Chapter 1

"He even feels sorry for me all the time, saying my parents favored sons over daughters and that I suffered because of it. He turns a blind eye to me supporting my 'brother.' What an idiot!”

"Why wouldn't I take advantage of a guy like this? His money is there for me and my son to spend!"

I stared at my phone screen, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.

Vivienne Carter was my wife. For five years, she constantly cried in front of me, saying she was neglected by her parents since childhood and forced to drop out of school to support her brother's education. Every single word oozed self-pity.

I pitied her hardships. I never refused when she asked me to help her brother. I even handed over my bank card for her to manage.

While I sat frozen, she posted again.

"His business is doing pretty well lately. I'm planning to have him buy my son a wedding house. After all, his assets will end up being my son's sooner or later anyway. What's wrong with planning ahead?"

A string of supportive comments followed. Someone asked her how she managed to deceive her husband so flawlessly.

She replied smugly. "How else? Just cry. I told him that not going to college was my biggest regret in life. I told him that my brother is all I have. Men fall for this every time. Once they feel sorry for you, they'll give you anything."

I thought back to how she normally acted.

She always came to me with red-rimmed eyes, telling me how excellent her grades were back then, but because her parents favored her brother, she was forced to give up college and work instead.

She said by the time Dylan was born, their parents were getting on in years, so as the older sister, she had to take extra care of him. She said I was her only pillar of support and that I was the only person who made her feel loved.

I believed every word. So for five years, I paid for Dylan's tuition, living expenses, tutoring fees, and even his gaming purchases. The sneakers he wanted, the gaming console, the latest phone model... Whenever Vivienne mentioned them to me, I never once refused.

I clicked on the poster's profile. Though she never showed her face, her daily posts featured decorations from our living room and the pearl necklace I bought for Vivienne.

Without a doubt, this was her.

I closed the app, my mind spinning. As soon as dawn broke, I immediately dialed my lawyer, Owen Fletcher.

"Owen, I need you to check all the assets under my name. Company shares, property, savings, and all transfer records from the past five years. The more detailed, the better."

Owen was a friend from my startup days and completely reliable. He did not ask questions and just responded quietly, "Got it, Nathan. I'll have the finance team and legal team coordinate immediately. I'll get you preliminary results by the end of the day."

I hung up and sat in the empty living room, staring at our wedding photo on the wall.

In the photo, Vivienne smiled radiantly, nestled beside me, her eyes full of happiness.

Back then, I was fresh off my successful startup. I thought I had married the love of my life. I thought we would have a peaceful life together.