Chapter 1

For three years, I pulled over a thousand all-nighters in the lab, working on a groundbreaking anti-aging formula that would change the industry.

This formula helped my husband's company rake in 300 million dollars in profit in one year.

But the only reward I got was watching him hand over 100 million dollars in dividends to his marketing director at the company's celebration party, right in front of over three hundred people.

That woman, Crystal White, was clinging to his arm, flashing me a smug smile.

The whole company knew about her and my husband, Andrew Lane, but I was the only one kept in the dark for three years.

Everyone thought I was a lab nerd, living off Andrew.

Nobody knew that the core patent for that formula had always been in my name.

And even fewer people knew that the day he handed me the renewal agreement to sign, I'd already sold all the patents to his biggest competitor Victor Harper for one billion dollars.

Andrew said, "Susan Nolan, sign this, and I promise I'll treat you right."

I pushed the agreement back to him, "Andrew, starting tomorrow, every product your company sells will either disappear from the shelves or you'll be hit with lawsuits until you're bankrupt."

Andrew was left speechless.

But this was only the beginning.

Because there were still so many things he had no clue about.

*****

"Susan, you're not getting a single cent of that 100 million dollars in dividends." Andrew pushed a document toward me. His tone was so nonchalant, as if he were talking about the weather.

I looked down at the paper.

It was a dividend agreement.

It read: [Recipient: Crystal White.

[Amount: 100 million dollars.]

Next to the signature line was his bold, sweeping signature.

"Crystal led the team on the annual marketing plan. We couldn't have hit 300 million dollars in sales without her," he said, taking a slow sip of his coffee and leaning back in his chair.

I didn't say a word.

Three years of sleepless nights in the lab, thousands of times reworking the formula. He swept it all aside with a casual mention of a "marketing plan."

"You're in R&D. R&D belongs in the lab. You don't understand anything about the market side," he said, not even looking at me.

"The formula is mine," I said.

"The formula belongs to the company." He corrected me. "You're my wife, doing R&D for my company, using our equipment and resources. You should know that already, shouldn't you?"

I stared at him.

He finally glanced up. "Come on, don't be upset. I'll buy you a necklace later."

A necklace.

Three years of my life, and he thought a necklace would make it all go away.

100 million dollars for Crystal.

And I wasn't even worth pocket change.

I closed the document and stood up.

"Susan," he stopped me.

"Hm?"

"Don't come to the celebration party tomorrow. Crystal said she can't speak freely if you're there."

I was stunned for a couple of seconds.

Then I smiled. "Okay."

As I turned to leave the office, I spotted Crystal at the end of the hallway, holding two cups of coffee.

She flashed me a polite smile. "Hey Susan, is Mr. Lane in? I brought him some coffee."

I stepped aside, "He's in. Go ahead."

Her perfume was so overpowering as she walked by. It almost made my eyes water.

I heard the office door close behind me.

Then I heard her laugh.

It was so sugary and fake. I could hear it loud and clear even with the door closed.

A few employees in the hallway glanced at me, their eyes darting away.

I knew exactly what they were thinking.

The boss' wife had been sidelined.

And she didn't know a thing.

No.

I knew more than all of them put together.

I went back to the lab and pulled out a folder from the depths of my drawer.

Inside were three official patents.

The core formula, the derivative process, and the composite technology; every single one was in my name.

I'd locked them down long before we ever got married.

Andrew thought he'd married a lab nerd who only cared about experiments.

He was wrong.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled to a number I'd saved ages ago but never actually called.

Victor Harper. He was the head of HarperTech Group and Andrew's biggest rival in the industry.

Three months ago, Victor's people reached out to me, offering one billion dollars for the license to my three patents.

I turned them down back then.

Because Andrew was my husband.

But now, I'd changed my mind.

I hit the call button.

It only rang twice before someone picked up.

"Ms. Nolan, have you made up your mind?" Victor's voice came through, calm and steady, like he'd been expecting this.

"Three billion dollars. Not a cent less," I replied.

"Of course. I'll have my legal team send the contract over tomorrow."

"One more thing."

"Go ahead."

"No word about this deal until I say so."

"No problem."

I hung up.

Outside the window, the celebration banner was already hanging up: [LaneBio Group 300 Million Dollar Annual Revenue Celebration.]

Under the banner, Crystal was directing people to move flower baskets, her laughter ringing out.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

Andrew, you told me not to show up at the celebration party.

Don't worry.

I won't be there.

Because by the time I was ready, you wouldn't have anything left to celebrate.