My Ex-Wife's Biggest Mistake

One Year to Crush an Empire

Sunny's eyes widened.

It was the second time he had been forced to watch another man kiss the woman he had called his wife. Damian didn't even bother to hide his satisfaction. He held Lydia firmly by the waist and continued kissing her, making sure Sunny had a clear view of what was happening.

When Damian finally pulled away, he wore the same arrogant smile.

"Now, do you understand who she belongs to?"

Lydia didn't push him away. Instead, she remained beside him and turned her attention back to Sunny. The look in her eyes had become even colder, leaving no room for the kind of understanding Sunny had once hoped to receive from her.

"Sign the divorce papers," she said.

Sunny slowly turned his head toward her.

"What?"

"Sign them. There's no point in dragging this out." Lydia voice was firm. "Even if you refuse to sign, it won't change anything. I’ve left you already, Sunny. This is the end of anything we had.

She glanced at the papers scattered on the floor before returning her gaze to him.

Do you honestly think you can challenge Damian, huh, do you? Not in this lifetime. The only way someone like you could ever reach his level would be if you were reborn into unimaginable wealth. And even then, I doubt you would ever get close to him."

Sunny stared at her, unable to believe how easily those words had come from her mouth.

Lydia continued, showing no sign of hesitation. "Look at yourself. Look at the life you're living. You're not even close to where Damian is, and you never will be. No matter how hard you try, you cannot give me the kind of future he can. So stop wasting your time and sign the papers."

For a moment, Sunny said nothing. He remained on the floor, one hand pressed against his abdomen while his other hand rested beside the divorce document. His breathing was uneven, and the blood from his injured feet had spread across the floor. Yet, despite everything, he kept looking at Lydia.

He wanted to ask her whether any of their time together had meant something to her. He wanted to know if she had ever loved him, even for a moment. But the words remained trapped in his throat. From the way she was looking at him, he already knew that she had nothing else to say.

Damian gave a dismissive laugh and tightened his arm around Lydia's waist. "Come on, Lydia. We have better things to do than waste our time here."

Lydia gave Sunny one final look before turning away.

Neither of them offered him a hand. They simply walked away together, leaving him crouched on the floor with his injuries and the divorce papers lying within reach. Their footsteps gradually faded as they moved away from the apartment, but Sunny remained where he was, staring at the space they had just occupied.

The silence that followed felt heavier than anything Damian had said.

Sunny slowly reached for the divorce papers. His fingers closed around them, but before he could even gather himself, the sound of his phone ringing came from inside his pocket. He remained still for a moment, then carefully reached into his pocket and brought it out.

His eyes fell on the name displayed on the screen.

Father.

Sunny stared at it, his expression changing slightly. He knew he couldn't ignore the call, so he took a slow breath and pressed the answer button before placing the phone against his ear.

"Hello, Father."

"Are you ready to come home, son?"

The familiar voice came on the phone and Sunny's hand around the device tightened. For a moment he almost forgot the pain in his stomach. He had heard that question many times before, but today it felt different. His father was waiting for him to come back, not knowing what had just happened.

Sunny dropped his head, trying to keep his emotions in check. He did not want his father to hear anything unusual in his voice, let alone know that he was sitting injured on the floor after being humiliated by someone he considered beneath him.

“Dad, I have a year remaining,” he said calmly.

There was a brief pause on the other end before his father laughed.

"Alright, son. If that's what you want, then I'll wait for another year."

Sunny swallowed and wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his hand. He didn't want the conversation to end just yet. In fact, there was something he had been thinking about, and the current situation had given him a reason to bring it up.

Actually, Father, there is something I'd like to ask.

"Oh?" His father voice carried a hint of amusement. "What is it?"

Sunny adjusted his position slightly, wincing as the movement brought fresh pain to his abdomen. "I'd like to do something to spice things up here."

His father laughed again, sounding as though he had been expecting those words for a long time.

"How much do you need? Which country are you in again? Just tell me where you are, and I'll have the president announce your presence himself. If you're in any country right now, I can make sure its president knows you're there."

Despite the pain running through his body, Sunny couldn't help chuckling.

"That won't be necessary, Father."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to establish a branch of our company here in Miami."

There was no hesitation.

"Done," his father replied. "I'll send your assistant immediately. She'll handle everything and make sure the branch is established."

Sunny's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened. The answer had come so quickly that anyone else might have wondered whether his father had even considered the request. But he knew better. If his father said something would be done, it would be done.

"Okay. Thanks, Father."

"Take care of yourself, son."

"I will."

Sunny ended the call and slowly lowered the phone. For a few seconds, he remained seated on the floor, looking at the screen before turning his attention to the divorce papers in his other hand.

The pain in his abdomen was still there, and his feet continued to bleed. His clothes were untidy, and the humiliation of what had happened was still fresh in his mind. Yet something about the conversation with his father had reminded him of the life he had left behind.

Damian had called him a church rat. He had kicked him, mocked his living conditions, and proudly declared that his father was the richest man in the country. He had even offered to pay him for the medical bills Sunny had covered, as though every good thing Sunny had done could be reduced to a price.

Lydia had looked him in the eyes and told him he would never reach Damian's level.

Sunny slowly lowered the divorce papers and placed his phone away. Then he put one hand against the wall and began pushing himself up. His abdomen protested immediately, forcing him to pause, but he gritted his teeth and continued until he was finally standing.

He raised his hand and wiped the tears from his eyes. There was no reason to keep crying. He had already shed enough tears over someone who had never valued what he offered. Whatever Lydia and Damian thought of him, he would no longer allow their words to determine how he saw himself.

Sunny looked down at the divorce papers one last time before his expression hardened.

"Damian, you kicked me and called me a church rat," he muttered, his voice low but steady. "I'll watch your father's empire crash within one year."

He wiped his eyes again, refusing to let another tear fall.

"One year is all I need.”