Chapter 1

Wendy Lindell's red sports car slowed to a stop in front of the school gates.

Once the door opened, Wendy stepped out in a high-quality tailored outfit. Her makeup was perfect, and a smile lit up her face.

I felt my heart leap in joy and was about to go greet her when the door to the passenger's seat opened and a man walked out of the car.

It was Zachary Shea. He was one of Wendy's important business partners, and he was also the heir to the Shea family fortune.

The moment he stepped out of the car, he reached out and wrapped an arm around Wendy's waist.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow as if showing off his dominance.

Before I could say anything, my daughter's eyes lit up. Quincy tossed my hand away and rushed forward excitedly.

"Uncle Zach! Is my customized music box here?"

A tender smile immediately bloomed on Zachary's face. He took a delicate gift box out of the pocket of his suit jacket and passed it to Quincy.

"Of course. I would never forget a promise I made to you. I'll buy you whatever you want from now on."

"Thank you, Uncle Zach! You're so much better than my naggy old dad!"

She held the gift box tightly as she stood by Zachary without even looking back at me.

I froze, feeling my blood turn to ice in my veins.

I looked at Quincy, who stuck her tongue out at me before turning to hug Zachary's leg.

Wendy approached me. She didn't look guilty at all. Instead, she looked impatient.

"Who told you you could come on your own? I told you I would handle it. Look at what you're wearing. It's way too casual. The school board is going to think we can't afford good things."

I looked down at my outfit. It was a high-quality casual set with no obvious brand logos plastered on it.

I looked at her with a frown. "Wendy, what's the meaning of this? What is he doing here?"

Before Wendy could speak, Zachary scoffed lightly. It was a sound that was full of disdain.

"Mr. Howards, you're probably uneducated about the world of business. After all, all you do is clean the house and take care of Quincy. You didn't even know that today was the day that Lindell Corp officially got on the market. Wendy and I have been partners for years, and she needs a proper companion.

"That's why I joined the celebration party with her, which made us a little late. You probably won't blame us for that, right, Mr. Howards?"

I suppressed the rage burning in my chest as I looked at Wendy. How did I not know it was the day Lindell Corp joined the market?

At that moment, a teacher from the international school approached us and politely reminded us, "Ms. Lindell, Mr. Howards, the interview is about to end. Please give us the necessary documents as soon as possible."

Wendy huffed impatiently in response, but she was looking at Zachary.

My frown deepened as my frustration began to build.

This was about Quincy's future. I spent a year carefully paving the road for her. Was Wendy about to let Zachary swoop in and claim all my hard work?

I quickly stepped forward and handed my marriage certificate to the teacher.

"Hello. This is our marriage certificate. We have already handed in the rest of the documents prior to this."

The teacher nodded politely after taking the marriage certificate from me. She turned and walked into the school.

Wendy's expression immediately darkened.

As for Zachary, he stood next to her with his arms crossed. He had a cold smirk on his face as if he was waiting for something to happen.

I felt confused. What did their demeanor mean?