Chapter 1

In Briarhill City, the lobby of Starlite Karaoke was lit up bright as day.

In the corner, a man in a black-and-white uniform leaned casually against the wall. His eyes roamed the crowd, mostly landing on women in skimpy dresses.

"Man… After all these years, I'm still here hustling part-time just to buy my wife a birthday present," he muttered, glancing away from a passing beauty and shaking his head at himself.

Two years ago, he'd left a mercenary group, moved to Briarhill, and got married. Ever since then, life had gone downhill. He never had more than a hundred bucks in his wallet.

But what could he do? He married into his wife's family. It wasn't exactly something to brag about.

He had swallowed plenty of humiliation over the years, but when he thought of his gorgeous wife, he figured it was worth it.

Unfortunately, he'd been sleeping on the floor since their wedding night.

"Leo, take the Set A meal to Room 888. Move it! If you piss off those guests, you're the one taking the fall," snapped the manager at Leo Kennedy, who'd clearly zoned out again.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to yell." Leo straightened up and strolled off slowly.

"Useless bum. No skills, bad attitude. If we weren't short-staffed, I'd have canned him already," the manager fumed.

Starlite Karaoke was one of Briarhill City's top karaoke lounges. Their clientele was all rich and powerful. The staff had to be sharp and polished.

Leo was the total opposite. He didn't fit in at all. Honestly, no street bar would've hired him either. How this guy even got in was a mystery.

The manager patted his pocket, feeling the five hundred dollars in tips he'd just received from the guests in Room 888. Their only request had been that Leo serve them personally.

"For five hundred bucks, I'll let it slide today. But that kid's in for it," the manager sneered.

If those guests had specifically asked for Leo, it probably meant he'd pissed them off before.

The manager had seen people like them, and they should never be messed with. Leo didn't stand a chance against them.

"Set A meal, luxury room. They must be loaded. What's the deal with 1982 red wines? There are still lots of them around even today." Leo pushed the cart leisurely down the hall toward Room 888.

He stopped right outside and adjusted his bow tie. His grandfather once told him that no matter what he did, he had to do it right.

It didn't matter who he used to be. Right now, he was a waiter, and he'd take that seriously.

He opened the door and rolled the cart in. The lighting inside was dazzling, making it hard to see who was there.

"The wine's here! C'mon, Ms. Yates, you're not getting away tonight. You have to drink with me!"

A tall, sharply dressed man stood up from the sofa.

From the looks of him, if he didn't have money, he must have power or a powerful father.

And in fact, he was loaded. His name was Martin Mason, CEO of his own company. He was still young, but he was already worth tens of millions.

"I don't like drinking," a woman sitting in the corner uttered. She was tall, poised, and stunningly beautiful.

She lifted her head, and her gaze met Leo's almost instantly.

"Leo?"

"Chloe!"

They spoke at the same time. Both were clearly shocked.

Yes, that woman was Leo's wife, the famous CEO, Chloe Yates.

"What are you doing here?" Leo asked.

Seeing his wife out with another man in a nightclub hit Leo right in the gut.

Chloe looked uneasy. She was here for business, but being seen by her husband like this was still inappropriate.

"Who the hell are you to talk to Ms. Yates like that?" Martin's expression darkened immediately.

"Mr. Mason, that's Ms. Yates' husband," another woman explained.

She was Amanda Lewis, Chloe's best friend and now the PR director at Chloe's company. She was also the one who had arranged tonight's meeting.

"Amanda, you must be mistaken. Ms. Yates' husband has got to be some bigshot, not a waiter," someone said with a gasp.

Amanda didn't explain further. She wanted Chloe to say it herself. She knew Chloe wouldn't deny it.

Under the cutting stares of everyone in the room, Chloe bit her lip. Her expression was a mix of anger, helplessness, and sadness.

Leo stood quietly. If Chloe denied it, he'd walk out right then. After all, their marriage was a secret. No one else knew.

Honestly, he thought denying it would've been her best move. There was no reason to humiliate herself over him.

"Yes, he's my husband," Chloe finally said after taking a deep breath. Although she really wanted to deny it, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Everyone was surprised. They'd all assumed she'd deny it, even if it was just to save face.

'Well. Looks like I don't even know my own wife that well!' Leo thought to himself. He thought she would deny it, too.

"With a deadbeat like that for a husband, no wonder her company's in trouble."

"If I were him, I'd find a wall and bash my head in right now."

Laughter and mockery filled the room. Every face was full of contempt.

Amanda smirked. This was exactly the reaction she'd hoped for. She'd like to see how Chloe held her head high after this.

She had envied Chloe since college. Chloe had the looks, the grades, and the reputation. No matter what Amanda did, Chloe always outshone her.

Amanda knew her chance had come when she bumped into Leo tonight. Being married to a broke nobody like him would surely be enough to humiliate Chloe in public.

"Mr. Mason, I'm sorry. We'll have to continue another day." Chloe stood up and turned toward the door. She tried to pretend not to care. "Are you coming, or do you want to humiliate me even more?"

"Ms. Yates, if you walk out now, our cooperation's off the table." Martin wasn't happy with Chloe coming and leaving as she wished.

He'd long been interested in Chloe, and learning she was married irritated him. She'd always been so unapproachable.

The thought of her in another man's bed burned him up inside.

But when he found out Leo was a useless nobody, he relaxed. A loser like that could never compete with him.

"Mr. Mason, let's be clear. This partnership is a win-win, not me begging you," Chloe said calmly.

"Chloe, think about it. The company has poured everything into this project for months. If you walk away now, we'll take a huge hit. He's not worth it. You'll divorce him eventually. Why ruin the business over him?" Amanda asked softly.

"Amanda, he's still my husband. Don't say things like that again." Chloe frowned.

She had always trusted her best friend since they'd known each other in college. She didn't want to give up on this friendship.

"Fine," Amanda said while nodding reluctantly. Inside, she was gloating.

'Go on, Chloe Yates! You were always the center of attention. Today, you've finally fallen.'