Chapter 2

Though Chloe and I share the same father, Chloe is the legitimate heiress. I am merely the result of a drunken mistake my father made with one of our housemaids.

Chloe never missed a chance to mock my status, and Richard viewed me as a stain on his reputation.

He treated me with cold indifference, bringing me into the house only to save face in high society.

In our past life, Chloe was incredibly jealous of the Sterling family's interest in me.

Since one of us had to marry Marcus, she looked down on him for being a mere mechanic and eagerly took my place with the Sterlings.

Later, Marcus started his own company. Step by step, he grew it into a Fortune 500 giant, even showing signs of overtaking the Sterlings.

And I, as his wife, became the envied spouse of a billionaire CEO, put on a pedestal by everyone.

Yet, I lived every single day on thin ice, paralyzed by fear.

Right when his company was about to go public, one of his main products was investigated for severe safety violations.

While he was frantic and desperate, someone gave him a suggestion, and he suddenly remembered me.

I was exceptionally beautiful. Though born to a maid, I had a striking, ethereal look.

He started dragging me to every business gala—events he had previously banned me from attending.

Whether it was a massive corporate party or a private gathering, I had to be there.

And these parties all had one thing in common: the presence of Robert Higgins, the greasy, morbidly obese chairman of Higgins Enterprises.

Finally, during a private lounge party, Marcus leaned in and whispered in my ear:

"Elena, you have to help me. Once I secure the market, you’ll live like a queen."

I nodded, agreeing to his request. Shortly after, he excused himself to go to the restroom and never returned.

From that night on, Robert Higgins treated me with bizarre respect and began throwing massive financial backing behind Marcus. The IPO went incredibly smoothly, and Marcus's wealth skyrocketed.

As Marcus's power grew, clients constantly tried to send beautiful women his way.

But Marcus always declined. Gradually, he built a reputation in New York as the ultimate "devoted husband," and our marriage was hailed as a modern fairy tale.

Meanwhile, my sister would stare at me with pure, unadulterated hatred every time she heard people praising my life, as if she wanted to tear me apart.

I could only laugh bitterly in my heart.

He only kept up the act to control me, ensuring I would keep his darkest secret.

A secret that, if exposed, would ruin us completely, leaving us in a living hell.