Chapter 3

Mark froze in disbelief.

He stared at the divorce papers in his hands, terrified to even open the folder.

I didn't care.

I pushed the papers into his chest, grabbed my suitcase from the hallway corner, and walked out.

By the next morning, legal summons were formally served to both Mark and Sarah.

*Re: Defendants' fraudulent residency transfer, unlawful seizure of school district enrollment, and the resulting severe financial damages and violation of minor's educational rights.*

I also made sure to let Mark's parents know what had happened.

I wasn't a doormat. If Mark had the audacity to steal our daughter's school spot today, who knew what lines he would cross tomorrow?

Cutting ties with a man like that was pure liberation.

Yet, the moment I showed my teeth, their bravado collapsed.

That very afternoon, Mark called me in a panic, claiming he had arranged a meeting with Sarah.

They supposedly had a solution.

When I arrived at the café and sat down, Sarah immediately greeted me with sickening sweetness:

"Chloe, thank goodness you came."

"I already ordered a coffee for you. Please sit. I am so, so sorry for causing such a mess for your family. I feel absolutely terrible about all of this."

I had only crossed paths with Sarah twice before and barely remembered her.

This time, I took a closer look.

She dressed simply and acted timid—the exact type of fragile damsel in distress that certain men fell for.

I raised my hand, cutting off her pleasantries.

"Sarah, if you know you caused a mess, skip the small talk and give me your solution."

"I don't have time to waste on you."

Seeing how cold I was, Sarah let out an awkward, nervous chuckle.

"Chloe, the school district spot... it's all my fault," she stammered.

"Back then, all I could think about was escaping my gambling addict of an ex-husband. I begged Mark to let me list our residency under your home. Then, when it was time for Leo to enroll in elementary school, I just panicked and rushed the paperwork."

"I really had no idea it would take Mia's spot away. I'm so sorry."

I looked up and scoffed.

"You certainly know how to panic in style. With dozens of elementary schools in the city, you just happened to snatch a spot at Oakridge Elementary? Did you buy that million-dollar house? Who gave you the right to claim it?"

"Cut the shameless excuses and fix it."

Sarah’s face flushed bright red, her fake smile completely shattering.

Beside her, Mark opened his mouth to defend her, but Sarah shot him a quick, warning glance.

She reached into her designer bag, pulled out an envelope containing a check, and offered me a pleading smile:

"You're right, Chloe. We definitely need to fix this."

"But I've looked around over the past few days. The public schools that are still accepting students are either too far or terrible. You know I'm a single mother. My ex left me with nothing, and raising Leo on my own is so hard."

"I have five thousand dollars here. Let me buy the enrollment spot from you, okay? Please, just have some mercy on us..."

With that, Sarah lowered her head and began to softly sob.

Seeing her tears, Mark couldn't hold back anymore.

"Chloe, Sarah is genuinely struggling," he urged me. "Five grand might not seem like a fortune, but it's a sincere gesture. The spot's already registered to Leo anyway. Why can't we just let it go?"

"I'll pay out of pocket to put Mia in the best private school, okay?"

Honestly, if I didn't care about basic manners, I would have dumped my scalding coffee straight into both of their lying faces.

Five thousand dollars?

I burst out laughing.

I picked up the check and dropped it right into the trash bin next to the booth.

"Five thousand dollars to buy an elite school district spot? Sarah, do you take me for an idiot?"

"I already had my attorney commission a professional real estate appraisal. A home in that district that loses its enrollment spot takes an immediate ten percent hit on market value. That's not even counting the private school tuition and fees we'd have to pay for Mia."

"Sarah, even a hundred grand wouldn't cover this. You'd better keep that five thousand to hire yourself a defense lawyer."

Hearing how serious the legal repercussions were, Sarah sobbed even louder.

Mark lost his temper.

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted at me:

"Chloe, what is wrong with you?!"

"Let me remind you, that house doesn't belong to you alone! I paid my share of the down payment and the mortgage! If I decided to let Sarah use the spot, then that's my choice! This isn't up for debate!"

"Take the five grand if you want it. If you don't, you won't see a single dime!"

With that, Mark grabbed the sniffling Sarah by the arm and pulled her toward the exit.

Before walking out, he turned back to sneer at me:

"That spot is gone. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Sue me, divorce me, do whatever the hell you want. Let's see what pathetic little tricks you actually have!"