Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Years into our marriage, I stumbled upon something that shattered everything. The luxury goods, the car, the house—everything my husband, Tom Smith, had gifted me over the years—were fake. I carefully examined everything, and to my horror, I even discovered that our marriage certificate was fake. I took all the valuable gifts Tom had given me over the years to be appraised. As I waited for the results, I could hardly breathe. Tom and I had been together since college when he was just a broke guy with nothing to his name. But I didn't mind that at all. I encouraged him to build something from scratch and start his own business. After his business took off, Tom became busier and busier. There were times when he wouldn't come home for weeks and wouldn't even bother calling me. But when I felt lonely, he would always come home and surprise me with something to ease my worries. To me, it wasn't about the surprise—it was his thoughtfulness that mattered. But when the store clerk delivered the cold, hard truth, my heart shattered. "Ms. Garza, the bags, jewelry, and gold you brought for appraisal are all fake. Would you like us to dispose of them?" I waved my hand dismissively and turned to leave. "Please just burn everything.""Wait a minute!" The clerk called after me. "Although your items are fake, the purchase receipts are real. We can check the purchase dates for you." That was when my heart completely shattered. The purchase dates were all the day before Tom gave me the gifts. That meant he had bought the genuine items for someone else the day before and then went out of his way to buy replicas for me. The business was fake, the car was fake, and the luxury items were fake. What else was real? I made another call to investigate the house, and Tom indeed purchased it. Unfortunately, the owner listed on the deed wasn't me. "Miss, the name on the deed is Lauren Rowse. Is she a relative or friend of yours?" The last time I heard Lauren's name was so long ago. I had naively convinced myself that Tom had forgotten about her. Lauren was a classmate in college. She was lively and cheerful and always hung around Tom and me. I never suspected anything between them until one day after graduation, at a class reunion, when I saw Lauren hugging Tom and not letting go. "Zora, listen to me! It's not what you think!" Tom struggled to pull Lauren off him, but she clung to him like glue. "Lauren… she's drunk. Nothing happened between us! I'm your boyfriend!" he insisted. I scoffed and turned to walk away. Was he really telling me that a grown man could be forced by a drunk woman? That night, Tom said a lot of things and apologized desperately. The next day, he dragged me to the courthouse to get our marriage certificate. That was when I believed that nothing had happened between him and Lauren. After we got married, Tom's attitude changed drastically. He started working late at the office. Sometimes, he would not come home for two weeks at a time. But every time he returned, he would bring me another luxury good. After we bought the car and the house, Tom became colder with each passing day. However, he would still buy me luxury goods. Now that I knew everything I had was fake, it was clear those gifts were meant for Lauren. Lauren had gone abroad for further studies after graduation and returned to Avelton to start her own media studio. The star streamer of her studio was none other than herself. With her impressive education and stunning looks, she quickly gained a massive following. She often updated her vlogs, showing her disciplined daily life. Little did her followers know, everything from her meals to her living expenses were being taken care of by my husband. She had become a somewhat well-known influencer while I had quit my job to stay home and take care of the household, becoming a full-time wife. Even though we were the same age, Lauren looked at least ten years younger than me. I tuned into one of her videos, where she was holding a bottle of expensive skin toner, smiling as she said, "As women, we should take better care of ourselves!"

