Semua Bab The Contraceptive Bill in My Husband's Name: Bab 1 - Bab 10

The next morning, I'd just arrived at the office when Felicity's encrypted email came through."Everything you asked for is in here. Take a look. This Serena woman really is something."I clicked on the attachment. It was screenshots of Serena's public social media account. Her newest post was a close-up of a drawing pen, the Gardelo pen that had disappeared.The photo was carefully taken, with soft lighting, and an original architecture design book lay open beside it. The caption read, "Mr. Z said my spark deserves the best pen."I clicked on the next post, and it was a selfie of her with the "Z" necklace.Serena had put on makeup and tilted her head slightly to show the slender curve of her neck and the necklace. The caption read, "Mr. Z said I'm the only inspiration behind his designs."The only inspiration.I looked at those words and laughed in disbelief.Despite that, I scrolled further.In one photo, my living room was clearly shown in the background. Serena held my c

I didn't answer the host. Instead, I walked straight toward the stage.The sound of my heels striking the polished floor echoed throughout the room. As I closed the distance one step at a time, all Zachary and Serena could feel were their hearts pounding.The host looked flustered and instinctively moved to stop me, but when I met his eyes, he withdrew his hand.I took the microphone from him."Hello, everyone." My voice carried through the speakers, clear and steady. "First, I want to thank Mr. Lindell for that question. It was an excellent one."I paused, letting my gaze travel across the room before settling precisely on Zachary. "Second, I would like to add something to Mr. Yates' earlier remarks."I turned to Serena, whose face had already begun to pale, and smiled at her. "Ms. Lance, I'm glad to see you understand the Norwell Project so well. As the one who came up with the original concept for this project, I find that very gratifying."The room erupted as countless pairs

That night, I returned home.When I pushed open the door, Zachary was slumped on the living room couch. He looked as though he'd aged overnight.The moment he heard the door, he stood up and rushed toward me, grabbing my hands."Winnie, you're back."His hands were cold, and they trembled slightly."Winnie, I made a mistake. I was wrong."His eyes were bloodshot as he confessed, "It was Serena. She seduced me. I lost my head for a moment. I messed up."He placed all the blame on Serena."Do you remember our university days? You said you wanted to go into urban design, so I chose to major in architecture to be with you. Do you remember when we first got married and lived in that tiny rental apartment? You said as long as I was there, even hardship tasted sweet."He kept bringing up our past, trying to tie me down with memories."Winnie, I'll fire her tomorrow. I'll make her disappear. Let's go back to how things were, okay?" He humbled himself, his voice taking a pleading tone

After the dust settled, life slowly returned to its peaceful rhythm.I threw myself completely into the Norwell Project.Without Zachary undermining my every decision, I reworked the proposal aggressively, refining weak points and strengthening the core structure while leading the team through long, relentless days.My decisiveness and expertise gradually won over everyone's trust and admiration.Furthermore, Philip from Cresthill Enterprises began reaching out more often, always under the pretense of discussing a partnership.He was no longer the distant client sitting across the negotiation table. Instead, he approached me like a mentor in the industry who truly valued what I could do.We talked about design philosophy, where the industry was heading, and how we each understood architecture."Ms. Sutton, your talent shouldn't be hidden behind someone else's shadow," he told me over lunch one day, holding my gaze steadily.Not long after, he invited me to attend the Aeloria Co

Months later, the verdict was handed down.Zachary was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement, defamation, and intimidation. He sent me a long letter from prison, but I didn't open it. I fed it straight into the shredder in my office.Serena had already faded into obscurity. I heard she returned to her hometown and never worked in the industry again.Neither of them had a place in my life anymore.The Norwell Project was completed flawlessly. The eco bridge I designed arched across the skyline like a ribbon of green, becoming the city's newest landmark.The project won the year's World Architecture Design Award. Because of it, I was promoted to the board as the youngest partner in the company's history.Philip and I grew closer naturally.There were no dramatic confessions. Everything unfolded at its own pace. He admired my independence and strength, while I respected his vision and integrity.At his birthday party, he knelt before me in front of our friends. But