My Husband Gave Me His Mistress’s Castoffs as Gifts, So I Divorced Him

Ethan Hayes' first love got divorced and returned to the US, inviting us to a welcome dinner. To avoid embarrassing him, I specially changed into the new dress he gave me. But as soon as I entered the private room, everyone looked at me and burst out laughing. I thought my hair was messed up, so I went to the restroom to fix it. Upon returning, however, I overheard Vanessa Reed teasing me: "Ethan, so you haven't told Claire Bennett yet that all the gifts you've given her over the years have been secondhand items that I didn't want anymore?" Others echoed this sentiment: "Yes, the dress she's wearing, is it the one that Vanessa and you went to the hot spring hotel the day before yesterday and it fell into the toilet?" "It's hilarious that she wore it specifically to assert her dominance." "Ethan, Claire is your wife, after all. Can't you at least take pity on her and get her a new wedding ring?" Ethan scoffed. "If she didn't look somewhat like Vanessa, why would I have married her? It's already an act of great kindness of mine to have her as my wife." "A substitute is only fit for secondhand use." He turned and placed the pink diamond, the size of a pigeon's egg, on Vanessa's hand, saying gently: "Newly bought, ten million. Congratulations on becoming single again." I touched the small diamond ring on my ring finger, worth less than a thousand yuan, and laughed self-deprecatingly. Four years of sincere friendship. It turns out that in his heart, I was nothing more than a cheap substitute. …… I walked into the private room and smashed the wedding ring into the wine glass in front of him. "So not only the dress, but even the wedding ring you gave me was a cheap secondhand item that Vanessa didn't want?" The private room fell silent instantly. Ethan showed no sign of guilt. He rubbed the spilled wine off his face with his fingertips, a casual smile playing on his lips. "Since you've already heard it, why are you asking the question when you already know the answer?" I clenched my fists, trying my best to keep my voice steady: "So when you said before that you designed this ring yourself to commemorate our love, were you lying to me too?" Before he could speak, Vanessa covered her mouth and laughed: "It wasn't entirely a lie; it was indeed designed by Ethan himself." "However... it was just one of the dozen or so rings he designed for me to practice on, which was discarded when we celebrated our seventh anniversary." “After all, Ethan said that something so cheap is not good enough for me.” The others also laughed and tried to smooth things over: "Hey Claire, even though the gifts Ethan gave you were all secondhand, they weren't all cheap." "Yes, for example, this dress of yours. He bought it for Vanessa the day before yesterday, but it accidentally fell into the toilet when they were changing clothes at the hot spring hotel. Ethan had it washed before giving it to you. It could sell for nearly ten thousand on the second-hand market." “If Ethan hadn’t been so protective of Vanessa because she’s a germaphobe, you wouldn’t have gotten a chance to wear it. It’s free, so you’re not losing out.” Ah, what a perfect line, "not a loss." It turns out everyone knew except me. The day before yesterday was my birthday. Ethan said he was busy talking to clients about a project and left me home alone. It turns out he went to a hot spring with Vanessa. I don't dare to think about what else happened between them besides changing clothes. Vanessa, arm in arm with Ethan, smiled at me and said: “Claire, you can’t blame Ethan entirely.” "Who told you to only look three-tenths like me? He thinks that only by having you wear the clothes I wore and use the things I used can you look more like me." Ethan didn't deny it, but he frowned impatiently: "Alright, the things Vanessa doesn't want aren't off-brand." "Besides, many people shop on secondhand platforms. If others can do it, why can't you? Are you Claire more precious than others?"

