Chapter 1

On the morning of the day my fiance, Anton Solomon, and I are scheduled to start our destination wedding trip, he finally rushes to the airport straight from the office.

Just seconds before boarding, he receives an urgent message from his female secretary, Callie Lawrence.

"I'm sorry, honey. A major project just came in, and I need to be there to approve it.

"Could you go ahead and start the trip on your own? I'll join you as soon as I wrap things up in a few days."

Despite feeling a twinge of regret, I understand that work comes first, so I offer him my full support.

After he leaves, I tear up my boarding pass and turn around.

I decide to return to the office and see for myself.

I want to see which blind, brainless company is negotiating a major project with a company I acquired hours earlier at dawn, and how it has the nerve to bypass me, the current CEO. They have chosen to approach a man who is nothing but a CEO in name only.

Chapter 1

I followed Anton Solomon all the way to the wedding hotel I had gifted him when we first fell in love. It was worth over a billion dollars.

The massive words on the welcome board nearly blinded me. "Congratulations on your wedding, Mr. Anton Solomon and Ms. Callie Lawrence."

Beside it, a perfectly retouched wedding photo showed Anton in a sharp, tailored suit. In it, he was smiling brightly.

He wasn't holding onto me, the woman he had agreed to marry on a quiet destination wedding today. Instead, it was Callie Lawrence, his secretary, who had just texted him about a huge project.

It all clicked.

No wonder he had said that work exhausted him with its fake pleasantries, and that he didn't want any grandiose ceremony when I brought up our wedding plans. All he wanted was a quiet destination wedding.

It turned out that he had someone else in mind for the wedding photos, ceremony, and even the marriage registration.

Before entering the hotel, I made a phone call, then settled into the seat with the best view just as the ceremony began.

Guided by the emcee's voice, Callie's dad, Peter Lawrence, slowly led her down the red carpet by holding her hand. They stopped right beside me.

From the other end of the red carpet, Anton, who had urgently returned to the office for a "project", walked forward and solemnly extended his hand to her.

Just as Peter was about to place her hand in Anton's and their fingers were about to touch, I decisively drove my heel straight into Anton's shin. He was sent sprawling face-first onto the floor.

Callie was dragged down with him. Her veil slipped off, and her bouquet scattered across the floor.

Sprawled at my feet, Anton was about to start cursing. However, when he looked up and saw me, all the blood in his veins seemed to freeze.

Callie kept screaming for him to help her up, but he dared not even look her way.

Looking down at the flustered Anton, who couldn't manage to get up, I asked, "Why the grand gesture? Are you begging on your knees for a wedding gift?"

At the sound of my voice, Callie snapped her head toward me in disbelief and paled with fright. She instinctively tried to scramble behind Anton, but Peter yanked her back.

With a shrewd, overbearing look, Peter pointed at me and raised his voice to shout loud enough for the entire hall to hear, "You really are persistent, aren't you, you homewrecker?

"I drove you away outside the hotel, so how did you manage to sneak in?"

At his words, all eyes turned to me.

"No wonder she looks like a scrawny little rat. It turns out that she's a mistress."

"Anton is the most responsible man I know and completely devoted to Callie. Anyone trying anything on him is just wasting their time."

"Anton and Callie have known each other since they were kids. They started dating in middle school. As soon as he made it big after graduation, he brought her to the city to live like a queen and made her the female president to run his company."

"Who do you think you are by trying to break them up? Maybe you should take a good look at yourself."

Childhood sweethearts… Started dating in middle school… That sounded interesting, and I nodded along as I listened.

Anton had relentlessly made his advances on me from the start of college. It wasn't until our senior year that I was finally moved by his persistence and gave in to be with him.

Today was supposed to be our destination wedding day. That was when I realized I had unknowingly been the mistress for three years.

It was obvious why he had pursued me when he was supposedly so in love with Callie. I was the daughter of the wealthiest man in Starbury and the queen of pop, so I had more money than I could ever spend in several lifetimes.

Chapter 2

It was absolutely perfect.

I kicked Anton to the ground and sneered. "Do you think I'm the mistress, too?"

Guilt was written all over his face as he frantically shook his head. Just as he was about to explain, Callie suddenly shrieked and threw herself forward.

"Anton, are you okay?"

She wrapped herself around him and desperately shot him frantic looks.

After a brief exchange of glances, he slowly steadied himself, and a calculating glint flashed in his eyes.

When they saw him getting attacked, the guests erupted in outrage.

"You homewrecker! How dare you attack him!" A man nearby rolled up his sleeve and raised his arm as if to punch me in the face.

"Wait."

Anton's demeanor completely shifted from his earlier cowardice. "You've harassed me for years, Myrtle Wade. I've rejected you and told you my heart belongs to someone else.

