Chapter 2

First thing the next morning, Joseph canceled my supplementary cards, trying to force my hand.

I turned right around and had the maid, Leah Holmes, sell off all my luxury goods.

Two hours later, 500 thousand dollars in cash landed in my savings account.

I changed into a sharp black business suit and put on a fierce, striking face of makeup.

"Leah, order a banner and hire a band."

At noon, right at the peak of lunch hour at Cooke Group, a huge truck pulled up in front of the entrance.

On my mark, the deafening beat of drums and the blare of trumpets filled the air.

Crowds of employees and passersby flooded over.

Standing on top of the truck bed, I gave a wave of my hand.

A massive banner with gold letters on a red background unrolled instantly. "Congratulations to Mr. Joseph Cooke on His Second Wife, Expanding the Cooke Family! Blessings From His Legal Wife, Brenda Hudson!"

When Joseph sprinted out of the lobby, he had lost a shoe along the way.

"Brenda! Get the hell down here! Do you not have any shame?"

I grabbed a megaphone, my voice ringing loud and clear across the entire plaza. "Oh, Mr. Cooke, don't be so shy. We are husband and wife. Now that you've taken a concubine, as your wife, I couldn't be happier! I came specifically to celebrate your joyous occasion!"

Laughter erupted through the crowd, and countless phones were whipped out to record us.

Shaking with rage, Joseph roared at the security guards beside him, "What are you waiting for? Drag this lunatic down! Tear that banner down!"

The guards exchanged hesitant glances.

I let out a cold laugh, pulled a stack of 100-dollar bills from my bag, and tossed them into the air. "No one moves! Today is Mr. Cooke's big day! Everyone gets a piece!"

Green bills scattered like rain. The guards and spectators instantly broke into a frenzy, scrambling for the cash. Nobody cared about Joseph's orders anymore.

Seeing the mayhem, Joseph tried to climb onto the truck himself to grab me.

The moment his fingers gripped the side rail, I seized the opening and slammed the heel of my stilettos onto the back of his hand.

"Ah!" With an agonized shriek, Joseph tipped backward and fell right into the head security guard's arms.

I elegantly set the megaphone aside and waved at the phones below. "Look at Mr. Cooke, so overcome with joy that his legs went soft! When you come home tonight, remember to have your concubine greet me."

With that, I slid back into the truck and drove off.

By the time I got home, the top trending hashtag was #RichWifeLosesHerMind.

Naomi hadn't been idle, either.

She had posted a long, tear-jerking essay on Instagram. The accompanying photo showed her pitiful face alongside a faint bruise on her wrist.

"Perhaps love came a little late for us, but my conscience is clear. Brenda, if you truly hate me, come at me. Why hurt Joseph? Why humiliate him in front of the entire company? If my departure can bring peace to this home, I am willing to leave with my baby…"

The comments section was a complete sewer.

"Is this wife out of her mind? If he doesn't love you, just let go. Why make such an ugly scene?"

"Total psycho. No wonder Mr. Cooke looked elsewhere."

"Poor Naomi. You're pregnant and have to endure this? This outdated, feudal nonsense needs to go!"

Outdated, feudal nonsense?

Looking at those words, I let out a dry laugh.

If this were actually my time, a mistress like her would have been beaten to death and tossed into the street.

Online harassment hit like a tidal wave, and my inbox filled with foul, vile insults.

Someone even leaked my phone number. Calls flooded in one after another.

The moment I answered, someone began screaming obscenities, and the second I hung up, the phone rang again.

I simply turned off the phone, sat in the rosewood chair in my study, and closed my eyes to rest.

Leah brought in a cup of tea, her hands trembling. "Mrs. Cooke… people are throwing rotten eggs at the gate, and others are splashing red paint…"

"Let them be," I said without opening my eyes. "The bigger the scene they make now, the more they'll pay me later."