Chapter 1

The Ugly Wife

"Happy birthday, my husband," said Olivia, who had just arrived carrying a birthday cake in her hands. Naturally, she wanted to give her husband a surprise at his birthday party, which was being celebrated in great luxury.

"Who are you? I don’t know you! Why are you claiming to be my wife?" David looked at her with a gaze that seemed to scorn her.

"You and I are already married. Why are you like this? Have you forgotten I’m your wife?" Olivia did not expect David to deny her as his wife. Her heart ached, but she tried to endure it.

"Are you dreaming? I’m not married, and I would never marry an ugly woman like you. Just look at your fat body and that ugly face of yours," replied David, his words cutting deeply into Olivia’s heart.

"But… I… David, how can you be so cruel?"

"Leave here at once! You’re just embarrassing me." The man grabbed Olivia’s hand and dragged her out of the place.

All the guests present looked at the plump woman who claimed to be David’s wife with disgust, even though they knew David did not yet have a wife. They wondered how she could so confidently claim to be the wife of the richest billionaire in the city, with an appearance like an ugly duckling.

"Look at her! An ugly woman like that claiming to be David’s wife—has she gone mad?" some guests whispered among themselves, also insulting her.

Olivia heard all those insults, but she simply remained silent and followed David out of the hotel. They were already leaving the hotel but David stopped for a moment, He immediately slapped Olivia in anger.

"Why did you slap me?"

"I’ve already told you not to come to my birthday party. Didn’t you hear me earlier? Why did you come?" The man looked at his wife with a sharp gaze, as though he wanted to kill her.

"I only wanted to attend your birthday as your wife. What’s wrong with a wife coming on her husband’s birthday?" Olivia tried to withstand her husband’s treatment.

"Look at your appearance—so ugly. I am a billionaire and a successful CEO; is it fitting for me to have a wife like you? Don't you have the slightest shame about your appearance?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone dripping with contempt.

"I wasn’t this fat before. I became like this after giving birth to our son. Does my appearance matter so much to you? Shouldn’t you love me without judging how I look?" Olivia knew her husband had never treated her well.

"Listen to me! No one knows that we are married. You must stay silent because you are only a wife I keep secret," he replied in a raised voice.

"Didn’t you once promise to be loyal to me and always be there for me? Then why are you keeping our marriage a secret?" asked Olivia, tears falling from her eyes.

"That was before. Now look at you—you make me feel sick. Leave this place! I’m going back inside." David pushed Olivia until she fell, then left her there.

David returned to his birthday party, feeling happy to be accompanied by the beautiful secretary who had once saved him from a fire. On his 34th birthday, David wanted to give a surprise to Bella—his private secretary.

"Good evening, everyone. I would like to introduce a beautiful woman whom I love dearly. Her name is Bella Cristian, and she is my fiancée," said David proudly, introducing his beautiful secretary to everyone.

"Congratulations to Mr David Anderson and Miss Bella Christian. We all look forward to receiving your wedding invitation," responded some guests, who also clapped their hands.

David spoke as though he did not have a wife. Meanwhile, in a corner at the back, a woman’s tears fell as she listened to what David said. Olivia’s heart was shattered—the husband she loved so deeply had never acknowledged her as his wife.

"Why must I, your wife, hide in the corner, while you acknowledge another woman as your wife?" Olivia could no longer bear her grief; she ran out of the place.

As Olivia ran, a man accidentally bumped into her. Because of her plump body, the man fell over.

"Sir, please forgive me! I didn’t mean to. Are you all right?" asked Olivia.

"I’m fine. But why are you leaving when Mr David’s birthday party isn’t over yet? You’re a guest, aren’t you?" asked the man, whose name was Jonathan.

"I am a guest. I’m just feeling sad, that’s all."

"Then let’s go back in," Jonathan suggested, standing up after his fall.

Olivia decided not to go home, as she still wanted to ask her husband why he acknowledged another woman as his fiancée when he already had a wife. The two of them went back into the party together. David was shocked to see Olivia entering with Jonathan—after all, Jonathan was his close friend.

David immediately pulled Jonathan aside and said something that startled him.

"Why did you bring this woman in? I’ve already thrown her out of here," David asked his friend.

"She looked pitiful. I saw her crying when she left. Do you know her?" Jonathan asked David.

"She’s just a woman chasing after my love like any other. She claimed to be my wife, so I threw her out," he replied, his expression betraying a fear that Olivia might indeed be his wife.

"What? She once confessed love to you?" Jonathan’s eyes widened in shock at David’s words.

Bella, who had been announced as David’s fiancée, came over. Then she slapped Olivia.

"How dare you claim to be David’s wife! Don’t you know I’m his fiancée? And I’m not making false claims like you, you ugly woman." Bella insulted her.

"Take this! How dare you slap me! Aren’t you ashamed of stealing someone’s husband?" Olivia returned the slap to the woman her husband had introduced as his fiancée.

"Ah… that hurts! David, look at her! This woman dared to slap me. Make her regret being so rough with me!"

Bella acted as if she were the victim, even though she had slapped Olivia first. David immediately stepped in and defended Bella.

David slapped Olivia in retaliation for daring to slap the fiancée he loved.

"How dare you! You’ve made me furious. Get out of here! Don’t disturb my birthday party," said David.

"I am your wife, and we already have—"

Before Olivia could finish her sentence, David silenced her.