Chapter 1After Rising to Power, He Discussed How to Ditch the Aging Me, Only to Claim He’d Die with Me After I Was Gone

I was Chloe White, the childhood friend who stood by Liam Xander’s side. I poured everything my family had into helping him climb the ladder.

I stood by him when people mocked him as nothing more than the illegitimate son of the Xander family. I helped him secure his place in the family, then watched as he took over Xander Enterprises, becoming the most powerful man in Seabridge City.

Everyone thought I’d bet on the right horse, that I’d chosen the man who’d make me Mrs. Xander.

But then, at a gala celebrating his success, I overheard him say, almost casually:

“The White family has no value left. Chloe White is nearly thirty—washed up and past her prime. How could someone like her ever be my wife?”

“At best, I’d keep her as a mistress.”

It hit me then—his excuses for not marrying me had never been about protecting me from his family’s enemies.

It was simply because I wasn’t good enough.

Liam Xander was about to reach the pinnacle of his career.

The Xander family patriarch was on his deathbed, barely clinging to life. Round after round of security guards and caretakers came and went, and even the doctors Liam had hired from abroad at great expense could do nothing to save him.

It was only a matter of time before Xander Enterprises fell into Liam’s hands.

And it was at that critical moment that Liam asked me for a favor.

He gripped my hands tightly, his gaze locking onto mine, his voice solemn:

“Chloe, after everything we’ve been through, you’re the only person I trust with this.”

He needed me to deliver a document overseas and insisted it had to be me—someone who wouldn’t draw attention from his vulture-like relatives.

So, I boarded a plane alone, tasked with carrying out something only I could do for him.

The trip was long and exhausting, spanning three months. By the time I returned, weary and disheveled, I didn’t find the joy of a warm welcome waiting for me.

Instead, I saw Liam at a gala, toasting and celebrating.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit, his face glowing with satisfaction, a faint flush on his cheeks.

Beside him stood a beautiful young woman clinging to his arm—her radiant smile and elegance made them look like the perfect power couple.

I squinted to get a better look at her, and a chill ran down my spine.

It was Luna James, the sole heir to the James family.

The James Corporation was the only company in Seabridge City that could rival the Xanders. Luna, though only in her early twenties, had already proven herself a ruthless and cunning businesswoman. She was known for her friendly charm in public, but behind closed doors, she could destroy competitors without batting an eye.

Her beauty, her power, her family’s prestige…

It all made sense. Of course Liam would fall for her. She was exactly the kind of woman any ambitious man would choose.

And me? I was just the daughter of a once-thriving soap company that was now on the brink of collapse.

Luna James was a rising star with a bright future.

I was a nearly-thirty-year-old woman from a family in decline, struggling to make ends meet.

Only a fool would pick me.

The sharp pop of champagne being opened snapped me out of my daze, followed by the cheers of the crowd.

I watched as Liam turned to Luna with a smile, brushing a kiss against her cheek before they walked together to the center of the stage.

Under the dazzling spotlight, Luna’s hand lifted, revealing a massive 16-carat diamond ring that sparkled so brightly it hurt to look at.

That’s when it hit me.

This wasn’t just a gala celebrating Liam’s takeover of the Xander family.

It was also his engagement party with Luna James.

He’d sent me away under the pretense of delivering an important document just to get me out of the picture. It was his way of cutting me loose without having to deal with me.

I tilted my head and thought to myself: Was all of this really necessary?

Did he really think I’d cling to him and refuse to let go?

When he told me I’d be Mrs. Xander, it was when his family refused to acknowledge him, leaving him to scrape by as the illegitimate son.

When he told me I couldn’t be Mrs. Xander, it was when he was on the verge of becoming the head of the family.

In the end, I’d never had a choice.

I’d always known that.