Chapter 1

Luke Munoz cheated. Vespera Gildon stood outside the president's office, her body stiff as if encased in ice. Her black stilettos seemed to merge with the dark marble floor beneath her. After a long pause, she finally raised her hand and knocked on the door. A deep, familiar voice responded from inside. "Come in." Vespera tightened her grip on the documents in her hand and pushed the door open with the other. As she stepped inside, she forced a faint smile onto her face and approached Luke. "Are you busy? There are a few urgent documents that need your signature." Even as Vespera asked, she had already placed the papers before him, flipping them open to the pages that required his signature. Luke had just returned from a business trip to Shawford earlier that morning. He had come straight to the office to tackle the mountain of work waiting for him. His desk was cluttered with files, and his handsome, well-defined face bore traces of exhaustion. Without even glancing at the documents, he signed them quickly. "Thanks for your hard work." Vespera gathered the signed papers and asked, "Will you be home for dinner tonight?" "I have plans tonight. You don't need to wait for me," he replied without looking up. "Okay. I'll head out then." Vespera turned and walked away, clutching the documents. As she did, her smile faded into a cold, mocking expression. As Vespera passed the restroom in the office, a faint sound reached her ears. It seemed like a small animal jumping off the bed and landing on the floor. Her gaze swept over the couch area, where a few snack wrappers and a half-finished milk tea lay on the coffee table. On the floor, a pastel pink high heel lay tipped over. Everything became clear instantly. Her heart turned cold, crumbling into ash. Vespera returned to her office. The short walk back drained all her energy. When she finally sat down, she let out a long, weary sigh. She pulled one document from the stack in her hands. It was a divorce agreement. Flipping to the last page, Vespera traced the lines of his signature with a mocking expression, her mind flashing back to memories. Luke vowed to marry Vespera back then. However, Vespera's mother-in-law warned her not to get too comfortable, as no man could stay loyal to one woman forever. Vespera was naive enough to believe they were different. But what difference was there? Luke had cheated on her with a young woman. He was convinced he was hiding it well, indulging in the thrill of his affair. He had even brought her along on his business trip to Shawford. And now, he had brought her back to the office. Vespera withdrew her finger and snapped a photo of the signed divorce agreement. She then sent it to her mother-in-law, Fiona Reeds, with a simple message. "He signed it." A week ago, Vespera had struck a deal with Fiona. She demanded that Vespera initiate the divorce and keep their secret marriage hidden from the public. In return, Vespera had asked for a billion-dollar settlement. In a month, Luke would be completely out of her life. Just then, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. After keeping the divorce agreement, Vespera said, "Please enter." The door opened, and Luke's assistant, Osbert Madron, stepped inside. "Ms. Gildon, Mr. Munoz asked me to pass this to you," Osbert said, placing a dark green velvet box in front of her. Vespera casually opened the box and found an expensive diamond jewelry set. But the first thing that flashed through her mind was a dazed, short-haired girl in a bathrobe, carelessly holding up a diamond necklace. The room bathed in dim, suggestive lighting, the bed rumpled, and the girl's chest marked with unmistakable love bites. A wave of nausea churned in her stomach. "Thank you, Mr. Madron." Osbert felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Verspera's threatening gaze. He couldn't help but add, "Mr. Munoz personally selected this. It's one of a kind in the world." It's too bad that Luke's heart wasn't one of a kind; she no longer wanted it. Vespera smiled faintly. "Really? How touching that he found time in his busy schedule to buy me a gift." Something in her voice didn't quite align. Osbert's unease deepened as he broke into a cold sweat. Did she know about Luke and Tina Sowle? He mumbled an excuse and fled from the office. Vespera looked at the jewelry on the desk with disdain, as if it were filthy. She took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to the owner of a luxury resale shop. Then, she instructed, "Sell this for me and donate the proceeds to the Foundation for Children with Intellectual Disabilities." The resale shop owner was speechless. … At 5:00 pm, Vespera had just reached her car and was about to open the door when her gaze casually swept across the parking garage. She noticed a car idling diagonally across from her. Through the window, she saw Luke in the backseat, a short-haired woman nestled close to him. The woman had a round, cute face and radiated youthful energy. "Mr. Munoz!" Osbert gasped, slamming on the brakes. Separated by glass and a stretch of space, Vespera's eyes found Luke's.