As a result, with a higher position and more income, along with an elevated social status, he became arrogant. Thus, the saying “When a man becomes rich, he turns bad” holds some truth.
However, this statement is not entirely accurate; it doesn’t mean he truly becomes bad. It’s just that with an increase in social status and money in his pocket, the temptations from the outside world also multiply. You cannot resist those temptations, and naturally, you fall into them.
The big shots who dominate the domestic scene, like Joe Lewis, Jeff Bezos, and Elon, are all in their second marriages, which illustrates the point.
They even have a famous saying: “I’m face-blind.”
Therefore, those men who can remain faithful after achieving success are truly rare.
Two paths lay before Rick.
One was to sign the divorce agreement quickly and part ways with dignity.
The other was to go through the court litigation process, trying to secure as much property as possible.
However, the second path carried the risk that Vienna would expose his infidelity with multiple women during their marriage. In this age of short videos, the speed of such information spreading is astonishing. If it were to be exposed, it could lead to his complete ruin.
At that point, the company would likely dismiss him to avoid a negative impact, and other companies in the same industry would not hire him either.
Moreover, having reached the position of Marketing Director, he had many rivals within the company. If his dirty laundry were aired, those rivals would surely take the opportunity to kick him while he was down, leading to dire consequences.
Thus, while Vienna seemed to offer him two options, in reality, only the first option was viable.
Rick found a lawyer friend’s number in his contacts. In fact, when he was caught cheating last time, Vienna had already suggested divorce. Rick had prepared for the worst and found a lawyer, but after assessing the situation, he felt the cost of divorce was too high and clung desperately to save the marriage.
Since it was his first offense, and considering the children, Vienna ultimately chose to forgive him.
However, Rick had introduced the lawyer to a few other cases, and over time, they had become somewhat familiar.
“Lawyer Charles, sorry to disturb you so late.”
“I’d like to consult you about the divorce.”
Rick explained his current situation honestly and sought Lawyer Charles’s advice.
After listening, the other party slowly said, “If you plan to give the daughter’s custody to the mother, and if she really has evidence of your infidelity, then the judge will likely support the mother’s claim for a larger share of the property. It’s hard to determine the exact amount, but based on past cases, it’s about sixty to seventy percent.”
“Not contesting custody in your current situation is advantageous, after all, the mother is a full-time housewife without a job. If custody goes to you, it will give you some leverage in property division.”
“But as you worry, this is a legal judgment. If the mother really exposes your infidelity on social media, the consequences are unpredictable. It might not cause any ripples, or it could create a huge wave that completely drowns you in the turbulent tide.”
“So, the decision on how to proceed is ultimately yours.”
Lawyer Charles briefly outlined the two possibilities.
Rick thanked him and hung up the phone.
He took a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, silently finished it, and then signed his name on the divorce agreement.
As the saying goes, “As long as the green mountains remain, one need not fear for firewood.” As long as he kept this job with an annual salary of several hundred thousand, he would soon recover.
After doing all this, he sent a message to Karen: “I’ve divorced, leaving with nothing. I’ll stay with you for a while.”
Peterside New City.
Karen was lying in bed, applying a face mask while scrolling through Instagram.
This apartment was bought with the money she received from the divorce settlement. It wasn’t large, only 55 square meters, but it was enough for her to live alone.
Suddenly, Rick’s message popped up. After reading it, she frowned.
Divorced, and leaving with nothing! Doesn’t that mean starting from scratch? Her gaze turned cold, and she directly ignored the message; it was reasonable to be asleep at this hour.
She continued scrolling through Instagram. Since she had been looking at houses before, she often came across content related to real estate, such as house handovers and renovations.
At that moment, she suddenly stumbled upon a video tagged at Mimia Bay.
Her finger, which had been scrolling, paused. The first two minutes of the video were a weight loss vlog, and then the tone shifted: “Today’s fitness task is complete, and I’m also receiving a house.” The main event began, and the person was filming a house handover video at Mimia Bay!
