Chapter 1

Cora froze, unable to utter a word.

She slowly closed her eyes as memories flooded her mind.

When she was twelve, her father remarried Ethan’s mother, making Cora and Ethan step-siblings in name.

Ethan had always treated her well. Whenever her father got drunk, Ethan would step in front of her without hesitation, shielding her from his blows. Even when he was beaten until his entire body was covered in bruises, he never uttered a single complaint.

Gradually, two lonely hearts grew closer.

Back when their love was at its purest, Ethan had been willing to risk his life for her.

They had promised each other that once they had enough money, they would get married.

Then, one day, the wealthy Caldwell family suddenly showed up at their door and revealed that Ethan was their long-lost biological son.

If he wanted to inherit the family empire, he had to marry into the Parker family.

Ethan had refused outright. He knelt in the family chapel for seven days and seven nights and endured ninety-nine lashes under the family’s rules before the family patriarch finally relented.

“You may marry her, but your marriage must remain a secret.”

That night, Ethan kissed Cora’s forehead and the corners of her eyes again and again, his voice thick with guilt and restrained anguish.

“Cora, I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough.

“Once I become head of the family, I’ll make sure you can stand proudly by my side as the woman of the Caldwell family!”

Moved by his love, Cora agreed to the Caldwell family’s conditions.

And so, she endured in silence for five long years.

During the day, Ethan was her reserved, untouchable boss.

At night, they lost themselves in each other in the back seat of his luxury car, then sought each other out again in the restrooms of charity galas, their passion so consuming that they would have gladly given their lives for one another.

For the sake of their love, Cora had never regretted a thing.

Now, she forced herself to her feet. After giving her statement at the police station, she bought Ethan his favorite cake and headed to a private room at a restaurant.

But just as she reached the door, she heard Ethan talking with several of his friends.

“Ethan, you’re already head of the family. When are you going to make your marriage public?”

Cora stopped in her tracks, overwhelming joy surging through her heart.

Then the next words pierced her ears like an icy blade.

“Ethan’s position as the head of the family is still unstable. He needs that alliance with the Parkers now more than ever. Otherwise, why would he let their eldest daughter release that video? He was just trying to make her happy!”

Ethan let out a quiet chuckle, which was as good as an admission.

“Adults deal in interests, not feelings.”

Outside the door, Cora felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss.

She staggered back two steps. The cake slipped from her hands and hit the floor as her world crumbled around her.

So Ethan had fallen out of love with her long ago.

He knew exactly what would happen to her if the video went public, yet he had still chosen to please another woman for the sake of his own interests. He had hurt Cora without a second thought.

She closed her eyes and let the tears silently roll down her cheeks.

Suddenly, she remembered how Ethan used to look at her with heartache whenever she swallowed her grievances over their secret relationship.

He would hold her hands and make the same promise over and over.

“Once I become the head of the family, you’ll be the only woman I’ll ever call my wife.”

Now, that day had finally arrived. Yet the woman he wanted to marry was no longer Cora. It was Madison Parker.

Promises, it seemed, only meant something while love remained.

Cora stumbled home and rushed into the bedroom. She pulled out the marriage certificate she had carefully treasured for years.

The happy smiles on their wedding photos now seemed painfully blinding.

She had once believed that obtaining a marriage certificate marked the beginning of their happiness.

Instead, the only thing she had left from their marriage was a piece of paper.

What good was a marriage certificate without love?

Riiip!

With a violent tug, she tore the certificate in her hands clean in two.

Cora managed a bitter smile, one that looked even more heartbreaking than tears.

She grabbed her phone and quickly contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. She had barely finished printing it when she heard the front door open.

Ethan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his voice filled with guilt and concern.

“Cora, my uncles were the ones who leaked those videos. They wanted to come after me, but when they couldn’t find a way to get to me, they turned their attention to you.

“I’m sorry I failed to protect you.”

Listening to his polished excuses, Cora felt nothing but coldness in her heart.

Time truly had a strange kind of magic. It could turn the man she had once loved with every fiber of her being into a liar who couldn’t utter a single honest word.

They were standing so close, yet he felt like a complete stranger.

“Ethan, being your secretary is exhausting. I’ve decided to resign.”

Ethan froze.

Staring at her familiar face, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Cora had always been clingy, and becoming his secretary had been her own idea.

Why would she suddenly want to quit?

But when he noticed the bruises on her face, a flicker of heartache crossed his eyes. He reached out with his long arm, intending to stroke her head, but she dodged his touch.

Assuming she was still throwing a tantrum, he softened his voice.

“Maybe resigning is for the best. Is there anything you want? I can take care of you.”

Cora smiled faintly.

“Anything?”

Ethan’s lips curved into a smile.

“Of course.”

“There are two things I want.”

With that, she handed him the two documents she had prepared in advance.

Ethan took them and glanced at the first one. Seeing that it was a property deed, he immediately signed his name.

He barely looked at the second document before flipping to the signature page and signing just as readily.

When it came to money, Ethan had always been generous.

“There. I have some business to take care of at the company. Stay home and rest.”

With that, Ethan hurried out.

After he left, Cora pulled the second document toward her and stared at the words “Divorce Agreement.”

Suddenly, tears spilled down her cheeks.

Ethan had probably forgotten that when they registered their marriage, they had secretly signed an agreement behind the Caldwell family’s back.

According to that agreement, if they ever divorced, all the shares he held in Caldwell Group would be transferred to her.

Once their divorce was finalized, that provision would take effect.

The love he had given her had been real. So had the pain he had caused her.

She loved Ethan Caldwell, but she loved herself more.