- 6.
Ryan is preparing to divorce me, though he hasn’t had the guts to tell me himself. It was Ethan who broke the news.
I know the reason: Ryan finally slept with Annie Jo. And of course, Annie isn’t content with being the other woman. She’s started pressuring him to marry her, though in true “gold digger” fashion, she’s doing it subtly.
Annie isn’t the type to scream or throw tantrums to get what she wants. Instead, she plays the fragile, pitiful card, painting herself as a victim who needs to be saved. Ryan, deep in his “true love” phase, has promised her the world.
Of course, Ethan doesn’t know that I’ve planted a “friend” in Annie’s life–someone who feeds me updates about their progress and gives the situation a little push when necessary.
“Nicole,” Ethan said with a sigh, “don’t worry. I’ll make sure Ryan compensates you fairly
in the divorce.”
I shrugged. “Ethan, come on. Don’t bother comforting me. You know exactly what kind of person Ryan is. Let me guess–you’ve already tried talking some sense into him, haven’t you? He’ll give me something, sure, but only enough to save face.”
Ryan is obsessed with money. The thought of splitting our marital assets equally is laughable to him. In his mind, I’m just a stay–at–home wife who did “nothing” while he worked hard to build his fortune. He already thinks he’s done me a favor by providing me with a comfortable life. Why would he hand over half of his so–called “hard–earned” money?
Ethan looked uncomfortable, and I could tell ‘d hit the nail on the head.
S
I stayed calm. “But Ethan, I’m not just going to sit back and let this happen. I’m gathering evidence of his affair, as well as proof of his income and assets. If it comes down to a court fight, so be it.
Ethan clenched his fists, unsure of what to say.
As vice president of Ryan’s company, he knows the finances inside and out. If he were willing to help me, it would save me a lot of trouble. But if he did, it would destroy his
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I stayed calm. “But Ethan, I’m not just going to sit back and let this happen. I’m gathering evidence of his affair, as well as proof of his income and assets. If it comes down to a court fight, so be it.”
Ethan clenched his fists, unsure of what to say.
As vice president of Ryan’s company, he knows the finances inside and out. If he were
willing to help me, it would save me a lot of trouble. But if he did, it would destroy his
friendship with Ryan and jeopardize their business partnership.
Men might occasionally get caught up in emotional conflicts, but at the end of the day,
they care more about protecting their own interests.
That’s why I never asked Ethan for help. The timing isn’t right yet.
Sensing his discomfort, I smiled to lighten the mood. “What’s with that look? I didn’t even
ask you for anything, and you’re already feeling guilty? I know how tough it must be for you to be stuck in the middle of all this. Don’t worry about it.”
“How could I just not worry…” Ethan started, but I cut him off.
“I’ve made up my mind. Once I get my settlement, I’m going to open a private dining restaurant. You’d better come support me when it’s ready!”
“Of course,” Ethan said, though I could see the guilt in his eyes.
He shouldn’t feel guilty. At the end of the day, I’m just using him.
Ethan and Ryan are business partners, but their alliance isn’t ironclad. They’ve had disagreements over the years–differences in vision, disputes over shares. They’ve always managed to put their issues aside for the sake of their company’s success, but the cracks have been there all along.
Ryan is aggressive and impulsive, while Ethan is more cautious and measured. Most of the time, Ethan is the one cleaning up Ryan’s messes.
One evening, Ethan came home looking particularly frustrated.
I’d already told him I’d be bringing dinner over so I asked, “Did you and Ryan argue
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managed to put their issues aside for the sake of their company’s success, but the cracks have been there all along.
Ryan is aggressive and impulsive, while Ethan is more cautious and measured. Most of the time, Ethan is the one cleaning up Ryan’s messes.
One evening, Ethan came home looking particularly frustrated.
I’d already told him I’d be bringing dinner over, so I asked, “Did you and Ryan argue
again?”
“Yeah,” he admitted, rubbing his temples.
I hesitated for a moment before saying, “I know it’s not really my place to say this, but have you ever thought about splitting up the business? You two clearly have different ideas about how to run things, and the disagreements are only going to get worse. With your talent, you don’t need to play second fiddle to him.”
Ethan sighed. “I’m not ready to think about that yet.”
I needed to maintain my image as the innocent, well–meaning friend, so I dropped the subject. “Fair enough. Just think it over when you’re ready.”
But Ethan didn’t get a chance to betray Ryan Ryan beat him to it.
Ryan stormed into Ethan’s office one day, slamming a stack of photos onto his desk. “I
my wife?” treated you like a brother, and this is how you repay me? By trying to steal
The photos showed Ethan and me in intimate poses–walking close, sharing smiles, looking like a picture–perfect couple.
Of course, the photos were part of my plan. I’d arranged for someone to take them weeks ago. I even had Annie’s “friend” deliver the pictures to her, knowing she’d use them to pressure Ryan into marrying her.
It worked like a charm.
