Chapter 2

The next second, my phone rang. It was Richard.

I picked up the call slowly, put the phone on the speaker, and set it down on the table.

"Wallis Lynn!" Richard snarled, barely containing his fury. "You vicious woman. What did you do with the money?"

I swirled the ice in my glass, the sound crisp and clear. "Mr. Chandler, why are you so worked up on your big day?"

My voice was calm, carrying softly over the line, like a breeze from the sea.

"Where's the money? What did you do with the money?" he yelled, his voice shaking with rage.

"Oh, money?" I said calmly. "Our joint assets were divided yesterday, according to the divorce papers you signed.

"Your share is still in your account. Every last cent."

"What divorce papers? I never read that thing!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

"Wallis, I'm ordering you," he snapped, "transfer the money back now. Do you have any idea what you're doing? Are you trying to ruin me?"

"Your reputation is your own problem," I replied flatly. "And whether you sink or swim, it's no longer my concern."

I hung up before he could say another word.

With a quick tap, I blocked his number, and just like that, peace returned to my world.

I leaned back in my beach chair and closed my eyes, but memories rushed in uninvited.

I thought of that boy from college, the one in the clean white shirt, smiling at me in the library sunlight.

He told me he came from a poor family in a small town, but promised he'd work hard to give me a good life.

I believed him. I went against my parents' desperate pleas, took everything I had, and threw myself into building a life with him.

I used my own savings, over 300 thousand dollars, to start his company.

When the business struggled, I swallowed my pride and went to my father for the investment that saved it.

Later, as the company grew, he became the respected CEO in everyone's eyes.

Meanwhile, I went from a pampered princess who never knew hardship to the unpaid help, managing his home, handling his messes, and keeping his life running.

His family moved into our home as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

His mother, Evelyn Chandler, a woman from some backwaters, never stopped watching me with those critical eyes.

She was always on my case. My cooking wasn't right for her son, my clothes were a waste of money, and after three years of marriage with no baby, she started calling me defective.

And Richard, the man who once promised to love me forever, never said a word to stop her. Sometimes he'd even add, "She just wants what's best for us."

What finally broke me was six months ago, when I found a stranger's lipstick and an empty condom wrapper in his car.

I didn't scream or cry. I just stood there, my heart going cold and numb, until even the pain faded away.

I began quietly gathering evidence and consulting my lawyer, planning each move with care.

I was going to take back every last thing that belonged to me, with interest.

I was going to send him and his family of parasites right back where they came from.

The sun was getting a little too bright. I put my sunglasses back on, enjoying the gentle Balaris breeze.

Richard's wedding disaster was just the opening act.

My phone buzzed with a message from Cheryl with the latest update.

She said the wedding was saved only because Vivian's father stepped in and paid for everything.

The wedding didn't completely collapse, but the bill, a staggering three million, was more than enough to cripple Vivian's working-class family.

Richard's reputation lay in tatters, damaged beyond repair.

I could only imagine the scene that awaited the newlyweds on their wedding night.

I turned off my phone. None of it was worth my attention anymore.