I gave a self-deprecating laugh. Before, every time he gave me a bag or clothes, I felt it was too much of a waste. I can't bear to use it. Ethan then hugged me and acted like a spoiled child: "So what? I just love it when my wife is dressed up nicely; it makes me happy." So that's the real reason he was happy. She can see the shadow of her first love through me. I took a deep breath and met his gaze: “Ethan, this isn’t about the brand or whether it’s secondhand.” "We've been married for four years, but you've always treated me like a substitute for someone else. Have you ever shown me even the slightest bit of respect?" Ethan chuckled. "respect?" He lazily raised his eyes, which were full of disdain: "If I respected you, do you think you'd have the chance to rise above your station, marry your boss, and become my wife?" "You should be grateful that you look somewhat like Vanessa, otherwise you wouldn't even have the good fortune to be a stand-in." "If you don't want to stay, then get out. Today is Vanessa's welcome party, don't spoil the fun." It felt like I'd been punched hard in the chest. It hurt so much I couldn't breathe. I closed my eyes and then slowly took off the dress. All that's left are the tank top and safety shorts. Everyone was shocked by my actions. Ethan even furrowed his brow: "Claire, what are you doing?" I suppressed the stinging in my nose and spoke clearly: “Ethan, I don’t care about this kind of good fortune.” "Let's get a divorce." After saying that, I turned and left. Just as the door to the private room was about to close, Vanessa's voice came: "Ethan, your wife seems really angry. Aren't you afraid she'll actually do something about it?" Ethan scoffed: "Putting aside whether Claire is willing to give up her position as my wife, the fact that she loves me to death means she can't live without me." "Besides, who else would want a hen that can't lay eggs but me? She's just being temperamental, just ignore her." Others chimed in: "Yes, yes, every time you argued before, wasn't Claire always the first to apologize to Ethan?" "She treats Ethan like a hero, lol, so corny." Hearing the contempt in his words, the tears I had been holding back for so long finally fell. I was just an intern at his company, but my male supervisor at the time pinned me down in the break room and started touching me inappropriately. As someone who had just entered the workforce, I was terrified, and the other person was incredibly strong. In my moment of despair, Ethan saved me. He beat the other person half to death and fired him on the spot. After that, he took good care of me in every way and taught me a lot about business. At the time, I truly regarded him as a hero who saved people from danger. Unsurprisingly, I fell for his assertive yet romantic pursuit in private. Later, when I was six months pregnant, I was involved in a car accident. Not only did she lose the child, she also became completely infertile. But Ethan never blamed me; instead, he gently hugged me and said: "Claire, I love you for who you are, whether you have children or not is not important." I was both touched and guilty, so I tried my best to accommodate her and be a good wife. Looking back now, it was both his help in pursuing her and his later thoughtfulness. It's probably all because of this face that resembles Vanessa's. When I got home, I wanted to pack my luggage. But I discovered that almost the entire wardrobe was made up of 'Vanessa's discarded items' that Ethan had given me. After we got married, he took the initiative to take care of all my clothes. I never noticed it before, but if you look closely, you can find the clues. For example, the dress they gave me on Valentine's Day was the wrong color; it looked like it had been washed and faded. And the earrings for our wedding anniversary this year. On the way back, I found it on Vanessa's Weibo; it was a free gift that she didn't really want.

I had actually taken them as proof that I was loved and cared for. Never mind, this saves me the trouble of packing my luggage. I changed into the only old clothes I had left and was about to send a message to my lawyer. Ethan is back. Vanessa was following behind him. He casually explained: "Vanessa just returned to the country and hasn't found a place she likes yet. She thinks hotels aren't hygienic, so she's staying here for a few days." He seemed to have completely disregarded the unpleasantness that had occurred in the private room. And so it was simply glossed over. Vanessa stretched and yawned, as if she were back in her own home. "I'm so sleepy, I'll go change my clothes and take a shower first." I watched the direction she was heading and frowned, reminding her: "That's the master bedroom; the guest's second bedroom is on the left." Vanessa winked at me and said something inexplicable: "Oh, you didn't know?" “This is the house where Ethan and I used to live together. We even chose the bed together.” "Because it's so comfortable, I bought the same model abroad. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I changed my bed." "I didn't expect the layout here to be exactly the same. I really feel like I'm back home." I looked at Ethan in disbelief: "You even expect me to use what she left over for our wedding room?" When we moved in, everything inside was already decorated and furnished. Ethan said he didn't want me to work hard, so he took the initiative to arrange it. I even thought he was considerate because of that. Ethan looked completely unconcerned. "It's just a place to eat and sleep. What difference does it make where it is? What's there to be picky about?" I really want to ask, since it's the same everywhere... Then why did you bring her home and have her stay in our master bedroom? Before he could even speak, his phone rang. My direct supervisor, Rachel Morgan: "Hello, Claire?" "Your promotion to deputy department manager tomorrow has been cancelled." I was stunned for a moment: "Why? My seniority and performance all meet the promotion criteria, and you and the team voted to approve it yesterday." Rachel sighed: "Yes, but Ethan just vetoed it. He said he wants to bring in a deputy manager. You know he's the boss." "Rachel, may I ask for the other person's name?" She thought for a moment and replied: "Her name seems to be Vanessa, and she's said to be Ethan's first love." “Even the projects you had and last quarter’s bonuses were given to Vanessa by him.” I put down my phone and glared angrily at Ethan: "Ethan always prides himself on separating his personal and professional life, so why did you help Vanessa steal my project and position the moment she arrived?" "My achievements are all the result of my own hard work. Do you think that's fair to me?!" Annoyance welled up in Ethan's eyes: "I haven't even stamped the promotion document yet, how did it become yours? As an employee, it's your duty to generate profits for the company, why are you using this to claim credit?" "Besides, Vanessa has just returned to the country and doesn't have a suitable job for a while. We've known each other for a while, so it's normal for me to help her out." Vanessa also pulled me aside and said: "Don't be angry, Claire. Maybe one day I'll get tired of it and give the position back to you." It's always like this. It seems like I can only ever pick up what she doesn't want. Seeing that I didn't speak, Ethan reached out and ruffled my hair, coaxing me: "Honey, I didn't say you wouldn't get a promotion, you just have to wait a little longer." "Giving your project and bonus to Vanessa is also to help her accumulate the necessary qualifications for promotion as soon as possible. Once she becomes a manager, the position of deputy manager will be vacant for you, right?"

