Chapter 1

After I proposed to Kathy Johnson, my girlfriend of seven years, we went to City Hall to get our marriage license.

Instead, she had her bodyguards throw me onto the street.

Then, she walked through the doors, hand in hand with her childhood friend, Nate.

She didn’t even blink when he saw me sitting there on the ground, shaking with disbelief.

"Nate's son needs a legal guardian to secure his inheritance from the Johnson Group. The fastest way is for me to marry Nate and adopt the boy."

"As soon as the paperwork is finalized, we'll get a divorce. You'll still be the one I really marry."

Everyone assumed that I, the man who had been devoted to her for so long, would foolishly wait. After all, I had already waited for seven long years.

But that night, I accepted the arranged business marriage my family had prepared for me and took a flight to Center City on the East Coast.

I vanished from Kathy's world completely, and no one saw it coming.

Five years later, I returned to Westlake City to visit my family. My wife, Rhea Weyland, was the sole heir to the Weyland family, a powerhouse that practically controlled the entire West Coast economy. She was tied up in a sudden international merger meeting.

She had specially arranged for someone to pick me up from the airport.

But I never dreamed that the "someone" she sent would be Kathy.

The moment she saw me, her gaze immediately fell on the glittering watch on my wrist.

"I can't believe that after all these years, you've stooped so low you're wearing a cheap knockoff."

"Are you done with your little pity party? It's time to come crawling back. Nate's son is starting at an elite private school, and you're just in time to be his full-time driver and bodyguard."

I gently stroked the watch on my wrist.

What she didn't know was that this was one of the more modest gifts Rhea had given me.

...

Stepping into the VIP arrivals hall, I spotted a driver holding a "Mr. Weyland" sign not far away. I was about to walk over, but I froze in my tracks.

Standing at the very front was my ex-girlfriend, Kathy Johnson, whom I hadn't seen for five long years.

Five years, and not a single word from her. Not one phone call, not one text message, and certainly no belated explanation or apology.

And now here she was, her arm linked casually through Nate Reed's.

Behind them, their usual entourage of high society sycophants swarmed the arrivals gate.

One of the rich kids with sharp eyes spotted me and let out a sneer. "Well, well, Kathy, isn't that your clingy ex-boyfriend? What was his name again? Simon, right?"

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Kathy's eyes, but she quickly masked it with her usual cold indifference.

She gave a small laugh. "I told you he wouldn't make it on his own. He was bound to come crawling back with his tail between his legs."

The group cackled along with her.

"When Simon just disappeared back then, he probably never imagined our Kathy would rise to become the Executive Vice President of the Johnson Group. He must be kicking himself every day. I bet he cries himself to sleep every night."

Another voice chimed in. "But Simon, if you're going to stage an 'accidental' airport run-in, you could at least dress the part. What's with that baggy outfit? My security guard dresses better."

"Don't tell us that after leaving Kathy, you can't even afford a decent suit. You must have really hit rock bottom."

These arrogant fools had no idea that the seemingly unremarkable casual outfit I was wearing was custom-made by a top overseas tailor, hired by my wife Rhea.

It was handcrafted for comfort, every thread chosen with care.

I'd never told her about my family, which is why these idiots thought I was some poor nobody they could push around.

Lately, my own wardrobe had been an afterthought; all my attention was on my pregnant wife.

But in their eyes, I was still the same desperate boy from years ago, always stuffed into a restrictive suit, obsessed with my appearance just to please Kathy.

Five years ago, I left Kathy.

I married a woman who saw me, and loved me, for who I am. In her eyes, I am not an accessory or a bargaining chip, but her one and only husband.

That woman is Rhea Weyland, the uncrowned queen of the West Coast business world. Without a doubt, the "Mr. Weyland" this crowd was so ceremoniously waiting for was me. Unfortunately, not a single person here had the sense to figure that out.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, a man I vaguely knew from the past stepped forward to play peacemaker.

"Simon, it's good to have you back. To be honest, Kathy has been asking about you these past few years, trying to find out where you were."

At his words, the smug smile on Kathy's face froze.

To hide her embarrassment, she contemptuously flicked her hair.

"Nate's son is starting elementary school soon. You can move in tomorrow and handle his driving and security."

Her usual self-righteous arrogance was still there. But I was no longer the pushover she could manipulate at will.

I was about to tell them exactly who I was, but Nate beat me to it, stepping forward.

"Simon, don't feel too bad about it. The fact that Kathy is willing to take you in is a testament to your old relationship. You've been gone for five years. God knows what kind of grubby jobs you've had to take to get by."

"Look at the pathetic state you're in now. Even if she took pity on you and got you a job as an assistant, you'd just bring down the class of the entire company. Don't worry, as long as you behave yourself and take good care of my son, we won't treat you unfairly."

Five years had passed, but Nate's snobbish, condescending attitude hadn't changed one bit.

I raised an eyebrow and shoved my hands into the pockets of my casual pants, saying nothing. I was curious to see what else this group had in store for me.

Kathy clearly took my silence as a sign of powerless jealousy.

Her low, mocking laugh confirmed it.

"Alright. It's obvious he's had a rough time and has no choice but to eat crow. He should be grateful that I'm even offering him a meal."

She stared at me. "Take good care of the boy, and don't get any ideas. Know your place."

"Don't worry, as long as you're obedient, I'll let you stay where I can see you. We have a spare staff room at home. You can move in tonight."

Her words were met with a fresh wave of malicious laughter from the crowd.

"Simon, did you hear that? Kathy is being so generous to you. She's so worried you'll starve to death that she's even providing you with room and board."

"She's just asking you to look after Nate's kid. Compared to the life you've probably been living, this is a godsend. You should be on your knees thanking her."

Nate adjusted his cufflinks, putting on a magnanimous air. "Don't be scared, Simon. If my son is naughty and bullies you, I'll discipline him for you. I promise you won't be mistreated."

Kathy shot me a sideways glance and snorted.

"What's there to feel mistreated about? He's the one who ran off over nothing. Now that he's come crawling back in disgrace, he deserves to be knocked down a peg."

My brow furrowed. To this day, I still found it incredible that in her eyes, getting married to another man for personal gain was just a "trivial matter."

The girl who once stood with me on a street corner in the middle of the night, weathering storms together, was gone. The woman who had smiled and told me I was her whole world was also gone.

Standing before me was just a self-serving opportunist, a hollow shell corrupted by money and power.

But it didn't matter anymore. I had closed that chapter of my life long ago. It wasn't worth wasting another second of my time thinking about.

After all, my wife, Rhea, was pregnant with our second child. I was about to be a father again.