The Useless Husband Was a Hidden Master

Chapter 1

It was eight o'clock in the evening at the Brown Villa.

"Gabriel, this is the divorce agreement Evelyn prepared. Just sign it."

Claire Brown, his mother-in-law, sat in the living room, eyeing her daughter's husband Gabriel Martin, who was on the three-seater sofa to the right. She placed the printed divorce agreement on the coffee table before him, her tone icy.

"Divorce?" Gabriel echoed, his voice tinged with surprise.

He was handsome, though dressed simply in a T-shirt and jeans, giving him a modest appearance.

"Gabriel, Evelyn is way out of your league now," Claire, who was in her forties, stated bluntly, her jewelry glinting as she spoke.

"The gap between you two has widened. You're from different worlds now. Staying with her only embarrasses her and holds her back. Let's just say, you've become a burden," Claire continued.

"A burden?" Gabriel frowned slightly. "Is that how Evelyn sees me too?"

Three years ago, when they married, the Brown family was struggling, with their family business drowning in debt and nearing bankruptcy. Gabriel had secretly helped them through those tough times, reviving the Brown Group.

But now that the company was flourishing, Evelyn wanted to divorce him.

"Yes, that's how she sees it, and so do all of us in the Brown family, our relatives, and friends."

Claire picked up a newspaper beside her and showed it to Gabriel.

It featured a large color photo of a stunningly beautiful woman being greeted by the mayor.

"Gabriel, did you see this? In just three years, Evelyn has turned the Brown Group around, creating a miracle. She's now a renowned female CEO admired by all the people in Calonia!"

She continued, "With her beauty and talent, she has a bright future ahead, destined for the top of the business world, admired by many."

Her sarcastic voice didn't stop there. "And what about you? You're just a penniless nobody, completely unworthy of her. So, I hope you be a real man, sign the agreement, and leave her."

Seeing Gabriel still silent, Claire frowned and raised her voice. "Gabriel, maybe you helped Evelyn in the past, but you've lived here for free for three years. She's repaid you. Now, you owe her."

Gabriel took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. "If a divorce is necessary, let Evelyn come down and talk to me."

"Evelyn is upstairs on the phone. She's very busy. She doesn't have time for a trivial matter like this."

"She's busy, huh?"

Gabriel was momentarily stunned, then chuckled bitterly.

"Is she really that busy? We're getting a divorce, and she doesn't even have time to talk to me?"

"Gabriel, there's no point in talking." Claire pushed the agreement toward him. "If you sign it, Evelyn agrees to give you six million dollars as compensation. That's money you could never earn in a lifetime."

"That's a large sum of money, but I don't want it. If she wants a divorce, she should tell me herself. Otherwise, I won't sign." Gabriel's voice remained cold.

"Gabriel! Don't push your luck!" Claire shouted, slamming the table. "With Evelyn's wealth and status, divorcing you is easy. She's trying to make you leave with some dignity. Don't ruin it and cause trouble for everyone."

"Dignity, you say?" Gabriel found it ironic. Not even showing up for a divorce was an act of total humiliation. If she truly cared about his dignity, why would she use threats?

"We have nothing to discuss. I'm going upstairs to find her."

Gabriel, fed up with arguing with this unreasonable woman, stood up to find Evelyn himself.

"Hey, Gabriel—" Claire began, but was interrupted as a stunning woman in a red dress descended the stairs.

Her blond hair, curvaceous figure, and striking features, combined with her cool expression, made her stand out. Even the supermodel Ivanka was inferior to her.

"You finally came down." Gabriel was captivated once more, his emotions conflicted as he stared at his beautiful wife.

Their marriage started with a marriage agreement, and for three years, they treated each other with respect. Gabriel had cared for her deeply, yet here they were, on the brink of a divorce.

Gabriel didn't understand what he had done wrong.

"Sorry, I was on a call in my bedroom upstairs," Evelyn said, sitting on the sofa to Gabriel's right, her expression as indifferent as ever.

"Evelyn, you're so busy that you even had someone else handle our divorce," Gabriel remarked with a cold smile.

Evelyn frowned slightly but didn't respond to his comment.

Instead, she said calmly, "Let's get to the point."

She paused before saying, "Gabriel, let's just say this is my fault. Let's part ways amicably. You sign this agreement, and I'll give you six million as a breakup f*e. How about that?"

She placed a card on the coffee table between them.

"Do you think money is everything?" Gabriel asked, his voice calm.

"Do you think it's not enough? Fine, if you have any demands, just let me know," Evelyn replied with indifference.

"It seemed like you didn't get what I meant. Is money and reputation truly more important than love?" Gabriel asked, puzzled.

Evelyn looked at Gabriel steadily and said, "For me, yes."

"But you already earn enough to live a comfortable life, and your reputation is solid thanks to all the media attention. Is it necessary to do this?"

"Gabriel, this is why we're different. You'll never understand what I truly want," Evelyn said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Yeah, how could I possibly know what you truly want?"

Gabriel wanted to say that everything she had was because of him and that she'd regret the divorce. But he didn't want to hurt her pride, so he held back and said with a touch of self-mockery, "All I know is how to cook for you when you're hungry, keep you warm when you're cold, and take you to the hospital when you're sick."

"There's no point in talking about the past now," Evelyn said, her eyes showing a brief look of hesitation that quickly turned into one of determination.

Gabriel nodded slightly and asked, "I heard Mr. Davis has been pursuing you. Is it because of him?"

Evelyn was about to deny it but thought better of it and nodded. "Yes."

Recently, after the media covered her story, the mayor's son started pursuing her persistently. Evelyn felt pressured, fearing that rejecting the marriage would harm her career, so she reluctantly agreed to divorce Gabriel and marry Tyler Nelson.

"Alright, then I wish you both happiness." Gabriel smiled faintly and signed the divorce agreement without hesitation, feeling only disheartened.

"I don't need your money, but you must return the jade pendant to me. It's a family heirloom and a token for my wife." Gabriel pointed to the pendant on Evelyn's chest.

"Okay." Evelyn nodded, removed the pendant with a hint of disdain, and handed it to Gabriel.

"From today on, we have nothing to do with each other," Gabriel said, putting on the pendant and rising to leave.

At that moment, the gentleness in his eyes was gone, replaced by indifference.