Chapter 1 — My Ex-Husband Tossed Me 50,000 Yuan in Alimony—Little Did He Know, the Moment I Walked Away I Reclaimed My 8.72 Billion Fortune

The newly stamped divorce certificate was still warm in my hand. Before Mo Duong and I had even taken a single step outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, his phone began to ring. Glancing at the screen, the corners of his mouth immediately curled upward in a pleased smile.

Hello, Mother.

It is done.

Yes, we are officially divorced.

At that, Mo Duong cast a sidelong glance in my direction. The gaze in his eyes held not a single trace of affection from our three years of marriage; it was the look of a man who had finally managed to toss a piece of useless, outdated furniture out of his house.

I understand, I will be right over.

The Emerald Pavilion project, correct?

Yes, make sure to select the largest unit for Nhuoc Dao.

The call ended. Mo Duong pocketed his phone, reached into his suit jacket to retrieve his car keys, and spun them casually around his index finger right in front of me.

Van, you at least gave it your best effort these past three years.

He spoke with the condescending tone of a benefactor distributing charity.

I am not splitting the house with you, and there is no car for you either. But I am not a heartless man. There are fifty thousand yuan in this card, which should be more than enough for you to rent a modest apartment for a few months.

Fifty thousand yuan. Hearing that, I almost burst out laughing. For the past three years, I had stood shoulder to shoulder with him, pulling the family construction materials company back from the absolute brink of bankruptcy and steering it toward an annual revenue exceeding one hundred million yuan. Yet, in the end, the pittance he threw back at me was a mere fifty thousand yuan. I remained silent. Seeing that I offered no response, Mo Duong pressed on with an air of self-justification.

Do not harbor any bitter feelings toward me.

As for Nhuoc Dao being pregnant, you already know the situation.

My mother made it clear: the family line requires a woman who can bear a grandson to carry on the name.

I stared at him in profound silence for a long moment. Then, simply and quietly, I said:

Just go.

Mo Duong faltered slightly, caught off guard. He had likely expected me to burst into tears, throw a hysterical scene, or desperately cling to his coattails. But I was far too calm. My composure was so absolute that it completely robbed him of his satisfaction. A second later, he let out a cold, derisive scoff, unlocked his Porsche Cayenne, and sped away.

I stood alone on the pavement outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, still clutching the freshly issued divorce papers. A chilling September wind swept through, biting far deeper than I had anticipated. At that exact second, my phone vibrated in my palm. The notification was a message from UBS Private Banking.

Respected Ms. Giang, your request to lift the freeze on your personal assets has been successfully approved. Current available balance: 8,720,000,000 yuan. Would you like a dedicated private wealth manager to attend to your needs in person?

Eight billion, seven hundred and twenty million yuan. I gazed at the staggering string of zeros for a few seconds before calmly locking the screen. After that, I stepped to the curb and flagged down a taxi.

Please take me to the Emerald Pavilion.

The Emerald Pavilion stood as the most exclusive luxury residential complex in the entire city. The average price hovered around one hundred and twenty thousand yuan per square meter, with even the smallest units starting at no less than eight million yuan. As the taxi came to a halt in front of the sales center, Mo Duong’s Porsche Cayenne was already parked prominently outside. Through the sprawling floor-to-ceiling glass windows, I spotted him wrapping a familiar arm around the waist of Nhuoc Dao. Standing right beside them was my former mother-in-law, My Tran. She was draped in a brand-new Chanel tweed suit, her wrist adorned with the very same imperial jade bracelet I had gifted her the previous year. As she listened to the sales representative’s pitch, she patted Nhuoc Dao’s hand affectionately, smiling so broadly that deep wrinkles formed at the corners of her eyes.

This unit is simply splendid!

A spacious two hundred and thirty square meters, with a direct, unobstructed view of the river.

My future daughter-in-law is carrying the eldest grandson of our lineage, so naturally, she deserves nothing less than the absolute finest.

Nhuoc Dao leaned half of her weight against Mo Duong’s shoulder. A becoming flush painted her cheeks as she spoke in a syrupy, delicate voice:

Darling Duong, isn't this place just too expensive?

It costs upwards of nine million yuan...

Mo Duong immediately waved a dismissive hand, entirely unbothered.

Expensive? What are you talking about?

As long as it pleases you, cost is of no consequence.

My Tran gently patted the back of Nhuoc Dao’s hand, her gaze dripping with undisguised affection.

My dear Dao, from this moment onward, you are the rightful, undisputed mistress of the household.

With that, she purposefully raised her voice, letting it carry across the room.

Unlike certain people who married into the family and spent three miserable years failing to produce even a single child.

Several nearby prospective buyers turned their heads at the comment, casting curious glances. At that precise moment, the heavy glass doors of the sales center swung open. The sharp, rhythmic clicking of my heels echoed crisply against the polished marble floor. Step by measured step, deliberate and resolute. My Tran was the first to spot me, and the triumphant smile on her face instantly froze into a grimace.

What are you doing here?

Mo Duong spun around. The moment his eyes locked onto me, his brows knitted together in deep irritation.

Van?

Did you follow me all the way here?

I offered no reply. I did not deign to spare them so much as another fraction of a second of my attention. Instead, I walked straight past them toward the central architectural model of the development, my gaze sweeping across the entirety of the Emerald Pavilion layout.

I was told there are only two remaining river-view units measuring two hundred and thirty square meters?

A female sales associate hurried over immediately, her face fixed in a mask of practiced, professional hospitality.

Welcome, Madam, that is correct. At present, we only have two of those premier river-view units left. The price per square meter is...

I will take both of them.

The sales representative’s smile stiffened instantly into absolute disbelief. My Tran stood frozen for a brief second before bursting into a harsh, mocking laugh.