"Today is my wedding day with Callie. I will not tolerate anyone ruining the wedding ceremony I painstakingly prepared for her.

"Leave now. Don't force me to have security drag you out."

I met his gaze with a cold smile. "Don't forget where this hotel came from, Anton. What right do you have to throw me out?

"Or do you think that once I'm gone, all your dirty secrets will stay buried?"

Callie stepped forward, still gripping Anton's hand as she said, "Myrtle, I know you've always liked Anton. You're upset to see us get married, but I'm the one Anton has always loved. You can't force feelings.

"We're married now, so I hope you'll stop bothering him again."

To be honest, their relationship didn't surprise me. Discovering their relationship was exactly why I resolutely decided to reclaim the company I had funded, staffed, and built from the ground up before growing it into the powerhouse it was today.

I kept everything hidden from Anton until now.

Part of me had worried I was being too harsh and heartless, so I wanted to give him one last chance. It was clear now that I had been overthinking.

Just as I was about to shove the Company Reclamation Notice in Anton's face, Peter's eyes darted around.

Suddenly, he raised his voice and yelled, "Oh, I get it now! You're the female secretary Callie told me about. You're the one who's always been eyeing Anton's company!"

I nearly laughed. With the tip of my shoe, I nudged Anton's foot and asked, "What world are we living in? When did I become your secretary?

"Does your father-in-law not even know what his own daughter does for a living?"

Before I could finish, a man beside me spat his gum straight in my face.

The hall burst into laughter.

"Hey, gold-digging mistress! Didn't you even do your homework on your target's net worth?"

"Doesn't she know who Anton is? He's a billionaire CEO with countless companies, luxury cars, and private villas under his control."

"See this hotel? Even this massive, extravagant wedding venue is all Anton's!"

"As for Callie, need I say more? She's not just a female president, but she also helps Anton run all his companies, closes massive projects, and boosts his company's value by millions of dollars. She has single-handedly pushed his company into the global top 100!"

Callie ran Anton's company, closed his deals and projects, and boosted his company's value to be on par with the world's top 100?

I was the one who had poured millions of dollars of my allowance into investing in him, time and again.

I was the one who had utilized my parents' connections to gather a network and resources for him.

I, an heiress, had swallowed my pride and endured countless business dinners to secure each of his projects.

I was the one who had pulled all-nighters to coach him step by step. I had even been forced by his narrow vision and utter lack of experience to take over what should have been his responsibilities.

Without my help, Anton would just be a penniless kid from the countryside who could barely scrape together tuition. With just talent and hard work, how many generations of his descendants would have to push and strive to achieve what he owned today?

Chapter 3

Some people were annoyed by my defiance and advised Anton. "If you ask me, you're way too soft on your staff. Who gave a secretary the nerve to cause trouble at your wedding?

"If I were you, I'd fire her on the spot and teach her a lesson about her place."

The dinner hall buzzed in agreement.

Anton turned to look at me as if he were genuinely reprimanding an employee. "I can't possibly keep you as my secretary now that you've caused such a scene.

"But considering your years of service for the company and the fact that you've put in the time, even if you've achieved nothing, I'll transfer you to a branch office. I won't actually cut off your livelihood and starve you.

"If you keep pushing your luck, I won't hesitate to fire you."

His approach earned him a round of applause.

"Anton surely is a generous, big-hearted boss. He's even willing to give a woman like her a chance."

Instead of appreciating his so-called magnanimous act, I let out a cold laugh. "Fire me? Well, go ahead. I'd like to see you try."

Someone immediately threw sarcastic jabs at me. "Of course, she's not afraid of getting fired. After all, even if she does get fired, she can always sell her body, right? A secretary doesn't earn much anyway."

As soon as the words were out, every face wore the same knowing, meaningful look.

A shirtless greaseball leered at me and was practically drooling. "How much do you charge, sweetheart? I can't compete with those rich guys, but at least give me a discount since I'm from Mr. Solomon's family. Won't you do that for me?"

My expression was terrifyingly dark as I glared at Anton. "Anton, are you sure you want to keep hiding our relationship and just keep watching them humiliate me?"

He paused, then turned his head away. "Callie is my wife, so I have a clear conscience toward her.

"We can still end this peacefully if you leave now."

Callie wore the smug look of a petty winner as she chimed in, "Myrtle, I know you caused all this trouble because you're bitter. And now, you've ruined your reputation and gained nothing.

"Usually, a generous man like Anton wouldn't mind you extorting some money from him, but you shouldn't have caused trouble on our wedding day.

"Even after all your slander, he's merciful enough to let you keep your job. Isn't that right? Doesn't your conscience hurt at all?"

