Chapter 1

When Lucas Bennett was preparing to propose, I discovered flirtatious messages on his phone from a woman I didn’t recognize.

I created a fake profile and posed as a relationship counselor. Shortly after I added his mistress, Sophie Reid, she messaged me.

"He's proposing to his wealthy girlfriend and told me to keep my distance. What should I do?"

I kept my cool and asked her every detail about how they met. That was when I realized he'd been cheating on me for our entire five-year relationship.

The bitter irony was that he'd even met his mistress because of me. I was the one who had taken him to the hotel where she worked.

I was ready to confront him with everything I'd uncovered. But just as I approached his office, I heard him laughing and bantering with his friends.

"Once you tie the knot, you'll be tied down for good. You okay with that, man?"

Lucas scoffed, casually spinning the engagement ring on his finger that I'd once seen as a symbol of our love.

"It's just to put Mr. Thomas Cruise's mind at ease. I should probably rein myself in for a while and actually act like a good husband. I'll figure out the rest later."

One of his friends laughed and nudged him playfully.

"There's plenty of fish in the sea. Secure the bag with the marriage first, then you can settle down with Sophie."

My fists clenched so hard my phone dug painfully into my palm.

Lucas must have heard something, because he hurried out to see what was going on. When he spotted me in the doorway, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. He pressed his lips together briefly before settling into his signature easy smile.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

My mind flashed back five years, to when he had taken a huge hit in the business world and had begged my dad for help.

Dad hadn't wanted anything to do with him.

But I was the one who took pity on Lucas. I provided the capital to start this tech company and built him from nothing into the so-called tech wunderkind.

And now he had chosen to betray me.

I shot him a scathing look, shouldered past him into the office, and took his seat behind the desk, crossing my legs.

"What? Do I need to report to you before coming into my own company?"

My words caught him off guard. For years, I'd downplayed my role as the main investor to spare his pride. But now, I was done playing nice.

After a moment of stunned silence, Lucas let out a resigned sigh.

"Vee, why must you always be so assertive? Most men prefer a woman to be gentle. A little mischief is one thing, but it's better than being so domineering."

I wondered if this was his reason for betraying me. If I weren't assertive, this company would have gone bankrupt years ago.

My phone buzzed again with another insistent message from Sophie.

"You have to help me get him back. I'm willing to pay any consultation fee."

I typed out a quick reply.

"A little drama keeps the spark alive. If you don't stir things up now and then, how else will he remember to pay attention to you?"

A "thank you" sticker popped up in response.

I dragged myself home and collapsed on the bed, barely making it through the night in a daze.

The next morning, the moment I stepped into the company lobby, I stopped short. I saw Sophie standing at the reception desk, dressed in corporate attire.

At that moment, a message popped up on my phone.

"After I made a scene yesterday, not only did he not break up with me, he got me a job at his company. You're amazing."