Chapter 1

On New Year's Eve, a hotel booking for a love hotel got sent to my phone by mistake.

My husband, Roger Watson didn't bother explaining. He just followed up with more texts.

He wrote: [I'm not coming home tonight. I'm gonna have a great time with Lainey. I only married you five years ago because I needed a live-in maid, and you sure seemed happy to play the part.

[I'm landing a big contract with the Ames family next year. I'll be worth millions then. When we divorce, you're not getting a penny.]

I let out a cold laugh and replied: [Wow. Never seen that much money before? Millions? Do you think I'm a beggar?]

He had no idea that I was the Ames family's only daughter and the heir to 98% of the shares of a multibillion empire.

He didn't know that if I hadn't secretly bailed out the Watson family back then, he would've been drowning in debt, dragging his mother around the streets begging for food.

Since he and Lainey were so in love, I figured I'd be generous and let them spend the rest of their lives as a broke, miserable couple.

*****

"Let's get divorced," Roger said. "We're just not right for each other. You're worthy of me."

He tossed over a divorce agreement, his signature already on it.

After three years of marriage, I was used to his indifference.

But I didn't do anything wrong, so why was he so desperate to divorce?

"Why?" I asked. "Roger, if I did something wrong, I'll change. I'll keep changing until you're happy."

I couldn't bring myself to look at the divorce papers lying in front of me.

"There's no need to change," a voice said. "He never liked you."

Just then, a woman strutted in. She had thick makeup and wore 3-inch high heels.

I glanced at her, then looked back at Roger.

"No need for Roger to explain," she said. "I'm Lainey Cooper, the youngest daughter of the Cooper Group, and Roger's childhood sweetheart."

She lounged on the couch, crossing her legs with a casual elegance.

Wasn't the Cooper Group the company that was launched with my family's money?

"So, Roger, you're dumping me to marry Lainey?" I asked.

I huddled in the corner, completely at a loss.

I had made chicken soup for Roger, and my apron was still wet and stained.

"Well, what did you think was gonna happen?" Roger shot back. "Samantha, have some sense of self-worth.

"You're just some veggie seller at the market. You were the one who kept throwing yourself at me, wanting to marry me. There was no stopping you."

Roger crossed his arms, lifting his chin with a look of pure disdain.

He wasn't wrong.

Three years ago, a car came barreling toward me, totally out of control.

At the last second, Roger rushed over and shoved me out of the way, but he ended up getting seriously hurt.

When he finally woke up, he barely managed to open his eyes and said, "Don't be scared. I'm here."

That one sentence was all it took. I knew I wanted to spend my whole life with him.

After we got married, Roger kept asking about my background, but I always dodged the question, telling him I was a street vendor selling veggies.

But the truth was, I was the daughter of Hoxen City's tycoon, Henry Ames.

I kept it under wraps because I was scared he'd freak out if he found out.

Now it hit me that maybe he'd known my real identity all along, and staged the car accident just to get close to me.

But I'd played my part so well that he believed I was just a veggie seller, so he always looked down on me.

Roger said, "Samantha, I'm done wasting my breath on you. What makes you think you're qualified to marry into the Watson family?

"The only reason you stuck around this long is because I lost my head for a moment and let you cling to me."

He reached out, his long fingers gently playing with a lock of Lainey's hair. They acted all intimate, like I didn't even exist.

"Lost your head for a moment?" I echoed.

My heart skipped a beat as I stared up at him, stunned.

"Yeah, what else did you expect?" Roger scoffed. He glanced up, meeting my eyes head-on. "You were just dead weight I married because I felt obligated. That's all. You can't even hold a candle to Lainey."

"Just look at yourself," Lainey said, rolling her eyes.

She grabbed my apron, her lips twisting in disgust. "Wearing these bargain-bin clothes, scrubbing floors for a living, and you actually think you belong in high society?"

She suddenly snatched my apron and flung it aside. Dirty water splattered right across my face.

I flinched, ducking my head, feeling small.

"You're so pathetic, even a stray dog would turn its nose up at you," Lainey sneered. "Did you really think a car accident would be enough to tie Roger to you? Get real."

She slowly wiped her hands, arching her brow with a look of pure disdain.

My eyes rimmed red, I muttered, "Divorce? Fine. Just don't regret it."

"Regret it?" Roger sneered. He moved closer, his eyes colder than ice. "What is there for me to regret? What do you think I'd ever miss about you?

"Is it those nasty soups you cook, or your healthy cooking that's impossible to swallow?"

My heart twisted painfully.

I was born a pampered heiress, but when it came to this marriage, I was always tiptoeing around him.

No matter how late he worked, I'd always have soup waiting for him when he got home.

Whenever he was sick, I'd stay up all night caring for him, wishing I could take his pain instead.