Chapter 1

My husband, Edward Carter, fell in love with someone else.

But this time, his girlfriend wasn't exactly obedient. She actually came right up to me and showed off their relationship.

With a stubborn look on her face, she refused to call me Mrs. Carter. "Ms. Summers, you two are just a business arrangement. I'm the one he truly loves."

I smiled, reached out with delicate fingers, and swiftly pulled the Bulgari necklace from her neck.

Edward watched the scene unfold, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Jenna Lane bit her lip, her voice soft and coy. "Edward, Ms. Summers just took the gift you gave me."

Edward glanced at the necklace in my hand, then tossed it straight into the trash without hesitation.

He said, "Jenna, who gave you the nerve to bother my wife?"

Jenna stared at him in shock, tears streaming down her face.

I just watched him with cold glares. I couldn't help but find it funny.

*****

As Jenna was escorted out by his assistant, she looked completely lost and wronged, her face full of confusion.

She probably couldn't wrap her head around how the man who'd been so tender with her in bed just last night could suddenly act like she meant nothing to him today.

Edward's care for me wasn't just an act—he really meant it.

When he took my hand, he instantly noticed the faint red marks on my fingertips and kissed them again and again,.

"Anna, it's just a little trinket. If you ever get hurt, I'd feel terrible," he said, with a trace of contempt in his eyes.

I didn't bother looking at Edward.

I didn't feel anything anymore when he spoke.

Edward and I grew up side by side. We were childhood friends from the very start.

He wasn't known for his patience or charm, but with me, he was always gentle and held himself back.

In high society, it was not unusual for couples to lead separate lives. But I was the one he went out of his way to win over.

When the Summers and Carter families arranged our marriage, Julia Evans, my cousin, couldn't hide how jealous she was.

After all, guys with money and power wouldn't really care about things like morals anymore.

But Edward was different.

It was all because he loved me.

Julia always said, in families like ours, there was no such thing as true love.

Maybe when one had climbed high enough in society, expecting a man to actually hold onto his self-respect and integrity was just wishful thinking.

Honestly, for most rich couples, just putting on a show for the public was impressive enough.

But Julia had seen Edward standing in the rain, holding an umbrella over me; she'd watched his hands tremble with nerves when he proposed to me; and she was there on our wedding day, hearing him choke up as he swore that I was the only woman he'd ever love.

But I wasn't the only woman in his life.

For a guy like him—young, loaded, and powerful—it'd be stranger if he didn't have a few side chicks.

To Julia, the girls Edward hooked up with outside were just his usual entertainment.

In high society, it was so common that nobody even blinked.

Everyone just took it for granted.

It was like keeping things steady at home with your wife, while having flings outside was just the norm, and loyalty almost felt outdated.

That night, Edward cooked dinner himself.

For a high-powered guy like him to actually get in the kitchen and cook was good enough.

Even my parents, who were usually super hard to please, couldn't help but sing his praises.