Chapter 3

I looked at her, feeling a wave of sadness.

"Why didn't you just reject me outright back then, instead of having me do so much for you?"

"Hmph, you did all that willingly, what's it got to do with me?"

Lily sneered, curling her lip in disdain.

"Besides, I wanted to see just how far you'd go for me. Who knew you'd be so useless, couldn't even manage a real estate business properly."

"I tried my best. I gave up my passion for computer science for you, entering a field I knew nothing about. Wasn't that hard enough?"

I shook my head helplessly.

Lily said contemptuously, "James is a hundred times better than you with just a single word. If I had listened to him back then, I wouldn't be in this situation now."

Lily justified herself, "And you, you could never give me what I wanted. I regret being with you, you wasted my youth!"

Married to Lily for three years, dating for one, throughout these four years, she always used her germaphobia as an excuse to avoid me, even refusing the most basic physical intimacy.

Over time, I got used to this sexless marriage, assuming she really did have severe germaphobia. Though disappointed, I could only silently endure.

Until that day, when I suddenly received a hotel booking message from an unknown number on my phone.

The moment I saw the content of the message, my mind went blank, and I was completely stunned.

My hand holding the phone couldn't stop shaking, my eyes fixed on that line of text, which clearly showed the hotel address and room number.

An ominous feeling welled up in my heart, but I still clung to a glimmer of hope that this was just a prank.

I went to the address, and as I stood outside the room, my heart was in my throat.

Before I could knock, I heard unmistakable sounds coming from inside the room.

My blood seemed to freeze, and all I could hear were those nauseating noises.

I tried to discern the voices, and the woman's voice was so familiar.

The door opened, and there stood James, shirtless.

His hair was disheveled, his face still flushed, a flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Inside the room, Lily was wearing sexy lingerie I had never seen before.

Fearing their affair would be exposed, they dragged me into the room and beat me to death.

I can still recall the despair I felt at that moment.

I snapped back to reality, those painful memories receding like a tide, while Greg's disgusting face came back into focus.

"Lucas, with your lack of success, you're only fit for these lowly jobs,"

Greg continued to grin, relentlessly mocking me, his face full of smug satisfaction.

Ignoring him, I walked over to a nearby table, intending to sit down. He tried to trip me, but I noticed and deliberately stepped on his shoe.

"Fuck you, watch where you're going! You've dirtied my shoes!"

He said, lifting his foot towards me, his eyes full of challenge.

"What are you waiting for? Get down on your knees and clean my shoe! Consider it your apology for being such a klutz."

Hearing this, the group of people fawning over James burst into laughter, their eyes full of contempt.

I coldly stared at him, saying nothing.

Just then, Lily suddenly frowned, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She bit her lip slightly, seeming somewhat hesitant.

"Greg, that's enough," Lily's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with impatience. "He's still... There's no need to go that far."

Hearing Lily's words, Greg's face showed surprise, quickly replaced by a fawning smile.

"Lily, I just couldn't stand the sight of him. I wanted to teach him a lesson for you."

"That's enough, stop it," Lily waved her hand, her eyes flashing with a barely noticeable panic as she turned her head slightly away.

James also frowned beside her, his eyes full of displeasure. "Greg, don't waste time on someone like him. We have important matters to discuss."

Greg quickly nodded, his face full of a bootlicking smile. "Yes, yes, Mr. James is right."

They found a table and sat down.

James picked up a glass of champagne, taking a small sip, his eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and greed.

"I heard that the daughter of the Summers Group and the son of the Navigator Group will both be attending today. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If we can establish a connection with them, our company's development will be smooth sailing."

James put down his glass, his gaze sweeping around the room.

"I've heard that these two giant corporations have formed a marriage alliance. Do you think they'll leave any opportunities for us smaller companies? I heard the son of Navigator Group hasn't been seen in public for a long time. I was even thinking of introducing my daughter to him!"

An older small business owner chimed in, agreeing with James.

Lily nodded slightly, a calculating look flashing in her eyes.

Just as James and the others were enthusiastically discussing how to build relationships with the Summers Group and Navigator Group, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd, with everyone turning to look.

I knew Grace had arrived.

Grace was wearing an elegant evening gown that far outshone Lily.

When Lily saw Grace's face, the jealousy in her eyes was almost palpable.

Her brother, Edward, was holding our daughter's hand, walking beside her.

James' eyes lit up. He immediately put down his glass, adjusted his collar, and quickly went to greet them.

"Miss Summers, it's truly my honor to see you here today."

James' face was full of a fawning smile, his eyes revealing a hint of eagerness.

The people around also gathered, starting to shower Grace with compliments.

"Miss Summers, you look absolutely stunning today. Your aura is simply unmatched."

Lily, not to be outdone, pushed through the crowd. With a sycophantic smile on her face, she said to Edward:

"You must be the young master of Navigator Group. You're truly accomplished at such a young age."

Edward frowned in displeasure, not even sparing Lily a glance.

At this moment, our daughter broke free from Edward's hand and ran towards me, sweetly calling out, "Daddy!"

Hearing our daughter's voice, everyone around froze. The smiles on James and Lily's faces instantly turned rigid.

Grace also walked over, smiling as she took my hand, saying softly, "Lucas, sorry to keep you waiting."