Chapter 1

The moment I asked for a divorce, Brandon Hayes's mistress slapped me hard across the face.

She sneered:

"Brandon is just too soft-hearted, letting a low-class nightclub dancer like you continue to be his wife."

Brandon's sister, Tiffany Hayes, shot me a disdainful glance:

"Maya, do you know how many women want to marry my brother? So what if he keeps a few mistresses on the side? It's not a big deal, is it?"

Brandon, meanwhile, had his arm wrapped around his mistress, and he addressed me with impatience:

"Everything you have today, I gave you. Without me, you'll be nothing! I'm giving you one last chance. Are you sure you want to divorce me?"

I nodded decisively, stating:

"Yes, I do!"

After all, my mafia boss father was getting out of prison.

He'd been itching to dump Brandon in the river for the alligators for a long time.

Scarlett Stone was Brandon's favorite mistress, and her family owned a small fast-food joint.

Brandon's other mistresses always seemed a little ashamed and timid when they saw me, but Scarlett was an absolute tyrant. Relying on Brandon's favor, she completely disregarded me.

When she saw my firm resolve to divorce, a flicker of delight crossed Scarlett's eyes.

She sat in Brandon's lap, mocking me with disdain:

"Jealous women always meet a tragic end."

"Brandon is a man of great ambition. Marrying him was the luckiest thing that ever happened to you. Instead of helping him further his career, you're kicking up a fuss about divorcing him just because he has a few women on the side. Isn't that just holding Brandon back?"

"You're just a stupid woman who got lucky, meeting Brandon before he made his fortune. Otherwise, with your lowly status as a nightclub dancer, you wouldn't even be qualified to speak to him."

"If I were lucky enough to become Brandon's wife, I'd manage the household perfectly, treat his other women like family, and make sure Brandon never had a single worry!"

Scarlett's declaration made it clear she was trying to snatch my spot.

In the past, I might have exploded in anger.

But now, my heart was completely dead to Brandon.

The so-called position of his wife was nothing but a joke to me.

Tiffany held a glass of red wine, sneering contemptuously at me:

"You, a nightclub dancer, aren't actually trying to blackmail my brother with divorce, hoping he'll cut ties with his mistresses, are you?"

"Maya, don't be so naive, seriously!"

"Are you still thinking that after divorcing my brother, you'll get half his fortune? Like that minor celebrity who married into a wealthy family a while back and ended up a multi-millionaire through divorce?"

"Get that idea out of your head right now. My brother signed a prenup before marrying you, and with me, a top-tier lawyer, on his side, I guarantee you'll leave with absolutely nothing!"

Tiffany certainly had the confidence to say such things.

She was a Harvard Law School graduate, now working at a large law firm in New York. Although not yet a "gold-medal lawyer," she had handled numerous divorce cases with a high success rate.

Though I was completely disillusioned with Brandon, Tiffany's threats still left me feeling angry and heartbroken.

I glared at Tiffany, saying:

"Without this nightclub dancer, neither of you siblings would be where you are today!"

"Back then, you were still in law school, strapped for tuition. If I hadn't given you the money, you would have been kicked out of the program long ago."

"During that time, Brandon was seriously ill. I was by his side, nursing him, so you could study without worry."

"You once promised me that if Brandon ever treated me badly, you'd be the first one to call him out..."

Without my help back then, Tiffany wouldn't have been able to finish her studies, and Brandon would have starved on the streets.

At that time, the Hayes siblings were so grateful to me, they practically wanted to put me on a pedestal.

And I, like a fool, thought I'd found true love. What was the result?

After Brandon got rich, he stopped coming home.

I often saw him in New York gossip news, frequenting bars and other entertainment venues with his mistresses, living a lavish and carefree life.

Tiffany, ever since she started working at the law firm, has been rubbing shoulders with business elites and socialites, and she's grown to look down on me more and more.

Now, they fancy themselves as part of the elite, unwilling to mention those poverty-stricken days, which they consider a stain on their lives.

When I said these words, the Hayes siblings' faces instantly turned ugly.

Before I could finish, Tiffany violently hurled her wine glass at me.

The glass struck my forehead, making me whimper in pain.

Wine trickled down my face, leaving me looking quite disheveled.

Tiffany watched me with a sinister glint in her eyes, cursing:

"You damn wretch, are you going to hold on to those measly favors you did for us siblings forever?"

"The money you spent on us back then? We paid it all back ages ago! You think you can keep cashing in on old debts? Dream on!"

Brandon squinted at me, his face filled with displeasure:

"Maya, my company is about to go public. My sister is also close to getting a promotion at her firm. Do you really have to pick now to cause a scene with a divorce? What's the point?"

"If word gets out that we're divorcing, it'll affect both our reputations!"

"I admit you helped us in the past, but ever since we got married, I've spent a lot of money on you. Any old debts are long settled, so stop clinging to the past."

"If you're truly set on divorcing me, I won't treat you unfairly. I won't make you leave with nothing. After all, you've been with me for several years. I'll give you a million. Be careful with it, and it'll be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

"But you have to agree to one condition!"