Chapter 1

To have his illegitimate son recognized by the family, Liam Caldwell lied to Audrey Jensen and made her believe she couldn’t have children.

On the eve of their wedding, he even brought his first love and his illegitimate son into their home.

“From now on, you and Julie are equals. Julie’s child will be our child too. Once we’re married, he’ll call you Mom just the same.”

Audrey held the medical report in her hand.

She didn’t expose him.

She simply let him go on arranging that ridiculous wedding.

Until the wedding one month later.

With a pregnancy report in her hand, she walked up to Liam with Elliot Lowe, the heir to the most powerful family in the country, holding his hand.

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you’re the one who can’t have children, not me? But don’t worry. Since you can’t have your own, Elliot’s child can be your child too. After the wedding, he’ll be the main husband, and you can be the side piece. Make sure you show him the proper respect.”

That day, Liam became the biggest joke at his own wedding.

...

After Audrey proposed to Liam for the ninety-ninth time, he finally said yes.

Audrey was overjoyed.

But when the day came for them to get their marriage license, Liam never showed up.

Heartbroken, Audrey left the courthouse and went back to the house they were supposed to move into after the wedding, only to find her fiancé wrapped around his first love, kissing her like she was the only woman in the world.

Audrey’s mind went blank.

The two people inside were so lost in each other that they had no idea she was there.

Julie let out a breathless moan. “Liam, Audrey’s about to get married to you. If she finds out about us, do you think she’ll lose her mind?”

“The marriage?” Liam’s voice was cold. “If Grandpa hadn’t refused to accept us and kept pressuring me, why would I pretend to pursue her? Why would I agree to marry some small-town orphan just because he told me to?”

At the mention of Audrey, disgust flickered in Liam’s eyes.

Audrey was beautiful. No one could deny that.

But she was only an orphan adopted by the Jensen family, and she had spent years living in the countryside.

Aside from being the kind of woman who cooked, cleaned, raised children, and did whatever she was told, she had nothing else going for her. She was painfully dull.

How could she ever compare to Julie Sanders, who had graduated from a prestigious university and become a researcher at such a young age?

If he hadn’t been worried that his grandfather would target Julie and her son, he never would have agreed to get married with Audrey.

At that thought, Liam’s gaze softened as it fell on Julie’s face. His throat moved, and he kissed her even more deeply.

“Julie, don’t worry. You’re the only woman in my heart. Besides, you gave birth to Ian, my brilliant little boy. The marriage is just an act for Grandpa. Once he recovers, I’ll use Audrey’s infertility as an excuse to divorce her and marry you properly. By then, the Jensen family will kick her out too. Even if she wants to make trouble, she won’t be able to do anything.”

“Liam, you’re so good to me.”

Their mingled voices reached Audrey’s ears, sharp and sickening.

Liam’s tender confession felt like a hard slap across her face.

Her whole world collapsed.

Her eyes turned red in an instant.

She had waited for Liam at the courthouse all day.

And all she got was his betrayal.

So the reason Liam had stood her up was that he had gone to pick up Julie, his first love who had just returned from abroad. Then he had brought her to the home he was supposed to share with Audrey and fooled around with her there.

What hurt even more was that they had been together for five years, and he had never loved her.

From beginning to end, he had only treated her as a stand-in. Even the marriage license was just a way to fool his grandfather, William Caldwell. Once the timing was right, he planned to divorce her, the fool he had used all along.

As Audrey thought about everything she had done for Liam over the years, pain and rage nearly swallowed her whole.

Back when they got engaged, Liam had said, “Audrey, you’re the only one who can help me.”

So she had worked herself to exhaustion taking care of his frail mother.

Later, when Liam was poisoned, she was the one who saved his life. Afterward, she had not even told him because she did not want him to feel guilty.

When the Caldwell family began to decline, she secretly helped secure their projects, while Liam took all the credit.

She had thought she could move his heart.

In return, all she got was betrayal.

The sting in her fingertips slowly brought Audrey back to herself.

Fine.

If he didn’t love her, so be it.

She was not the kind of woman who clung to a man who did not want her.

As long as Liam broke up with her, she would never have chased after him.

But instead, he had lied to her.

Schemed against her.

Used her.

He even wanted the Jensen family to throw her out, leaving her to bear the shame and pain of infertility, with no regard for her reputation or her future.

How could she possibly let that go?

He wanted to play games?

Fine.

Then she would play with them.

Audrey took out her phone and recorded a video of the two of them together.

Then she made a call.

“Hello. I’d like to report suspected illegal activity and possible solicitation at 23 Kingston Road.”