Hidden Wife Revealed Her True Power

Synopsis

The autumn night in Riverdale carried a raw, biting chill. Inside Leon Carter's mansion, the crystal chandelier threw down a harsh, cold light that struck the marble floor. The light caught the scattered shards of glass and Vivian Lane's tear streaked face. She pressed herself against Leon, her shoulders shaking. Her fingers dug into the sleeve of his suit as she sobbed, barely getting the words out. "Leon, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to check out that ornament in Chloe's study. My hand slipped. I really didn't mean to break it." She kept saying sorry, but behind her eyes lurked a small, quiet glint of triumph. What lay shattered on the floor was no ordinary trinket. It was the trophy Claire Summers had won at 22 for Aethel's top design award, her only hidden pride during three years of secret marriage. For three years, she had gone by the name Chloe Summers. She had toned down her brilliance, walked away from the spotlight of that award ceremony, and willingly locked herself up as Leon's full time wife in a beautiful prison. She remembered his weak stomach. When he came home drunk at 3 a.m., she always had a warm honey drink ready. He had once mentioned in passing that he loved the croissants from the bakery on the south side of town. She got up at five in the morning, drove 40 minutes to stand in line, and made it back before he even opened his eyes to put them on the table. When his company's project had a design flaw, she stayed up three nights in a row and anonymously sent over a revised plan that saved him a hundred million dollars. He turned around and gave every bit of the credit to Vivian. Three years. More than a thousand days and nights. She had turned herself into nothing more than an accessory that belonged to Leon. To everyone on the outside, she was always his "friend who needed a place to stay." At the Carter Group's annual gala, they put her in the farthest corner of the room. She watched as he held Vivian's hand and accepted everyone's good wishes. She listened to all the guests say what a perfect couple Leon and Vivian made. She had felt wronged. She had called him out on it. But every single time, Leon just knitted his brow and said in a voice edged with impatience, "Chloe, I watched Vivian grow up. Her parents died when she was little. What's so wrong about me looking out for her? Can't you just be the bigger person?"