received a gift as consolation.
The screenshot showed Bella’s post:
“[The CEO said, even when girls are sad, they must be strong!]”
“[Wiping away tears, yes sir, my CEO!]”
Followed by several cute fist-pump emojis.
And a picture of the necklace in its box.
My blood ran cold.
Though hard to admit, I was incredibly irritated.
It felt like someone had smeared mosquito blood on my prized white scarf.
A strange and unsettling feeling.
I even considered driving my yellow Ferrari at 180 mph and slapping her, but then I thought that would be so beneath me. It meant I was letting a low-quality woman get to me.
I called Wendy at Hermès.
Wendy’s voice was filled with uncontainable excitement.
She assured me on the phone,
“Mrs. Chen, rest assured, even if it means emptying out all of Shanghai, I will get you everything you want!”
So that day,
before work even ended,
everyone except Bella—all the assistants of the senior managers and the girls in the executive office, a total of forty-six people—received a gift from the CEO’s wife:
a $12,000 Hermès necklace.
Though less expensive than the $2 million auction necklace, it was a lot of necklaces.
Xiao He is smooth.
She asked each person to post a picture on social media with the caption:
“[The CEO’s wife says every girl deserves better!]”
“[Clenching fists, yes ma’am, my CEO’s wife!]”
The girls, naturally, happily complied.
As assistants and executive office staff,
they were the center of all the office gossip.
Now that they had received gifts from the CEO’s wife, who wouldn’t be happy to post about it?
Some even added, “[The CEO’s wife knows how to play!]”
The influence of the various assistant managers might not be significant, but their ability to spread gossip throughout the different departments was tremendous.
Within half an hour, the entire company knew that the CEO’s wife had sent everyone Hermès necklaces.
As for the reason, major gossip groups were already buzzing.
Bella’s face paled, seeming deeply insulted. With red eyes, she went to the restroom and took off the diamond necklace.
Two colleagues who entered to touch up their makeup saw her and chuckled meaningfully.
Bella was mortified. She hung her head and quickly left the restroom, the laughter behind her growing louder.
Her face flushed, she put the necklace back in its box.
And returned it to Stephen untouched.
5
Stephen had just finished a video call with a business partner.
He saw the girl, obviously having cried again, holding the necklace box, staring dejectedly at her feet.
“What’s wrong?”
Stephen asked, puzzled.
Bella started to cry before she could speak.
She sobbed softly, looking pitifully vulnerable: “Mr. Chen, please take this necklace back, I don’t dare keep it.”
A hint of displeasure flickered across Stephen’s usually stoic face.
He sensed something was up.
But he didn’t press her.
He just watched her quietly.
Bella pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally explained everything that happened in the office that day.
“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry, I’m always causing you trouble.
“I just wanted to encourage myself with a social media post, I didn’t know Mrs. Chen would find out.”
Bella sobbed softly.
“I didn’t expect Mrs. Chen to be so angry.”
She looked like a scared little rabbit.
“Mr. Chen, I want to apologize to Mrs. Chen in person. I can explain everything to her.”
Stephen never looked at social media.
His time was consumed by work.
But as CEO, he understood the office gossip culture too well. His face grew even colder.
“I understand.”
He said in a low voice.
6
That evening, Stephen brought Bella home.
She was timid, standing behind him.
“I brought Bella here so she can explain herself.”
Stephen sighed.
“Summer, Bella is just my secretary.
“After yesterday, I gave her a gift as an apology, that’s all.”
I stirred my spoon, finishing the bird’s nest soup my mother-in-law made.
“Sister-in-law, I’m sorry.”
Bella apologized sincerely, bowing her head.
She was trembling, meek and vulnerable.
“This is the first time I’ve received such an expensive gift. I was overwhelmed, and I acted foolishly. If I’ve upset you, please tell me, and I’ll immediately correct my behavior!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Bella White, right?”
The girl glanced at Stephen, seemingly seeking courage from him, before nodding slowly.
Seeing her act so bravely, trying to take on me, I found it amusing.
“I’m not your teacher or your boss; I don’t have time to teach you life lessons.
“But I’m Stephen Chen’s wife, so anyone who gets cozy with my husband won’t get a second chance.”
The girl, probably never having encountered someone so direct, was even more embarrassed. All that remained on her face was vulnerability.
“Summer, Bella is here to apologize.”
Stephen knew my temperament and methods.
Even if he didn’t approve of my actions, he understood my feelings.
So he didn’t confront me, only agreeing to let Bella apologize.
He was making concessions, hoping I’d drop the matter.
We were both smart.
One look, and we knew what the other was thinking.
“I understand.”
I decided to give Stephen a chance.
After all, he hadn’t cheated.
“But there won’t be a next time, no matter who it is.”
7
“You didn’t have to go to such lengths to deal with a girl.”
Before bed, Stephen brought it up.
“You should have told me.”
I sat at my vanity, styling my hair, watching the handsome man in the mirror.
“You knew I liked that necklace, yet you gave it to another woman. Shouldn’t I be angry?”
I couldn’t imagine how I’d react if this perfect man was somehow tarnished.
Stephen remained calm, pouring himself a glass of ice water.
“She cried all night because of your misunderstanding.
“I saw her swollen eyes this morning, so I gave her the necklace as a peace offering.”
He showed no hint of deception.
I studied him coldly for a long time.
Two million dollars is nothing to us; giving it away is understandable. It just depends on whether the recipient is worthy.
He tapped his fingers on the marble countertop.
He was waiting for me to think.
This was the first time we had a conflict over a third party. Our upbringing made us both weary of such matters.
We both valued appearances.
“Stephen Chen, I love you.”
Stephen paused.
He hadn’t expected me to say that.
“Stephen Chen, I love the spotless you; that’s what makes you different.
“You never let women get close before, because you have a cleanliness obsession, you want a pure marriage. I wasn’t like that before, but your values influenced me. Now, our life goals are the same.
“I hope our marriage will never have a fork in the road.”
Stephen sighed. “I haven’t.”
8
Stephen is a very clear-headed man.
Knowing I minded, he wouldn’t give Bella any more opportunities.
Without the CEO’s favor, Bella, as an intern, had to start from the bottom.
Before, she had a chance to rotate through the front desk.
Now, Xiao He wouldn’t put her on the schedule.
I didn’t instruct anyone to ostracize her.
Since Stephen had it under control, I trusted him completely.
But this kind of thing didn’t need my instruction.
People love to pick on the weak.
Within half a month, the new secretary couldn’t handle the work and mental pressure, and she lost a lot of weight.
A turning point happened after an important high-level meeting.
That day, Bella was assigned to clean the small conference room alone.
Dressed in a skirt suit, she knelt on the floor, using a razor blade to painstakingly scrape chewing gum off the carpet.
Stephen, returning unexpectedly, saw this scene.
Noticing him, the girl nervously stood up.
Stephen’s gaze was deep and cold.
That silent scrutiny crushed Bella’s self-esteem.
“Mr. Chen.”
Tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
She wasn’t acting.
Stephen was the sun she admired but could never reach. She was almost resigned to being marginalized.
Now, he saw her like this.
Bella wanted to push Stephen away and run.
In just half a month, the cheerful girl had become so fragile.
This was the first time Stephen lost his temper.
He came home and slammed the glass of water I offered onto the floor.
Water splashed everywhere.
“Why won’t you let her go?
“Summer, I respect and love you, and I’ve tolerated your humiliation and bullying of her time and again.
“What satisfaction do you get from bullying the weak?”
