The party was in full swing when Mrs. Higgins cornered me by the champagne fountain. Her smile was all teeth, no warmth. "You're remarkably gracious, Jane," she purred. "Most wives wouldn't throw a party for the woman who stole their job." I froze, wine glass halfway to my lips. "That's impossible. Caleb values competence above nepotism. I earned that Foundation Director position myself." Mrs. Higgins' laugh was brittle. "Darling, I saw the announcement. Harper's name is right there. 'Executive Director of the Turner & Co. Charity Foundation.'" She leaned in, dropping her voice to a stage whisper. "Everyone knows Caleb's been keeping two women on the payroll, if you catch my meaning." The wine turned sour in my mouth. I turned to find Caleb across the room, his expression guilty as sin. My parents intercepted me before I could reach him. "Jane, sweetheart." Mom gripped my wrist. "Harper is a widow. She has no family, no prospects. People will talk if she doesn't have a respectable position." Dad nodded gravely. "You're Caleb's wife. You have his credit card, his name, his mansion. Surely you can afford to be generous." The word "generous" tasted like poison. My heart felt like it was being carved apart with a dull knife. Fine. They wanted me to be generous? I'd give them generous. I'd hand Caleb over to Harper entirely.

The room was silent except for the clink of ice in Caleb's scotch. Everyone had left. Just us now. "How long were you planning to hide it?" My voice was steady, cold. "Were you going to tell me after Harper join the company? Or never?" Caleb wouldn't meet my eyes. That avoidance told me everything. "You're strong, Jane. You don't need protecting." He swirled his drink. "Harper is different. Fragile. She needs me to shield her from the world." "Jane, be reasonable. It's only a job." A job？ The tears came despite my best efforts. We'd been married three years. Three years where he was "too busy building the empire" to spend more than a handful of nights at home. He'd given Harper as his secretary two years ago. She got to work beside him every day while I ate dinner alone. She stole three years of my marriage. Now she was wanting more. Why should I accept this? Harper materialized beside me, eyes glistening with crocodile tears. "Jane, I told Caleb not to do this." Her voice was honey-sweet. "He just thinks you're not suitable for the Foundation work. You are Mrs. Turner, after all. He didn't want people to think you got the position through his powers." She reached for my hand in a sisterly gesture. Every touch felt like needles under my skin. "Mrs. Turner?" The word came out sharp. "Caleb has suspended the credit card two years ago. I've been working day and night. I worked until I miscarried. I'm not suitable?" "I spent a year training—networking events, charity galas, foundation law seminars—so I wouldn't embarrass him at the Foundation. Crawling through mud and mockery to prove myself. That's being using his power?" Two years. Every sacrifice I made to stand beside him. Every careful step to avoid even a whisper of scandal. And Caleb erased me with a signature. Replaced me without a conversation. The facade of "protecting me" was stripped bare in front of everyone. Harper's tears spilled over. "Caleb, please. Give the position back to Jane." She turned to him, voice breaking. "I can handle gossip. I've endured worse..." Caleb immediately moved to comfort her, his expression darkening as he glared at me. My father spoke first. "Jane. Is this how we raised you?" His voice cut like a judge's gavel. "Harper has no parents, no husband—he died three years ago—and you're being cruel to her?" Mom's disappointment was palpable. "Harper's already facing terrible rumors as a young widow. Are you deliberately making it worse?" Tears blurred my vision. My heart felt like it was splitting open. "You stood by and watched me become the laughingstock of this entire social circle!" My voice cracked. "And you call yourselves my parents?!" Suddenly it all made sense. The menu for tonight—prime rib and lobster thermidor. They knew I hated rich, heavy food. They knew this dinner wasn't for Caleb and me. It was Harper's celebration party. They'd known all along. My parents looked away, guilt flickering across their faces. Caleb's voice cracked like a whip. "Enough!" He slammed his glass down. "I decide who gets what position in my company. My choice. My company." "Jane, your jealousy right now is pathetic. Harper would never act like this." "Maybe you should reflect on why you're so insecure." He looked at me like I was a stranger having a breakdown. The room erupted in murmurs—some defending him, others pitying Harper. I wiped my tears. Met his eyes. "I did reflect," I said quietly. "It's not me who needs to change. It's you." "So let's get divorced."

