Chapter 1

I found the place where my husband was keeping his mistress.

I wanted to see what kind of woman could outshine me, and turn a man who was always so disciplined and proper into a total simp.

It wasn't jealousy, just pure curiosity.

After all, Richard Lane and I had built everything from scratch, starting with a tiny apartment and working our way up to a villa, working ourselves to the bone.

Even after having a child, I didn't become some rich lady who spent her days at the spa. I was still buried in the factory, juggling both my career and my marriage.

I thought I had my life firmly under control.

I pressed the doorbell.

The door opened.

The girl on the other side smiled, her smile blooming like a flower, her eyes curving into crescents. "You must be Richard's mom, right? Hello, ma'am."

*****

Even in the face of hundreds of millions of contract negotiations, I did not show any expression.

But when she called me "ma'am," I couldn't help but frown.

We weren't even divorced yet, and she was already rushing to arrange a meeting with her future mother-in-law?

For some reason, I went along with it, "Hello."

"Please, come in, ma'am. I'm Melissa Grant." She smiled.

As soon as I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was a massive map of Centralia. Thin red threads tied together photos of them kissing, showing all the places they'd visited together.

The map was webbed with so many red lines, it looked like they'd left their mark on almost every inch of the country.

Seeing me study the map, she smiled and explained, "This is our check-in map. He takes me to a new place every month."

Apparently, Richard started cheating on me even earlier than I imagined.

She reached out and gently helped me take off my coat, hanging it up in the closet nearby.

The coffee she handed me was the proper temperature.

I looked around the place. It was right in the heart of the city, about 2,000 square feet, and with this kind of upscale decor, it must've set him back about 16 million dollars.

"Did he buy this place for you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Melissa's cheeks flushed pink. "Yes. Richard said it was a reward for me passing my Ph.D. entrance exam."

Ten years of marriage, and he never celebrated a single holiday with me. Even though we were rolling in money, he never bought me anything fancy or expensive.

Even my birthday was a cake and a simple "happy birthday."

I always thought love just became like family, that real love was just about living quietly together.

Turns out, love didn't transform it just shifted to someone else.

Seeing me stay silent, she looked nervous. After hesitating a few times, she finally spoke up. "Ma'am, Richard and I really love each other. Will you let me marry him?"

I thought I wouldn't feel a thing.

But my heart suddenly clenched, and before I knew it, I blurted out, "How did you two end up together?"

Melissa was practically glowing as she recounted the story, and suddenly everything made sense. Back when I was burning up with a fever, Richard still rushed out for a 33,000 dollar deal, even though we already had millions to our name.

All because she said, "I miss you." That one line changed everything.

Melissa said, "Ma'am, you wouldn't believe it. The moment Richard saw me, he told me his whole world lit up.

"Richard is incredible. He even helped my dad's company solve a technical headache that had been haunting their industry for years. He glanced at it once and cracked the problem like it was nothing.

"So, Ma'am, will you give us your blessing?"

She looked at me, her eyes full of hope.

I gave her a pointed look and asked, "Do you know he has a wife?"

Melissa's expression faltered, and she bit her lip. "Richard told me he doesn't love her at all. It's a partnership, nothing romantic between them.

"He said she's even older than his own aunt, totally boring, acts like a man, and her skin is so rough, it's disgusting."

I traced the calluses on my palms which I got from lugging sacks of soybeans back in those early days when we were building our business from scratch.

Every night, he'd slather my hands with thick hand cream and gently massage them until the cream soaked in.

He always said I was the one holding this family together.

Melissa said, "Honestly, I guess no man would ever want a woman like that.

"Divorce is inevitable, so I don't really care. As long as he truly loves me, that's all that matters."

My hand paused in midair, trembling as I held the cup.

Back then, we met through a friend and fell for each other at first sight. Richard even told his buddies I was his dream girl.

He swore he wouldn't marry me until he made something of himself. We started a soy food business together, never getting a full night's sleep. I worked myself so hard that my hair went white overnight, and I looked like I was pushing fifty.

He once got drunk, knelt in front of me, holding me and sobbing out apologies.

To keep him from feeling bad, even when I didn't have time for beauty treatments, I still made sure to dye my hair on time.

My heart went through a rollercoaster, but in the end, I felt calm again.

I'd seen enough, made all the comparisons I needed.

It was never about her being better. However, Richard was a different man now.

If he says there's nothing left between us, then I might as well make a clean break.