I was the quintessential trophy wife, perfectly trained and utterly submissive. Ever since we got married, Kevin controlled every aspect of my life. If he told me to go east, I didn’t even dare glance west. That was, until the glowing words started floating in thin air. That was how I discovered I was nothing but a pathetic, clingy side character in a modern romance novel. [LMAO, the side character is so spineless. She even lets him boss her around in bed.] [She crawls away crying, but one look from the male lead and she scurries right back, trembling. Pathetic.] [To be fair, it’s kind of cute. But so what? The male lead is destined to fall for the fierce, independent heroine who actually challenges him!] My eyes widened in the dark. Later that night. Kevin opened his arms toward me, expecting his usual routine. But I didn't curl into his embrace like a well-behaved pet. Instead, I sat up straight, looked him dead in the eye, and provoked him. "I am sick of this. I have never even been satisfied!" 1 The heavy, intimate atmosphere in the bedroom vanished instantly. Dead silence. Kevin looked down at me, his gaze unreadable. If this were yesterday, my heart would have skipped a beat in terror. I would have bitten my lip, practically crawling into his arms, whispering apologies about how I was just joking. But things were different now. I had to change. I could no longer be Kevin’s obedient little doll. I refused to let him manage my life anymore. His thin lips finally parted. "You have never been satisfied?" My eyes widened slightly. He stared at me with absolute calm, his voice utterly flat. "Then why do you always tremble so much at the end?" I was speechless. Damn it. That suffocating, authoritative pressure of his was hard to fight. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I was faking it." A faint crease appeared between Kevin’s brows. I pushed my luck, keeping my tone deadly serious. "Look at you, always needing to get to the bottom of everything! Now you know the truth, and you are upset. I was just trying to protect your fragile male ego. I had to put on a performance every single time, and frankly, I am exhausted from acting." Having fired off that entire monologue in one breath, I exhaled heavily. Provoking him like this definitely gave me that fierce heroine energy the floating comments were talking about, right? The air in the room completely stagnated. Kevin’s expression didn't change. He simply lifted his heavy eyelids, his dark gaze pinning me to the mattress. "Is that so?" After a long, agonizing pause, he finally spoke again. "It must have been very hard on you all this time." I guiltily lowered my eyes. "It wasn't that hard..." A second later, I realized my mistake and snapped my head up. "Actually, yes. It was extremely difficult. You definitely need to improve." Before he could respond, I dropped another bomb. "There is one more thing. I passed my resume screening at Nova Innovations. I am starting my new job there tomorrow." Kevin just looked at me. He didn't say a word. I hesitated for a second before adding my defense. "After all, I can't just be a stay-at-home wife forever." His tone was entirely indifferent. "If memory serves, that company belongs to your ex-boyfriend." "Uh, yeah, I think so. But it is a big place, I probably won't even see him. Besides, my career is my own business." Kevin’s long, elegant fingers moved up to his collar, slowly unbuttoning the top button of his pajama shirt. My heart did a terrifying little flip, cold sweat breaking out on my back. I knew that gesture. Every time he was about to brutally dress down a corporate executive, he did exactly that. And he did it when he was about to lecture me, too. I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting every ingrained instinct that screamed at me to surrender and apologize. Thankfully, the lecture never came. He just looked away and said one word. "Fine." 2 I lay flat on the incredibly soft mattress. The space beside me was already cold. Kevin had gone to his home office to handle late-night emails. The glowing text materialized in front of my eyes once again. [Wait, why is the side character suddenly fighting back?] [The submissive wife is having an awakening...] [But you have to admit, seeing this just proves the male lead doesn't love her at all.] [Exactly! She literally said she is going to work at her ex’s company, and he just agreed. Later in the story, once he falls for the real heroine, he completely loses his mind if she even looks at another guy.] [True! The heroine talks to a waiter and the male lead gets crazy jealous and possessesive.] I stared at the floating words. Whatever drowsiness I had was entirely gone. I was wide awake. I tossed and turned, violently twisting the expensive sheets. I was so incredibly furious. Kevin was six years older than me. We grew up in the same wealthy social circles, so he was essentially the older boy next door. He was brilliant, cold, and relentlessly strict. The ultimate golden child. Because my grades were terrible, our parents forced him to tutor me. I spent my childhood getting scolded by him. If my mind wandered, he would tap my knuckles with his pen. In my eyes, he was always an older brother. A teacher. An authority figure. So even when we got married, I