Three years of marriage, and everything I owned fit in a single duffel bag. Every penny I earned went to Caleb, just to prove I wasn't a woman he needed to support. Looking back now, I was really stupid. Packing took ten minutes. Mrs. Higgins knocked, letting herself in. "Jane, darling, where are you going with that bag? You're not seriously considering divorce..." "I am." "No, no, no!" She grabbed my arm. "Yesterday was my fault. Don't throw away your marriage because of my big mouth!" She lowered her voice urgently. "Caleb is young, brilliant, devastatingly handsome. Three years married and he's never let you suffer a day. Why would you walk away?" "If you leave now, you're just handing Harper exactly what she wants. Don't you see that?" The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth from biting my tongue. "Mrs. Higgins, you saw how hard I fought for that position last year." "Caleb had the power to approve it. I asked him once，just once，and he accused me of being a gold-digger trying to use his connections." Mrs. Higgins stammered. "Well... but you're married. People would've talked." I laughed bitterly. "Because we're married, my hundred hours of work meant nothing. But Harper? No relationship, no credentials, and he paves her entire road in gold." "Isn't that right, Mrs. Higgins?" I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I walked past her, bag in hand. "I know Caleb sent you to change my mind. Don't bother." Mrs. Higgins was the most difficult woman in the area. She'd hated me since day one. Only Caleb could make her apologize to me. I opened the door. Caleb stood on the other side, his expression cold and flat. I didn't acknowledge him. Stepped around him. He caught my wrist, voice low and impatient. "Are you done with this tantrum?" "You filed a complaint with the Board claiming I'm having an affair with Harper. You demanded the divorce. I'm choosing to overlook that." "Jane, I'm human too. Try to understand my position." Every time. Every single time I questioned his relationship with Harper, he used this line. "I'm a CEO, I'm your husband, but I'm also just a man." "Jane, others can doubt me, but you can't. You have to understand my position with Harper." Because of his demand for "understanding," I endured everything. When people mocked me—laughing about how I funded his affair—I screamed back at them. "My husband is just being kind to a widow. I trust him completely!" And the whole time? He was sleeping with her. I was the punchline. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. "How dare you say that to me." "Caleb, before you sign the divorce, I don't want to see your face." I moved into an old apartment that night and found a new job. Senior director at Nexon Group, the most prestigious consulting firm in the country. The CEO told me if I secured the Hawthorne Industries this quarter, I will become the Executive Director of the branch office. For that position, I worked before dawn and past midnight. I took every impossible client pitch other consultants rejected. Two months of non-stop presentations and proposals until I collapsed. When I woke up, I was in a private medical suite. My parents sat beside the bed. "Jane, you have a CEO husband who adores you. Why are you destroying yourself like this?" Mom's eyes were wet. "Look at you—skin and bones. It breaks my heart." Why were they here? I pinched myself hard. Not dreaming. "Dad. Mom." My voice broke. "The divorce isn't a tantrum." "I have got a job. And when I stand firm, I'll take you both with me. Away from all this." Maybe illness makes people vulnerable. In that moment, I wanted to forgive them for lying to me. If we could just be a family again. Mom's face crumpled. "Sweetheart, that's actually why we're here." "Because of your Board complaint, Caleb was reprimanded. Publicly." "He says he doesn't blame you. And he knows you work very hard. He has influence with Nexon Group's Board." Dad jumped in quickly. "You just have to agree to attend Harper's adoption ceremony. " "Then he'll pull strings for you. Get you a more easier and respectable position." Every shred of hope withered and died. Of course. It was always about Harper. My parents were going to adopt another daughter. To save Harper's reputation, they needed me to smile and play along. I closed my eyes, letting tears slide down my temples. Finally, I exhaled. "Fine. I'll do it. In exchange, let him sign the divorce paper."

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