Chapter 1

My wife, Chloe Miller, was terminally ill.

Against my parents' warnings, I liquidated all my assets, quit my job, and dedicated every second of my life to taking care of her.

Her dying wish was to save her father's bankrupt empire, Miller Enterprises.

Without hesitation, I poured $150 million into her family's company, bringing it back from the dead.

Yet, only six months after her tragic "death," my best friend, Jax Mercer, broke the news to me.

"Ethan, I saw your wife! She's not dead! She's literally at a venue downtown, having a wedding with another man!"

I pushed Jax away.

"You must have seen someone else. I buried her with my own hands. I hosted her funeral."

Frustrated, Jax dragged me into his car and drove straight to the wedding venue.

When I looked through the glass doors and saw Chloe standing there in a white gown, my mind went completely blank.

The moment Chloe spotted me, the radiant smile on her face vanished.

She walked over to me, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Since you've seen everything, I won't bother lying to you anymore."

"The one I truly love is Tristan Vance. I only faked my death because I didn't want to break your heart."

"So, stop clinging to me. Move on."

I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white.

All my unconditional devotion over the past three years meant absolutely nothing to her.

If that's how it is, I will make sure the Miller family spits out every single dime I invested in them.

Seeing my silence, Chloe added with an air of superiority:

"I know you sacrificed a lot for Miller Enterprises. Don't worry, I won't leave you out on the streets."

"I can get you a dummy job in our security department. It pays $1,500 a month. That should be plenty for someone like you now."

I let out a cold laugh. She actually thought I had fallen so low that I'd crawl for a minimum-wage security job.

Jax couldn't take it anymore. He pointed straight at Chloe's face and spat,

"Chloe, are you even human? Ethan gave up everything for you, and this is how you humiliate him?"

"To save your family's worthless company, the entire Sterling family's estate is on the brink of collapse!"

Chloe rolled her eyes at him.

"Did I force him to save us?"

"If his brain doesn't work right, you as his friend should take him to the psych ward to get checked."

"Instead, you watched him liquidate his entire family inheritance just to prop up a woman. He is incredibly stupid."

Jax was too furious to speak. I looked at Chloe, utterly astonished.

I couldn't believe this was the same woman who, six months ago, lay crying in my arms, begging me to save her family. Now, those same lips were spitting out such venomous words.

"When you faked your illness to deceive me, you planned all of this, didn't you?"

Chloe nodded nonchalantly. "I figured you might help the Millers, but I didn't expect you to be so... naive."

"I threw out a casual sob story, and you actually risked your family's legacy to save mine."

"When meat is served on a silver platter, why wouldn't I take a bite?"

"Naive..." I muttered, staring at the playful smirk on her face. My hands trembled with rage.

"Is being genuine a crime?"

"I risked my life for a joke you made, and you take it for granted."

"Did our years together mean absolutely nothing to you? Do you feel no guilt at all?!"

Chloe sneered. "Don't think that just because you have a pretty face and used to have money, every woman is going to worship you."

"In business, it's all about supply and demand, about mutual utility. I thought the heir of the Sterling family would at least understand that basic concept."

"You want my guilt? Fine." Chloe waved her hand, and her assistant hurried over.

"Go to the bank and cash $100,000 for him."

My brow furrowed. Before I could process what she was doing, my phone buzzed with an urgent text from my personal secretary:

"Mr. Sterling, the acquisition agreement with Miller Enterprises went through today. Our company has officially been taken over by them."

A cold sweat broke out across my back. "When did this happen? You bought my company?"

I stared at Chloe, my voice shaking. "That was the last legacy my mother left me. You..."

She nodded triumphantly. "So what? Without Miller Enterprises' acquisition, how many days could that failing company of yours survive anyway?"

"It just so happens my new husband doesn't have much management experience. He can use your mother's company as a playground to practice."

"Oh, by the way, your appointment as a security guard starts this afternoon. Make sure to call him 'Mr. Vance' when you see him!"

My face flushed with rage, the fury inside me threatening to explode.

To save the Millers, I had sold off almost all of my family's businesses, but I had kept that single company because it was the last thing my mother left me before she passed.

It wasn't just a business; it was my only memory of her.

And now, Chloe had secretly orchestrated a hostile takeover behind my back.

And she wanted me to stand at the gate, guarding the door for her new husband.

Jax looked like he was about to lose his mind. "You absolute bitch! You play with people's hearts like toys! You will burn in hell!"

He lunged forward to grab her, but a group of burly security guards immediately blocked him.

"Say whatever you want. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to finish with my husband."

"If you two dare to make a scene again, don't blame me for getting ugly!"

With a snap of her fingers, the guards shoved Jax and me out of the hotel lobby.

Then, they threw the envelope of $100,000 cash into the air, letting the bills rain down all over the asphalt.

"Who still believes in true love these days? Fucking hilarious," one of the guards mocked before slamming the heavy glass doors.

Jax yelled, pulling out his phone to call some of his old street contacts to trash the place. I grabbed his arm, stopping him, and then knelt down on the concrete, calmly picking up the scattered bills one by one.

Jax stared at me. "Bro, they just walked all over you, and you're in the mood to pick up their trash?"

I looked at the hundred-dollar bill in my hand. "This isn't trash. This is the wedding gift I'm going to use to ruin Chloe's life."