Chapter 1

My dad loves orchids. So, when he retired, I bought him a beautiful manor perfect for his passion.

But the moment he stepped inside, the security guards brutally beat him until his head bled.

"Leo, you said this place was mine. They're calling me a scammer. A trespasser.” My dad's voice trembled through the FaceTime call.

I was about to explain when another man walked into the video frame.

The guards' attitude flipped instantly. They fell over themselves fawning, muttering to each other.

"The CEO's husband is here! Get this old con artist out of here!"

It hit me like a truck. My wife was having an affair. And she'd given the manor I bought for my dad to her lover.

I called the research institute immediately.

"I'll publicly release all my smart chip data and research. For free."

Let's see if Seraphina Thorne's company can survive without me!

After authorizing the data release with the institute, I drove straight to Willow Creek Manor.

I had been married to Seraphina for seven years. In that time, she rose from nothing to become the formidable CEO, all thanks to my research and data support.

The world saw a self-made genius. I saw the ghostwriter standing in her shadow.

As I arrived at Willow Creek Manor, I saw a frail figure lying on the ground.

It was my father. Beaten. Discarded. He was covered in dirt, and his eyes were bloodshot from the beating.

A crowd of staff stood around my dad, watching. No one helped. They kept kicking his body.

"Hasn't the old fraud had enough? Want more?"

"This estate belongs to Seraphina Thorne's family. Who do these losers think they are?"

They jeered, slapping my dad's face.

Rage boiled within me. I shoved through the crowd and rushed to him.

Seeing me, my dad let out a long sigh of relief.

"Leo, explain quickly. It must be a misunderstanding."

The estate manager, Gordon, scoffed, a sneer twisting his lips. "Have you no shame? This property belongs to Ms. Thorne. And you two... what is this? A pathetic attempt at cosplay?"

Gordon wasn't done. He eyed my cheap beat-up car. "That junk can’t even buy a tire on her husband’s ride. And you dare pretend to be him?"

Just then, the "CEO's husband" they spoke of sauntered out of a luxury car. As he got closer, I realized it was Blake Harrison, Seraphina's sweetheart.

After Seraphina and I married, someone casually mentioned Blake's, but I never cared.

Now, Blake was brazenly claiming to be Seraphina's husband.

Blake met my gaze and walked towards me.

"Blake, how dare you steal our Willow Creek Manor?" I confronted him.

Blake showed no hint of guilt, just a smirk.

"Well, well, isn't it the pathetic leech trying to latch onto my wife?"

"Still obsessed, huh? Chasing her all the way here?"

"If you want to see my wife, you can. Get on your knees and kowtow a few times, and maybe I'll be charitable enough to let you have a glimpse."

As if that wasn't enough, Blake pointed at me, addressing the Willow Creek Manor staff loudly.

"This gold-digger wants to score big, constantly hounding my wife.

"Can you believe he'd even follow us to our love nest? What a psycho!"

The surrounding staff looked at me with disgust after hearing Blake's words. "A homewrecker, trying to break up someone else's family, actually has the nerve to show up here?"

"Ugh, what a disgrace. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, especially when the tree's rotten. The old one's a fraud, and the young one's a complete bastard."

"Blake is truly exceptional, driving a luxury car and wearing designer watches. That's a real success story."

Gordon, feeling emboldened, grabbed my dad's collar, ready to throw him out.

"I smelled the stench of these two low-lifes from a mile away. They actually dared to impersonate Seraphina Thorne's husband? You've got a death wish. Today, I'm going to rip you father and son apart."

My dad's whole body trembled with anger at their taunts.

"You can't distinguish right from wrong! My son bought Willow Creek Manor for me!"

Blake spat at my dad. "You pathetic old man, there's a limit to your daydreams."

"Seraphina bought this estate for my father. This is Seraphina's gift to her father-in-law, got it?"

I was speechless with fury. This woman, who only managed to establish her company by leveraging my research.

Not only did she cheat on me, but she also let her 'old flame' seize my dad's estate.

This surreal world was utterly ridiculous.

I pulled out my phone, found the purchase receipt for Willow Creek Manor, and showed it to everyone.

"I bought Willow Creek Manor! I paid for it!"

"Now! Apologize to my dad!"