Chapter 1

I, Aria Tarbor, had been tormented by Zane Hodgeson in bed for three nights straight. He used to be nothing more than a lowly live-in son-in-law. Not only did I refuse to let him touch me, but I also trampled him underfoot. Now, the tables had turned. I had fallen from grace, while he had risen to success. It seemed like he was taking his revenge, using all his strength to dominate me. … My husband was a live-in son-in-law. Originally, I had feelings for his younger brother, Isaac Hodgeson. However, during a class reunion, Zane took advantage of me while I was drunk and slept with me. The scandal became the talk of the town. My dad, Robert Tarbor, had no choice but to marry me off to him, with the condition that he would become our family's live-in son-in-law. Zane was his father's son from his first marriage. After the divorce, his father, Bruno Hodgeson, barely paid him any attention. On the other hand, my family was incredibly well-off, and I had always been the apple of my parents' eyes. Making Zane our live-in son-in-law was something Bruno welcomed with open arms. And so, we got married. But I wasn't happy. After all, the person I liked was Isaac. Out of spite, I treated Zane horribly from the beginning. I made him sleep on the floor, never allowing him into the bed. During meals, I would mock him with my brother, Sam Tarbor. We wouldn't even let him take food from the table. When I was out with friends and it started raining, he thoughtfully brought me an umbrella, but I still gave him a scolding. In short, I just wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't yell at him. The strange thing was, Zane never got angry. No matter how much my family and I humiliated or bullied him, he always remained calm and mild-mannered. To be honest, he was quite good-looking. But during our school days, he was socially awkward and always at the bottom of the class. He constantly repeated grades. He was the kind of person people pitied. Meanwhile, Isaac was the complete opposite. He was charming, handsome, and top of his class—a shining star in school. When I thought about how Zane had ruined the budding romance between Isaac and I, a wave of resentment would surge within me. In the middle of the night, I got out of bed and kicked Zane awake as he slept on the floor, ordering him to get me a glass of water. Without hesitation, he jumped up to get it for me. He even made sure it was warm since the weather had turned chilly. But the moment I recalled that night he took advantage of me at the class reunion, I was furious again. I threw the entire glass of water in his face. Still, he didn't get angry. He silently went to the bathroom to clean up. Watching his tall figure retreat, I felt a flicker of guilt. But that guilt quickly vanished when I remembered that he had destroyed my chances at happiness. This continued for three long years. During those three years, things changed. My family went bankrupt. And strangely enough, I started to develop feelings for Zane. And then... he asked for a divorce. When he handed me the divorce papers, he said his old flame had returned. I had to admit that when he said that, my heart felt like it had been crushed in a vise. It was hard to breathe. But my pride, which had been cultivated since childhood, wouldn't allow me to show any signs of weakness. So I signed the divorce papers without a second thought. After I signed the papers, his calm voice suddenly sounded beside me. "Shall I have a driver take you home?" It took me a moment to process what he had said. Oh, right. The mansion I had lived in for over 20 years no longer belonged to my family. We had lost everything, and all our assets had been sold off. Meanwhile, Zane, the live-in son-in-law who had used underhanded methods to marry me and was looked down upon by my entire family, had secretly started his own company behind our backs. Now, he was thriving in business and had even bought this very mansion. But I couldn't blame him or demand any of his wealth because everything he had achieved was through his own efforts. He hadn't used a single penny from my family. He watched me quietly without pressuring me as he waited for my response. His calm demeanor made me reflect on how I had treated him. I felt an intense sense of shame. Given the circumstances—me in ruin and him flourishing—I expected him to exact revenge against me for the humiliation I had caused him. But he didn't. He remained as gentle as ever. I hurriedly said, "It's okay. I can get home on my own." After that, I fled the house in a hurry. As I dashed out, he called after me, his voice faint, "Did you come here for something?" "No." Without looking back, I rushed out of the yard. It had started to rain outside. I clutched the gift tightly in my hand. Today was our third wedding anniversary. I had never shown him any kindness before, but now that I realized I had feelings for him, I wanted to make this day special. Instead, I was met with a divorce agreement. I laughed bitterly, allowing the heavy rain to drench me, leaving me in a state of disarray. The next day, I was sick and unable to get out of bed. There was a cacophony of noise outside. I dragged myself out to find Dad sitting on a peeling wall, declaring that he wanted to end his life. We were living in a run-down apartment now. Though the surroundings were grim, the rent was cheap. My mom, Victoria Conroy, was weeping desperately. She said she would follow him if he jumped. I felt overwhelmed. I tried to convince Dad that it was just bankruptcy, and as long as we were alive, there was always hope. But Dad suddenly fixed me with a heavy, intense stare that made my heart sink. Then, he said, "Could you ask Zane to help us? He's our son-in-law. He's sure to lend a hand." Mom quickly added, "That's right. Despite how we treated him, he'll help us for your sake. Go ask him." I smiled wryly. They still didn't know that Zane had already dumped me. I refused to ask him for help, but Dad's threats of taking his own life left me with no choice but to agree. Before I left, Mom spent our last bit of money on a new outfit for me—a deep V-neck dress and sexy pointed heels. She also hired someone to do my makeup and hair, so that I looked stunning. As I looked at myself in the mirror, a self-mocking smile appeared on my lips. I didn't look like someone who was going to ask for help. I looked like someone trying to seduce a man. But even if I stood naked in front of Zane, I doubted he would spare me a glance. I still couldn't understand why he had slept with me that night at the class reunion. Did he mistake me for his old flame in his drunken state? Shaking off those troubling thoughts, I decided to at least put on a show for Dad and Mom. I found out that Zane was at his company, so I went straight there, braving my current state. Dad and Mom waited downstairs, waiting for my "good news". Seeing their faces filled with hope, I was momentarily at a loss for words and felt a pang of sorrow. When I entered the building and reached his floor, I felt the weight of curious glances from many people. The air was thick with unpleasant comments and mockery. I pretended not to hear. I straightened my back and headed straight for his office. But the moment I saw him, my resolve wavered, and I found myself hunching. He was sitting in his chair, exuding an air of sophistication as he looked at me with a smile.