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Lauren spent most of her time livestreaming, and every time, the top supporter—the one who gave the most gifts—was the same person. My hands trembled uncontrollably, and I couldn't help clicking on the profile of the top supporter account. The profile picture was a couple's photo—a yellow rabbit and a green frog, representing Lauren and her mystery person. What once seemed like a cute pair of animals now made me want to vomit. The platform required mobile verification, so I easily traced the phone number linked to the top supporter account; it was Tom's number. I could hardly breathe, so I had to lean against the wall, gasping for air. My best friend Sandra Reese's call came in. "What's wrong with you? You've been ignoring me all day, and you didn't respond to any of my messages. What happened?" I bit my lip and told her everything that had been happening these past few days. Sandra was furious and nearly exploded. "Those two are a disgrace! Pack your things now, and this afternoon, I'll drag Tom to the courthouse and get you a divorce!" Divorce? If the car and the house were fake, could our marriage be fake, too? I opened my mouth, struggling to speak. "Sandra, go to the courthouse right now and tell them you're picking up the divorce agreement for a friend." After hanging up the phone, I slumped weakly onto the couch. Back in college, I had plenty of suitors because of my looks, and Tom was one of them. He used to always compliment me, saying I was beautiful and capable. After we got married, he wouldn't even spare me a second glance. He would coldly say, "What are you standing there for? Don't you see the dishes in the sink?" I once asked him why he didn't compliment me anymore, and he sneered. "How old are you? Are you serious? You're just an ugly old woman now. Looking at you irritates me." But in Lauren's live streams, he would call her "Lori" and say she was the most beautiful woman in the world. All the sacrifices and efforts I made for him felt like a joke. Just thinking about it made it harder for me to breathe. Click. The door swung open. Tom seemed irritated that I didn't greet him at the door. "Who pissed you off now? Don't you know I stay out late because I don't want to see that face of yours?" I threw my phone on the ground, my face expressionless, and said, "You knew Lauren came back to Avelton a long time ago. Not only did you know, but you even went over to her live stream to be her top supporter." Tom glanced at Lauren's live stream interface, his expression stiffening. "I didn't.""You didn't?" My voice trembled as I spoke, "The top supporter account is linked to your phone number. Are you still lying?" Tom rubbed his temples, looking as if he had been deeply wronged. "So what if I watched? Can you stop making a scene? Lauren is a friend of ours. What's wrong with supporting her business?" Just then, Sandra sent me a message. "I went to the courthouse. They said there's no record of you and Tom ever getting a marriage certificate…" I was at my breaking point. I forced a bitter laugh, almost unable to speak. "Tom, you've won."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Sandra's voice rang out from the other end of the line. "Zora, I'm coming to pick you up. Just grab a few things, and let's go. "If you don't bring anything, it's fine! I'll buy you everything new! As a small business owner, I can easily take care of you! "Besides, aren't you a shareholder in our company, too?" I had almost forgotten about that. Right after graduation, Sandra and I started our studio. It grew and became more successful. Eventually, I decided to focus on family, but Sandra insisted on keeping a shareholder position for me. Tom had no idea about any of this. Sandra told me to keep it from him, saying that every woman needed a backup plan and that money was the only thing that could give me real security. I let out a bitter laugh. "What's the point of just having a shareholder title? I'm planning to find a job and re-enter society." Sandra said, "That's Fine. When you're ready to adjust to the business world, come back to the company. "I'm here. Come down." I took only my wedding ring with me. Tom blocked my way. "Are you going to leave? Do you honestly think someone will want a housewife like you?" I spoke softly, "Did you forget that we both graduated from the best college in town." Tom furrowed his brows, his expression harsh. "So what? I'm drowning in work and dealing with company issues. You're just a useless woman!" "No, I'm not like you." I rolled my eyes, exasperated. "You were placed in the worst major, but I actually got into the best program at our school—Journalism." I had earned my certifications during my studies, and with my degree from a top college, I knew I could easily find a job. Tom's company had recently fallen into a financial crisis. The business partner they had originally agreed to work with ran off with the money. Now, not only would his company not grow or become stronger, but it could barely afford its employees' wages. He urgently needed to find a big company to partner with for a cash infusion, or his company would face bankruptcy. I stormed out of the door and quickly dialed Sandra's number. "I've got a big deal on my hands. Are you in?"

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I hadn't even reached the elevator when Tom suddenly chased after me. He grabbed my wrist tightly. "Where do you think you're going? Do you know we're legally married? If you leave, I can call the police and have them find you!" I scoffed, my voice calm but firm. "Tom, let go of me, or I'll call the police and charge you with assault.""Go ahead! You think you can do that?" His face was right up against mine as he gritted his teeth and said, "Let me remind you, I'm your husband. All these years, you've lived off me, used my money. Who do you think you are, trying to press charges against me?" I calmly pulled my wrist free. "You're not my husband." His expression froze in disbelief. "What did you say? H-how am I not your husband?" I smiled. "Mr. Smith, you know better than anyone whether we're married. Since we're strangers now, please get out of my way.""Wait!" He slammed his hands on the elevator door. "Give me back my things. Give me back my ring!" I stared at the delicate, gemstone-encrusted wedding ring on my finger, laughing bitterly in anger. Back then, Tom had suggested we exchange rings based on the idea of romance. I spent three days picking one out and spent a few thousand dollars on the latest design. However, he made a ring out of an old newspaper and gave it to me, calling it an eco-friendly, budget-friendly gift. He said it was small in value but rich in sentiment. I had thought about selling the ring, but looking at Tom's disgusting face in front of me almost made me gag. I threw the ring on the floor. He immediately scrambled to pick it up like a dog. "Tom, from now on, we have nothing to do with each other."

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

I told Sandra everything that happened when I left, and she couldn't help but laugh in satisfaction. I smiled and said, "There's something even more satisfying. Do you want to hear it?" Sandra's company was about to launch a new product but was struggling with exposure and traffic. I proposed that she pretend to collaborate with Tom's company, using the opportunity to expose the ugly truth about Tom and Lauren. When the time was right, Sandra could end the partnership and cut him off completely. After hearing my suggestion, Sandra laughed so hard she slapped her thigh. "You're ruthless!" This would not only help Sandra's company gain exposure but also bring down Tom's company in one go. Sandra kicked back, leisurely crossing her legs, and said, "That's a brilliant idea. How come I never realized how ruthless you are before?" I chuckled. "He started it." It had been a while since I had such a relaxed moment. I kicked back on the couch, scrolling through my phone, when I accidentally stumbled upon Lauren's live stream. I was about to swipe away, but then I heard my name. "Ah, I can't tell you the name of that mistress. That's not very nice, right? "Since you all keep asking, I can't leave you hanging, can I? The name of the mistress is… Zora." My eyes widened in shock. The comments in the live chat had already turned into a storm of insults and accusations against me. Lauren was spreading rumors online that I had meddled in her relationship with Tom and had exposed all my personal information! "I hope you all don't blame her too much. It's only natural that someone would be attracted to my amazing boyfriend. "But don't misunderstand, my boyfriend hasn't cheated. That woman just kept throwing herself at him."