Chapter 1 A Joke

After graduating college, I dumped my broke boyfriend and followed a rich guy abroad. Two years later, I was dumped and returned home to find that my ex had made a name for himself. He did everything he could to marry me. Everyone admired his deep love for me despite our past. Little did they know that after our marriage, he flocked between countless women just to exact revenge on me. He questioned why I didn't care or feel jealous, but I just smiled at him. I was dying, so what was there to care about? … On our third wedding anniversary, Calvin Pierce was with Emily Lane, setting off fireworks by the sea. I curled up on the couch and repeatedly dialed his number. "I'm sorry, the number you've dialed is currently unavailable…" When the automated voice sounded once more, I finally passed out. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor, Ralph Baldwin, glanced at me, seeming hesitant to speak. I calmly asked, "How long do I have left?" Ralph avoided the question and gave a vague answer. "If you undergo surgery now and follow up with regular chemotherapy, there's still hope." I stared blankly at the ceiling. "This is my second relapse." As the pain in my chest tingled, a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. "Ms. Jefferson, there's a new type of medication that can suppress the cancer cells. Each injection costs 50 thousand dollars. If you can stick to it for half a year after the surgery…" Ralph stopped talking. He knew I didn't have the money. I was the wife of the president of Pierce Group, but I had no money. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dragged on my illness for so long. I got out of bed and straightened my clothes. "Schedule the surgery." I could probably gather the few thousand dollars needed for that. I touched the pendant on my necklace, feeling a complex mix of emotions. … After returning to the neighborhood I lived in, I first went to thank my neighbor. The lady, Phyllis Kessler, looked at me with pity. "Why would you thank me? You should thank Duffy. If not for his barking, I wouldn't have known you'd fainted. Thankfully, the ambulance arrived in time. You young people should take better care of yourselves." Duffy was the labrador I had adopted. One month after I'd married Calvin, he'd brought another woman back home. Even when I'd come home, they hadn't stopped. Their voices had been loud, as if they'd been afraid I wouldn't hear. Later, he'd told me that I should pay for everything I had done. "When I begged you back then, you refused to even turn around. Now, you're getting what you deserve." We'd had a huge fight. I'd left home devastated, and that was when I'd found Duffy. He had distemper and had been abandoned at the entrance of a pet hospital. The vet had complained as they'd carried him inside. Duffy had looked at me with hopeless eyes, and I still remember how I'd felt my heart tighten at that moment. Like me, he'd been terminally ill, neither able to live nor willing to die. We'd both been abandoned. Later, I'd given my gold necklace to the pet hospital so they could save Duffy. This time, he'd saved me instead. He rubbed against my leg, looking happy. I choked up and dared not pet his head. "Phyllis, I… I might have to stay in the hospital for a while. Could you take care of Duffy for me?" Phyllis' golden retriever had passed away last year, and I knew she would help me. Sure enough, Phyllis agreed immediately and reminded me to take care of myself. I felt relieved watching Duffy follow her back. At least someone would look after him if I died. When I returned home, I realized I'd overestimated myself. I didn't even have the money for surgery. Calvin was indeed generous. My clothes, bags, and jewelry cost a fortune. I was always glamorous as his wife in public. But behind closed doors, I could only wear a dress or jewelry to a party with his approval. His secretary, Clarice Lennon, would remotely unlock the closet at home. According to Calvin, I'd never contributed to the household, so I didn't deserve to freely enjoy anything. I glanced at my phone. A claptrap chat from the office was still buzzing about what had happened between Calvin and Emily yesterday. "Is Mr. Pierce for real? Doesn't he usually change lovers every month?" "He must be. Emily has been with him for almost three months now." "Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and they set fireworks off by the sea. So romantic! Did you see Emily's diamond necklace? It was simply blinding!" "Isn't Mr. Pierce's wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day too? Didn't we all attend his wedding?" I laughed bitterly. Even our colleagues remembered our anniversary, but he didn't. I had planned to talk to him yesterday and ask for the items my mom had left me so we could part on good terms. Noticing the cold dishes on the table, I turned and walked out the door. I didn't need him now. All I needed was money. … When I arrived at the Pierce Group, Emily was surrounded by a large group as she basked in their compliments. "Emily, Mr. Pierce treats you so well. This must cost a lot, huh?" "What do you mean? That's a necklace from Malhora; it's worth well over a hundred thousand dollars." Emily proudly fixed her hair. "It's not that big of a deal. I like it, so he bought it for me. I told him it was too expensive, but he said something cheap wouldn't suit me." I stood at the office door and watched her coldly. How ironic. I was dying and didn't even have tens of thousands of dollars for my surgery, but Calvin could casually buy his mistress a necklace worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was the first time Emily saw me. When our eyes met, a look of disdain flashed across hers. "Which department are you from? Don't you know the company rules?" The others quickly tugged at her sleeve. "Emily, that's the president's wife, Summer Jefferson." Emily looked at me guiltily for a moment before regaining her arrogance. "So she's the so-called campus beauty, Summer Jefferson? She looks terrible. What a joke."