CHAPTER 2

Vivienne POV

The iron gates of the Montemayor estate opened slowly, revealing a driveway lined with luxury cars. Every single one of them belonged to the people who had spent the last two years reminding me that I didn't belong here.

I looked down at the dress Ethan had picked out for me. It was a plain, high-necked navy blue dress. It looked more like a uniform than something you’d wear to a high-society party. He always wanted me to look "modest," which really just meant he wanted me to blend into the background. I used to think he was just trying to protect me from his family’s judgmental eyes. Now, with the fake marriage certificate sitting heavily in my purse, I realized the truth. He just wanted me to look small.

I took a deep breath, checked my reflection in the car mirror, and forced myself to get out.

The moment I stepped into the grand foyer, the noise of laughter and clinking glasses washed over me. The chandelier overhead cast a bright, mocking light on everything.

"Oh, look who decided to show up," a sharp voice whispered from the side.

It was Chloe, Ethan’s younger sister. She was standing with a group of her wealthy friends, holding a glass of champagne. She didn't even bother to hide her smirk as she looked me up and down. "Did you walk here, Vivienne? You look a bit disheveled. But then again, that dress isn't doing you any favors either."

Her friends giggled, covering their mouths.

Normally, I would have looked down, apologized, and quietly moved away to avoid making a scene. I would have told myself that they were just young and spoiled. But tonight, something inside me had changed. The pain was there, sharp and suffocating, but beneath it was a growing sense of numbness.

"Good evening to you too, Chloe," I said, keeping my voice completely level. I didn't smile, but I didn't look down either. I just walked past them toward the main hall.

I could hear them whispering furiously behind my back, shocked that I hadn't immediately shrunk away.

The main hall was packed. In the center of the room stood Ethan’s mother, Victoria Montemayor. She was glowing, her diamonds flashing as she stood next to a woman wearing an elegant, backless emerald gown.

Elena.

She looked exactly how I remembered her from the few times I saw her during Ethan’s university days. Sharp, sophisticated, and effortlessly beautiful. She possessed the kind of confidence that only came from growing up with a silver spoon and having the intellect to back it up.

Ethan was standing right next to her. He was laughing at something she said—a genuine, bright smile that I rarely saw at home. When he looked at Elena, his eyes held a warmth that made my chest ache. It was a look he had never given me, not even on the day we supposedly exchanged our vows.

As if sensing my presence, Ethan looked up. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by his usual cold, distant expression. He whispered something to Elena, walked away from the crowd, and marched straight toward me.

He didn't greet me. He didn't ask how my day was. He just grabbed my elbow, his grip tighter than usual, and pulled me into the corner near the hallway.

"Why are you late?" he muttered, checking his luxury watch. "I told you the board members are here tonight. My grandfather is watching every move we make."

"I told you on the phone, Ethan," I said, staring directly into his eyes, searching for a single trace of guilt. "I was at the city hall. There’s a problem with our marriage document."

Ethan didn't blink. His expression didn't change at all. He just let out an irritated sigh. "Vivienne, I don't have time for whatever drama you're trying to make up. The documents are fine. I handled them myself. You probably just went to the wrong window or spoke to someone incompetent."

He handled them himself. Yes, he certainly did. He made sure they were completely fake.

"Ethan, the clerk told me—"

"I said drop it," he interrupted, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper. "Look around you. Today is about celebrating Elena’s return. She’s going to help us with the new corporate merger. Just go to the dining hall, stay out of the way, and if anyone asks you about the company, just smile and say you don't know anything. Don't embarrass me."

Before I could say another word, he turned his back on me and walked right back to Elena's side. I watched him hand her a fresh glass of champagne, his fingers brushing against hers. Elena looked at him and smiled, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

Suddenly, everything became crystal clear.

The way his mother always compared me to Elena. The way his friends joked about how Ethan was "sacrificing" so much for the family. The way everyone treated me like a temporary maid rather than the wife of the heir. They all knew. His mother, his sister, his friends—they were all in on the joke. I was the only fool who believed this house was a home.

