Chapter 1
As the top heiress in Ostville's elite circle, the line of men wanting to marry me stretched from the airport all the way to the train station.
Back then, I chose Shawn Moulton simply because, after digging into everyone's background, he was the only one with a spotless record.
So when I caught him looking all doting while trying to win a stuffed animal for his female assistant, I didn't lose my temper right then and there.
Instead, I booked out the entire mall, lined up dozens of claw machines, and cranked the difficulty up to hell mode.
"Win me 3000 stuffed animals. Not a single one less!" I ordered.
Those things were a nightmare to win. It took hundreds of tries to get one.
That night, Shawn's hands cramped up so bad he couldn't even hold a fork.
*****
Our third wedding anniversary was just around the corner.
I went to the mall to pick up a custom-made Patek Philippe watch I'd ordered as a gift for Shawn.
There was only one like it in the whole world.
But just as I got the watch, I spotted two familiar faces hanging around the claw machines.
Shawn was working the joystick, totally focused on the stuffed animals behind the glass.
Shawn said, "I want that little bunny.
"Ugh, it dropped again!
"Seriously? This thing's gotta be rigged. I've failed more than twenty times."
His assistant, Megan Avalos, was wearing a pink dress, practically pressed up against him,
Her voice was sweet and flirtatious as she said, "Mr. Moulton, don't stress. Just give it another shot. I know you'll catch it."
Shawn didn't even notice I was standing nearby. He was fully wrapped up in Megan, spoiling her with that indulgent look.
"Megan, I swear, I'll get you one today," he promised.
Shawn kept feeding coins into the machine, giving it everything he had.
Finally, he snagged a bunny plushie.
"You got it! Mr. Moulton, you're amazing!" Megan squealed.
She hugged his neck, jumping up and down in excitement.
Shawn looked pretty pleased with himself.
"Yeah, finally got it. Wasted more than an hour on this little thing," Shawn grinned.
They were celebrating, but my cold voice interrupted their moment.
"Looks like you two are having a blast, huh?" I said.
Shawn's face went pale, and he quickly pushed Megan away.
"H... Honey, when did you get here?" he stammered.
Megan lifted her chin, her voice full of snark as she fired back.
Megan mocked, "Ms. Costner, that's pretty rude, don't you think? What do you mean by 'playing around'?
"Mr. Moulton's been stressed lately. As his assistant, it's my responsibility to help him relax."
She shook the bunny plushie in her hand, a mocking smirk on her lips.
"Winning stuffed animals is a way to chill out. At least I actually care about him, unlike some people who can't even tell when their own husband's worn out," Megan sneered.
I wasn't about to waste my time arguing with her. She wasn't even worth it.
But Shawn got flustered and growled at Megan.
"Shut up! Who told you to talk to Trisha like that?" he barked.
Megan was stunned, her face full of grievance.
"Mr. Moulton, I was defending you..." she whined.
"That's not your place," Shawn snapped.
Shawn cut her off, then turned to me with an apologetic grin.
He explained, "Trisha, don't get the wrong idea. We were passing by after a work thing and decided to try the claw machines for fun.
"Megan's young and a bit clueless. She doesn't know how to talk to people. Don't let it bother you.
"I swear, it won't happen again!"
Megan still wouldn't let it drop.
"Mr. Moulton, why are you apologizing to her? I didn't do anything wrong," Megan shot back.
That was when I finally looked Megan in the eye.
My tone was calm, but there was no mistaking the authority in my voice.
I said, "Back then, the line of men wanting to marry me stretched from Southside all the way to Westside.
"Shawn only got picked because he got lucky.
"The Moulton family's fortune isn't even a tenth of the Costner family's.
"He wouldn't have any of this if it weren't for me.
"Is that clear?"
Megan's face went pale.
Shawn's face turned even paler than Megan's, and he nodded at me over and over.
Shawn said desperately, "Trisha, you're absolutely right.
"I'm truly sorry. I swear, I'll never do anything inappropriate like this again."
I just waved it off.
My tone was still cool as I said, "I'm not that petty, so no need to get all worked up.
"If you want to make it up to me, win me a plushie, and we'll call it even."
Shawn let out a sigh of relief, his face showing how lucky he felt.
"Alright, I'll win you one right now," he said, eager to make it up to me.
He dropped a coin in and gripped the joystick with both hands.
Whether it was because he was too nervous or his hands were shaking, Shawn couldn't steady himself at all.
He went at it dozens of times in a row, but didn't manage to win a single plushie.
Under my watchful gaze, Shawn was sweating buckets.
Megan, feeling sorry for Shawn, held out the bunny plushie she'd won to me.
"Here, take mine. Don't make things hard for Mr. Moulton. He's tried his best," Megan pleaded.
Without even glancing at it, I tossed it straight into the trash can.
"I couldn't care less," I said coldly.