Chapter 1

He divorced me.

After seven years of marriage, our relationship seemed unbreakable. Nathan and I rarely even argued.

Until the clerk told me, "Your husband got married again. And it's not to you."

Diana POV

Our Samoyed destroyed our marriage certificate. I went to the county records office for a replacement, only to be told coldly that I could not obtain one.

"Divorced?"

When did Nathan and I get divorced?

We had been married for seven stable years. He was a partner at a top law firm, and I was the perfect wife supporting him from behind. How could we possibly be divorced? It was absurd.

I argued my case, insisting there must be a mistake in the system.

The clerk sighed with a hint of pity, drawing me aside and lowering her voice.

"Ms. Diana, our records are definitive. They show your marriage was dissolved. Your ex-husband has since remarried. The name listed as his spouse...is no longer yours."

The words hit me like a physical blow. For a moment, I questioned my own hearing.

"It appears you were divorced without your knowledge. What does your ex-husband do, to have that kind of...reach?"

Nathan was a famous top lawyer, invincible in this country's legal world.

Countless wealthy people wanted to hire him for cases. Even having money didn't guarantee you could engage his services. He was a VIP to billionaires.

Just then, my phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated a few times.

The message was from Juliet, the heiress of the ‌Lloyd‌ Group. For some reason, she'd recently added me on social media out of the blue.

Nathan served as the ‌Lloyd‌ Group's legal counsel, so to avoid being rude, I'd accepted the friend request. After exchanging polite greetings, we hadn't chatted again.

Confused, I opened the message thread.

"Want to know what Nathan's been doing these past few days on his business trip?"

"Come to this place tomorrow night, and you'll get a surprise you never expected."

She'd sent a location pin for a coastal city.

Five days ago, Nathan had said he'd taken on a case out of town and needed to travel for about a week.

I hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Juliet's cryptic message suddenly stirred a strong sense of unease in my heart.

That evening, I booked a flight.

Flying to the coastal city, I took a taxi to the address from the location pin.

Standing under a dimly lit palm tree, I saw an extremely romantic beach wedding taking place in the distance.

The groom on stage wearing a custom-tailored suit and the bride in a pristine white wedding dress were unmistakably Nathan and Juliet.

The officiant held the microphone and asked, "Do you, Miss Juliet, take Mr. Nathan to be your husband, for richer or poorer?"

Juliet blushed shyly and answered, "I do."

The question was repeated for the groom.

After the vows, Nathan's gaze rested on her, full of tender certainty.

"I do."

Applause and cheers immediately erupted from below the stage, mixed with various envious whistles.

Not many people had come to this wedding, but they were all Nathan's closest friends, along with some wealthy and powerful people I didn't recognize.

Like being struck over the head, my mind exploded with a buzzing sound.

I really had been divorced, and Nathan really had remarried another woman.

They were holding a wedding, and I was the last to know.

How absurd!

Trembling, I picked up my phone and video-called Nathan.

Seeing the incoming call, Nathan said something quietly to Juliet, then walked aside.

He declined the video call and sent a text message instead.

"What's wrong, honey?"

Looking at this term of endearment that once made me feel sweet, my heart felt torn, my fingers trembling too much to type.

I took a deep breath and quickly typed: "Where are you?"

"On a business trip out of town, didn't I tell you?"

"I want to video call."

"Hmm? Suddenly checking up on me?"

"Yes."

Nathan replied: "I'm discussing a case with a client right now. It's not very convenient. Let me video call you back when I get to the hotel."

His tone brooked no argument.

"What if I want to video call you right now?"

"Honey, you're always so good. I'm working right now. Wait until I finish work, okay?"

I stared at that last message, then looked up at the man in the white suit on the beach, pulling my lips into a smile.

I smiled until my eyes turned red, tears blurring my vision.

My entire heart felt like it had been viciously torn in half by a savage beast. The pain was bloody and raw, making it almost impossible to breathe, like I was dying.

I hid in the restroom of a nearby hotel to calm my emotions.

From outside the stall, I heard the voices of several men.

"Nathan, how did you manage to divorce Diana without her knowing?"

Another voice answered first. "You guys wouldn't know this, but for a major international case these past two years, Nathan's been traveling abroad frequently."

"He submitted false proof that he and Diana had been separated for two years and filed for divorce litigation."

"Then he tampered with her contact information and address to block the court summons, did some maneuvering, and the default judgment came through."

Nathan was a legal ace.

As long as he wanted, he could completely argue that black was white.

"No wonder everyone says you should never cross Nathan. If you want to play games, you really can destroy people."

Nathan's voice came through faintly, accompanied by the sound of running water. "It's just a little trick."

"But what if Diana finds out? You two were childhood friends for so many years, together since high school..."

Nathan's voice suddenly turned ice cold. "Diana is the person I love most. I can never lose her."

"So she'd better never find out."

The other two men laughed in agreement. "Don't worry, we know what to say and what not to say."

After all, none of them wanted to offend someone so well-versed in the law.

After I heard Nathan turn off the faucet and leave with the others, I finally opened the stall door and walked out.

In the mirror, my face was completely bloodless, my eyes red and swollen.

He'd already married Juliet, yet still wanted to keep me deceived like a fool in the name of love.

My heart, shattered overnight, ached as if bleeding.

It made me, who until recently had been immersed in a happy marriage, feel like I'd had an absurd nightmare.

Since he said he could never lose me.

Then I'd make sure he lost me forever.