Chapter 1

My husband had a golden girl who pretended to want nothing.

And by pretending not to care, she got every bit of Ethan’s love.

She would sigh softly and say, "It’s just a birthday. What’s the big deal? Go home to your wife."

So, Ethan ditched our wedding anniversary to be by her side.

I had saved Ethan's life once, but she just gave a dismissive shrug:

"If she says she did it, then let her have the credit."

Just like that, I became a desperate liar stealing someone else's glory.

When company secrets were leaked, she and I were the only suspects.

She lowered her eyes and murmured, "Don't fight over it. Just blame it on me."

And with that, I became the criminal who betrayed the company.

Until that night, when she looked at Ethan with mild annoyance and sighed:

"Your wife is suffocatingly jealous. She’s completely ruining my peace. Ethan, I’m begging you—can you both just stay away from me?"

I looked at them and shook my head.

"Don't worry. What you discard, I don't want either."

Gasps rippled through the room. Everyone stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

Ethan looked at me in disbelief.

A second later, his face twisted into sheer disgust. He let out a cold sneer.

"Sienna, you really are a pathological liar."

"Do you honestly think pulling this stunt will make me forgive you for hurting Vanessa?"

Someone nearby tried to laugh it off and smooth things over.

"Come on, Sienna, stop joking. Everyone knows you’re head over heels for Ethan. You’d never divorce him."

I looked Ethan dead in the eye and said evenly, "I’m dead serious. Ethan, let's get a divorce."

A flicker of shock crossed Vanessa’s eyes.

I was exhausted. Truly, deeply exhausted.

Earlier tonight at the gala, Vanessa had walked straight into my wine glass.

The red wine splashed all over her pristine white gown.

Without asking a single question, Ethan instantly turned on me, barking accusations.

The crowd whispered, pointing fingers at me.

And then Vanessa dropped her act of exasperation, telling Ethan:

"Your wife is suffocatingly jealous. She’s completely ruining my peace. Ethan, I’m begging you—can you both just stay away from me?"

Always like this. Every single damn time.

Fine. I admit it. I couldn't beat her, and I couldn't outplay her. So I was walking away. Isn't that what they wanted?

Ethan’s expression froze for a second.

Then he ground his teeth, his eyes flashing with fury. "Sienna, don't you dare regret this!"

He grabbed Vanessa's arm and turned on his heel. "Let's go. Let her cool off by herself."

A dull ache ripped through my chest. Nobody knew how much courage it took for me to walk away from this marriage.

I didn't want to stay and be the spectacle of the night. I walked out into the freezing night air.

The cold wind hit me instantly, making me shiver violently.

My coat was left in the car, and Ethan had already driven away.

I stood by the curb, numbly waiting for my Uber.

A sharp honk pulled me out of my daze.

I looked up. It was Dylan, Ethan's best friend.

"Sienna! Hop in, I'll take you home," he called out from his rolled-down window.

I didn't hesitate. I canceled the ride and got in.

If I stayed out in the freezing cold any longer, I’d collapse.

Dylan glanced at me through the rearview mirror, hesitating before speaking. "Sienna, don't take it out on Ethan. He loves you. He's the one who texted me to make sure you got home safe."

"He's just... obsessed with Vanessa's memory. Give him a little time. He'll snap out of it."

Obsessed?

I gave a bitter smile and shook my head.

Once upon a time, I was his entire world.

Back when we first started dating, Ethan—a billionaire heir who had never known hardship—sat on curb stones eating clearance bread with me just to keep me company.

When he couldn't stand it anymore, he started bringing homemade meals from his family chef.

To protect my fragile pride, he’d casually say, "My cook made way too much today. If you don't eat it, it's going in the trash."

Whenever we argued, he’d send me long paragraphs begging for forgiveness, sounding completely broken until I smiled again.

When we first got married, he canceled every single business trip just so he could wake up next to me every morning.

When did everything begin to rot?

Right. Exactly one year ago, when his untouchable first love came back to town.

The way he looked at me changed. He stopped coming home.

The car pulled up in front of the villa, snapping me back to reality.

It was time to put an end to this shattered marriage once and for all.