My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 16

As time passed, those fits of hers became less frequent, and naturally, their conversations dwindled as well. Yet, Ethan never felt there was a problem. He was extremely busy—so busy that there were periods when he saw his wife less often than not, with his late returns and early departures.

From the beginning, their marriage was little more than a strategic alliance. It wasn’t unique to them; many high-ranking noble couples lived loveless marriages. Ethan believed he had fulfilled his duties as a husband. He never begrudged Camille her extravagance, and he ensured she had as much freedom as possible—within the limits of maintaining the Dumont name’s honor.

He had thought Camille was satisfied with that.

But was she?

Suddenly, Camille felt like a stranger. She seemed entirely different from the wife he thought he knew.

‘…Divorce.’

When he had suspected Camille of infidelity, divorce had been an obvious consideration. The idea that the Duchess of Dumont could commit adultery was a significant disgrace to the family, but that wasn’t the only reason. Since becoming the Duke of Dumont at sixteen, Ethan had experienced betrayal after betrayal—from family, friends, and subordinates alike. It wouldn’t have surprised him if his wife did the same. But he couldn’t tolerate it. Ever.

Yet now, even after the misunderstanding was cleared up, she was the one asking for a divorce.

Honestly, he couldn’t fathom her intentions.

‘…Maybe confusing me is the point.’

The old Camille was an open book, her thoughts transparent. But if that had all been an act, there might be hidden motives behind this divorce request that Ethan couldn’t begin to guess.

Given Girard’s involvement, Ethan had to remain suspicious and vigilant to protect Dumont. At least until all doubts were cleared and the truth was undeniable.

***

After Ethan left the room, I was in shock for quite some time. I had never imagined he would refuse the divorce.

Everything had gone according to plan so far, which made this turn of events even more surprising.

‘No way, I really didn’t see this coming.’

For other contingencies, I had backup plans—Plan B, Plan C. But for the divorce, I had no alternative. In the original story, Ethan was extremely skeptical about marriage due to his past experiences. It took the male lead, Roland, a full year to get Ethan’s approval to marry Elodie. Although Camille’s infidelity was the catalyst, their relationship was doomed from the start.

‘Ethan’s marriage to me was purely out of obligation, right? If he adopted Elodie, it’s clear he doesn’t care about having a blood heir…’

I thought it would be a mutually beneficial proposal for Ethan.

‘I thought he’d be ready to get rid of a wife who was just for show at any time.’

But I wasn’t about to give up just because my first attempt had been rejected. I was determined to achieve the life I wanted, no matter what it took.

***

“So, what I’m saying is, do you have any good ideas on how to persuade Ethan?”

“……”

Victor looked at Camille with a troubled expression. When the Duchess had summoned him for a consultation, this was the last thing he had expected.

‘…Divorce.’

If Ethan had been the one to ask for a divorce, Victor might not have been as shocked.

“There’s no one else I can ask but you, Victor. You’re the only one in this house who knows him as well as you do.”

“…That’s not entirely true,” Victor replied, though he knew she had a point.

“No, Ethan listens to you, even if he pretends otherwise,” Camille insisted firmly. Seeing her like this reminded Victor of a long-forgotten unease.

The reason Camille had disliked Victor for so long was because she believed Ethan’s affection, which should have been directed at her, was instead taken by Victor. This wasn’t just Victor’s speculation; Camille had said it outright.

“But he likes you more than he likes me, doesn’t he?”

She would always say this sarcastically, making Victor unable to respond. In truth, Victor could understand her feelings. Ethan had neglected his wife excessively, and if Camille took out her resentment and anger on Victor, it was part of his duty as the butler of Dumont.

But those days seemed to be in the past now.

“Good morning, Victor. Did you sleep well last night?”

“Ah, Victor. Have you eaten? No? You must take care of yourself.”

In the past few weeks, Camille had greeted and advised Victor warmly whenever they crossed paths, always with a radiant smile. Her transformation was so dramatic that he had initially been suspicious. But as days passed, his wariness began to fade.

Her comment just now about Ethan listening to him didn’t seem to carry the same meaning it once did. It was just that old memories made him instinctively cautious.

Victor spoke as carefully as possible. “I apologize, but this isn’t something I can easily involve myself in. It’s a matter between the two of you…”

“But you can at least give me some advice. I promise, whatever you say here today will stay between us. I won’t tell Ethan you told me. I swear.”

Camille looked at him with such a pleading expression, her eyebrows drawn together, that it was hard to refuse. Her sapphire-like eyes even seemed to glisten slightly, though it might have been his imagination.

“May I ask one thing then?”

“Of course. Ask anything.”

“When you told the Duke you wanted a divorce… did you mean it?”

Unlike Ethan, who had been consistently indifferent, Camille had clearly liked her husband from the start. She had always tried hard to get his attention. Although those efforts had dwindled over the years, Victor doubted her feelings had completely vanished. She still seemed attuned to Ethan’s actions and words.

Suddenly asking for a divorce felt out of character. Victor wondered if this was another attempt to elicit a reaction from Ethan, as she had done in the past.

However, Camille’s face was more serious than ever.

“What? Of course, I’m serious,” Camille replied firmly.

“…May I ask why?” Victor asked again.

“It’s simple. As you well know, he doesn’t love me.”

Victor wanted to say that wasn’t true, but he couldn’t. Camille gave him a faint smile and shook her head, as if to say she understood but it wasn’t necessary.

“I’ve managed to endure it up until now, but I no longer want to continue a meaningless marriage. Ethan may be against it now, but I believe deep down he feels the same as I do.”

“……”

“So please, help me. I’m asking you,” Camille said, looking at Victor with a pleading expression. She seemed quite pitiable.

Victor couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the Duchess. However, for that very reason, he couldn’t agree to her request. He looked at her for a moment before lowering his gaze.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, please, just listen. Victor, I…”

“I understand why you feel this way, and I agree that some of the blame lies with the Duke. But I swear, the Duke does not want to part with you. Didn’t he say himself that divorce is out of the question?”

“What? No, but…”

“I ask you to reconsider. Give him one more chance. The problem between you two is a lack of communication. If you can resolve your misunderstandings through conversation, I believe you might change your mind.”

Camille’s expression was complex and indecipherable, as if she was thinking, ‘This isn’t what I wanted.’