Chapter 1
My husband, Edward Thompson, didn't really love me, but he absolutely doted on our child.
I knew he couldn't forget about his first love, and he only married me because I seemed like the perfect wife for that phase of his life.
Still, I loved my life. A man's love was unreliable. Money and power were what really mattered.
Over the years, we'd poured everything into raising our son, Ryan, and he'd turned out amazing. As soon as he turned eighteen, Edward transferred the majority of his shares and assets to him.
On our twentieth wedding anniversary, Edward dropped the bomb. He wanted a divorce.
Turned out, his first love had come back, and she brought a boy with her.
Just because she claimed there was a mistake back then, she thought she could swap her son for mine and take my place?
She thought she could just waltz in and take my husband, my son, and everything we built together, like it was no big deal.
I didn't need a man.
But my son? He was mine, and so were all the family assets.
*****
I really did love Edward once. He was the one who reached out and gave me a place to belong.
I grew up living under other people's roofs, always treated like I didn't belong. So I threw myself into my studies and kept my heart guarded.
If one'd never felt love, how could one ever know how to love someone else?
When they bullied and humiliated me while I was vulnerable, it didn't bother me much.
During winter break of my freshman year, I got tricked into going back to my adoptive parents. They were ready to sell me off to some creepy old guy for a 90-grand bride price.
I cried and pleaded, "Please, just let me go. Let me finish school. I swear I'll make way more money once I graduate."
No matter how many times I begged, they were determined to clip my wings.
Lying there in the dark, I couldn't help but resent how unfair life was. I'd always done the most work in this family, eaten the worst food, and scraped by on scholarships. But even then, they still wouldn't let me go.
If I'd just stayed in the dark, maybe I could've gotten used to it. But then Edward showed up, and he paid 100 grand to rescue me from despair.
"Doris, don't be scared. Come with me," he said.
After I was locked up in that pitch-black room for three days, the door finally swung open.
Sunlight and fresh air flooded in, stinging my eyes and making tears stream down my face.
His warm hand took mine, and he led me out of there. I never looked back.
That so-called debt of upbringing? It was settled with 100 grand.
I said, "Edward, thank you. Let me write you an IOU. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
100 grand was a mind-blowing amount for me back then, but I was finally free, and I promised myself I'd pay it back one day.
But for the Thompson family, 100 grand was nothing.
Edward accepted the IOU I offered, gave it a quick look, and then handed it right back to me. "Doris, no need for this. I trust you."
He asked, "The dorms are closed this winter break. Do you have anywhere to go?"
I had nothing but the clothes I was wearing, not a single cent to my name, and my stomach was growling with hunger.
Still, I thanked him for his kindness. "I can find a job somewhere. If I don't ask for much, there's always a place that'll give me room and board."
He opened the car door. "Get in. I'll find you somewhere to stay."
And that was how I came to live with the Thompsons.
Later, I found out that Edward had only driven out that day to capture the cloudscape. His first love had mentioned missing the clouds down south, so he came. And he just happened to rescue me, his classmate, along the way.
I'd always been grateful to that girl chasing clouds, because the opportunity she brought into my life changed everything for me.
During the two weeks I stayed with the Thompson family, I barely saw Edward. He'd gone abroad to look for the girl he was obsessed with, the one always chasing clouds.
Edward's dad, Richard, was always busy, and his mom, Helen, had helped Richard build their massive company from the ground up. She was in a league of her own, nothing like those typical housewives.
Helen got pretty emotional when she heard about my past. She encouraged me to keep studying hard, stand on my own two feet, and figure out my own place in the world.
She really liked how calm and resilient I was, and said I reminded her a lot of herself when she was young.
She also sighed, saying that she and Richard had been so focused on their business when Edward was growing up that they barely had time to raise him, and he ended up with his head stuck in romance.
I gave a wry smile. Everyone got their own headaches—regular people hustled just to survive, while the rich stressed over keeping the family fortune going.
After graduation, all I could think about was making more and more money, just so I could finally shake off the shackles that had been weighing me down.
Helen really opened my eyes to all the possibilities out there, so when my second semester started, I changed my major to something I actually liked, with her guidance.
After switching majors, I only ever ran into Edward in the big lecture halls for a few shared classes. We'd just nod at each other and move on.
I turned down Helen's offer of financial help. Besides my scholarships, I worked part-time to cover my living expenses.
I'd never felt so free. All I had to worry about was my studies, and since it was a major I actually loved, I was thriving.
The money I made from my part-time job was just enough to get by, and I didn't have to stress about those endless calls demanding I send money back home.
My roommates said they finally saw me smile and realized I was just a young college girl after all. They used to joke that I was like the dean of students.
Just like that, I quickly got up to speed in my new major and kept my grades at the top of the class. Before I knew it, senior year rolled around, and it was time for my internship.