Stars Shine, No Return

On our wedding anniversary, my husband’s socalled “female buddy” showed up.

In front of everyone, she shamelessly yanked down her neckline:

“My chest was busted by your husband’s hands—what are you going to do about it?”

Ethan Walker froze for two seconds, then burst into laughter.

“Chloe Miller, guess that silicone implant of yours wasn’t high quality. I was just joking around, didn’t even use any force!”

They acted as if it were some trivial joke, and no one seemed to think anything was wrong.

Chloe leaned closer, refusing to let it drop.

“It used to be real before—you could squeeze and I’d let it go. But this is a brandnew implant I spent twenty grand on, and you just popped it. You owe me compensation!”

…

Ethan batted her hand away. “Stop trying to extort me. It wasn’t on purpose. Maybe it’s just poor quality to begin with—nothing compared to my wife.”

He said this while wrapping his arm tenderly around my waist.

Immediately, all eyes turned toward me, filled with mixed emotions.

“Well, of course. Lily Evans is a real woman—curves in all the right places. What man wouldn’t be tempted?”

Ethan shot the guy a glare and kicked at him.

“Don’t even think about making a move on my wife.”

In public, Ethan always carried the image of a devoted husband.

If anyone dared to speak badly of me, he wouldn’t allow it.

If another man looked my way more than twice, Ethan would fume for days.

And yet, this very man insisted on keeping a small clique, which included his loud, brash “female buddy.”

Chloe glanced at me and forced a smile.

“Of course your wife has a great body—otherwise how would she have married you?”

“But unlike her, I’m your brother.”

She said this while hooking an arm around Ethan’s shoulders, cleverly nudging me aside.

“Ethan, you disloyal bastard. You won’t even cover a measly twenty grand? Didn’t you spend eighty grand last time on a diamond bracelet for your wife?”

Her face showed a hint of lingering delight.

“But tell me—between me and your wife, whose is softer?”

I frowned at Ethan, expecting him to shut this down.

To my shock, he didn’t feel offended at all. Instead, he picked up the banter.

“Of course it’s my wife. That fake chest of yours feels hard as plastic.”

Chloe pretended to be furious and leapt onto him, gnawing at his neck.

“You brat, how dare you talk about your dad like that? I’ll bite you to death!”

Soon, Ethan was covered with her slobber.

As they carried on, I suddenly clapped my hands.

“Why don’t you just kiss here and now? We’ll record a documentary to rewatch later.”

Only then did Ethan realize things looked bad. He quickly pulled away and tried to reassure me.

“Baby, don’t mind it. We’ve been messing around like this since we were kids—I almost forgot you were here.”

I sneered, lifting my head.

“So when I’m not around, do you two just go to bed?”

Someone voiced their dissatisfaction.

“I told you not to bring spouses along. Why bring a woman so petty and sharptongued?”

“Some people are filthy themselves and think everything looks filthy.”

“Honestly, treating your husband like he’s some priceless treasure, guarding him so tightly.”

“If they were really involved, it would’ve happened long ago. If Ethan had wanted Chloe, he would’ve married her, not someone else.”

Clearly, this little clique didn’t welcome me.

I was about to finish my juice and leave.

Suddenly, Chloe leaned over.

“Lily Evans, I heard you manage the family finances.”

Her smile was sugary and fake.

“Since it was your husband who busted my implant, why don’t you pay me instead?”

It was an outright test.

Whether I agreed or not, I knew I’d become the laughingstock of their circle afterward.

I let out a cold laugh.

“Pay you? Aren’t you the one who claims to be a man? Having a flat chest is normal. Why even need implants?”

Chloe’s smile froze on her face.

“Sisinlaw, if you won’t pay, fine. But why mock me?”

Once she realized I wasn’t easy prey, she stopped trying to engage with me.

In fact, wherever I was, she deliberately kept her distance.

Within minutes, the others started giving me strange looks.

A kind soul whispered in my ear,

“Don’t you see? Chloe’s trying to lead everyone into isolating you.”

I smiled.

“That’s exactly what I want.”

This was my first—and would be my last—time attending one of these gatherings.

But when I returned from the restroom, I saw Ethan handing Chloe a check.

“Who else spoils you like I do?”

“The check says one hundred fifty thousand dollars. Go ahead and spend it.”

“And don’t tell Lily—I don’t want her overthinking.”

Chloe gleefully accepted it and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

“Knew you were loyal, brother.”

Ethan’s gaze slid downward, and without hesitation, he reached out to squeeze her chest.

“This one feels better than the last. Stick to this standard from now on.”

Laughter rippled through the group.

“Ethan, you’re insane. Your wife is right here—aren’t you afraid she’ll make a scene?”

Ethan shrugged, unconcerned.

