Chapter 1

I helped my husband Derek build his empire from the ground up. I stood by his side when we had nothing.

Yet, when I was six months pregnant and needed him most, he told me he was going to a remote village for charity work.

He'd always been kind-hearted, so as his wife, I understood and fully supported him.

That was, until I saw a man, hailed as "the most discreet philanthropist," appear on my best friend Maya's livestream.

Maya, flushed and coy, snuggled into his arms, thanking him for splashing a fortune on her.

The man didn't show his face, but as he gently wiped the sweat from Maya's forehead, I saw the ring on his ring finger.

It was that cheap $5 silver band we'd bought when we got married.

"Honey, the signal in the mountains can be spotty, so please be careful. If you need more cash, just tell me."

I gently stroked my six-month pregnant belly, softly reminding him over the phone.

Derek's voice, tired yet content, drifted through: "Don't worry, sweetheart. Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces when they get their supplies makes it all worth it."

"I just feel bad about leaving you alone at home while you're pregnant."

"Don't be silly. You're doing good deeds. I couldn't be prouder of you."

I hung up, a sweet warmth filling my chest. Turning, I reheated last night's leftovers and ate them with plain rice.

Derek was teaching in the mountains; I knew he must be roughing it, so I had to be frugal too.

We'd been together since college, scraping by on ramen and cheap takeout in a dingy basement apartment for three years, before finally building our way up to owning a house and cars and our own company in this major city.

Now that he was successful, he hadn't forgotten his roots, choosing to help those in need. I admired him from the bottom of my heart and felt a pang of sympathy for the hardships he was enduring.

After dinner, I opened Maya's livestream, planning to send her some gifts to boost her viewership.

Maya was my best friend, a moderately popular outdoor content creator.

Today's stream was being broadcast from the city's most exclusive luxury resort.

"Hey everyone, we've got a super special guest in the stream today!"

Maya's voice buzzed with barely contained excitement. "It's the internet-famous 'most discreet philanthropist,' Mr. Miller, who anonymously donated ten million dollars to schools in remote areas!"

My heart gave a sharp lurch.

Miller? And a philanthropist? What an odd coincidence.

The chat exploded instantly.

"Wow! Is that the mystery billionaire who refused all interviews?"

"Maya, you're awesome! How did you get him on your stream?"

On screen, Maya coyly linked her arm through the man's, but he subtly turned, keeping his face out of frame.

"Mr. Miller is a very private person, everyone, so let's not overwhelm him," Maya explained, a radiant smile on her face, but the adoration in her eyes was impossible to hide.

I frowned, a strange discomfort settling in.

Maya had a boyfriend. This kind of flirty behavior with another man felt totally inappropriate.

"A huge shout-out to Mr. Miller! He's covering all the gifts for tonight's livestream!"

As Maya cheered, the screen was instantly flooded with super chats and gift bombs.

I watched the animations for gifts worth thousands of dollars flash by, my jaw slightly agape.

This Mr. Miller certainly had deep pockets.

Maya was flushed with excitement, her forehead dotted with fine sweat.

Seeing this, the man beside her naturally reached up, gently wiping away the beads of perspiration with his thumb.

It was that simple gesture that made my blood run cold.

The ring on the man's ring finger was plain, almost dull, with some of its cheap plating already chipped.

It was the $5 silver band Derek and I bought at a night market right after we graduated.

He'd said it was more precious than any diamond, a promise of a lifetime to me, and he'd never take it off.

I felt a wave of icy dread wash over me, as if I'd plummeted into a frozen abyss. Still desperate, I posted a comment in the chat.

"Could Mr. Miller say a few words? I really admire him!"

Maya saw my comment and playfully nudged the man's arm. "Mr. Miller, my fans want to hear your voice."

The man paused, then let out a soft chuckle.

That voice, that tone, I knew it to my very core.

"Hello, everyone."

Just three words, and I was utterly shattered.

It was Derek!

Wasn't he supposed to be teaching in the mountains? He'd said the children there couldn't even afford food, yet here he was, splashing a fortune to make my best friend smile!

My stomach churned violently. I rushed to the bathroom, throwing up until I was dizzy and breathless.

My phone chimed. A text from Derek.

"Sweetheart, just finished distributing school supplies to the kids. Exhausted. It's cold in the mountains at night, so I'm heading to bed. Don't reply."

The message was accompanied by a photo: a pair of mud-caked, worn-out boots next to a dim, dilapidated shack.

But on the livestream, Maya was standing on tiptoes, kissing "Mr. Miller's" cheek, with a dazzling crystal chandelier from the resort sparkling in the background.

"Thank you, darling. You're the best to me."

I clutched my phone, my nails digging into my flesh.

Tears blurred my vision, and a sharp, twisting pain shot through my belly.

My hands trembling, I dialed Maya's number.

It rang for a long time before she finally answered, her voice languid and laced with a suggestive intimacy.

"Hey, babe, what's up? I'm a little busy right now."

Through the phone, I heard Derek's suppressed panting.

"Maya, that 'Mr. Miller' in your livestream..." My voice was an uncontrollable tremor.

"Oh, him?" Maya chuckled, her tone triumphant. "Just a man who's completely in love with me, that's all."

"What, are you interested in him too?"

"Well, I wouldn't bother if I were you. He only has eyes for me."

"He said his wife is old and boring, a worn-out housewife with a burden of a child, and he's been sick of her for ages."

Maya's words were like venomous darts, piercing my heart one by one. I could even hear her and Derek's unrestrained laughter and heavy breathing on the other end.

I couldn't take it anymore. I slammed the phone down.

A worn-out housewife... a burden of a child...

I looked down at my swollen feet, a common side effect of pregnancy, then at my haggard face in the mirror. My heart felt like it was being torn to shreds.

For this family, for his career, I'd worked tirelessly for ten years. Was "old and boring" all I got in return?

No, I couldn't let myself be defeated like this.

I wiped away my tears, my gaze hardening, turning icy cold.

Derek, Maya, you two-timing cheats. I'll make you pay for this.

Taking a deep breath, I opened a phone app I'd long suspected but never wanted to confront.

It was a home surveillance app. Derek had installed cameras all over the house, ostensibly "for your and the baby's safety," and linked them to his phone.

But what he didn't know was that the installer, while calibrating the system, had discreetly set up a copy on my phone as well.

I opened the app, my heart pounding, and immediately tapped on the live feed from the living room camera.

The screen was empty.

They weren't back yet.

I stared at the screen, like a hunter waiting for their prey to fall into the trap.

Suddenly, something else occurred to me, and a fresh wave of icy dread washed over me.

Derek's so-called "charity" trip had cost me a full five million dollars.

That was the last of my parents' inheritance. He'd claimed the company was facing a cash flow crisis and desperately needed the funds. I had, with tears in my eyes, given it to him.

Now, it hit me. That money wasn't for the company; it was for Maya!

I couldn't wait any longer!

I sprang up, changed clothes, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door.

I had to get to the company. Before he returned, I needed to find proof and protect my parents' last legacy and what was rightfully mine!

The night was cold, but my heart was even colder.

Derek, you'd better pray I don't find anything to use against you!