Chapter 2The Half Of My Body I Sacrificed To Make You Queen

I sat motionless in the living room for the rest of the night.

By dawn, the news about Seri’s “new flame” was the lead story on every major entertainment site. The internet was flooded with news of her dropping a fortune on a custom yacht for him, or video clips of them tearing up the I-95 bridge in her convertible.

The comments were everywhere:

[At the end of the day, they’re all the same.]

[Rich people rarely stay faithful. Of course she has a side-piece. I just didn't expect it from Serena Shaw.]

[I heard she was utterly obsessed with Ashton Reed back in the day. The fireworks on their wedding night lasted three days straight.]

[Dozens of millions in pyrotechnics! It was a spectacle.]

The posts felt deliberately placed, like Seri wanted me to see them. Every comment constricted my heart.

I remembered the day Shaw Global went public. She stood on stage, holding my hand for all the reporters and cameras to see.

“This is my husband, my first love, the man I’ve adored for fifteen years,” she announced to the world. “He got me through the absolute hardest times. Without him, there would be no Shaw Global today.”

That day, she was radiant, clutching my arm, her dimples deep with happiness. It was also the day she promised the cameras:

“I will love Ashton Reed forever.”

That interview is still online, constantly cited as a testament to true love. But her version of forever was short—only ten years.

Now, a different man stood beside her, receiving the same tender attention she used to reserve for me. She was fending off the press, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

“Devin’s just a college kid. Direct your questions to me. Don’t harass him.”

My vision blurred. I compulsively watched the interview playback again and again, almost in an act of self-flagellation.

Finally, Seri called. Her voice was still soft.

“Did you see the news? Everyone’s speculating that we’ve already divorced. Which, let’s be honest, is only a matter of time.” She paused. “The documents can be signed today if you’ve come to your senses. Or, would you rather see it for yourself?”

She texted me an address.

I gripped the phone, my knuckles white. I didn’t know if I was driving there because of a foolish, tiny spark of hope, or out of pure, white-hot defiance.

I hadn’t even walked through the door when I heard the loud laughter coming from the private lounge.

“Seri, what about your husband back home?”

Through the cracked door, I heard Seri’s casual reply.

“He’s about to be history.”

My hand clenched at my side. I pushed the door open.

In an instant, every eye in the room turned to me. My gaze went straight to the college boy. Just as she’d described him: young, handsome, and arrogantly self-assured.

He met my eyes and smirked, throwing his arm possessively around Seri’s waist.

“Mr. Reed. Seri and I had a bet. If you showed up today, you had to drink this bottle.” He gestured to a high-end bottle of liquor. “You’re not going to let us down, are you?”

My breath hitched. I looked up at Seri. She said nothing, a clear indication that the wager was real.

“I don’t drink.” I clipped the refusal, staring her down. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Seri sighed, looking at me with undisguised impatience.

“Ashton, you’re always so tedious. It’s just a shot, not a death sentence.” She leaned back into Devin’s embrace. “You want to talk? Finish the bottle, and we’ll talk.”

My lips were pressed into a thin line, my heart stinging with a dense, agonizing ache. I picked up the bottle of clear liquor and, right in front of her, downed the entire thing.

The smile on Seri’s face faltered.

She seemed to have forgotten that I’d sacrificed half my stomach for her. Seri was allergic to alcohol, but she couldn't avoid it when running deals. I had taken over every single client meeting, every brutal, boozy dinner, drinking myself sick to close the deals. I’d nearly killed myself doing it, until I ended up needing half my stomach surgically removed.

“Can we talk now?” My voice was raw and hoarse. My stomach twisted with a sickening cramp, and my vision swam.

Just before I lost consciousness, I saw the blood drain from Seri’s face.