Wife and Intern’s Game, Their Shared Debt

I had spent half a year winning a highstakes reversal case, which sent the stock options of Parker & Associates Law Firm soaring.

My wife, Sophia Miller, was overjoyed. She ordered lace lingerie online, saying she wanted to give me a surprise.

I thought she had finally overcome her socalled psychological barriers and given up on her “platonic love.”

But then I turned around and saw her figure sprawled across the bed—in a vlog posted by our intern, Jason Reed.

Scrolling through the comment section filled with admiration and blessings from strangers, I quietly tapped “like.”

Soon, my wife called.

“Ethan, don’t misunderstand. I was only pretending to be his girlfriend to boost his followers, and he just happened to help me try on the clothes. You just landed a big case—you can’t afford distractions. Once things settle down, I’ll make it up to you, I promise!”

I sneered and signed my name on the job offer from another firm.

“No need. Let’s get a divorce.”

Her voice instantly sharpened.

“I said he was only helping me, why are you so petty? What, would you rather I actually do something with him just so you’d feel better?”

“You’re threatening divorce over something so trivial? Childish.”

“This time I’ll let it slide, but if it happens again—even if you beg me on your knees—I won’t forgive you.”

Before I could reply, she hung up.

I looked at the freshly printed divorce papers, my chest tight with anger.

What Sophia didn’t know was that I truly intended to leave her.

We had been married for five years, yet always kept it a secret, never once living as husband and wife.

She claimed to have psychological issues—insisting on maintaining a “single” public persona—while feeding me the idea of a platonic marriage.

And I had pitied her, believing her every word, accommodating her in everything.

My phone buzzed with a message from Daniel Scott, my assistant. He had once been my student at Columbia University, and was one of the few who knew about my relationship with Sophia.

It was a screenshot of the law firm’s internal group chat.

Many colleagues had seen Jason’s vlog, teasing the two of them, asking when they could expect wedding invitations.

Jason replied:

“That’s up to Sophia. She’s right here beside me and says don’t worry, you’ll all be included.”

“But since you’re being so sweet, I’ll have her give you all the night off. Let’s celebrate together at dinner.”

Amid the cheering, only Daniel stood up for me.

“Some people really have no shame—cheating is bad enough, but flaunting it so openly? That’s truly shameless.”

His sarcasm clearly struck a nerve with Jason, who began posting manipulative comments to play the victim.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Opening the chat, I realized I had already been quietly kicked out of the group.

A second later, Daniel called me.

“Ethan, this Jason Reed is way out of line! Why don’t you just make your marriage public and put him in his place?”

Had this been earlier, I might have agreed.

But now, I had already made up my mind to cut ties with Sophia. I had no intention of getting myself tangled in more drama.

“He’s just a clown, not worth the effort. But Daniel, defending me like that will only make Sophia give you a hard time again.”

I said again because Sophia had opposed his hiring from the start.

When the firm was shortstaffed, Daniel had just applied, and I wanted to bring him in. But Sophia insisted otherwise.

To my surprise, the usually indifferent Sophia Miller flatout refused, insisting that people from prestigious schools were nothing but bookworms, and that the firm should hire someone “more capable.”

And by “capable,” she meant Jason Reed, a graduate from a thirdrate college who hadn’t even passed the bar exam.

I tried reasoning with her, but she jabbed her finger at me and scolded:

“Don’t think I don’t know—you just want to abuse your position to bring in your own student!”

“I’ll tell you what I hate the most: useless hires who get in through connections. The firm isn’t your personal fiefdom—you don’t get to decide everything!”

In the end, I had no choice but to hire Jason along with my student.

But once Jason joined Parker & Associates Law Firm, he couldn’t even draft the most basic legal documents. All he did was trail after Sophia all day.

It was obvious who the real “useless connection” was.

Yet Sophia coddled him relentlessly. To get him promoted as quickly as possible, she even went so far as to steal credit from others.

When I spoke up about it, she started giving me the cold shoulder.

At the time, I was busy with a highstakes case, so she couldn’t go after me directly. Instead, she began targeting Daniel Scott, my assistant.

I knew exactly what she was doing—using him as a way to slap me in the face, to prove that even if I brought my own student into the firm, she could still make me look bad.

In the past, I endured it for the sake of our marriage. But now, I no longer wanted to endure.

“I’ve decided to jump ship to another firm. Their salary and benefits are more than double what I get here. Do you want to come with me?” I asked Daniel.

He was thrilled at first, but then hesitated.

“Ethan, everyone knows your ability. But if you take me too, wouldn’t that put you in a tough spot?”

I chuckled.

“Don’t let Sophia gaslight you. You’re my student—how bad could you be?”

After hanging up, I grabbed the divorce papers and went to the private dining room where Jason had organized a dinner.

The moment I walked in, the lively room fell silent.

Jason and Sophia sat in the center, surrounded by colleagues like they were celebrities, just about to toast with intertwined arms.

When she saw me, Sophia reluctantly stood, her expression sour.

“What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Please, I have better things to do. I just need you to sign some documents.”

Her face twisted with impatience.

“You’d better have something important. If you’re wasting my time on purpose, you’ll regret it.”

She could take the entire staff out for a day off just because Jason asked, yet she couldn’t spare a moment for me. The difference spoke volumes.

When she tried to leave, Jason boldly grabbed her hand. Then, with a mocking glance in my direction, he picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her lips.

“Didn’t notice earlier—you smudged your lipstick.”

How it had been smudged was obvious from the flush on Sophia’s cheeks.

In five years with her, she had barely let me touch her—not even to hold hands. I had always been forced to keep my distance.

