Chapter 4

My name is Adam Cooper. I used to be a successful business owner, a rising star in the tech world.

Five years ago, I met Annie at a dinner party. She was still in college. I had dropped out of high school to start my business. I was totally mesmerized by her—smart, cultured, and beautiful.

She seemed so innocent, like a delicate flower. I fell head over heels for her.

I thought she was the most talented, gentle, and pure woman I’d ever met.

I pursued her relentlessly. Her family didn’t want her to go to art school. They wanted to use the money to put her brother, Tyler, through college.

The night she found out, she came to me crying. We had a few drinks and ended up sleeping together. From that moment on, I paid for her to stay in school.

Basically, I became her sugar daddy.

She went on to win awards, became a state-level dance teacher, and eventually married me.

At first, I thought her parents were just petty and tightfisted, but out of respect for Annie, I tolerated them.

But then I realized—Annie wasn’t any better than they were.

She was just better at hiding it.

When my company was struggling, I found out I’d been blackballed. One of my competitors got drunk and spilled the beans.

“You know why everyone’s out to get you, right?”

“Because you stole the big boss’s side chick!”

That night, I checked her phone and found out she was still seeing other men—one of them was even her student!

She had sent him photos and videos, driving him crazy. Every time she went to his house for “lessons,” it wasn’t about books. It was about something else entirely.

She never acted that way around me.

Furious, I was about to confront her when the hospital called...

"That bitch! It's all because of you!" Jim growled at Linda.

Linda was still seeing stars from the slap, but she managed to sit on the floor, wailing.

“Oh God, I can’t take this anymore!”

She wasn’t exactly a refined woman—more of a backwoods type who always resorted to drama and screaming when things went south.

"How the hell did this car accident happen?" Jim was livid, his voice a mix of anger and desperation.

"Who was driving the car? Who caused this mess? Annie’s lost her legs, and now I’m going to find the bastard responsible and tear his arms off!"

"Yeah, Annie! You need to tell us who was driving that car! We’ll sue them for all they’ve got!" Linda added, still hoping to get some kind of payout.

I watched Annie’s face flush red, her lips pressed tight. She couldn’t even bring herself to speak. I clapped my hands together, unable to hide my amusement.

“If Annie doesn’t want to tell you, I will.”