Chapter 1

At the company's bell-ringing celebration, everyone was egging each other on, so they launched into a game of Never Have I Ever.

The new secretary, Julia Sinclair, raised her hand first. "Never have I ever busted my ass to help a man build his business, only to find out I was the other woman the whole time."

The room went completely quiet.

Then, my fiancé, Charles Rowe, slid the penalty drink right in front of me. "Well, since it's all out in the open now, you might as well drink this. Julia and I got married last year. She's pregnant, and I can't keep her in the shadows anymore.

"The company needs you, so I never said anything. Anyway, you got the biggest cut from the IPO. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just be the bigger person."

One of the partners tried to smooth things over. "Yeah, Ms. Payne, to be honest, everyone here knew. We just didn't want to upset you, so we kept our mouths shut. Charles' wedding? All the senior execs showed up."

I felt my knees go weak. The company I had poured my life into. They had all been treating it like a stepping stone for that little family of three.

Turned out, everyone knew. Every single one of them. And I was the only one left in the dark. I felt like such a fool.

Barely holding it together, I made my way to the restroom. The moment I closed the door, I took out my phone and called my biggest rival. "Bring the acquisition papers. By tomorrow morning, I want this company under new ownership."

*****

By the time the party wound down, it was almost midnight. People filed out of the private room one by one. As they passed me, they stopped and tossed out a few empty words.

"Ms. Payne, don't take it to heart."

"Mr. Rowe had his reasons."

"We're all doing this for the company."

I stood there, listening, and honestly, I almost laughed at how ridiculous it all was. Even at this point, they still expected me to play along and act mature.

I went to the restroom to fix my lipstick. In the mirror, I still looked put together, except for the redness around my eyes. I hadn't let myself shed a single tear all night.

From that cramped apartment to the stock exchange, from the first business plan to the bell-ringing, I had walked every step of that journey with Charles.

I met with investors for him, ran the overseas markets for him, and handled all the messes he couldn't deal with.

I thought I was his fiancée. Turned out, I was just a useful tool.

When I got back to the private room, most people had already left.

Charles caught up from behind and draped his jacket over my shoulders, his movements as natural as ever. "It's cold outside."

I didn't flinch or move.

He lowered his voice. "Tonight, with everyone watching tonight, I had to say it. Julia's showing now. I can't keep this up any longer."

I looked at him and asked, very quietly, "So this is what I get, right?"

He frowned, like he was tired. "Victoria, don't think of it that way. You're not like her."

There it was again. He used to say that to me every time I worked myself to the breaking point for the company. "You're not like the others. You understand me better than anyone. You're the one who belongs by my side."

Back then, those words would make my heart melt. I'd think I was special. Now, I finally got it. Being "different" just meant I was the one who was best suited to be sacrificed.

He looked at me. "I can't give you a wedding. But I'll make sure you always have a respectable position here. I promise, I won't shortchange you.

"The company just went public. What we need most right now is stability. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

For a moment, I honestly couldn't tell if I should feel sorry for myself or just be disgusted by him.

After all these years with him, in the end, all he could offer me was some so-called dignity.

So even love can be handed out like severance pay, cold, clear, and down to the last dollar.

When the car arrived, I bent down and got in, not sparing him another glance.

Back home, I went straight to my study.

I turned on my computer. Documents filled the screen, row after row. I scrolled through them one by one. The further I went, the colder my heart grew.

Charles' version of not shortchanging me was just fancy dividends and stock options to make it look good. What actually decided the company's fate had never been in my hands.

All these years, I did the hardest work, delivered the best results, and took the biggest risks. But the seat at the heart of it all—he never gave that to me.

All this time, I thought we were building this empire together. Now, I saw it for what it was. It was all just wishful thinking on my part.

My phone on the desk suddenly lit up. A photo came through.

It was from a longtime employee from the company. Only one line was attached. It read: [Ms. Payne, there are things you should know."

I opened the photo, and a chill ran through me. It was a shot from Charles and Julia's wedding. I zoomed in slowly. The faces in the crowd came into focus.

People I trusted most. They were all there, sitting at their tables, raising their glasses and celebrating.

I stared at that photo until my eyes burned, then slowly put my phone down on the desk, screen side down.

I leaned back in my chair and sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost instantly, and a laid-back voice came through the line. "Victoria, I never thought you'd actually call me," he said.

I closed my eyes. When I spoke, my voice was soft but steady. "Bring the acquisition papers."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

I went on, "By tomorrow morning, I want this company under new ownership."

The person on the other end let out a low chuckle. "You finally got around to it."

I looked out at the pitch-black night outside and replied quietly, "Yeah. I can't just let them walk all over me."