"Alright, Vanessa, you're not used to sleeping in the same bed. You can sleep in the second bedroom for the next few days. Stop fussing over it." In the past, if he did this, I would always immediately apologize and make up. But now, I only feel irony. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Ethan never made our relationship public at the company, let alone helped me get a job through connections. To make him proud, I worked tirelessly, drinking with clients until I had a stomach hemorrhage, and then taking care of his daily needs when I got home. As it turns out, I wasn't just Vanessa's stand-in. Once she returns, all of Ethan's principles will change. Even the fruits of my own hard work have to be handed over. I withdrew my hand and calmly spoke: "No need. Since this used to be your home, I'll leave." Ethan's face instantly turned cold: "Claire, are you never going to stop?" "Fine, do whatever you want. If you're so capable, don't come back after you leave this door." I pushed open the door: "Don't worry, I won't come back, I'll resign." But there was no response. Turning around, I realized that Ethan had already gone to the master bedroom to change Vanessa's sheets and hadn't heard a thing. Never mind, it's not important anymore. I booked a hotel room and submitted an electronic resignation application. At my current level, it's not even up to Ethan to approve it. The process was completed quickly. Rachel probably felt bad about it and messaged me privately: "Claire, I have a sister who runs a company overseas and they're short-staffed." "I sent your information to her. She thinks you have good skills and experience and can start working here anytime. Are you interested?" Before I could reply, Vanessa was added to the company's main group chat by Ethan, who also changed her title prefix to "Deputy Project Manager". Some people noticed that her profile picture and Ethan's are a couple. They immediately started to jeer: Wow, so this is Ethan's secretly married wife! Hello, boss lady! [Is the woman in the boss's WeChat Moments photos really her? She and Ethan look so good together!] Vanessa responded with a shy emoji, but Ethan did not reply. It's like a default setting. I remember that from dating to marriage, Ethan never changed his profile picture. Whenever I ask, he says he just picked someone randomly. It turns out that he just wanted to preserve the memories he shared with Vanessa. I left the group and replied to Rachel: "Okay, I'll go. Thanks, Rachel." After that, I sent a message to the lawyer, asking him to draft a divorce agreement for me as soon as possible. Ethan didn't contact me again all night. I don't know if he saw my message about leaving the group. Perhaps they saw it, but didn't care. The next morning, I was woken up by a phone call from an unknown number. “Hello, Claire? This is Westbrook Cemetery.” “Your husband just brought people here and dug up your mother’s ashes, saying he wants to give that burial plot to a friend’s dog.” "I'd like to ask, will you come to collect the ashes, or will we handle the disposal here?" When I arrived, the photo on the tombstone had been replaced with one of a puppy. My mother's urn was just left in a corner, like trash that people disliked. I looked at Ethan with red eyes, my voice trembling: "Why?" The wind was strong on the mountain, and Ethan ignored the fact that I was only wearing a thin shirt. He draped his coat over Vanessa, his tone indifferent: "This grave was originally reserved for Vanessa's dog." "She took the dog's ashes with her when she went abroad. Now that she's back and needs them, isn't it only right that you give them up?" I swallowed hard.

