Chapter 1

After my husband, Edward Pierce, had some goons wreck my food stall again, I pushed my cart and marched straight to the company's anniversary party.

Edward had his arm around his secretary, Chloe Green, and was about to announce that she'd be joining the management team.

I turned on the megaphone. "Three bucks a hot dog. Help me support my husband's side chick."

Everyone gawked at me, stunned.

Edward's brows furrowed into a tight scowl.

It was just like the day I caught him cheating.

It was another ordinary workday.

For the first time ever, he lost his temper at the maid for being a minute late with his coffee.

Edward had always kept his cool.

Being a good wife, the first thing I did was call Alex Hughes, his assistant.

That was when I learned that his new secretary intern had messed up a bunch of basic tasks.

"She's just an intern. If she can't handle it, just fire her," I said casually.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Mr. Pierce said he'll personally show her the ropes," Alex replied.

I gave a few half-hearted replies, but the uncertainty in my heart kept growing.

I was still sure of him until I unlocked Edward's phone.

'Maybe he really was trying to help,' I told myself.

I scrolled through their chat messages.

Edward: [The formatting's wrong. Do it again.]

Chloe: [Ugh, this is so hard, Mr. Pierce. Which font size is bigger, 5 or 4?]

Edward: [4.]

Chloe: [Great. I guessed 4, too. I'm so clever. I totally deserve a cupcake.]

Edward: [Sure.]

Admitting Edward cheated was hard enough, but what really broke me was that the mistress was Chloe Green.

I felt like something was stuck in my chest.

As soon as Edward stepped out of the bathroom, I shoved his phone at him.

On the chat, Chloe had tossed out another question: [Mr. Pierce, which keys do I use to copy and paste? I forgot about it again.]

She'd even sent a crying emoji.

I was the one who chose computer science for her in college.

She should know better than to ask something like that.

I said, "Fire her. I can pretend none of this ever happened."

I forced down the bitterness, trying to keep my cool as I talked to him.

Edward's brows drew together, his gaze dark and intense as he stared at me.

He said, "Grace, if it weren't for me, you'd still be selling hot dogs."

Just like he wanted, I went back to selling hot dogs, setting up my stall right in front of Pierce Group's headquarters.

Over the years, I'd been to countless business parties with Edward.

The reporters all knew me by now.

So when I showed up with my hot dog cart right outside Pierce Group's headquarters, a gutsy reporter pointed his camera at me right away.

"Mrs. Pierce, why are you setting up a food stall in front of the company? Is Pierce Group planning to branch out into the food business?" he asked.

I made a hot dog and handed it to him. "Freshly made. Have a try. It's on the house.

"My husband's been keeping a secretary lately. I'm just worried he might not have enough money.

"You know how it is. Young girls are never satisfied. They always want more."

I kept my words biting and subtle, but when I replayed the interview later, I just wished I'd been even more vicious.

Whatever conscience I had left had already been ground to dust by Chloe's phony, insincere greetings day after day.

The second time I set up my stall, Edward called the urban management officers to come and confiscate it.

That night, he came home early.

Edward said, "Grace, did you enjoy it?"

I shot back, "Oh, I did. I was just helping you go public with your little secret. Bet the whole company's been buzzing about it these past couple of days, huh?"

He let out a sigh, sounding exasperated. "Grace, if you hadn't made such a fuss, maybe I wouldn't have even cared about Chloe."

I snorted a laugh, but the tears still forced their way out, betraying me.

Was he seriously blaming me? How dare he?

He was the one who cheated, but now he was acting like he was the rightful one, calling me crazy and saying I was the one who pushed him right into Chloe's arms.

So now he was blaming me, saying my outburst made him realize he had to defend his precious "true love"?

"Edward, I can be even crazier." I gritted my teeth, spitting out each word until the taste of blood hit my tongue. That was when I realized my lip was bleeding.

That night, Edward moved into Chloe's apartment.

I stared at Edward up on stage.

I said I'd go even crazier.

And I was going to give him a gift he'd never forget.

Edward's bodyguards were keeping the situation under control.

There were a ton of reporters today, and Pierce Group's PR team was busy trying to keep the press in line.

Edward pulled me into the VIP area.

"Grace," he said. He pressed his fingers to his brow, exasperated, but after a moment, he regained his usual composure. "You know how important tonight's anniversary party is."

Of course I knew.

If I didn't, I wouldn't have bothered showing up.