Chapter 3The Clean Break

Lawyer Chen met me at a coffee shop.

"Ms. Qin, we can draft a divorce agreement, but if you can provide evidence of him transferring assets, we'll have a stronger position for property division."

I stirred my coffee. "What kind of evidence?"

Chen pushed up his glasses.

"For example, gifting marital assets to others without your consent."

"Think back, has your husband done anything unusual?"

I thought about it.

Then I thought of Sophie's social media.

Starting six months ago, her posts showed increasingly expensive items.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in a new apartment, the steering wheel of a white Porsche, Hermès bags, designer kids' clothes.

She didn't work and was freshly divorced. Where did the money come from?

"I remember she said her ex-husband didn't give much alimony," I murmured.

Chen nodded. "Then there's a problem. You might want to look into it."

When I got home, I scrolled through Sophie's timeline.

I screenshot every background, license plate, even the logos on shopping bags.

Then I called Maya.

Maya was my apprentice when I was at the company. After I resigned, she took my position.

"Chloe?" Her voice was hushed.

I got straight to the point. "Maya, do me a favor."

"Check the company accounts. Any unusual expenditures recently? Like large transfers to an individual."

Silence on the other end.

Maya's voice dropped even lower.

"Yes. Mr. Lu approved several transfers in the last six months. The recipient is Sophie Su. The biggest one was for a house purchase, two million."

My heart sank.

"What else?"

"A car purchase, eight hundred thousand. The rest are miscellaneous expenses, totaling..."

She paused. "About another million."

Three million eight hundred thousand.

I hung up, my hands trembling.

Not because of the money.

Because last week, I mentioned booking a postpartum center for about a hundred thousand.

Liam frowned.

"Too expensive. Just let my mom take care of you."

At that very moment, Sophie's timeline showed off a new Birkin bag.

I spent the night logging into the company's financial system.

It was the account I used before resigning. I still had admin access.

Liam hadn't changed it.

Or maybe he never thought I'd check.

The transfer records were clear.

From the time Sophie returned until now, six months. Three million, eight hundred twenty-seven thousand, four hundred dollars.

House, car, luxury goods, kids' clothes, early education, housekeeping...

Every entry stabbed my eyes.

I took screenshots, saved them, backed them up.

Then I waited for Liam.

He came back at dawn, smelling of alcohol.

Seeing me sitting in the living room, he paused.

"Haven't slept?"

"The company account is missing three million eight hundred and twenty thousand," I said bluntly.

Liam's expression froze.

"Sophie's house, car, those bags. You bought them?"

Silence.

More silence.

"Speak." My voice was soft.

"Chloe, Sophie just got divorced, raising a kid alone isn't easy. I was just help—"

I cut him off.

"Helping to the tune of a house and a car?"

"Liam, our first year, we carried samples onto the bus ourselves to save five hundred bucks on shipping. Now you give away nearly four million without blinking?"

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"One week. Put all the money back into the company account."

"Otherwise, I will sue you for transferring marital assets and report you to the tax bureau."

His eyes widened. "Are you crazy? You'd ruin me over money?"

I looked into his eyes. "Not for money. For me and my child."

He stood there like a statue.

Silent.

Always like this. Whenever it gets hard, he shuts down.

I reiterated. "Seven days. If the money isn't there, see you in court."

I turned back to the bedroom.

Closing the door, I heard him slump onto the sofa and the click of a lighter.

I touched my belly, feeling the tiny life there.

Suddenly, the pain didn't matter anymore.

I only wanted one thing now.

To take my child and the money, and leave.

As for Liam, he had to pay the price.