My Darling Ex-Wife Is Unaware I’m Rich

Chapter 3: Ashes of Love

“I have to do this…”Max stood in the doorway, clutching the jewelry box tightly. The cold night air bit at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill in his heart. He had seen Emma with that man, laughing, her eyes sparkling in a way they hadn’t for him in years. He swallowed hard and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.

Emma was still in the gazebo, her laughter carrying on the wind. Max approached slowly, each step heavy with the weight of what he knew was coming. When he reached the edge of the garden, he stopped, watching her. She looked so happy, so free. He wanted to remember her like this, just for a moment, before everything shattered.

Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the gazebo. Emma noticed him first, her smile fading as she saw him approach. James Caldwell, the man she had invited into their home, turned and eyed Max with disdain.

“Max,” Emma said, her voice sharp, “what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you,” Max replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. He held out the jewelry box. “I got you something.”

Emma stared at the box, then back at Max. Her expression twisted with something between disgust and pity. She didn’t reach for the gift.

“Are you serious?” she asked, her voice dripping with contempt. “Do you think you can just buy my forgiveness with some cheap trinket?”

Max’s heart sank, but he kept his hand extended. “It’s not cheap, Emma. I wanted to make things right.”

Emma laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “Make things right? You’ve never made anything right in your life, Max. You’re a failure, and no amount of jewelry is going to change that.”

James chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Listen to her, Max. She’s right. You’re just wasting your time—and hers.”

Max ignored James, his eyes fixed on Emma. “Please, Emma. Just take it. I’m trying.”

Emma finally took the box, but instead of opening it, she tossed it aside like it was trash. The box hit the ground, the jewelry spilling out onto the grass.

Max stared at the scattered pieces, his heart breaking all over again. He had spent everything he had on that gift, hoping it would show her how much he cared, how much he was willing to do to make her happy. But it was clear now that nothing he did would ever be enough.

“You think this pathetic display is going to make me change my mind?” Emma sneered. “I’ve had enough, Max. I want a divorce.”

Max’s blood ran cold. “No, Emma. We can work this out. We can fix this.”

“There’s nothing to fix,” Emma snapped. “I don’t want to be with you anymore. I want you out of my life.”

James stood up, smirking. “You heard the lady, Max. She’s done with you. So why don’t you do us all a favor and leave?”

Max turned to James, his fists clenching at his sides. He had never felt so much anger, so much frustration. But he wasn’t going to give this man the satisfaction of seeing him lose control. He turned back to Emma, his voice calm but firm.

“You’ll regret this, Emma. I promise you, one day you’ll realize what you’ve done.”

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. “I doubt that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a guest to attend to.”

She turned away, linking her arm with James as they walked back toward the house. Max watched them go, the final piece of his heart breaking as he realized that the woman he loved had never truly loved him back.

* * *

Max sat in his room, staring blankly at the wall. The house was quiet now, the echoes of Emma’s laughter still ringing in his ears. He could still see her face, twisted with anger and disgust, as she tossed aside the gift he had worked so hard to get for her.

He didn’t hear the knock on the door until it came again, louder this time. He turned his head slowly, as if moving through water, and saw Fiona, his mother-in-law, standing in the doorway.

“Max,” she said, her voice clipped and cold, “the garden needs to be cleared. Do it now.”

Max blinked at her, barely processing her words. “It’s the middle of the night,” he said slowly. “I’ll do it in the morning.”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll do it now, or you won’t do it at all. Don’t think just because Emma’s finally throwing you out that you can shirk your responsibilities.”

Max’s patience, already stretched thin, snapped. He stood up, his hands shaking with anger. “I’m not your servant, Fiona. I’m not doing it.”

Fiona’s expression turned venomous. “You ungrateful little—after everything we’ve done for you, you dare to defy me?”

“Done for me?” Max repeated, his voice rising. “You’ve done nothing but treat me like dirt since the day I married Emma! I’ve had enough!”

Fiona stepped closer, her face twisted with fury. “How dare you speak to me like that! You’re nothing without this family, Max! Nothing!”

Max’s fists clenched at his sides. He had spent years trying to win the approval of this woman, trying to be the husband they wanted for Emma. But he was done trying. He was done being walked all over.

“You’re right,” he said, his voice cold. “I am nothing—nothing to you, nothing to Emma. But that’s going to change. You’ll see.”

Fiona’s eyes blazed with anger. “Get out of this house, Max. You’re finished here.”

Before Max could respond, Emma appeared behind her mother, holding a stack of papers. Her face was impassive, her eyes cold.

“Sign these,” she said, thrusting the papers at him. “It’s the divorce agreement. Let’s get this over with.”

Max stared at the papers in her hand, his heart heavy with a mix of anger, sadness, and resignation. This was it. The end of everything he had tried to hold on to.

“Fine,” he said, snatching the papers from her. He quickly scanned the documents, not really reading the words, just looking for where he needed to sign. When he found the spots, he scribbled his name, the pen digging into the paper with the force of his frustration.

“There,” he said, shoving the papers back at her. “It’s done.”

Emma took the papers, not even glancing at him. “Good. Now get out. You can leave through the back. And don’t bother trying to take anything with you—everything in this house belongs to me.”

Max felt a wave of nausea roll over him. He had known this was coming, but hearing it said out loud still cut deep. He had nothing—no possessions, no money, no home. Everything he had worked for, everything he had sacrificed, was gone.

He turned away from Emma and her mother, walking out of the room without another word. As he made his way down the hallway, he heard Fiona’s voice behind him, sharp and cruel.

“You’ll be sorry, Max. You’ll regret crossing this family.”

Max didn’t respond. He just kept walking, his heart heavy with a mixture of pain and determination. He didn’t know what the future held, but he knew one thing: he was done being the victim.

Max stood outside the mansion, the cold night air biting at his skin. He had nothing but the clothes on his back, no place to go, no one to turn to. But despite everything, despite the crushing weight of his heartbreak, he felt a strange sense of relief.

He was free.

For the first time in years, he was free from the constant judgment, the never-ending demands, the suffocating pressure to be someone he wasn’t. He was free from the life that had drained him of every ounce of happiness.

But freedom came at a cost. He had lost everything—his home, his marriage, his dignity. And now, standing alone in the dark, he realized that he had nothing left to lose.

He took a deep breath, the cold air burning his lungs, and looked up at the mansion one last time. The place that had once been his home now felt like a prison, a place of pain and betrayal. But he was done with it. He was done with all of them.

As he turned to leave, he made a vow to himself. He would rebuild his life, piece by piece, no matter how long it took. And when he did, he would make sure that Emma, Fiona, and everyone who had ever looked down on him, would regret the day they decided to cast him aside.

They had underestimated him. But they wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Max found himself wandering the streets, his mind racing with thoughts of what had happened, and what he needed to do next. He didn’t have a plan, not yet, but he knew he couldn’t stay here.

He thought about the Silver Crescent Clan, about Marcus and the power that had been offered to him. He had walked away before, unsure of what he wanted, unsure of who he was. But now, with nothing left to hold him back, the decision was clear.

He would return to the manor, accept his birthright, and become the man he was always meant to be. He would embrace the power that came with being a part of the Silver Crescent Clan, and he would use it to carve out a new life for himself and make sure they all pay.

“I will surely make sure you all pay, Emma, I will make you regret never loving me back!” He seethed.