Chapter 1

"Marry him! Marry him!"

The banquet hall erupted as cheers rang out from every corner.

My boyfriend, Lucas Cowan, knelt on one knee, proposing to his first love, Rebecca Hall, who had returned to the country just last month.

I stood off to the side, swirling the red wine in my glass.

A coworker nearby glanced at me, confusion written across her face. "Gina, weren't you and Lucas together? Why is he proposing to Rebecca all of a sudden? Did you two break up?"

On stage, Rebecca nodded, her smile bright.

"Yes," she said. "I do."

The crowd burst into applause again.

Lucas slid the ring onto her finger and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

I nodded calmly. "Yeah. We broke up."

My coworker's expression softened with pity. She seemed about to speak, but Lucas was already stepping off the stage and heading straight toward me.

Afterward, Lucas pulled me aside to explain. "Rebecca's family has the resources I need. Her mother said she would only agree to the partnership if we married."

He paused, then added, "Don't worry. Once I get what I need, I'll divorce her and marry you."

I smiled and told him, "I understand. The company comes first."

He blinked and stared at me, momentarily puzzled. "Really? You're not angry at all? Not even a little jealous?"

I shook my head. "Relax. I know you're doing this for us."

In my previous life, this was the moment I lost control. I stormed the stage and slapped Rebecca in front of everyone. No one could calm me down. In the end, I drove her out of the company.

I never expected what she would do next. She went straight to Lucas' biggest competitor. Backed by her family's resources, that company rose overnight and surpassed Lucas'.

As a result, Lucas snapped. He locked me in the basement and made my life unbearable for a week.

"If it weren't for you, my company would have succeeded," he had said, his voice shaking with rage. "Rebecca would never have ended up with someone else."

That was when I finally understood that he had always wanted to marry her. From the very beginning, it had been her.

After a week of hunger and cold, locked away and alone, I died.

This time, I had been given a second chance. I would let them have each other without making any scenes or shedding tears. I would stand there and watch them get married.

Lucas searched my face and found nothing, not even a flicker of anger.

Something shifted in his expression, almost like guilt. "Don't worry, Gina. You're the only one I've ever truly loved."

He went on, "Once her family's resources are secured and the company is stronger, I'll file for divorce. I promise. I will marry you."

He met my gaze with soft, tender eyes and pulled me into his arms.

A wave of nausea rose in my chest.

At that moment, Rebecca approached. Lucas released me at once and stepped back.

She looked me up and down, her gaze sharp with contempt. "Gina, I just took Lucas right out from under you. You're not upset, are you?"

She smiled faintly. "I can't help it. My family has money. Marriage is about matching status. Women with nothing should know better than to chase a CEO."

She slipped her arm through Lucas's and led him away, clearly pleased with herself.

I let her words pass and watched them leave together, close and at ease.

The moment they disappeared, I took out my phone and dialed.

The voice on the other end answered respectfully at once, "Miss Hudson, what are your instructions?"

"That supplier with the longest-standing contract with Lucas' company. Terminate the partnership," I said.

"Understood, Miss Hudson."

That supplier was Lucas' oldest business relationship. In the early days of his startup, I had found them and secured the deal through my family's connections. That had been my work.

This was only the beginning.

I raised the wine glass to my lips and took a slow sip.

Once every resource sustaining his company was gone, I wanted to see what he would have left.