The fifth-anniversary party was a symphony of opulence. Crystal chandeliers rained light over a sea of couture and champagne, the air thick with the scent of lilies and money. Chloe stood beside Justin, her hand resting on his arm, a perfect portrait of the billionaire’s wife. The diamond bracelet he’d just gifted her felt cold against her skin, a beautiful, heavy shackle. For five years, this had been her life—a gilded cage she had mistaken for a home.

The music stuttered to a halt as the grand doors swung open. A woman stood silhouetted against the evening sky, her smile a predatory slash of red. Ruth. The woman Justin had called a 'substitute,' a family obligation he claimed to have sent away years ago. "Sorry to interrupt," Ruth’s voice sliced through the silence, dripping with venomous sweetness. "But I couldn’t let my husband celebrate his anniversary with his... mistress."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Chloe’s smile froze. "Justin, what is she talking about?" Justin’s face was a mask of ash. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Ruth glided forward, a Manila folder in her hand which she tossed onto a nearby table. It fell open, revealing a marriage certificate, dated six years prior. The names were stark and clear: Justin Thorne and Ruth Adler.