Yet now, the woman who claimed to have psychological issues could kiss Jason in public without hesitation.

Love and indifference were plain as day.

Outside the dining room, I handed her the divorce papers.

She took them without even glancing at the contents, frowning at me with the look of someone already planning revenge.

“What’s wrong with your assistant? How dare he talk like that in the group chat!”

“He ruined Jason’s whole afternoon, and you’d better make him apologize. Otherwise, I’ll fire him!”

“Our law firm has no place for subordinates who don’t know their place!”

I almost laughed out loud.

Jason was just an intern. Since when did he become so important?

Sophia was giving him way too much credit.

This whole mess had started because of me, so there was no way I’d make Daniel apologize.

With a cold laugh, I said:

“Not a chance. Don’t even think about it.”

Sophia hadn’t expected me to be so firm. Her face turned red with fury.

“Fine, if he won’t apologize, then you will! He’s your subordinate anyway.”

“Ethan Parker, my patience has its limits. If you don’t apologize, don’t even think about me signing these papers!”

She waved the divorce papers in my face, smug as ever.

My fists clenched, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Divorce was more important than my pride.

I opened my phone, pulled up the chat with Jason, and typed three words: I’m sorry.

Sophia finally looked satisfied. She flipped the papers to the last page and quickly signed her name.

Conflicted, I asked her,

“You’re not even going to read it?”

She sneered.

“What’s there to read? You think everyone’s as dramatic as you?”

“Now leave. Jason’s still waiting for me inside.”

Watching her walk away, I let out a bitter laugh.

I still remembered the first time I met her—standing before me in a white dress, smiling shyly with grace and charm.

Now, though she still wore white, she was utterly unrecognizable.

She had lied to me again and again, and I had forgiven her again and again. She had come to believe I had no bottom line, and so she pushed further each time.

Reaching this point had probably been inevitable.

I shoved the divorce papers into my bag and went home.

That night, halfasleep, I smelled alcohol as Sophia stumbled in.

She yanked the covers off me, annoyed.

“You went to bed without waiting for me?”

In the past, whenever she went out drinking, I worried endlessly. I would prepare aspirin and water ahead of time.

But she never appreciated it—mocking me for being “fussy like a housewife.”

Remembering that, my eyes went cold.

“I figured you weren’t coming back tonight.”

She kicked at me irritably.

“This is my house. If I don’t come home, where else would I go?”

Her sense of entitlement made me want to laugh.

She must have forgotten that just last week she hadn’t come home for seven nights straight.

When I called, worried about her safety, she snapped at me.

And then Jason had sent me a taunting video—Sophia in it, her face twisted with disgust:

“I’m so sick of Ethan Parker. He nags like a woman, calling to check up on me. He even asked when I’m coming home. Does he not get that I can’t stand being around him for even a second? Home? What home?”

Remembering that, the woman before me looked even more repulsive.

I didn’t want to argue. I got up to sleep in the guest room.

But Sophia called after me:

“This time, add more honey and less ginger.”

I laughed in disbelief.

The audacity—she actually thought I was going to make her a drink to sober up.

Glancing at her, I said flatly:

“If you want it, make it yourself. I’m not your servant.”

She froze for a moment, finally sensing something was wrong. Her expression softened slightly.

“What’s wrong with you? You don’t look happy.”

“I had a few drinks tonight, maybe my tone was too harsh. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Honestly, I came back because I was worried you’d be lonely.”

Three lies in a row, without even a pause.

In five years of marriage, Sophia had rarely backed down. The only times she did, she had an ulterior motive.

Sure enough, the next second, she tilted her head, watching me carefully.

“I thought it over. What your assistant did wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have forced you to apologize.”

“I know you don’t want me to fire him. So how about this—if you give Jason a little compensation and let him take the lead in your upcoming case, I’ll let it go?”

I sneered.

Of course. She had only come back for Jason.

The case I had on my hands now was no easier than my last reversal case. Yet she wanted Jason to skip all the groundwork and ride my coattails straight into court.

What a cunning move.

I smirked, and under her hopeful gaze, said,

“Alright.”

Sophia relaxed, visibly delighted that I’d agreed so easily.

But even as she gained the upper hand, she couldn’t resist scolding me.

“See? Isn’t this better? Your assistant only picks on Jason because he’s jealous Jason is more talented. Keep him in line. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”

I nodded.

“You’re right. Since Jason is so talented, it would be a waste to let him just sit second chair. Why don’t we hand over the entire case to him? Daniel and I can step aside.”

Sophia froze, her face darkening instantly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?”

“Ethan Parker, I came to discuss this nicely. Do you have to spit in my face?”

Her mask had slipped so quickly, it almost amused me.

But I couldn’t blame her. No one knew better than she did how incompetent Jason really was.

The case was already halfway through, and not just anyone could handle it.

I stayed silent, watching her tantrum with calm detachment.

Finally, breathless with anger, she snapped:

“Fine! You’re mad because I showed Jason the lace lingerie, right? Tomorrow I’ll wear it for you instead, happy?”

“A grown man sulking over something like that—aren’t you ashamed?”

Even now, she thought I cared about lingerie.

“No thanks. Secondhand things disgust me. Better save them for Jason.”

Sophia paled, her face flashing between red and white.

She refused to admit anything and lashed out:

“Ethan Parker, I’m your wife! How dare you slander me!”

“You’d better apologize right now, or else you can live like a monk for the rest of your life. Don’t even dream of touching me again!”

I laughed coldly.

“You think you’re some kind of goddess? Don’t flatter yourself.”

It was probably the harshest thing I had ever said to her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she stormed out, slamming the door.

I couldn’t care less. I calmly locked the door behind her and went straight to sleep.