Chapter 1
"Mrs. Ford was sentenced to seven years for murder driven by jealousy."
When Richard Ford signed the divorce papers, he thought he was finally rid of that manipulative woman, Natalie Summers.
He had no idea that what she was holding that night wasn't poison, but his favorite hangover soup.
The signature on Natalie's prison medical record for voluntary abortion was actually forged by someone else.
And the woman he had saved, his beloved first love, Vivian Lane, was smiling triumphantly at the surveillance camera.
*****
The rain poured down, washing over the city's neon lights.
Richard stood on the concrete in front of the Silvercrest Hotel, his expensive suit drenched and clinging to his trembling body.
In his right hand, he clutched a gold-embossed invitation, crumpled but still legible, the words stabbing at his eyes: [You are cordially invited to witness the engagement ceremony of Ms. Natalie Summers and Mr. James Walker.
[Date: September 20, 2025.
[Location: Silvercrest Hotel, Starlight Hall.]
Rainwater slid down Richard's jaw, and he couldn't tell if it was rain or tears.
Through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling glass, he saw a massive poster in the lobby. Natalie was wearing a white dress, leaning on James's shoulder, her smile radiant in a way he had never seen before.
A security guard approached cautiously, holding an umbrella. "Sir, you've been standing here for three hours. Ms. Summers said she won't see you."
Richard let out a low, animalistic growl from his throat and smashed his fist into the ground, his knuckles instantly bloody and mangled.
Three years ago, on a night like this, rain was pouring down without mercy.
He was the one who sent Natalie to prison.
*****
Three years ago, in the ballroom of Ford Manor, crystal chandeliers cast a shallow glow over the crowd, where perfume mingled with the bustle of well-dressed guests. Natalie stood with a tray in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly.
This was a party Richard had thrown to celebrate Vivian's recovery from the hospital. Yet, even as Mrs. Ford, Natalie was dressed in a server's uniform.
"Nat, can't you be more sensible?" Margaret Ford, Richard's mother, scolded her in a low voice. "Vivian finally woke up. She's the main focus tonight. Why are you dressed in a way that draws so much attention?"
Natalie glanced at her simple black dress. It was the plainest thing in her closet. "I understand, Mom."
"And another thing," Margaret said, shooting a look toward the second floor. "Richard wants you to take Vivian's design drafts upstairs. She said there are some changes she needs to deliver."
Natalie's heart clenched.
Vivian had a degree in architecture, while Natalie, even though she was a designer, too, had been told by Richard after their wedding to focus on being Mrs. Ford.
Last month, when Ford Holdings was bidding for a new district project, Vivian brought out a proposal that Richard lavished praise on. He had no idea the core concept was something Natalie had doodled in her sketchbook three months ago.
Natalie put up with it.
For three years, she had put up with more than anyone should.
As Natalie carried the drafts up the spiral staircase, she heard voices arguing out on the terrace.
"Richard, do you really not get how much I care about you?" Vivian's voice was shaky, almost breaking into tears.
"Vivian, I'm already married," Richard replied, his tone steady.
"Married? Someone like Natalie isn't good enough for you. She's after your family's money!" Vivian spat.
Natalie froze in the shadows, her heart aching sharply, as if needles were piercing it.
After a few seconds of silence, Richard finally spoke. "She's my wife, after all."
Those words should have touched Natalie, but his tone was so flat, it was as if he were talking about the weather.
"Fine..." Vivian's voice suddenly took on a desperate, piercing edge. "Then what's the point of me living anymore?"
Richard shouted, "Vivian, don't!"
Natalie burst out onto the terrace, only to be confronted by a sight that froze her blood.
Vivian was standing at the very edge, and as she turned back, she flashed Natalie an eerie, twisted smile, then toppled backward into the night.
Natalie was still holding that stack of design drafts in her hands.
The muffled crash of something heavy hitting the ground rang out.
A woman's scream pierced the night.
Richard rushed to the railing, his eyes nearly splitting with shock as he looked down, then whipped around and glared at Natalie, who stood frozen in place. "Did you push her?"
His voice was icy.
"No, I didn't..." Natalie said. The design drafts in her hands were scattered all over the ground.
Richard closed in on Natalie, grabbing her wrist with a grip so tight it felt like he might crush her bones. "I saw it with my own eyes; you reached out."
"I was trying to pull her!" Natalie struggled and tried explaining. "Richard, please, believe me; it was her, she..."
"Enough!" Richard shoved her away. "Natalie, I never imagined you could be so cruel."
Natalie staggered back, bumping into the small table on the terrace and knocking over the architectural model.
It was a gift she had spent seven sleepless nights making for Richard's birthday, a scaled-down model of the library where they first met.
The model hit the floor, splintering into countless pieces like her heart.