Chapter 1

The night of Xavier Caldwell's 28th birthday, his wife, Reina Yarrow, whom he had loved for eight years, put on a maid outfit to surprise him. They spent the night tangled in each other's arms. Less than an hour later, he made a call to his mother-in-law, Sarah Yarrow. He had decided to divorce Reina. Sarah was surprised, but she immediately had her secretary, Kieran Wexler, deliver the divorce papers to him. The terms were generous. Sarah offered him 100 million dollars as compensation under one condition—he had to leave Northreach City within three days and never return to Valdoria. Xavier signed the papers without hesitation. He also handed over the onyx ring Sarah had given him as a token of being the Yarrow family's son-in-law to Kieran. "Mr. Wexler, please keep my trip to Erelith a secret. Don't let Reina find out where I'm going." "Yes, Mr. Caldwell." Kieran frowned. "You secretly loved Ms. Yarrow for eight years and finally married her. How could you bring yourself to leave her now?" As Xavier thought back to what had just happened, tears welled up in his eyes. He lowered his gaze to the brilliant diamond ring still on his finger and said in a hoarse voice, "I want to chase my dreams again." After saying goodbye to Kieran, Xavier returned to the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase. Just as he started packing, his phone lit up with a text from Reina. "Honey, are you still awake? I'm kind of hungry. If you're up, could you make some ravioli and bring it to the office?" Xavier stared at the message, and a flood of memories rushed in. An hour ago, right after they had made love, Reina said she had a meeting and had to work late. She had always carried the weight of the Yarrow family on her shoulders and was a fierce workaholic. Xavier supported her completely—so much so that bringing her late-night meals had become a daily routine. When he had reached the CEO's office and was about to open the door, he heard a woman's voice from inside. "Reina, you and Hugo went at it so hard just now. I thought the conference room door was gonna come off its hinges! I bet it must have felt so good. It's way better than faking it with that loser Xavier, right?" "By the way, you're gonna divorce Xavier once that deal is finalized, right?" another woman asked. Xavier had frozen in place, his hand still on the doorknob. Then, Reina's voice had come through, sharp and cold. "Keep your mouths shut. Don't mess up my plans." There had been a chorus of responses from the other women in the room. "Don't worry, Reina. We won't spill a word. Hugo's been your dream guy since you were 16. You've always wanted him to be your husband." "Reina is truly devoted. Even though she lost everything because of Hugo years ago, she still loves him deeply. She even took down his wife's company, causing their divorce, just so she could swoop in!" "Of course! Didn't you hear what Reina said? Xavier's useless in bed. He can't last at all. How could he satisfy anyone?" "Plus, he comes from nothing. He's older than her by four years and is infertile. The only reason she married him was to play the loyal wife card and secure that investment from their competitor. No way she would've married him otherwise!" "Reina still keeps a photo of Hugo's back in her wallet. Now that's true love. I can't wait for their wedding!" The familiar voices and Reina's words made Xavier freeze in shock. It turned out that his eight years of happiness with Reina were just a carefully crafted illusion she had created. The way she acted in bed, pretending like she was completely enamored with him, was all an act. Her apparent indifference toward Hugo Fenton was fake too. She and Hugo had been together long before this. And now, she was planning to ask Xavier for a divorce. Xavier's emotions instantly plummeted from heaven to hell. Just then, he heard his phone ring. He stared at the screen, where Reina's stunning face appeared. Memories flooded back to his mind. Reina had once been a spoiled young lady with no ambition, while Xavier was a poor but brilliant student. In Reina's senior year of high school, Sarah had asked Xavier, the top science student, to tutor Reina. During their first meeting, Reina had spilled wine all over him. She had been cocky as she grinned brightly. "Mr. Caldwell, what do you think of my little welcome gift?" Xavier had just been a college student at the time. Like many, he had been drawn to a woman's striking beauty. Though Reina had been nonchalant, he had been mesmerized by her looks and soon found himself completely enchanted. Reina had seen right through him and enjoyed every second of his quiet admiration. Although Xavier had known that she only had eyes for Hugo, he was always at her beck and call. He had helped her get into Valemont University, a top university in Valdoria. He had even coached her on how to win Hugo's heart. After graduation, Xavier had accompanied Reina to business events and helped her with drinking. He had even trained in kickboxing to ensure her safety. When Reina had turned 18, Hugo teamed up with others to destroy the Yarrow family and abandoned her to study abroad. Reina had been shattered. She had developed severe schizophrenia and was sent to a mental hospital. Her family and best friends completely abandoned her. Xavier had been the only one who stayed by her side, tirelessly helping her through therapy. When Reina had recovered and started her own business, she became a powerful figure in the corporate world in just one year. Xavier had believed that his eight years of unwavering support had finally warmed Reina's frozen heart. After all, she had once fought with Sarah just to marry him. Only now did Xavier realize that his eight years of effort had been nothing but a joke. Reina had always only had eyes for Hugo, never once leaving any room for Xavier. At that moment, Xavier was filled with utter disappointment. He deleted Reina's message and made up his mind to disappear from her life completely.