Chapter 1

Six years of my life, I dedicated to Ryan Sterling, building everything with him from the ground up.

It wasn't until a month before our wedding that I found out I'd been cheated on.

The man who'd sworn to marry me had already tied the knot with someone else behind my back.

As our wedding day loomed, I suddenly discovered that Ryan Sterling, my boyfriend of many years, was having an affair. It left me utterly bewildered.

We'd started a business together, I'd helped him build his fortune from nothing, and we'd accumulated considerable wealth side-by-side.

I'd watched him transform from a penniless young man into the successful entrepreneur he was today.

But now, it seemed I was no longer the woman he loved wholeheartedly.

I knew him when he loved me, so the lack of love was painfully obvious.

Should I just cut my losses, quickly divide our assets, and break up?

That didn't feel fair to me.

Or should I hold on, dragging things out until our relationship completely withered?

That would be a torment for all of us, not just them.

So, what was the best solution?

My answer was clear: Yes, I could break up with him!

But...

He owes me, and I'll make him pay for every single bit of it!

They say once you've made it to the top, the first thing you do is cut ties with the very people who helped you get there.

I never believed that before.

Now, I had no choice but to.

Discovering Ryan's infidelity was purely by chance.

That day, I happened to be home from a business trip, ready for a deep clean.

When I changed the bedsheets, I instinctively removed the pillowcases too.

So, when my hand brushed against that red marriage certificate inside the pillowcase, I froze, stunned to my core.

Ryan Sterling... he actually got secretly married to someone else?

How could this be happening?

Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to delude myself, to believe it was all a fake.

I desperately searched for any sign of a forgery.

But the result was utterly disappointing.

Blunt, bold words stared back at me.

Holder: Ryan Sterling.

Marriage Date: March 15, 2024.

The raised official seal was a stark, undeniable reminder that I was the other woman.

That day, it was supposed to be our wedding photoshoot.

But he'd claimed urgent company business.

I, naive fool, had actually believed him, thinking he was truly busy with work.

My tears streamed down, uncontrollable.

They splattered onto his marriage certificate with another woman.

In the photo, their smiles were radiant and blinding.

They seemed to mock me, the clown who'd been so easily deceived.

I stood there, my fingers clutching the certificate, trembling uncontrollably.

Why would Ryan hide this marriage certificate, conceal the fact that he'd betrayed me?

Was someone holding something over him, forcing him to marry? Was he left with no choice?

Or was he afraid that if I found out the truth, I'd expose his past and destroy everything he'd built?

Whatever the reason, it was no excuse for betraying our relationship.

Expressionless, I put the marriage certificate back exactly where I found it.

I went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to clear my head.

It did absolutely nothing.