chapter I

For three years, Lucy loved Greg in silence. Tonight, she was finally ready to speak.

She had been standing outside his house for over thirty minutes, waiting patiently… She couldn’t wait to see his reaction, the shock, the joy, the love in his eyes, when she finally told him the truth.

Her truth.

She wasn’t just the simple, ordinary girl he thought she was. She was Lucy Bennett. The only daughter of multi-billionaire Damian Bennett. The same man who had helped Greg secure his life-changing business contract, without Greg even knowing.

She held a bouquet of fresh lilies in her hand. Her nails were newly done, her makeup soft and natural, and her blouse clean and neatly ironed. She didn’t want to show up as a rich heiress, she wanted to show up as the woman who had loved him for three silent years.

She had played small for too long.

Tonight, she was done hiding.

Then… she saw his car.

Greg’s black Lexus pulled up and parked directly in front of the house.

Her heart skipped.

She took a deep breath, held the flowers tighter, and walked quickly toward the car as he stepped out.

“Greg!” she called softly, her voice shaking from excitement. “I missed you so much!”

She didn’t wait, she ran straight into his arms, trying to hug him.

But what she got instead… was a push.

A hard one.

Greg shoved her with both hands like she disgusted him.

Lucy stumbled her pulse, the sting in her throat, her knees scraping the gravel.. The bouquet slipped from her hands, landing in the dirt. The flowers scattered, petals breaking apart. Her elbow hit the concrete, but the pain was nothing compared to the shock in her heart.

She looked up at him in disbelief, breathing hard.

“Greg…?” she whispered.

But he didn’t even answer.

He turned his back and walked around the car to open the passenger door.

A tall woman stepped out.

She was curvy and glowing in a red designer dress. Her makeup was flawless, lips red like wine, and diamonds sparkled around her neck and wrists. Her heels clicked as she stood beside Greg like a queen next to her king.

Lucy stared, heart pounding. “What… what is going on?”

Greg glanced down at her and chuckled.

He turned to the woman beside him. “Vanessa, baby, are you ready?”

Vanessa smiled wickedly and nodded.

Greg faced Lucy again. “You’ve waited long enough. Time to open your eyes and see things for what they are.”

He went to the backseat, reached inside the car, and brought out a white envelope.

Without emotion, he walked to Lucy and dropped the envelope on her lap.

“Take it,” he said.

Still on the ground, Lucy picked it up slowly. Her hands trembled.

“What’s inside?” she asked, confused and scared.

Greg folded his arms. “Open it and see.”

She tore it open carefully, and what she saw inside made her entire body go cold.

Divorce papers.

Lucy’s lips parted as tears rose in her eyes.

“But… Greg… we’re not even married”

“Exactly,” he said coldly. “Let’s make it official that we were never truly anything.”

Her voice cracked. “You can’t be serious… Greg, please. I love you.”

Greg scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. “Love? Seriously, Lucy? Wake up. You think I still want a woman who serves jollof in plastic bowls by the roadside?”

He took a step closer, his eyes cold and unrecognizable. “I’ve moved on. I need a woman who fits into the life I have now, polished, powerful, presentable. And you?” He looked her up and down, slowly. “You’re not it.”

Then, as if twisting the knife deeper, he added, “And just so you know, I just landed a contract with the DiMarcos. The signing is tomorrow… and trust me, Lucy, you don’t belong anywhere near that room. You’d only embarrass me.”

Lucy stared at him like she didn’t recognize the man standing before her.

“I came to tell you the truth tonight,” she said in a broken voice. “About who I am. I’m not poor. I’m not the girl you think I am. My real name is Lucy Bennett. My father”

Greg cut her off with a bitter laugh. “Here we go again. The secret princess story.”

“I’m not lying!”

“You think you can fool me with that fairytale?” he barked, his eyes blazing. “Lucy Bennett? Please. You’re nothing like that family just a liar in cheap shoes, playing dress-up. You don’t belong in my world anymore… and you never will.”

Vanessa stepped forward with a smirk. “She’s crying like it’s a movie. What a joke.”

Lucy dropped to her knees, pressing the divorce papers to her chest. Her tears came freely now.

“I believed in you,” she whispered. “I helped you. I stood by you when no one else did. I just wanted you, Greg… not your money. Just you.”

Greg didn’t even blink. He turned and walked toward the house.

Vanessa followed him, but not before throwing Lucy a look of pure pity.

“Pathetic,” she said with a laugh. “You should’ve known your place.”

“Make sure you sign those divorce papers before we get back,” Vanessa spat, flipping her hair as they headed into the mall like they hadn’t just crushed someone’s world.

Lucy remained on the ground, surrounded by broken flowers, and something even more fragile: her hope. The divorce papers shook in her trembling hands, stained with petals and silent tears.

……..

Across the street, a sleek cab pulled up and out stepped Austin DiMarco, dressed in plain clothes and dark shades.

“Sir!” Caleb, his loyal driver, rushed toward him. “Why’d you take a cab instead of one of your cars?”

Austin gave a small smile, pulling his hoodie up. “Because, Caleb, I don’t want anyone recognizing me. I’m tired of people chasing my bank account. I want someone who sees me… not the money. I want real love.”

Just then, he saw her.

A woman on her knees. Shaking. Heart clearly in pieces.

His chest tightened at the sight.

Her world had collapsed. And she didn’t even notice the stranger watching her pain.

“Hey… are you okay?”

His voice was low, calming. But inside, something had shifted. He didn’t know her name, but he already knew, this woman wasn’t just broken.

She was about to change everything.