Chapter 1

The ever-cold, untouchable CEO, Ethan Sinclair, dragged me into his room after getting drunk.

After a wild night, he looked at me and asked, "Want to get married?"

As if possessed, I nodded.

I thought it was the start of our love story, but instead, we spent three years in a hidden marriage where I never earned a real place in his life.

On our anniversary, the woman he always loved came back to town.

He ditched me to go to a bar for her welcome party, leaving me to wait alone in the restaurant until closing time before I had to brave the downpour to get home.

When I nearly fainted from acute gastritis, he abandoned me the second she called, leaving me to fend for myself.

When she asked who I was, he answered coldly, "She's just my secretary."

That very day, I booked a divorce consultation, tidied up the apartment and my broken heart, and disappeared from his world.

*****

"Ms. Monroe, here is the divorce agreement you requested." The lawyer, sitting across the desk in his office at the firm, handed the document over to me.

"But the agreement only takes effect once both parties have signed it, and there is a mandatory one-month waiting period. Once that's up, you can proceed with finalizing the divorce."

Clutching the divorce papers, I simply nodded. By the time the taxi dropped me off back at Silvercrest Corporation, it was already half past one in the afternoon.

The moment I got to my desk, the phone rang. "Ms. Monroe, bring me a cup of coffee."

Hearing that familiar yet distant voice, I paused for a moment. "Certainly, Mr. Sinclair."

I subsequently carried the coffee and the file into Ethan's office.

He was focused, head bent over the papers in his hands. The golden sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed him in a warmth that belied his demeanor.

Noticing my presence, he lifted his head, my reflection caught in his beautiful eyes. "Claire, where were you this afternoon? Why didn't you bring me lunch?"

I lowered my gaze, placed the coffee in front of him, and simply brushed him off with an excuse. "I left something at home and had to go back for it. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

Then, I handed him the file I was holding naturally. "This is the contract for the East City land development. It requires your signature."

Ethan didn't press the issue. He took the file from me, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and used his pen to sign the three signature pages at the end.

Watching his pen touch the paper, I finally felt my nerves settle.

He had no idea that slipped in among those three signature pages was the very last page of the divorce agreement.

After all, over the five years I had been his secretary, my work had been nothing short of flawless. Consequently, he had long since stopped giving a double-check to the documents I presented to him. Otherwise, it certainly wouldn't have gone off without a hitch.

After signing, Ethan put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and said, "Claire, we've been up to our necks in this development case these past few days. You must be exhausted too. To make up for missing our anniversary last week, I booked your favorite restaurant for tonight. Let's have dinner together..."

Before he could finish, the door was suddenly thrown open.

"Ethan, I'm so bored. I hope you don't mind me dropping by?" A melodious female voice drifted in.

I turned my head and saw a radiant, dazzling face. She was Lily Bennett, Ethan's untouchable first love.

Ethan was completely drawn to her. He paused for a moment, then smiled, "Not at all, Ms. Bennett. Your arrival is a treat. Please, come in and have a seat."

Then, he addressed me casually, "The contract is signed. You can leave now."

His attitude towards me was a world away from how it had been moments before.

Only then did Lily notice me standing nearby. She playfully stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed. "Are you Ethan's employee? You're so pretty."

I offered no reply. I simply nodded at Ethan, turned, and walked out of the office.

The moment I closed the door, I saw Ethan rise from his desk chair and walk over to Lily. His voice was soft. "She's just a secretary. Why didn't you let me know you were coming? Should I have them prepare high tea for you?"

My heart sank as I heard his indulgent tone. I tightened my grip on the file I was holding unconsciously.

It dawned on me that after three years of marriage, I was still nothing more than a secretary to him.

Three years ago, at a cocktail party, Ethan got drunk. I barely managed to get him back to his hotel room before he pinned me down and kissed me.

Just as I was about to resist, I heard him whisper, "Claire..."

Perhaps it was the alcohol and hormones at play; I didn't push him away.

When I woke up the next morning, I thought Ethan would either pretend nothing had happened and offer me hush money or just tell me to hit the road. Instead, he spoke with surprising calm. "Do you have your ID?"

I nodded, feeling completely bewildered.

He asked, "Want to get married?"

Even after we walked out of the city hall with our marriage license in hand, I still felt like I was dreaming.

I had actually known Ethan for a long time.

In college, he was two years my senior and the secret crush of countless girls.

Knowing I was just an ordinary girl, I never dared to cross paths with him; I could only admire him from afar. The most courageous thing I ever did was send my resume to his Silvercrest Corporation after graduation and become his secretary.

I thought his willingness to marry me meant he returned my feelings. Even when he insisted on keeping our marriage a secret, stating he wouldn't disclose our relationship publicly for the short term, I convinced myself it didn't matter.

It wasn't until over a year into our marriage that I finally found out the truth. That night when Ethan got drunk and ended up with me only happened because Lily had gone public with a new boyfriend while she was abroad.

In his heart, Lily was always the one he truly loved.

Finding out the truth hurt, but I didn't lose hope. After all, he had married me.

I kept telling myself there was still time, that if I just tried hard enough and stayed by his side, he would eventually see me and be moved by me.

But over these three years, Ethan never really warmed up to me. I felt much more like his secretary than his wife.