Chapter 1

Samantha Duncan found herself alone once again on their third wedding anniversary.

The dishes on the table were cold and tasteless. The clock on the wall showed it was 10:00 pm sharp. Night had fallen over the city, and moonlight seeped in through the windows.

The lit candle cast a pale glow on Samantha's face.

It had been four hours. The man she was waiting for had not shown up, despite his promises over the phone. She concluded that he was busy.

Forcing a smile, Samantha took her phone. Clinging on to a shred of hope, Samantha dialed the number she knew by heart.

The call connected after a minute. Before Samantha could speak, a woman's voice startled her.

"Hello, are you looking for Mr. Ford? He's in the shower and can't answer the phone right now."

Samantha heard a seductive voice through the phone. She could picture the voice belonging to a gorgeous woman.

Stunned, Samantha was at a loss for words. Her mind was spinning with the sudden realization. She slumped to the ground, dropping her phone.

On the other end of the phone, the pretty woman hung up. She wore a malicious smile that contradicted her innocent appearance.

The bathroom door swung open at that moment. A man with a towel wrapped around his waist walked out.

Kendrick Ford had tanned skin, well-defined features and mesmerizing eyes. He was almost six feet and three inches tall. His muscular figure and chiseled abs completed the entire package.

Suppressing the urge to scream with delight, the woman approached him and snatched the towel. Turning on her charm, she spoke coquettishly, "Mr. Ford, your phone just rang. I answered it for you because I was worried that it might be important."

Kendrick asked indifferently, "Who was it?"

She bit her lips and carefully answered, "It was Samantha."

"I see," Kendrick said.

To the woman's surprise, Kendrick showed no reaction at all. She hesitated before opening her mouth to continue speaking when Kendrick pulled her into his strong arms.

The woman found herself against Kendrick's firm chest.

"Mr. Ford." Playing hard-to-get, she tried to push him away gently. But Kendrick subverted her attempts and showered her with kisses.

After their passionate physical activity, the woman lay in bed looking satisfied. Kendrick handed her a check without another glance.

"Mr. Ford?" Puzzled, she looked at Kendrick. Her eyes met his cold, unfeeling gaze.

"Be good and leave. Don't provoke me." Kendrick was a fine specimen of a man, but he was also an infamous womanizer.

In Sentius City, he was well-known for being a player who sleeps around with women. Despite that, he had an ironclad rule. He didn't mind casual encounters, but he wouldn't let any woman spend the night with him.

In a daze, the woman didn't dare to argue and left dejectedly.

She had thought that she was different, but in the end, she was like all the others.

After the woman left, Kendrick picked up his phone. With a cold expression on his handsome face, he ordered, "You need to do something for me tomorrow."

As the night went on, the moon hid behind a cloud.

Samantha sat at the table for a long time. Martha White, the housekeeper, couldn't bear to watch her any longer.

She sighed and approached Samantha. She said, "Ma'am, Mr. Ford won't be coming back at this hour. Maybe you should take a bite first."

Lost in her thoughts, Samantha didn't reply. Shocked, Martha nudged her again, and Samantha was jolted back into reality. "Mrs. White, what's the matter?"

"Mr. Ford might be busy with work and won't be returning home. Don't wait for him any longer." Martha looked at Samantha affectionately. She had been working for Samantha for three years.

"That's true." Samantha avoided Martha's gaze. She could feel warm tears welling up in her eyes and spilling onto her hands.

"Mrs. White, please go and rest. I'll clear the table myself." Samantha kept her head down, hiding half of her face with her long hair.

"Ms. Duncan …" Martha was feeling concerned about Samantha. Before she could speak, Samantha interrupted her, "Mrs. White, I need some time alone."

"Alright, you should rest early too," Martha murmured and left with a sigh.

When Samantha could no longer sense Martha's presence, she finally looked up. Tears were pooling in her beautiful eyes.

Samantha questioned Kendrick's love for her.

She waited until dawn, but the man who appeared wasn't the person she was hoping for.

Jude Lawson sat across from Samantha. Without hesitation, he fished a document from his briefcase and handed it to her. "Ms. Duncan, Mr. Ford drafted this agreement himself. Rest assured, you will certainly find the conditions listed agreeable."

Holding the divorce agreement in her hands brought more tears to Samantha's eyes.