Chapter 2

"If you don't stop now, I'm calling the police!"

Ethan rolled his eyes, his expression turning even more contemptuous.

He pulled his marriage certificate from his pocket and held it up for everyone to see.

"Lauren and I have been married for three years. I personally took her to the city hall and registered our marriage.

"For the past three years, she's traveled overseas whenever she has had the chance. I saw the messages between you two on her phone, and she told me you were just friends. But I dug deeper and found the photos of the two of you together. There's no such thing as 'just friends' between a man and a woman. You're the homewrecker who came between us!"

The men with him sneered.

"I think he used that whole 'best friend' act to stay close to Ms. Stewart. He watched her climb to the top over the past two years, then came here to push you aside and take your place. What a scheme!"

"Exactly!" Another person chimed in. "Back in the old days, breaking up a marriage like that would've gotten you stoned to death!"

My mind went blank.

I snatched the marriage certificate from his hand.

The name of the woman in it really was Lauren Stewart.

Before I could say anything, my phone suddenly buzzed.

"Ms. Astor, Mr. Astor Sr. is barely hanging on. He keeps asking to see you one last time."

There was no time to think.

"A family member of mine is critically ill, so I have to go. My lawyer will contact you."

I hurried toward the exit, but Ethan grabbed me again.

Ethan glared at me. "Running away already? Afraid everyone's going to find out you're the homewrecker?"

He had stopped me again and again, and I finally lost my temper.

I'd already told him my family member is dying. How could he still be trying to stop me from leaving?

Then someone behind us spoke hesitantly.

"I work here. I can check the certificate numbers and verify whether they're real."

I was desperate to leave, but refusing to let them check it would make me look guilty.

I looked at Ethan one last time.

"Fine. But once you've checked them, let me leave."

I frantically asked our butler, Joshua Edwards, about Grandpa's condition, terrified I wouldn't make it in time.

Instead, he sent me a video.

Grandpa's eyes were wide open as he kept calling my name, barely clinging to life.

My eyes instantly filled with tears. I looked anxiously at the staff member, my voice trembling.

"Are you fine? Please. I really need to go."

Even then, I tried to reason with Ethan.

"There's something suspicious about this. Contact my assistant afterward and see if this is some kind of new scam."

Whoever was behind this, using my wife's identity to pull this stunt, I wasn't going to let them get away with it.

Lauren was the CEO of Nova Group. During the years I'd been overseas, she had become the face of the company.

This could easily be a scheme by a rival trying to destroy the company's reputation.

The staff member, Sarah, checked the certificate number carefully.

When she looked at me again, her expression had changed.

She politely handed Ethan's certificate back.

"Your marriage certificate has a valid registration number. It's real."

Then she looked at me with open disdain and dropped my certificate onto the ground.

"You were pretty confident, but there's no record of this certificate number in our system."

"Are you trying to scam us? Ms. Stewart has become quite famous over the past few years. I guess success really does attract all kinds of shady people."

It felt like I'd been struck by lightning.

"How is that possible?

"I've known Lauren for ten years. We've been married for five. How could our marriage certificate possibly be fake?"

I dropped to the ground and picked up the certificate she'd thrown away, desperate to have someone check it again.