“It’s nothing serious, just fooling around. Besides, my wife’s in the restroom. Don’t any of you run your mouths.”

“If she hears nonsense and gives me hell at home, you’ll all regret it.”

But in the next second, he turned around—and froze when he saw me watching.

Panic flashed across his face as he stood quickly.

“Lily, when did you get back?”

Holding a menu, he hurried to offer it to me.

“I told them to wait for you before ordering.”

Whenever we ate out, Ethan always made sure I ordered first. No one else could order until I did.

But before I could take it, Chloe snatched it away with a fake laugh.

“Oh come on, why wait? I’m starving.”

She shot me a playful glance.

“Sisinlaw, you don’t seem like the petty type. Mind if I order my favorites—sweet and sour ribs, garlic shrimp?”

I smiled back.

“Not at all.”

When the garlic shrimp arrived, Chloe pulled the whole plate toward herself, dumping it into her bowl.

“Ethan, I don’t want my hands greasy. Be a good boy and peel them for me.”

Ethan hesitated, then chuckled helplessly.

“You really are spoiled, brat.”

All eyes shifted to me, their looks complicated.

I lowered my gaze and smiled faintly.

“I want some shrimp too.”

Ethan froze midpeel. He looked at me, then at Chloe.

Finally, he placed the peeled shrimp into my bowl.

“My baby eats first.”

Chloe’s knuckles whitened around her chopsticks as she glared at me, teeth nearly cracking.

During dinner, she pretended to drop the check in front of me—obviously trying to show off.

But before she could pick it back up, I snatched it first and slipped it away.

Chloe’s eyes widened. “Lily, what are you doing? That’s mine!”

Unbothered, I glanced at the name and amount on it, snapped a photo, then waved it before everyone.

“The name here is Ethan Walker’s. This is marital property. Any expenditure should be clearly accounted for—it can’t just vanish without explanation.”

I turned to Ethan.

“Darling, you’ve always reported your spending to me. Why didn’t you this time? What exactly is this for?”

Ethan’s face darkened with embarrassment. He stammered,

“Baby, I…”

“Give me back the check!” Chloe snapped.

Shoving her chair back, she stood and rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight me.

I almost forgot—she was the only woman in this clique, yet always claimed to be “one of the guys.”

She drove away any girlfriends that the men brought in, sneering and sowing discord until they broke up.

She thrived on being the only girl among men, enjoying the attention.

Too bad I wasn’t about to indulge her.

I leaned back with a cold smile. “I won’t return it. What will you do about it?”

Chloe punched me square in the face.

“Lily, I’ve put up with you long enough.”

She yanked my hair, forcing my head down.

“Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you. Even if you’re Ethan’s wife, I’ll hit you all the same.”

Gasps sounded around us.

“Chloe, stop it—don’t go too far.”

“If Ethan sees this, he’ll go ballistic.”

“That’s his wife, for God’s sake…”

Chloe sneered over her shoulder.

“So what? You all know Ethan values his ‘brothers’ above all else. I’ve beaten up his past girlfriends plenty, and he never said a word.”

Her grip tightened, nearly ripping my hair from my scalp.

Her eyes gleamed with spite, as if to say: Even as his wife, you don’t matter.

She lowered her head and whispered where only I could hear,

“Lily, what are you so smug about? Can’t you see? When it comes down to a choice, Ethan always picks me. Every time I see you with him, it makes me sick.”

But the next second, her smug smile froze—

and a scream of agony tore from her throat.

I had pulled out my selfdefense knife and driven it into her left shoulder, steady and precise.

As her face twisted in shock, I sneered coldly.

“Feeling better now?”

The onlookers, who had been waiting for drama, went wideeyed.

Whispers broke out.

“Never thought Lily was so ruthless. She looked soft, but she’s deadly.”

“Proves you can’t underestimate anyone—especially not her.”

“Chloe’s in for it now. No way she’s walking this off.”

…

“Lily Evans, you bitch!”

Chloe Miller spat the words through clenched teeth.

The next second, my fist slammed into her, knocking out two of her front teeth. Blood poured down her chin.

“Say that again?”

Chloe clutched her mouth, unable to speak.

I had seen through her long ago—she was nothing but a paper tiger. She thought building some muscles made her as strong as a man. She rejected being a woman, always bragging “we men” this and “you women” that. She strutted in front of women and pretended in front of men.

But what she didn’t know was that I had trained at a martial arts gym since I was a child. Even my father used to say I could outfight my own brother. I never had to fear anyone bullying me.

Now that Chloe came looking for trouble, she had only run into a steel wall.

Still covering her mouth, she tried a sneak attack with her free hand. I slashed her hand with my knife, and her shriek tore through the room.

Only then did Ethan Walker snap out of his daze. He rushed over, grabbed my wrist, and shoved me back.

