Chapter 5: The Public Slap

I hailed a taxi to the airport immediately.

Zachary's flight was about to land.

I didn’t want to waste any time. All I wanted was to drag him straight to the court and finalize the divorce.

He had messed up my work without my permission.

It had not been easy for me to find such a suitable job, and I had always cherished it.

When Zachary walked out of the VIP lounge, I was stopped outside the airport by the ground crew.

From a distance, I saw him being escorted out by bodyguards and his subordinates.

The icy blue floor tiles reflected the lights.

He was dressed in a long white windbreaker, looking handsome and elegant, like a celebrity.

"Zachary Mason!" I shouted his name.

Many people turned to look at me.

Zachary also looked in my direction and gestured for the ground crew to let me pass.

I walked straight toward him and slapped him across the face in front of everyone.

The sound was sharp and loud.

The next moment, he pulled me tightly into his arms.

Some onlookers raised their phones to record the scene.

I struggled desperately, but I couldn’t break free from his grip.

"Stop it. Not here," Zachary whispered in my ear.

At that moment, I understood what he meant.

He was afraid that news of our divorce would affect the company’s stock price.

The Mason Group was a listed company, and the chairman’s divorce had to be disclosed to shareholders.

How ridiculous.

I had never even thought about dividing his assets.

All I wanted was to leave quietly without causing trouble.

But even such a simple wish was impossible.

Even though he didn’t love me, he still wouldn’t let me go.

To him, I was just a tool—something to be used until I had no value left.

Hatred surged through me, making my expression fierce as tears filled my eyes.

Over Zachary’s shoulder, I noticed another group of people walking out of the airport.

The man leading them was his business rival, Dustin Curtis.

Dustin raised his eyebrows and smiled playfully.

"I’m really envious of you, Mr. Mason," he said mockingly.

"You’ve been married for so many years. How do you keep the passion alive?"

Zachary shot him a cold glare, covered my face, and pulled me away.

I hated that feeling.

Being treated like his loving wife, like I belonged to him.

It disgusted me.

He ignored my request for divorce completely, as if he were deaf.

In anger, I went to the court to file for divorce.

But I was told there was a mandatory cooling-off period.

As soon as I walked out, bodyguards surrounded me.

They prevented me from showing my face or being photographed by the paparazzi.

Zachary cared deeply about public opinion.

Left with no other choice, I tried to post everything online.

But within seconds, my post was deleted.

My account was banned.

It was obvious that Zachary had people monitoring me.

I trembled with anger, feeling cold all over.

What exactly did he want?

He cut off my escape routes, ruined my job, and trapped me in the villa.

Every day, I was forced to watch him and Charlee act like a couple while I remained in the shadows.

I was nothing more than a prisoner.

In his eyes, I wasn’t even human—just something at his disposal.

If that was the case, then I had no choice but to fight back using my own methods.

I decided to contact Dustin secretly.

I would tell him everything about the divorce.

His company was in direct competition with the Mason Group.

He would definitely be interested in using this scandal against Zachary.

And I was willing to become the weapon that brought everything crashing down.