The air in the room felt like it was crushing my lungs. I needed to get out. I needed a moment to breathe before I completely lost my mind.

I quietly slipped through the side doors that led to the expansive garden. The night air was cool, but it did nothing to soothe the burning realization in my chest. Two years of my life. Two years of throwing away my dreams, working a low-paying job at a bookstore just to keep a low profile like he wanted, and enduring emotional abuse from his relatives. All of it was a carefully constructed prison.

I walked down the stone path, my heels clicking softly against the pavement, heading toward the secluded glass greenhouse at the back of the estate. I just wanted a quiet corner to cry, to scream, to figure out what my next move would be.

But as I approached the glass structure, I noticed the dim lights inside were on.

I stopped in my tracks. Through the glass panels and the hanging vines, I saw two silhouettes.

It was Ethan and Elena.

My heart pounded violently against my ribs. I stepped closer, hiding behind a large marble pillar near the entrance. The glass door was slightly ajar, letting their voices carry out into the quiet night.

"She's getting suspicious, Ethan," Elena’s voice floated out, smooth and calm, but devoid of any warmth. "She mentioned something about the city hall earlier. Are you sure the paperwork is secure?"

"It's perfectly fine," Ethan replied. His tone was completely different now—soft, reassuring, and filled with a tenderness he had never used with me. "The registry number points to a dead end. Even if she goes back, she won't find anything. She's naive, Elena. She believes everything I say."

Hearing him say it out loud felt like a physical blow to my chest. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, forcing myself to stay silent.

"I just hate seeing her around you," Elena sighed, and I could hear the rustle of fabric as she stepped closer to him. "Two years, Ethan. We've had to hide our relationship for two years because of your grandfather's ridiculous will."

"I know, tatlong taon na tayong nagtitiis," Ethan said, his voice laced with frustration. "But you know how my grandfather is. He made it clear in the will: I only get the full inheritance and control of the Montemayor Empire if I marry a woman from a humble background who won't interfere with the business—someone obedient. If I married you, a brilliant professor from a rival family circle, he would have stripped me of my rights immediately."

He let out a soft laugh, rubbing Elena's arms. "So I gave him exactly what he wanted. A nobody. A perfect, quiet puppet to fill the slot. The board loves how stable my personal life looks. Just a little more time, my love. The final shares will be transferred to my name next month. Once the inheritance is legally mine, I'll discard her. We won't have to hide anymore."

"And the rumors?" Elena asked. "The ones your mother started about her being unstable and tired?"

"It's all part of the plan," Ethan whispered, kissing her forehead. "We're setting the stage. By the time I divorce her, everyone will think she's mentally unfit. We'll even force her to sign the adoption papers for the child we're planning to have, just to make sure she stays quiet and compliant until the very end. She has no family, no money, and no power. Who is she going to turn to?"

I backed away slowly, my hands shaking so violently I had to press them against the cold stone wall to keep from falling.

Every word felt like a poisoned dagger driving straight into my soul. They didn't just lie to me. They planned to completely destroy my life, ruin my reputation, and turn me into a stepping stone for their perfect future. And my own husband—the man I loved with everything I had—was leading the execution.

A tear slipped down my cheek, hot and bitter. I turned around and ran, stumbling down the dark garden path, away from the greenhouse, away from the laughter, away from the monstrous lie I had been living.

I made it to the edge of the estate, near the dark, empty fountain where the shadows hid me from the security cameras. I collapsed onto the stone ledge, burying my face in my hands. The tears finally came, silent and devastating, racking my entire body. I felt so incredibly stupid. So helpless.

In the middle of the suffocating darkness, a sharp, loud vibration shattered the silence.

I flinched. I wiped my face hastily and pulled my phone out of my bag. It wasn't Ethan. It wasn't anyone from his family.

The screen displayed an unknown, heavily encrypted international number.

I stared at it for three seconds. My chest was tight, my breathing erratic. With trembling fingers, I swiped the screen and brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I whispered, my voice cracked and thick with unshed tears.

"Am I speaking with Vivienne Hale?" a deep, professional, and completely unfamiliar male voice asked from the other end.