"But I've already paid you back for the burial plot." Ethan chuckled. “But I am the buyer on the contract, and I have the right to decide who to bury with it.” "Besides, if it weren't for me, your mother would have been buried in your old home in the countryside. It's only been this convenient for you to pay your respects to her these past few years. Don't be so ungrateful." When my mother passed away, there were no more spaces available in this cemetery. But I want to bury her closer so I can visit her more often. Ethan told me to leave everything to him and to put my mind at ease. I know it's not cheap here, and I don't want him to keep spending money. I saved up my entire year's salary and bonuses and transferred them to him. He was still unhappy at the time, blaming me for being too calculating with my wife. But now, he's calculating every single thing. Vanessa stepped in to smooth things over: "Claire, don't worry. Although there are no seats available right now, as long as you apply for a waiting list, there will be a seat sooner or later." "I'll help you send your aunt's ashes to the storage facility." She bent down and picked up the urn, and I was about to speak to stop her. The next second, Vanessa's hand suddenly loosened. The jar shattered instantly, scattering ashes all over the ground. Vanessa feigned panic and stepped back: "Sorry, I didn't mean to, the jar was too slippery, I lost my grip..." But I could clearly see the provocation in her eyes. And when he retreated, he deliberately stepped over his mother's ashes. I couldn't take it anymore and rushed up to her, raising my hand angrily. But before the slap could land on her face, Ethan grabbed my wrist and forcefully pushed me down. His eyes were filled with rage: "Claire, are you crazy? It's just a pile of ashes, you can just pick it up, why bother with that?" "Vanessa already said she didn't do it on purpose, how have you become so unreasonable? This is not like her at all!" Ethan took the money from his assistant and threw stacks of it at my face. "I'll return the money for the cemetery plot to you." "You're an adult, you should know that returning things to their rightful owner is only right and proper. Don't try to take advantage of others!" I looked at the face I once loved so deeply. Remembering his mother's passing, he personally took charge of the funeral arrangements and kept vigil throughout the night. He said a son-in-law is like half a son, and he would love me well on behalf of his mother. But now, everything seems so ironic. "Alright, Ethan, stop wasting time here." "I heard everyone's prepared a welcome party for me. Let's head to the company!" The rough ground scraped off a layer of skin from my palm. Blood dripped onto the ground Ethan didn't even look at me, and left with Vanessa's hand. I bought a new urn and carefully placed my mother's ashes inside. After cancelling the hotel room reservation, I obtained a divorce agreement from a lawyer. As I left the law firm, Vanessa popped up a friend request on WeChat. I wanted to refuse, but my hand was hurting so badly that I accidentally clicked "accept". Claire, you really have nothing to feel wronged about. After all, you were just a substitute for me. If I hadn't rejected Ethan's proposal and married someone else, he would never have married you. The places he takes you to, the things he does with you, are all things we've done together before. And anything we haven't done, he won't do with you unless I allow it. Even your miscarriage due to the car accident was deliberately arranged by him. Immediately afterwards, she sent an audio message. I nervously clicked on it, and heard her tearful sobs: “Ethan, I haven’t even had a child with you yet, I can’t stand a substitute surpassing me.” Ethan quickly replied:

"Don't cry. I won't let her give birth unless you want to." “I will arrange an accident to cause her to miscarry, such as a car accident.” My hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, and large tears rolled down my cheeks. Two days after my mother passed away, I found out I was pregnant. I thought it was my mother reincarnated coming to find me. Ethan hugged me happily and said he was going to be a father; we finally had the fruit of our love. For those six months, I lived every day dreaming of a happy life for my family of three. But a car accident took everything away. It turns out he was the real culprit. He also had to feign tolerance and consideration, making me feel guilty and always give in to him. Vanessa continued sending messages: Claire, you should understand now, right? All the kindness Ethan showed you was just something you got by taking advantage of me. [If I wanted, he would bring the house, the burial plot, even Ethan's wife's identity back to me.] If you don't want to be kicked out one day, leave him voluntarily. After all, a substitute can never replace the real thing. I did not reply. Wiping away my tears, I took a taxi straight to the airport. As I was boarding the plane, Ethan suddenly called. "Claire, why didn't you come to the company? Are you still angry?" "Alright, it was my fault for not informing you about the cemetery plot beforehand. I'll have my assistant ask if anyone is willing to sell it at a high price." "Now you'll be calmer and can go home, right? Everyone gave Vanessa a welcome gift, remember to prepare one for you when you come, so she doesn't feel excluded." I looked out the airport's floor-to-ceiling windows: “Ethan, I’ve already resigned, and I can never go back to that home.” His voice suddenly rose in pitch: "Claire, there's a limit to your temper tantrums. What's the point of constantly threatening me with divorce?" As soon as he finished speaking, his assistant's voice came from the other end: "Ethan, someone just delivered a document to you, it's... a divorce agreement." In the brief silence that followed Ethan, I slowly began to speak: "You're right, it's only right to return it to its rightful owner." "So I'm giving you all back to Vanessa, including you. Goodbye." After saying that, I blocked both him and Vanessa. Without hesitation, I boarded the plane bound for overseas.