Chapter 1The Debt Lie—Billionaire Wife vs. Broke Husband

Alison Shaw’s startup collapsed, drowning me in debt.

My archaeologist’s hands grew calloused hauling rebar for five years. When I finally saved enough, I trudged to the loan shark—only to find Alison lounging in a private dining room, curled against Jerry Prince with aristocratic ease.

The loan shark and my foreman groveled before her:

"Miss Shaw, we docked his pay, but he still saved $75K."

Alison’s fingers traced Jerry’s jaw. "No matter. Just add $1.5M to his debt. He’ll slave forever."

"Saw $75K shoes I liked," Jerry murmured.

"Of course, darling," she purred.

Then I realized—Shaw Holdings, the city’s largest firm, was hers. The CEO I’d once encouraged her to surpass... was Alison herself.

I stood frozen outside the door, a pathetic figure hiding in the shadows, a bitter sting in my eyes.

Inside, Jerry’s voice was laced with arrogance. “It’s my fault, really. I insisted on studying abroad after college. Alison was lonely, so she found Adrian to pass the time. He’s been clinging to her ever since.”

Alison and I had fallen in love in college, a whirlwind of sweet, tender moments. She was so good to me, couldn’t bear to see me suffer the slightest injustice. After graduation, I was headhunted by a world-class archaeology team, while she dove into the world of startups.

Less than three months later, she declared bankruptcy, saddled with colossal debt.

To pay it off for her, I didn't hesitate. I resigned from my dream job, where the starting pay was too low to make a dent. I threw myself into the brutal, thankless labor of a construction site.

When the debt collectors showed up at our door, it was me who fell to my knees, begging them, head to the floor, for just a few more days. I never felt the hardship, because I believed our love could conquer anything.

I never imagined the love itself was a lie.

Hollowed out by despair, I made a call. It was to the woman who had led my old archaeology team.

“Eva? It’s Adrian… That overseas project… is there still a spot for me?”

There was a stunned silence on the other end, then an explosion of joy. “Of course! God, Adrian, I told you a hundred times not to quit! It’s a crime to let hands like yours go to waste on anything but archaeology!” She paused, her tone growing serious. “But this is a high-level security project. Once you’re out, it’s five years minimum. You need to be sure.”

I looked down at my hands, a roadmap of scars and calluses. “I’m sure, Eva.”

A chorus of cheers erupted in the background. My old team. My friends.

“Hahaha, I knew he’d come around!”

“Adrian Croft, you get your ass back here right now! We’ve been waiting for you!”

Eva laughed, shushing them before speaking with formal gravity. “Adrian Croft, Project Dawnbreaker officially recalls you to active duty. We deploy in five days. Get your affairs in order.”

After hanging up, I pushed open the door to the private room.

Alison immediately shot up and rushed to my side. “Darling, you’re finally here! Mr. Wang was getting impatient.”

The loan shark, taking his cue, puffed out his chest, his face a mask of contempt. “Look at this. These days, the debtor is the king, making the lender wait.” He sneered. “Where’s the money? Hurry up. All this skulking around gives me a headache.”

Jerry swirled his wine, shooting me a sideways glance. “Probably didn’t scrape it all together. Hey, look what he’s wearing. Maybe he knows you have a taste for pretty boys, Wang. Came to sleep off the debt.”

Alison had told me today was our anniversary. She’d given me a suit—a ridiculously provocative, open-weave suit—and told me to wear it for our celebration.

Wang’s eyes roamed over my body like slimy slugs.

Alison feigned indignation. “If you have the money, then pay up. What’s with this pathetic act? Don’t tell me you actually had that in mind.”

I had been instinctively moving closer to her for protection, but her words froze me in place. I didn’t want to pay. But she had taken out the loan in my name.

I handed the bank book to Wang, desperate for this to be over. He grabbed my hand as he took it, his grip tight.

“Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. This is only seventy-five thousand. Your girlfriend still owes me one and a half million.”

He produced a fresh IOU. The ink was still wet.

Alison pulled my hand from his grasp, flashing Wang a look of pure ice before her expression melted into one of apology for me. “I’m so sorry, darling. I’m just so useless.” She looked up at me, her eyes pleading. “Could you just… go back to the site for a few more years? I promise, this is the last time.”

The foreman chimed in right on cue. “Our site is a humble place. Mr. Croft here tendered his resignation the moment he got his wages. We can’t take back someone so ungrateful.” He gestured to Jerry. “But, our site’s real boss is right here. Why don’t you get on your knees and beg Mr. Prince?”

Jerry, lounging in his chair, watched with amusement. “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly. Mr. Croft is a university graduate. I’m not worthy of his respect.” He smirked. “But the foreman was your superior. How about you service him, make him happy, and then I’ll consider it?”

I watched their performance, a cold wave of desolation washing over me. I wasn’t a fool. I remembered how real her love felt at the beginning.