Chapter 1Calling in Sick for My Broke Husband, Only to Find the CEO

When my husband got sick, I went to his office for the first time to call in sick for him.

The receptionist looked at me like I was crazy.

"You must be joking. The man you're talking about is our company's CEO."

"Besides, our CEO and his wife commute to work together every single day."

"And you definitely don't look like the CEO's wife..."

The next second, my husband—who was supposed to be bedridden at home—walked out of the elevator with his arm wrapped around his first love.

Our eyes met, and his smile froze on his face.

I looked at him in his bespoke suit, laughing so hard that tears streamed down my cheeks.

"The watch on your wrist is worth more than my yearly salary, yet you played the part of a broke accountant making three thousand bucks a month to me."

"You told me your startup went bankrupt. I sold the only house my parents left me to cover your debts. I wrote code during the day and worked the cash register at a convenience store at night. I wouldn't even go to the hospital when my stomach ulcers were bleeding!"

"Tell me, why did you play me like this?!"

My husband mumbled, unable to form an answer.

His first love smiled and linked her arm through mine.

"Don't blame him. When he married you, he swore to me that everything he owned, including his body and his wealth, belonged to me."

"So stop wishing for things that aren't yours."

Seven years of marriage. I thought we were surviving the storm together, but I was just a temporary extra in someone else's script.

But I am Nolan Pierce's legal wife.

Can they really take everything and leave me with absolutely nothing?

* * *

"Shut up, it's not your turn to speak! Nolan Pierce, tell me right now, is this true?!"

I cut off Vanessa Croft's smugness, demanding an answer with red eyes.

Nolan sighed.

"Eleanor, listen to me. I was just afraid that if you became a wealthy socialite, you'd lose your drive and ambition. I didn't want to hurt your pride. Besides, didn't you say you would provide for me?"

"Stop gaslighting me! Seven years! Nolan, we've been married for seven years! Are seven years not enough for you to know what kind of person I am? If I didn't have ambition, would I have sold the only property my parents left me to fund your startup?!"

My voice started to tremble.

"Or did you just think I was stupid enough to be fooled for a lifetime?"

He let go of Vanessa's hand and reached out to grab me. "It's not like that, El."

I took a step back. My footing was a little unsteady because my heels were worn out, but I could never bring myself to spend money to replace them.

My eyes fell on Vanessa. She was wearing a pair of Valentino heels, a haute couture dress, and on her wrist sat a sparkling Tiffany & Co. bracelet.

Back then, Nolan used to joke with me: "When I'm rich, I'll buy you so many luxury goods you can show them off all over Instagram."

Turns out he really did buy them.

He just gave them to someone else.

I choked down the bitterness in my throat and asked him.

"Not like what? What about her?"

Nolan glanced at her. "Vanessa and I are just friends."

Vanessa's smile immediately dropped. "Nolan!"

Nolan grabbed her arm, gave her a warning look, and then turned back to me.

"It's true that Vanessa is my first love, but you knew that back then. When have I ever hidden my past from you?"

"We are just business partners now. She wants to invest in my company."

I gritted my teeth. "Then what did she mean by what she just said?!"

Nolan carefully glanced at Vanessa before giving a dismissive excuse: "Come on, you know she loves to joke around. She was just messing with you..."

Before he could finish, Vanessa cut him off. "I wasn't joking. Didn't you say exactly that to me on FaceTime the night of your wedding? Eleanor was literally sleeping right next to you..."

Nolan barked out in a panic: "Vanessa!"

Vanessa rolled her eyes and went quiet.

But my heart had already hit rock bottom.

It was all true.

Nolan didn't dare look me in the eye. His guilty conscience was masked by impatience. "Don't listen to Vanessa's nonsense, none of that happened. Just go home for now. I have to meet a client soon. I'll explain everything to you tonight."

I took a deep breath.

"You don't need to explain anything."

"I want a divorce from you, Nolan Pierce."

"That's exactly eight words. Let's call it a million dollars a word."

"Eight million dollars to buy out our marriage and let you two be together. Sounds like a bargain, doesn't it?"