Chapter 1

No one knew that I got married and divorced with Neville Knowles, the rising star in business, in a flash. I even gave him a daughter.

Four years later, a photo of us walking hand in hand through a field of flowers suddenly surfaced online.

I had to be back in town to get married. The media asked me, "We heard Mr. Knowles is about to get engaged. Do you have anything to say to him?"

I thought for a moment, keeping my tone steady. "I'm getting married soon too.

"I wish him and his fiancée a lifetime of happiness, and may my fiancé and I grow old together as well."

That night, the always cool and collected Neville stumbled drunkenly into my place, his eyes red and wild.

He demanded, "Who are you marrying? I'm not dead yet. You can't marry anyone else!"

*****

"We're divorced. You have no right to interfere!" I said, instinctively frowning and stepping back from the drunken Neville.

The heavy smell of booze on him made me dizzy and uncomfortable.

He said, "Polly, you weren't like this before. You promised you'd only marry me and only spend your life with me.

"How can you break your promise?"

Neville gripped my shoulders hard, his eyes bloodshot, all his usual cool and composure completely gone.

I'd never seen him like this before. In my memory, he was always calm, sharp, or distant.

Even at the peak of our love, he watched me with that same unhurried composure as I slowly fell for his carefully crafted gentleness.

Now, he was more successful than ever. He was no longer the unwanted man my family was ashamed of.

He'd made a comeback, his business bigger than my dad's ever was. He was the powerful Mr. Knowles, respected by everyone.

He had no reason to show up here looking like a loser. It was almost ironic, but I couldn't even muster a smile. Right now, I felt even more pathetic than him.

I shot back, "You also swore you'd look after me for life, protect me no matter what, or may lightning strike you dead.

"If vows actually worked, you'd be nothing but ashes by now."

Four years ago, maybe I would've fallen for his routine.

But I was not the same person I was back then. I'd been through hell and back, survived more than I could count. My heart wasn't what it used to be.

Back when I was heavily pregnant and waiting to give birth, he was still relying on my family to survive.

Out of nowhere, he suddenly produced a stack of evidence and blew the whistle on my dad's company for massive tax evasion.

My dad was sentenced to twenty years in jail.

That was when I finally realized Neville didn't date me because he liked me.

He wanted access to Doyle Group's core business, so he could dig up dirt on my dad and destroy us all.

He was never some orphan with no connections. The truth was, he had a deep grudge against my family.

My dad used to be a client of his father's company, but when my dad refused to pay for a project, their company went bankrupt, and his father ended up jumping off a building.

We weren't only a couple, but we were also bitter enemies.

While I was bleeding out and fighting for my life in the delivery room after hearing the news, Neville was ruthlessly making his move against my dad.

After I barely survived giving birth to our daughter, he threatened me with my dad's life.

He said, "Sign the divorce papers and give me custody of our daughter, and I'll let him live. No one will hurt him in prison.

"Your family took my father from me. A life for a life. Give me our daughter, and we're even."

It might sound fair, but he was talking about my daughter, whom I carried for nine months. I only got to see her for a few seconds before his people whisked her away.

Maybe my dad had it coming, but I was innocent. I never wronged anyone.

Neville had no reason to torment me like this.

But I really had no choice. No matter how flawed my dad was, he loved me. He was still my father, and I couldn't stand by and watch Neville have him killed in prison.

So I agreed, "Fine. Our daughter is yours. We're square. From now on, we go our separate ways."

Then I packed up a few belongings, walked out of the house we once shared, and left for four years.

For the past four years, he'd been like a money-making machine, jetting around the globe, doing business interviews, and never once bringing me up.

As for me, I faded into obscurity, never looking back. I was sure that I'd never once reached out to disrupt his life.

And now, he had the nerve to confront me and demand why I broke my promise.