Chapter 3

Ever since Yannick woke up, I haven't visited him at all.

The only thing I did was add some extra money for him in the divorce papers.

Still, he just wouldn't sign.

Instead, Yasmine posted something online. [You promised you'd make it up to me.]

For a moment, I had no idea what she meant by it.

But since I was about to get divorced anyway, I didn't bother digging into it.

But while I was still resting up at home, one of my team members sent me a photo.

At the office, all my stuff was piled up outside, and the cleaners were hauling it away in batches.

The whole place had been redecorated from sleek black and white to a dreamy, romantic pink vibe.

The name on the door wasn't mine anymore; it was shining in big letters. [Vice President's Office, Yasmine Jexley.]

Yasmine made a point to post. [In a sea of business-style offices, my pink, romantic castle stands out.]

My phone buzzed. Yannick had messaged me: [I'm giving you a few days off. Yasmine's someone I personally mentored. She'll take care of your work, so you don't need to worry.]

I called him right away. "We built this company together. What has she ever done for this place to think she can take my seat?"

"Jocelyn," he said coolly, "instead of arguing about something so trivial, I think you should give the divorce agreement some serious thought."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

Then he hung up.

My team member called me in a panic. "Ms. Strathmore, all our projects have been suddenly shut down. They said it was Mr. Pendleton's orders."

I clenched my phone tightly.

Yannick was forcing my hand.

He was taking away everything I had, just to break me down.

But he seemed to forget that we built this company from the ground up, side by side.

I trained every single one of those top engineers.

If he thought kicking me out meant he won, he would be totally wrong. He might be the only one who got hurt.

Just as I was about to step outside to handle things, rose petals began to drift down from above.

I glanced up; three helicopters were soaring overhead, blanketing the city in a cascade of roses.

The tallest building's massive screen suddenly flashed my portrait, and almost every major news outlet broke the story at once: [Mr. Pendleton splurges 10 million dollars for his beloved wife's birthday, the entire city awash in roses.]

Jocelyn was stunned for a moment.

So, it was my birthday today.

Luxury cars were parked in a row out front, and priceless jewelry and rare collectibles just kept coming, piling up right in front of me.

On the big screen, someone handed the mic to Yannick.

With a charming smile on his face, he said, "I promised that her first birthday since we tied the knot would be a day she'll never forget. Happy birthday, my darling."

The internet exploded with comments:

[Oh my god. My darling wife? That nickname is just too sweet.]

[This is what marriage should be. Next time someone tries to push me to get married, I'm showing them Mr. Pendleton's doing. With a man like him, who'd ever be scared of getting hitched?]

[I'm obsessed with the bossy CEO and his adorable wife. Jocelyn's got the luck of a lifetime.]

[If I can't score a boyfriend like Mr. Pendleton, at least let me win the lottery.]

I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned pale.

Without a second thought, I threw open the car door and stormed straight to where Yannick was.