Chapter 1

Tags: Resolute Male Lead, Cold-Blooded Female Lead, Cheating and Betrayal, Ingratitude, Face-Slapping Revenge, Karmic Justice

The Shaw family went bankrupt, buried under crushing loan shark debts.

Ignoring everyone’s objections, I insisted on marrying Evelyn Shaw.

For six years, I worked five jobs every single day, toiling late into the night just to help Evelyn pay off every cent.

Then one day, everything changed.

While out delivering food, I saw Evelyn behind the wheel of a limited-edition supercar.

That night, as usual, I went to rub her tense shoulders. She shoved my hands away with pure disgust:

"You make me sick. Don’t touch me."

News of the Shaw family’s miraculous comeback swept across every financial news outlet.

Evelyn was officially named the CEO of Shaw Enterprises.

She returned to the elite spotlight.

And I finally understood the look in her eyes whenever she glanced at me.

It was utter disgust. It was condescension. After all, the gulf between us now was heaven and earth. Our social statuses were separated by light-years.

The man who truly matched Evelyn was Julian Vance, her wealthy childhood sweetheart.

Evelyn flaunted her relationship with Julian in public without holding back.

Under the media’s cameras, her eyes held nothing and no one except him.

Paparazzi even caught them making out under a Ferris wheel and holding hands at a movie theater.

Miami’s grandest fireworks show tonight was entirely Evelyn’s romantic gift for Julian.

Meanwhile, I, her legal husband, looked like nothing more than a pathetic joke.

Yet she never brought up getting a divorce.

To say it didn’t hurt would be a lie.

For six years, I had poured my heart and soul into this marriage. I had genuinely believed Evelyn felt the same. I never once complained about how brutal life was—simply because I wanted to give her a slightly better future.

I sat on the couch, staring blankly into space.

After Evelyn reclaimed her family legacy, she brought me to live in this mansion. She said our old rented place was cramped and filthy, unfit for human habitation. This house was spacious, bright, and luxurious.

Yet it made me feel like an alien intruder.

My phone rang, dragging me violently back to reality.

The caller ID showed it was my mother. My father was on the line too.

A call I hadn’t received in years.

Back when I first mentioned wanting to marry Evelyn, they couldn't wait to cut all ties with me.

They threatened that if I insisted on marrying her, I should never look for them again.

They even demanded I pay back every penny they had spent raising me.

The only reason they were calling now was because Evelyn was the CEO of Shaw Enterprises.

Sure enough, my mother spoke first:

"Woody, how are things with Evelyn lately? See, I always said you had great taste! Your father and I fully support your marriage!"

My father chimed in over the speaker:

"Don't go doing anything stupid like divorcing her now. Where else could you find a woman like that?"

"She's rich. It’s normal for her to fool around a bit. You two have an official marriage certificate, remember!"

"You need to step up your game, boy. Secure your place with her..."

"Mom... we're not thinking about that right now," I replied, feeling intensely awkward.

"Right, right," my mother paused, chuckling dismissively to brush the topic aside before launching into her real agenda:

"This house I'm living in is so uncomfortable. Have Evelyn buy me a new mansion!"

"She's the CEO of Shaw Enterprises now. Millions flow through her fingers every minute."

"Honestly, after all you did slaving away to pay off her debts, asking for a few hundred million would be getting off light. She owes you that much anyway."

"Besides, your father and I worked hard to raise you. Spending a little of her money is only natural."

The more I listened, the deeper my scowl became.

Just as I opened my mouth to push back, my father cut in with a louder bark:

"Get me a new car! The latest luxury SUV under the Shaw brand. My old bones can't take rough rides anymore; I need a top-tier ride."

He rattled off a grocery list of demands.

Bitter irony churned in my gut.

When the Shaws went bankrupt, my parents fled from her like she was the plague and disowned me on the spot.

They even calculated the total cost of my upbringing down to the cent, forcing me to pay them back monthly with interest.

Now that the Shaws were on top of the world again, they came groveling back with shameless grins.

I opened my mouth to shut them down.

Suddenly, a cold, dry chuckle cut through the room. I looked up.

Evelyn stood there, tall, sharp, and poised.

Clearly, she had heard the vile greed pouring from the speaker.

The look in her eyes turned completely ice-cold, laced with deep disgust and mockery.

"I wasn't planning on—" I started, but Evelyn cut me off with a scathing smirk:

"Save your breath."

"Rats of a feather flock together. Like parents, like son."

"Isn't this the only reason you married me in the first place?"

A tremor ran through me so hard I could barely stand. My chest seized with agonizing pain as I stared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Is that really who I am to you?"

Did she never trust me for a single second?

"You honestly believe I married you and endured all those years just to cash out today?"

Evelyn responded with a dismissive snort.

Her gaze asked a silent question: *Isn't that obvious?*

It felt as if invisible hands were choking my throat. I couldn't squeeze out another word.