Chapter 1

“Ah, shit…”

 Damon cursed under his breath as he stared at me in pure shock. I could only stare back at him in horror. His secretary was wrapped around him, her legs locked around his waist as they stood in the middle of his office.

Just thirty minutes ago, he had texted me. “I have to work late at the office tonight. I won’t be coming home.” For the past two weeks, this had become his routine. Some nights he would come home, while on others he wouldn’t. I had tried not to think much of it, convincing myself that he was simply busy with work. But when our maid quietly mentioned that he had become distant lately, I couldn’t ignore the uneasy feeling in my heart anymore. I had come to the office hoping to surprise my husband. Instead, I had walked into my own nightmare. I couldn’t speak.

His secretary glanced at Damon before letting out a mocking laugh. “Well, she has finally seen us. Go on, Damon. Tell her the truth.” Without the slightest hint of shame, they slowly separated. Damon calmly adjusted his shirt before sitting comfortably in his office chair as though nothing inappropriate had happened. The secretary smiled triumphantly and settled herself on his lap, wrapping an arm possessively around his neck. The strength instantly left my legs. My heels gave way beneath me, and I collapsed onto the cold floor, unable to believe what I had just witnessed.

“Junia, don’t be so dramatic,” Damon said with an annoyed sigh, as though I were the one causing a scene. “I’ve actually been trying to find the courage to tell you something.” My lips trembled. “I… I want a divorce.” “D-Divorce?” I whispered, my voice breaking as tears blurred my vision. “Yes. You heard me.” His expression remained cold and indifferent. “We’ve been married for seven years, Junia. We have nothing holding us together anymore. No children. No excitement. All you ever do is work. 

There’s no love left between us.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Work?” I repeated softly. “Damon… I’ve spent seven years building this company beside you. I sacrificed everything for us. I walked away from my family, gave up my inheritance, and abandoned everyone who loved me just because I chose you.” The words echoed inside my mind. I chose you over everything. I wanted to tell him the truth about why we didn’t have children, but before I could say another word, he cut me off.

“Did I ask you to?” he snapped. “Did I ever ask you to sacrifice anything for me?” The question struck harder than any slap. “And since you can’t give me a child, Ann already has.” He turned toward his secretary with a proud smile. “She’s pregnant.” Pregnant? The single word echoed inside my head. Years ago, I had secretly discovered that Damon was infertile. I had buried the truth to protect his pride, silently enduring every insult from him and his family whenever they blamed me for our childless marriage. I had protected him. Yet here he was… Destroying me.

Damon gently held Ann’s hand before smiling at her with a warmth I hadn’t seen in years. “Thank you for coming back into my life,” he murmured. “Thank you for loving me again.” Back? They knew each other before? Ann smirked as she walked toward me, stopping just inches away while I remained kneeling on the floor. “You really are foolish, Junia.” She laughed. “You hired me yourself. Instead of giving me a job, you brought us back together. We’ve been lovers right under your nose.” She crouched in front of me, her smile growing even wider. “So every time he told you he was working late…” she whispered, “…he was with me.” My breathing became uneven. 

“The baby I’m carrying is something you could never give him.” She placed a hand over her stomach before chuckling. “Oh… and remember all those expensive shoes, handbags, jewelry, and clothes he told you he was buying for his friend’s wife? They were never for someone else.” She leaned closer. 

“They were all for me.” The room spun around me. Every receipt… Every lie… Every late night… Every broken promise… I couldn’t even remember the last time Damon had bought me anything. I had spent years thinking about him, supporting him, believing in him while he was secretly building another relationship behind my back. How could I have been so blind?

Neither of them looked guilty. Instead, Damon casually pulled a folder from his desk and tossed it at me. The divorce papers struck my face before sliding onto the floor. Without another glance, he intertwined his fingers with Ann’s and walked out of the office laughing together, stepping around me as if I were nothing more than a piece of discarded furniture. I swallowed the painful lump lodged in my throat. I should have listened to my parents. I should have… Slowly, I forced myself to my feet with what little dignity I had left.

My hands trembled as I picked up the papers, signed my name, and walked out without looking back. I didn’t go home. Instead, I wandered into the nearest bar. I had never touched alcohol before, but the pain clawing at my chest was unbearable. I ordered two shots and drank them one after another, hoping the burning liquid would numb the ache inside me. It didn’t. The images of Damon and Ann kept replaying in my mind over and over again until I finally broke down, burying my face in my hands as helpless sobs escaped my lips. 

The chatter inside the bar gradually faded. People stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me, but I didn’t care. My world had already fallen apart. Unable to stay there any longer, I wiped my tears, booked a cab, and headed home. I only wanted to pack my belongings and leave that place forever.

But the moment the taxi stopped outside the gate, my heart shattered all over again. My luggage was already outside. Some suitcases had been neatly packed. Others had been ripped open, my clothes scattered across the wet ground as if they were nothing but garbage.