Chapter 1

After five years of marriage and having two kids, I barely recognized my own body. My belly was covered in flab, and my skin had gone loose.

Of course, my powerful husband cheated on me. He flaunted his affair with a secretary barely in her twenties, openly going everywhere with her.

Heartbroken and humiliated, I ran to my wealthy mother and cried my eyes out.

She took a drag of her cigarette and scoffed, “He can keep a woman on the side. Why can’t you keep a man? I sponsor a dozen struggling students. Take your pick.”

I asked, “Mom, are you telling me to cheat?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m teaching you to love yourself.”

*****

When I found out Andrew was cheating, I was driving the kids to school.

Amid the kids' noisy chatter and the hum of the car, I could hear my own heartbeat pounding.

I locked my phone.

Hiding that photo of them wrapped in each other's arms, kissing.

My hands were shaking on the steering wheel.

My oldest son, Lucas, said, "Mom, can you hurry up? I'm going to be late."

He was just like Andrew, polite, reserved, and didn't rely on me much.

I always felt proud of that, thinking I'd raised an outstanding son.

But now, staring into those indifferent brown eyes, I felt an inexplicable fear.

I asked him, "Son, if your dad and I split up, who would you choose?"

Lucas glanced at me coolly and stayed silent.

When we pulled up to the school, he slowly got out of the car.

He looked at me and said, "Mom, you don't have a job, and you've fallen out with Grandma. So if you and Dad split up, I'd pick Dad."

My younger son, Ethan, always followed Lucas's lead.

Hearing that, he immediately chimed in, "I want Dad too."

I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath.

After dropping Ethan off at kindergarten, I found a quiet park and finally had the courage to open that photo again.

The message came from a girl with a cartoon avatar, and I couldn't see her posts.

She said, "Mrs. Goodwin, you're such a good wife. I don't want you to be kept in the dark."

She kept talking, saying that this summer the company brought in a new intern, cute and smart.

At first, she was a client assistant, but somehow Andrew noticed her and promoted her to be his secretary.

"Mrs. Goodwin, stop being a naive housewife. Think about yourself for once."

"If this keeps up, that girl's going to take your place."

"Mr. Goodwin's going on a business trip in a couple of days, and he's taking her with him. He even had someone book a couple's suite and flowers."

A couple's suite and flowers—these were the kinds of things Andrew only did for me when we were crazy in love. Now, he was giving them to another woman.

My palms were ice-cold, clenching and unclenching over and over.

Until my palms were covered in red marks.

I knew I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

I wasn't good at scheming or playing games.

After thinking it over, I called my mom's secretary, Beatrix Pearson.

Half an hour later, Beatrix dragged me to my mom.

It had been five years since I'd seen her, and she looked even more stunning than before.

Her sharp gaze swept over me, and my legs went weak. My first instinct was to bolt.

She saw right through me. "What are you afraid of? Still such a pushover."

That was how she was, always sarcastic, even when I was at my lowest.

My eyes burned, and my nose stung. "Yeah, I'm useless. That's why my life turned out like this."

I felt so frustrated. He promised to love me forever, but after just a few years, he'd already changed his mind.

My mom didn't care at all. She kept twisting the knife. "All you do is act tough with me. Can't even keep your man in check. Look at you, totally clueless."

The more she said, the more miserable I felt. The tears I'd been holding back all morning finally fell.

I said, "Yeah, I'm useless. I'm a total loser. My husband cheated, and I don't even know what to do.

"Go ahead, yell at me. I don't care anymore. I don't even want to live."

I cried my heart out, my vision going black.

I flopped onto the couch, grabbing tissues and sobbing.

My mom glanced at Beatrix. "You, record her. This ridiculous, pathetic mess is perfect for the internet."

My crying stopped dead. I couldn't believe it.

I said, "Mom! You're my mom! How can you do this?"

My mom stared at me for a moment, then walked over and gave my head a hard poke. "How did I end up with such a pushover for a daughter?"

"How did I end up with such a pushover for a daughter?"

Yeah, she was a total badass.

After I was born, she found out my dad was cheating and kicked him out without a second thought.

She built a small electronics company from scratch and took it public, shipping products to over a dozen countries.

At her fiercest, she was running a fever of 102.2°F, hooked up to an IV, still negotiating with a foreign client. When a guy tried to scam her, she just kicked over a box right next to him.

She said, "You think I'm easy to mess with? If you try to stiff me, I'll make sure you don't leave here alive. None of us are getting out of here."

My mom was a total badass, but she ended up with a pushover like me.

The only thing I had going for me was my grades; otherwise, I was nothing like her.

I was a total hopeless romantic. Even though I knew Andrew was impossible to handle, I was so obsessed with his face, I was ready to marry him or die trying.

My mom stared at me for a while, then finally softened.

She let out a sigh. "He's got a mistress, so why can't you have a boy toy? It's not like we don't have the money for it."

"I've got a dozen poor students I'm sponsoring; take your pick."

I was stunned. "Mom, are you seriously telling me to cheat?"

My mom shook her head. "No, I'm teaching you to love yourself."

I was a bit confused.

Even though I didn't get how this had anything to do with loving myself, I figured she must be right.

She said, "Relationships are all about give and take.

"When you first got married, you were young, pretty, and obedient, so he was willing to spoil you and put effort into you.

"For Andrew, you're not bringing any business value or emotional value. So what does he even want from you?

"For Andrew, you're not bringing any business value or emotional value. So what does he even want from you?"

I stammered, "But but I gave him two kids"

My mom lit a cigarette, giving me a half-smile. "Any normal person can have kids! And you're not just a baby-making machine.

"Emily, you were raised by your grandparents. I never had time to look after you. I know they filled your head with all those old-fashioned ideas.

"Those ideas aren't wrong, like staying loyal, living with a clear conscience. That's all good.

"But if you waste that on someone who doesn't deserve it, you're just being stupid and letting people walk all over you.

"I don't see anything wrong with Andrew cheating. Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I'd probably do the same.

"He knows he doesn't have to pay any price for it. He's sure you'll just take it and keep your head down."

Her words always cut deep, just like they always did.

I wiped my face. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Go find yourself a boy toy to mess around with."

I'd never done anything this wild or out of line before.

For a moment, I was just completely dazed. "Uh... What?"

My mom said, "Fix yourself up, look gorgeous. Stop orbiting around your husband and kids. Get your own interests, your own life, and find a guy who actually makes you smile."

She sat behind her massive desk, tapping her finger against the wood, one beat at a time. "Emily, you can be a princess or a maid; it's up to you.

"Remember, you only get this one shot. Miss it, and I won't help you again. We won't even see each other."

She always meant every word she said, no bluffing.

Back when I insisted on marrying Andrew, she ignored my calls for five whole years.

She even went overseas and had a daughter twenty-five years younger than me, all on her own.

My mom was blunt about it: her first try with me was a bust, so she started over with a new kid. No way was she handing her whole business to an idiot like me.

She's always had this intimidating vibe. I've always been nervous around her. If I wasn't desperate, I'd never have the guts to show up and ask for help.

I felt uncertain. "Mom, can I think about it?"

She pointed at the office door. "You've got 24 hours. After that, don't bother. Now get out, I've got a meeting."

She looked like she had zero interest in talking to me any longer.