Chapter 1

"Jazlyn, why aren't you here with the document yet?" The man's voice on the phone became increasingly irritated.

"I'm almost there!" Jazlyn Shore said anxiously. She was over a mile away from Ford Tower, but the cars were stuck at a standstill due to road construction ahead.

She looked at the torrential downpour outside. In the end, she paid the driver and got out of the car. She took off her jacket to wrap it around the document before running as quickly as she could.

The rain instantly soaked her through her thin clothes, but her image was the least of her concerns. She just wanted to get to Ford Tower as soon as possible.

However, when she finally got there, the security guard refused to let her in. He said that it was because she was drenched and would wet the floor.

All Jazlyn could do was stand at the entrance and ask one of the receptionists to take the document upstairs. Then, she sent both her husband, Ethan Ford, and his assistant, Katie Stark, WhatsApp messages to tell them that she'd brought the document.

She didn't receive a reply, though.

The other receptionist thought that Jazlyn was a courier when she saw how plain her clothes were. She sympathized with the challenges of the job and got Jazlyn a glass of warm water.

Jazlyn thanked her and got ready to leave Ford Tower after finishing the water. Just then, the doors to the elevator in the middle of the lobby slid open, and a tall figure strode out.

It was the CEO of Ford Group and her husband, Ethan.

Jazlyn instinctively backed into a corner when she saw him head toward the entrance.

"Mr. Ford, Ms. Jett's car broke down on the road. I've already sent the driver to help her, so don't worry," Katie said.

Ethan looked at his phone, frowning. "I can't reach Rebecca on her phone. Contact her assistant for me."

"Yes, sir."

Jazlyn stood in her corner, stiffening when she heard Rebecca Jett's name. So, she was back in Dalea.

Jazlyn watched as Ethan hurried into a car and smiled self-deprecatingly. Just moments ago, he had claimed that he had an urgent meeting and pressed her to bring him a document as if his life depended on it. Yet now, he had easily abandoned the meeting to go to his first love without the slightest hesitation.

Meanwhile, Jazlyn stood there like a fool who had been thoroughly played. She was soaking wet, yet Ethan didn't even notice her. She wiped the rainwater from her face, feeling rather pathetic.

When she got back to Ethan's villa, she changed out of her wet clothes and had another glass of warm water before calling Melanie Bronson, Ethan's mother.

"Hi, Mom."

Melanie sounded amicable. "Hi, Jazz. Is everything okay? Your voice sounds off. Did you catch a cold?"

"No, I'm fine." Jazlyn tightened her grip on her phone and took a deep breath, finally saying the words that she wanted to say. "I want to divorce Ethan."

Melanie fell silent. At that, Jazlyn pushed through and said her piece in one breath. "The contract I signed with you back then was only valid for three years. That time is up now. Also, Rebecca is back."

Melanie sighed. "Alright. I understand. I'll have a lawyer prepare a divorce agreement for you. As for the villa in Jeriton that I promised you as compensation, I'll have someone transfer it to your name as soon as possible."

Jazlyn didn't reject her monetary compensation. "Okay."

Three years ago, she had just graduated from college and was ready to sign with an orchestra to pursue her musical dream. However, her family's company had suddenly gone bankrupt.

Her father, Stanley Shore, had taken his life. Her mother, Julie Gray, had ended up having a mental breakdown because she couldn't handle the shock.

Jazlyn couldn't afford the exorbitant medical fees and was at the end of her rope when Melanie appeared in her life. The latter was one of the orchestra's investors. Upon learning about Jazlyn's situation, Melanie had offered to pay the medical bills, but only if Jazlyn agreed to do her a favor.

It turned out that her son and the heir to Ford Group, Ethan, had been in a car accident. His legs had been injured, leaving him unable to walk. His first love had broken up with him and left the country. Unable to cope with the massive change, he'd cooped up at home to wallow in self-pity.

Melanie wanted Jazlyn to enter into a contractual marriage with Ethan and help him move on from this.

Jazlyn needed the money, so she'd agreed. At the time, she'd asked Melanie why she'd picked her. Melanie told her that it was because she resembled Ethan's first love, Rebecca, in some ways. And, like Rebecca, she also played the piano.

And so, Jazlyn took on this role as a stand-in. She gave up her job to marry Ethan, and she stayed at home to care for him. Like a housekeeper, she'd endured his bad temper while looking after his daily needs. She also accompanied him through his rehabilitation.

Half a year ago, Ethan finally regained the ability to walk with ease. The first thing he'd done after walking out of the house was to buy a plane ticket to Ingleria so he could see Rebecca. Since then, he had flown to Ingleria once a month.

His sister, Sabrina Ford, was also in Ingleria. Jazlyn followed her on social media, so she often saw photos of Ethan, Rebecca, and Sabrina together.

Ethan was always stoic and solemn around Jazlyn, but his eyes twinkled with happiness whenever he was with Rebecca.

And each time, when Jazlyn saw Rebecca holding champagne roses in the photos, she felt like something was stabbing her in the eyes.

Every Valentine's Day, Ethan would have Katie bring Jazlyn champagne roses. In the past, she'd been moved to bits. But at the same time, she'd also wondered why he'd chosen champagne roses in particular.

It was only upon seeing the photos that she realized it was because Rebecca liked champagne roses. She was the one he actually wanted to get the flowers for. Jazlyn was nothing but a pathetic stand-in.

Well, now that Rebecca was back in Dalea, it was time for Jazlyn to give up her role as a stand-in and leave.

She called Penny Sharpe, her senior. After graduating from college, the latter had gotten a job as a teacher at a music institution. Now, Penny was one of the institution's partners.

For the past three years, Penny had asked Jazlyn more than once to join her at the institution. However, the latter had turned her down each time to care for Ethan.

But now that Jazlyn had decided to leave Ethan, she knew she needed a job to survive.

Penny was delighted to hear from Jazlyn. "This is great! I've always wanted you to join us here! It was such a shame that you got married so young and even decided to be a stay-at-home wife, you know."

Jazlyn teared up slightly at Penny's willingness to take her in despite her not having worked in three years. "Thanks, Penny. I'll buy you a meal one day."

"Sure. I'll be waiting."

Jazlyn hung up and started compiling her documents and identification. She was dazed when she found her marriage certificate and saw a photo of herself and Ethan clipped to it.

Back then, under Melanie's instruction, she'd moved into the Ford residence to care for Ethan. At the time, he'd been resistant toward her. He hadn't even wanted her around, let alone marry her.

Later, Ethan tried to end his life more than once. Jazlyn had stopped him each time. She'd spent countless sleepless nights by his side, even going so far as to prepare calming aromatherapy and music to help him sleep. She had refused to leave, no matter how he hit her or cursed at her.

Finally, one day, he agreed to marry her. When they were newlyweds, Ethan had been gentle and tender. At some point, Jazlyn found herself catching feelings for him. She told herself that if he continued being kind to her, she would stay with him forever, even if he had to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

But later, she learned from Sabrina that Ethan had only agreed to marry her because Rebecca had started dating someone else, and the news had aggravated Ethan.

That was when Jazlyn realized how ridiculous her feelings for him were.

Now that the contract had run its course, it was time for her to leave. Ethan had never been hers from the start, and this marriage was nothing but a business deal. It was easy enough for her to give it up.

Besides, she supposed that giving up three years of her youth for a villa in the heart of Jeriton was a worthwhile exchange.