After signing the divorce agreement, my ties with Zoe were officially severed. A decade of marriage ended in a day, an outcome I had long anticipated. Thus, my debt of gratitude was fully repaid. I devoted ten years of my youth to caring for Zoe meticulously, ensuring she never suffered, and today, I set her free. I fulfilled my moral obligations to the fullest, even achieving a sense of virtuous completion. With a self-mocking laugh, I thought, "I'm truly kind-hearted, destined to become a Buddha after death. Amitabha."
Suddenly, the main door swung open, unlocked with a code. Our home used facial recognition, and it had been ages since anyone used a code. Turning towards the door, I saw a casually dressed, tall, and handsome man enter. He glanced around the villa without noticing me on the sofa until I spoke up, "Who are you?" He jumped, then smirked, "Lucas Harper? Zoe's husband? You don't seem very manly." Indeed, my illness had drained my vigor.
"Jack?" I narrowed my eyes, realizing he was Zoe's first love. "Yes, I am. Zoe and I chose this villa together; it holds memories for me, so I wanted to revisit. Surprisingly, she hasn't changed the password, which has always been my birthday. She really clings to the past," Jack explained, gesturing towards the lock. His pride was evident, as the unchanged password for a decade signified his lingering presence in her life.
I clenched my fist. So, the password was Jack's birthday? I remembered asking about it once, and Zoe said it was just a random number, too lazy to change. That laziness lasted ten years, and I believed it. Laughing at my own naivety, I shook my head, "Enjoy your visit; I'll be changing the password later."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Jack raised an eyebrow, obviously displeased at the thought of me altering the password. "Zoe and I are divorced. The villa is mine," I stated, standing up to maintain a semblance of dignity. Despite also being tall and handsome, my battle with cancer left me lacking his aura.
"Really?" Jack smirked, "I don't need money, but this villa is filled with beautiful memories for me. I'll pay you extra on top of your divorce settlement to leave it." "No," I refused directly. It wasn't greed keeping me here; I was nearing the end of my life. This villa was all I had left, the only place I wanted to die in, my final resting place.
"You should know, Zoe loves me. I can make her drive you out any time," Jack's tone turned cold, his disdain for me evident, yet also begrudging the decade I spent with Zoe. "The divorce agreement clearly states the villa is mine," I reiterated firmly. Jack scoffed, "Quite stubborn for a kept man. What did your parents teach you? To live off a woman?" My pupils contracted, lips trembling with anger, "Shut up! Get out!"