“Lily, that’s enough. You’ve already stabbed Chloe—what more do you want?”

The way he said it, you’d think I was the unreasonable one.

I turned to him in disbelief.

“Didn’t you see it was her who started it?”

Expressionless, I picked up a fistful of my tornout hair from the table and shoved it at him.

“See this? Each strand costs me two thousand dollars’ worth of care. All this, ripped out because of her. Now tell me—how should this debt be settled?”

Ethan’s confidence faltered instantly. He knew I wasn’t lying.

I was an heiress, raised in wealth, with investments in every aspect of my body. I had spent fortunes on my hair alone. And everyone here had seen that Chloe struck first.

But Ethan, palefaced, still shielded Chloe behind him, scolding me instead.

“You’re the one making a big deal out of nothing, clinging to that check. I already gave it to Chloe, why are you making things hard for her?”

“She’s been my buddy since childhood. Even for my sake, you shouldn’t have treated her like that…”

The next second, my palm cracked across Ethan’s face.

“Lily, you hit me?”

He stared at me in shock.

I met his gaze coldly.

“Now, it’s your turn to settle accounts.”

“Lily, don’t tell me you’re talking about divorce again?” Ethan gave a bitter laugh. He touched the cheek I had just slapped, then gripped my wrist tightly.

“Can’t you drop the spoiled princess act? Every time something upsets you, it’s divorce. Who else could put up with you but me?”

I shook my head with a smile.

“You’re wrong. It’s not just about divorce.”

All these years, Ethan’s rise had come entirely from my family’s resources—mine and my father’s. If he was going to leave, there was no way he’d walk away with what belonged to us. I intended to take everything back.

Ethan’s expression faltered, fear flashing in his eyes. He softened his tone.

“Baby, don’t you believe me? I really only see Chloe as a brother. We’re innocent—”

“Innocent?” I sneered.

“You mean when you popped her implant, that was innocent? Or when she clung to you and slobbered all over you in front of everyone—was that innocent?”

“Or when you handed her a check and she kissed you—was that innocent too?”

The more I spoke, the paler his face became, his shame laid bare.

Around us, the whispers started.

“So much for being a good man—he’s just a cheat.”

“‘Female buddy’? Please. I don’t buy that men and women can have such pure friendships.”

“It’s always just an excuse for flirting. No woman would tolerate it.”

That day, terrified I’d humiliate him further, Ethan suddenly dropped to his knees before me in front of everyone.

“Lily, I was wrong. I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Hit me, yell at me—fine. But Chloe’s hurt badly. Please, let me take her to the hospital. If she dies, you’ll be the one in prison.”

I sneered. I knew exactly how much strength I had used—she wasn’t going to die.

But for the sake of our years together, I gave him that much face.

“Tomorrow night then—we sign the divorce papers.”

I turned and walked out.

Ethan’s pale face turned after me, calling my name, but I didn’t pause for a second.

When the time came, Ethan never showed. Instead, Chloe sent me a video, smugly flaunting.

She was lying in a hospital bed. Ethan was feeding her soup.

“Ethan, it’s all because of you that your wife beat me like this,” Chloe whined. “I don’t care, I can’t drink it myself—you have to feed me.”

Ethan sighed and gave a doting smile.

“If my wife finds out, we’re both dead.”

But while he said that, his actions betrayed him—obedient, tender, feeding her mouthtomouth.

Watching their lips meet on screen, I crushed my phone in my hand.

I immediately called my father.

“Dad, that project you said you’d help Ethan with—forget it. And I want him bankrupt, as fast as possible.”

Since Ethan had broken his promise, I had no reason to keep mine. I grabbed my passport and left for an overseas trip.

By the time I came back, half a month had passed.

Ethan was in a panic, calling me nonstop, but I never answered.

My assistant finally told me the news: Ethan really had gone bankrupt.

For a week straight, Ethan hunted for me, begging me to ask my father to let him go.

I refused to see him, only passing a message through my assistant:

“Unless you agree to divorce, you’ll only sink deeper into debt.”

At last, Ethan caved.

“Fine. I’ll divorce you.”

But when I went to sign the divorce papers, Chloe was there too—already discharged.

“Chloe, I’ve done all I can to trick Lily. What more do you want before you’ll help me?”

Ethan, for once, looked humble, his voice tinged with desperation.

Chloe sneered arrogantly.

“That night at the hotel, she beat me so hard I nearly landed in intensive care. I’ve been choking on that anger ever since.”

“If you want me to help your company back on its feet, you’ll have to pay me back first.”

“I want to whip Lily twenty times myself. Agree to that, and I’ll have my cousin invest in you.”

Ethan’s eyes lit up at once. He frowned and came over to me, trying to coax me.

“Lily, just agree. It’s only a few lashes—it’s fair, isn’t it?”