Chapter 2

The air reeked of cheap cigarettes. Vita rubbed her temples, her headache getting worse. "Curtis, I've never even talked to her. Stop being so unreasonable."

Curtis's face darkened. "Vita, don't take my kindness for granted. If you hadn't waited for me all those years, I would've kicked you out of the Guerrero family already and left you with absolutely nothing."

Vita shot Curtis a cold glare. She couldn't understand what would make him think that she would stick around for him.

Vita also didn't believe Curtis had the authority to kick her out of the Guerrero family.

Ten years ago, at their beachside wedding, Vita waited in the hotel lounge, dressed in a red wedding dress, waiting for Curtis to come pick her up in a speedboat.

However, she was hit with devastating news. The speedboat had capsized at sea. There were five people on board, and only the driver and the assistant made it out alive.

Vita picked out Curtis's burial site. It overlooked the ocean, surrounded by lush greenery.

Vita visited the families of the other two victims, bringing 30 thousand dollars each and settling the compensations, making sure the Guerrero family avoided any scandals that could tank their stock price.

Vita came from the Holden family. They were in a financial crisis, so Vita had no choice but to marry into the Guerrero family.

Just when Vita was at her wits' end, her husband appeared out of the blue and slipped into a tux right there at the wedding.

Over the past decade, surrounded by love and family, Vita had long forgotten all about Curtis.

Just like everyone else, she thought Curtis had died at sea, his body lost to the ocean.

So when Curtis showed up at her door with his new girlfriend, making a scene, Vita's face stayed completely blank. Underneath her polite mask, she felt quite upset to deal with Curtis.

Vita repeated firmly, "Curtis, let me make this clear one more time. Ten years ago, you had an accident on that speedboat. The Guerrero family officially declared you dead and removed you from all family records eight years ago, as required by law.

"Once you were confirmed dead, our marriage certificate was voided. Legally, we were never married.

"You were single ten years ago, and you're still single now. Whoever you want to marry is none of my business."

Curtis couldn't help but look a little smug, though there was a trace of regret in his eyes. "Vita, if you hadn't kept pursuing me and insisting on marrying me, I never would've had to run off overseas and live under a fake name."

For the past ten years, life abroad had been anything but easy for Curtis. Without a passport, he was forced to work off the books, taking on the hardest, dirtiest jobs.

He was washing dishes in the back of diners, packing apples in orchards, and harvesting blueberries.

Barbara, the one who'd saved his life, hadn't had any schooling. While Curtis was out hustling for work, she stayed home patching up fishing nets or went out to sea with the neighbors to catch fish.

The two of them were always scraping by, pinching every penny to get through the day.

Curtis used to be a privileged, rich boy. He had been knocked all the way down to the bottom. He used to smoke nothing but cigars, but now he was stuck with the cheapest cigarettes he could find.

Vita couldn't hide the sarcasm and disgust on her face.

Curtis was so selfish and reckless that he'd rather cause a speedboat accident just to dodge a wedding, making his own family suffer the pain of losing a loved one and dragging innocent people down with him.

When word of Curtis's death got out, his grandma, Talia Guerrero, who adored him most. collapsed in tears at the funeral.

She ended up with a heart problem. Later, she had to receive IV drips at a private hospital every month.

Vita asked, "Curtis, don't you feel any guilt or regret?"

Curtis burst out laughing, like she'd just cracked a joke. "Vita, we were never even married, but you still lived in the Guerrero family for ten years. You never really earned that spot. Shouldn't you be the one feeling regret?"

Hadley Guerrero, the Guerrero family's butler, hurried over and said, "Mr. Guerrero, you really shouldn't say that."

He gave Vita a respectful nod, then added with a hint of pride, "Mr. Guerrero, Mrs. Guerrero isn't just the lady of the house.

She's also the CEO's wife. She controls half the Guerrero family's shares and has tens of millions in assets under her name."

Curtis asked in disbelief, "The CEO's wife? How is that possible?"