As she spoke, she shed tears of heartache for Anton, who immediately grabbed a tissue and wiped them away.

Watching their performance made my blood boil, so I raised my foot and kicked her squarely in the lower back.

With a yelp, she fell straight into Anton's arms.

"Myrtle, have you lost your mind?"

Seeing that she was hurt, Anton snapped. His eyes blazed with fury as he marched forward and slapped me hard across the face.

When I crashed into the dining table, my clothes were instantly soaked in greasy broth and food stains. The worst part was the searing heat. The scalding liquid left large, blistering burns across my skin since I was wearing thin summer clothes.

Anton didn't bother to spare my injuries a single glance. Instead, he shielded Callie in his arms and barked at me, "Apologize to Callie, or I won't let you off!"

Triumph flashed in Callie's eyes.

Gritting my teeth to fight against the searing pain, I forced myself up on trembling arms. The raw, angry burns on my exposed skin gaped like open wounds. It almost felt like they were mocking the so-called love I had invested in all these years.

As the burning sensation in my wounds intensified, my eyes grew colder. "Anton, you hid your relationship with Calle and dated me for three years.

"On the very day of our destination wedding, you married her in the hotel I gave you. And now, are you demanding that I apologize to her?

"Is it because I gave you everything you asked for all these years that you started thinking you could climb over me, step on my head, and do whatever you want? Believe it or not, but I can make you lose everything right now."

For a moment, Anton was stunned by my words.

Whispers ripped through the hall.

"Did she just say that she dated Anton for three years, that today was supposed to be their wedding, and that she gave him this hotel? Is that true?"

Chapter 4

"It's obviously fake! Anyone can run their mouth," someone said with a scoff. "We've watched Anton grow up, so we know for sure what type of man he is."

"Since she claims the hotel's hers, why not claim his entire company too while she's at it?"

A timid female voice piped up. "But I've seen the brand of her clothes online. It's an insanely expensive luxury label, and even Callie has never worn anything like that…"

Callie immediately shot the woman a furious glare. "This is your first time coming to the city, so what do you even know about branded labels?

"We're from the same village. Now, you're taking a stranger's side?"

The woman shrank back and was too terrified to speak another word.

Satisfied, Anton withdrew his gaze and grabbed Callie's hand. Then, he raised it high to display the dazzling matching rings on their ring fingers to the entire hall.

Looking down at me as if I were a complete loser, he asked, "Myrtle, you claim that today was supposed to be our wedding day, but where's your proof?

"Not a single one of my relatives has ever met you. If it were true that I was going to marry you, wouldn't I have introduced you to my family?

"Besides, have we ever registered for a marriage certificate or taken wedding photos? Have I ever bought you wedding gifts?

"You need evidence before you make claims, Myrtle. And I've provided every single item I've listed for Callie."

Callie leaned against his shoulder and grinned triumphantly. "That's right, Myrtle. You can't just say whatever you want."

Anton's accusations held up, and I couldn't refute them.

He was right. When I agreed to marry him, I had foolishly asked for nothing since I had been head over heels for him and happened to lack nothing.

I never imagined that love would one day turn into a blade of betrayal driven straight into my chest.

Guests in the hall pointed at me and started whispering.

"What excuse does this shameless homewrecker have now?"

"We can't just let her walk away. She needs to be taught a lesson."

Someone grabbed my hair and dragged me hard to the floor. Peter shot a look at the greaseball, who immediately understood.

Bending over with a lewd grin, he started grabbing my chest. "Being a mistress isn't the thing to do, sweetheart. Let me teach you some proper manners."

I screamed and desperately thrashed to avoid his grip, but my limbs were firmly pinned down.

Terror gripped me. I cried out Anton's name, praying for a shred of his conscience and begging him to call them off.

His eyes widened as he stepped forward to intervene, but Callie pulled him back. "I'm upset that she ruined our wedding, Anton, so I want to teach her a small lesson."

He hesitated. "But—"

"It's just a little lesson; you know our people won't go too far. Plus, we're standing right here, so what could possibly happen?"

Anton fell silent.

When Callie wrapped her arms around him, he absentmindedly stroked her back as more men began roaming their hands over my body.

"Let me go! This is rape! You'll go to prison for this!"

In the next second, a slap sent my vision spinning.

"Flithy homewrecker! As a slut everyone's slept with, what makes you think you can lecture us? This isn't rape; this is justice!"

Countless filthy words drowned me.

Just as despair swallowed me whole, a voice rang out from the entrance. "My apologies, everyone. I was delayed because—"

After the newcomer saw my face, his voice turned sharp with terror. "Stop! What the hell are you doing?"