Chapter 1

"Ms. Lawson, are you sure you want to change the name here?"

"Yes."

The moment I stepped out of the hotel, I looked up at the clear sky. The weight on my shoulders, heavy and suffocating, was gone. No longer was I trapped in the shadow that had haunted me for so long. Finally, I was free.

I had crossed out my name for the wedding, replacing it with Raine Miller's instead.

Not long ago, Raine came to me with a desperate plea, claiming to be Bruno's first love. According to her, Bruno left her because of me.

My father, in his final breath, passed the company to Bruno with one condition: that Bruno take care of me. If not for that, Bruno would never have agreed to marry me.

To prove her words, Raine went so far as to attach recent photos of herself in bed with Bruno.

Luckily for me, the hotel manager had been right beside me while all this transpired. Otherwise, the rage that consumed me would have given me a heart attack.

When I finally came to, I had an epiphany.

In the five years of our relationship, Bruno never touched me—not out of concern for my weak heart, but because he was saving himself for Raine.

I took out my phone and shared the good news with Raine.

If their love was so deep, and if she truly believed I was the reason that broke them apart… Fine. I might as well let the lovebirds reunite.

Even so, the five years I spent with Bruno weren't a lie. I poured in everything I had, devoted my entirety to him. The pain of his deceit was so thick, so hurtful, it suffocated me so. I couldn't breathe. I did consider vengeance, but my fragile heart denied that option.

In the end, I simply decided to leave everything behind and start anew.

I would sell my shares in Elshine Corporation at market price and leave far, far away. I would take the money and find the best doctors to treat my ailing heart.

From this moment on, I would only live for myself.

By the time I finished handling everything, it was already late at night.

Returning home, I saw that it was completely dark.

At first, I thought Bruno was working late as usual. When I opened the door, however, what greeted me was the sight of a man and woman stumbling out of the bedroom. Their clothes were in disarray, panic evident on their faces.

Who else but Bruno and Raine?

I glanced at the lipstick mark next to Bruno's lips, and said calmly, "I'm home."

Bruno didn't have the courage to look me in the eyes, but his tone was as affectionate as ever.

"I'm sorry, Aelia. I thought you wouldn't be back tonight, so I brought Raine over to discuss work. With your health, you know you can't help me with all the work at the company. I have no choice but to ask someone else."

In the past, hearing this would always make me feel guilty. My father and I were the reason Bruno had to manage such a huge company and work so hard, so I always did my best to accommodate him.

For example, when he occasionally brought Raine home to discuss work, I would serve them snacks. When he and Raine worked late at the office, I would bring them dinner.

It wasn't until recently, after I agreed to marry him and hand over all my shares, that he started acting like he was the company's true chairman and treating me with complete disregard.

Back then, I was no different from their servant.

Had it not been for Raine spilling the beans, I would still be stuck in my delusions.

I took a deep breath, exhausted. I never wanted to serve them again.

With that in mind, I gave Bruno a gentle reminder. "You really should wipe the lipstick next to your lips."

If he was going to pretend, he should at least be serious about it.

Once I stopped looking at him with adoration, the passionate feelings I once harbored for him vanished.

Bruno froze, then hurriedly wiped the spot near his lips. When he saw the bright red stain on the back of his hand, he went blank.

I turned and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water for myself to clear my mind.

Perhaps my words provoked him. Immediately, he rushed after me into the kitchen to explain.

"Aelia, it's not what you think! You've got it all wrong! There's nothing between Raine and me! I got this by accident!"

I looked at Bruno as he wallowed, as if desperate to explain himself after being caught.

For a moment, I couldn't tell if he was grateful for my father's help, or if he had actually developed some feelings for me while deceiving me.

Now, I know the answer.

It was neither—all Bruno wanted was my company.

Seeing how calm and silent I was, Bruno thought I believed him as always.

He became smug and said brazenly, "Since we're getting married soon anyway, why don't you just transfer the company shares to me now? Your father left you most of the shares. Because of that, all the decisions I made at the board meetings couldn't convince anyone. This is important for the company, Aelia. You can understand me, right?"

Bruno started to put on his act again, pretending he was doing his hardest to give me a better life despite how physically and mentally exhausted he was.

But this time, I didn't give in like usual.

"I'm going to sell my shares," I said, ignoring his shocked expression. "If you want them, you can contact my agent. I'll give you his number and we can do it by the book."

If I hadn't found out from my agent that my company was already running smoothly and Bruno didn't need to work so hard, I would have actually believed his lies.

I couldn't help but let out a disdainful scoff.

That was enough to snap Bruno out of his shock, and he immediately raised his voice.

"Aelia! Can you stop with your nonsense? Don't let your jealousy get in the way of important company business!"