Chapter 1

I was the legally wedded wife of corporate titan Richard Ford, and the physics prodigy he'd locked away from the world.

On our anniversary, my father was on his deathbed. I begged Richard for money.

He hung up on me. His secretary and first love, Evelyn White, was having her yearly "sleep-with-the-boss performance review."

She sent me the PowerPoint slides to taunt me.

My father died waiting. I dried my eyes and made a call.

Richard's empire had been built on my blueprints. And now I was taking it all back.

*****

"300 thousand dollars," the doctor said. "Ms. Summers, this is your father's last hope."

His words were like a dull knife, cutting into my chest again and again.

The smell of disinfectant hung heavy in the hospital corridor, burning my nose and making my eyes sting.

I leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

I was Claire Summers, the legit wife of Richard, the big boss at Ford Group.

To everyone else, I was a glamorous, rich lady, living in a mansion worth tens of millions, rocking bags that cost more than most people's cars, and spending money like it was nothing.

But right now, I couldn't come up with 300 thousand bucks to save my dad.

I pulled out my phone, found photos of my luxury handbags, and listed them on eBay for dirt-low prices.

I posted, [Genuine, 99% new, only carried once. Selling for $30,000.]

[Genuine, brand new, protective film still on. Selling for $90,000.]

But buyers were still arguing with me over a hundred bucks for shipping.

No one on the other side of the screen had any idea how frantic I was.

Three years ago, I married Richard.

He said, "Claire, stop burning yourself out in the lab. I'll take care of you."

So, as the youngest physics prodigy in the country's top lab, I took off my white coat, left behind my research, slipped on high heels, and stepped right into the golden cage he'd built for me.

I foolishly thought this was love.

It wasn't until two weeks ago that my dad was diagnosed with leukemia.

The price of those targeted meds and the bone marrow transplant was draining every cent I had.

For the first time ever, I turned to Richard for help.

He sat behind his million-dollar desk, looking troubled.

"We're investing heavily in a major project right now. Money's tight everywhere, and cash flow is stretched thin," he said.

Then, my phone lit up with a transfer notification.

He only gave just $15,000.

It felt like he was tossing spare change to a beggar.

But for my dad's sake, I endured the humiliation.

I started selling my jewelry, my bags, anything that could bring in money.

I swallowed my pride and went to beg my mother-in-law, Fiona Ford, for help.

She was leisurely trimming her flowers, not sparing me a glance.

"It's a money pit that can never be filled. The Ford family's money doesn't fall from the sky," she said.

She snipped a perfectly blooming rose and dropped it in the trash without a second thought.

"Claire, instead of wasting your time, you'd be better off taking care of yourself and giving me a grandson sooner. Your father's life is nothing compared to the Ford family's bloodline," she said.

Every word was a dagger to my heart.

I clenched my fists, my nails biting painfully into my skin.

"Fiona, that's still a human life," I said.

She finally looked up at me, her gaze dripping with disdain. "So what? Claire, don't forget, everything you have, it's all thanks to the Ford family."

Her cold words utterly crushed the last shred of dignity I had.

I rushed out of the Ford residence, barely holding myself together.

My phone suddenly blared, piercing through the silence. It was the nurse from the hospital.

She said, "Ms. Summers, your father's taken a turn for the worse. We've issued a critical alert. We need to prep for surgery right now."

My world came crashing down.

I was frantically calling Richard, like I'd lost my mind.

It rang three times, and Richard still didn't pick it up.

As I was about to give up, the call finally went through.

But instead of Richard's voice, a soft, flirtatious female voice answered. "Hello, Mrs. Ford. Mr. Ford is in a meeting right now."

It was Evelyn, Richard's chief secretary and the woman he could never let go of.

My voice was shaking, and I didn't even notice how desperate I sounded. "Please, Evelyn, let Richard take the call. My dad... he's barely hanging on. We need 300 thousand for the surgery. It's his only chance!"

Evelyn let out a sweet but mocking laugh, her tone full of disdain and ridicule. "Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford is really busy. His time is priceless compared to 300 thousand bucks."

"I..." I could barely get the word out.

Then she hung up on me.

I was so desperate I nearly crushed my phone, calling again without a second thought.

But no one picked up.

As I was about to lose all hope, my phone chimed.

It was a picture message from Evelyn.

In the background, I recognized the massive projection screen in Richard's office.

Front and center was a PowerPoint presentation.

The title read, [Evelyn White's 2023 Annual Personal Work Report.]

The stuff on the screen was so shameless I could barely look.

[Business trips with Mr. Ford: 17 (15 overnight stays)

[New tricks unlocked: 3 (Satisfaction rating: S+)

[Annual KPI: Exceeded targets, special reward recommended]

In the bottom right corner, Richard's smiling profile was visible, his eyes locked on Evelyn as she presented, full of admiration and indulgence.

Today was our third wedding anniversary.

But Richard was listening to Evelyn present her year-end "bedroom performance review."

Then another message popped up.

It was Evelyn again. [Mrs. Ford, not bad for this year, huh? So, are you going to approve my year-end bonus?]

I stood under the hospital's harsh, sterile lights, clutching my phone, feeling ice crawl all over me.

Every line of text was like a venomous knife, cutting me to pieces.

I could picture Evelyn's smug smile as she sent that message.

She was showing off, and at the same time, she was declaring war on me.

Then, the light above the operating room door went out.

The doctor emerged, exhaustion etched across his face, and shook his head at me. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could."

I lifted my head, staring blankly at the doctor's lips as they moved.

It felt like the whole world had gone silent.

My dad's heart monitor flatlined, the line stretching out straight and cold.

The shrill beep was the only sound left in my world.

I didn't cry. Not a single tear fell.

I felt like something inside me was smashed to pieces, nothing left to fix.