Chapter 1
It was our fourth year of marriage. On the night of the company’s annual gala, my wife, Nicole Morgan, walked in—pregnant. And she didn’t come alone. Right behind her was a man—her assistant, Drew Hastings. Also known as her long-time “true love.” The crowd turned to watch me, like they were waiting for a good show. Their eyes were full of mockery. After all, Nicole had been overseas for the past two years. And now here she was, back in town, carrying another man’s child. Even my in-laws just stood there in silence, staring at me. Nicole walked up and announced to the whole room, “Ryan, I’m pregnant with Drew’s baby. But I’m still your wife. And Drew’s child will take care of you when you’re old. I’m only having this one child—ever.” Then she added, cold and proud, “You should be grateful. Let’s be real—if it weren’t for my family, you would’ve starved to death a long time ago, Ryan. You’re just a live-in son-in-law.” I looked at this whole twisted family, then let out a small laugh. “In that case… say goodbye to the Morgan family business.” —— Drew stepped forward, sneering, “You’ve gotta be joking. Everything you have came from the Morgans!” “You really think you can take us down?” Nicole burst into laughter. “I was going to let you keep some dignity. My parents actually said you were capable—that we should let you run the company and work yourself to death for our family.” “But I think Drew can do a much better job than you ever could. So today, Ryan, I’m divorcing you. And you can pack your things and get out of the company.” Her eyes were icy as she looked at me. “You signed a contract when you married into our family. If I want a divorce, you have to accept it—no questions asked. And you walk away with nothing.” I turned to look at her parents. They kept their heads down, silent—but the guilt in their expressions said it all. The rest of the company stood around whispering, watching the drama unfold. Not one person stepped in to defend me. They were still waiting for the punchline. I knew what they all thought of me. I was just the ‘kept’ husband, someone they never respected. The only reason I got to be CEO was because I made the company money. Since marrying into the Morgans, I had given everything to their business—transforming it from a small operation into a publicly traded company. Nicole had volunteered to expand the business overseas. And now she was back, pregnant by another man. I looked at her. At Drew, standing proudly behind her. I chuckled. “Fine. You want a divorce? Let’s do it.” The second I said that, Drew grinned and pulled Nicole closer. “Don’t worry, Nicole. I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly from now on.” She gave him a sweet smile—one I’d never seen her give me. Even after everything I gave up for her—even after marrying into her family—I never got her real love. Nicole held out a document. “I’ve already drawn up the divorce agreement. Sign it and we’ll get the papers finalized tomorrow.” I glanced at it and gave a slight smile. It was simple. I leave with nothing. Not even a toothbrush. I looked at her one more time. After years of loyalty, this was how it ended. Without hesitation, I signed. “I’ll meet you at the courthouse tomorrow morning.”