was still terrified of him. But Kevin was undeniably exceptional. After taking over the Hopkins Group, his ruthless and decisive tactics made their empire expand exponentially. I had just gotten used to obeying him. And my reward for years of absolute submission was getting mentally cheated on? The next morning. I dragged myself downstairs for breakfast, sporting heavy dark circles under my eyes. A flawless gourmet breakfast was already laid out on the long mahogany dining table. Kevin was sitting at his usual spot, impeccably dressed in a custom-tailored suit, silently eating. The private chef looked at me in shock. "Madam, you are up..." I waved a hand dismissively. "Just throw something simple together for me." For years, I had slept in until noon and went straight to lunch. Kevin was always the only one who ate breakfast in this massive house. I couldn't blame the chef for staring. Kevin set down his silver cutlery. His dark eyes lifted, locking onto me. I sat there looking miserable and kept my mouth shut. In the past, I would have already put on a bright, bubbly smile and chirped about how handsome my husband looked today. But I simply didn't have the energy for the performance anymore. "Going to your orientation?" he finally asked. I just gave a noncommittal hum. The dining room fell right back into a suffocating silence. 3 It wasn't until we got into separate luxury cars, driving off in completely opposite directions, that reality truly hit me. If I didn't actively force a conversation, Kevin and I had absolutely nothing to say to each other. I used to be so painfully dense. I never even noticed. I used to act like an absolute idiot, following him around, calling him sweet pet names, racking my brain for anything to talk about just to fill the quiet. I stared blankly out the window, letting out a heavy sigh. After checking in at my new office, I barely had time to read the onboarding manual before I was dragged into a departmental strategy meeting. A gorgeous, radiant girl with her hair pulled into a high ponytail was standing at the front of the conference room, confidently presenting a marketing proposal. I sat in the back row, stifling a yawn while taking lazy notes. A coworker next to me whispered. "I heard she is just a college intern. Isn't she amazing?" "Right? She knows her stuff, and she is so fiercely opinionated." Hearing those specific adjectives made me pause, but I didn't dwell on it. Until she reached the climax of her brilliant presentation. The heavy glass doors of the conference room swung open. The department director practically bowed as he walked in. "Mr. Hopkins, right this way, please." My head snapped up. The same man I had coldly parted ways with this morning was casually strolling into my office. He was impossibly tall, radiating an aristocratic, freezing aura. The floating comments instantly exploded in my field of vision. [OMG! Mom and Dad are finally meeting!] [The butterfly effect is real! If the side character hadn't randomly decided to get a job, the main couple wouldn't have met this early.] [We actually have to thank the side character for giving us this sweet romance so soon.] [The poor side character is still throwing a tantrum today, completely unaware that she is just speeding up her own divorce.] [Yeah, if she had just stayed the obedient little wife, the male lead might have actually felt a little pity for her.] I was completely out of energy. Being the discarded side character in someone else's love story was absolutely exhausting. My eyes lingered on the second comment. So, Kevin wasn't here by coincidence. He came here specifically for me? I rubbed my chin in thought, right as my gaze collided with his pitch-black eyes. The seat directly across from me happened to be empty. Kevin pulled out the chair and sat down. His dark stare rested on my face for exactly one second before he looked away. The director nervously hovered nearby. "These slides outline our newest strategic approach, which perfectly aligns with the Hopkins Group's core philosophy." Kevin looked at the screen with an impassive face. I looked at him, then looked at the bright, confident intern presenting the slides. I couldn't help but think it to myself. They really did look like the perfect novel couple. The cold billionaire and the bright, talented girl. A match made in heaven. As I thought about it, my grip on my pen tightened. I wanted to take this stupid ballpoint pen and stab a hole right through Kevin's expensive suit. By the time I snapped out of my murderous daydream, the room was dead quiet. I looked up in confusion, only to find Kevin staring right at me again. The director immediately snapped at me. "This is not the time to be daydreaming! Pay attention!" Kevin slowly raised a long finger, silencing the man. "It is fine." He paused, his voice dropping into a cool, flat tone. "However, if you find the corporate pace too difficult to adapt to, you are always welcome to stay home." The director nodded profusely. "Of course, of course, Mr. Hopkins." I dropped my pen on the table, grinding my teeth. When the presentation finally ended, everyone filed out. I stayed glued to my chair, refusing to leave. Kevin didn't leave either. He sent his assistant away to handle the actual contract negotiations. Soon, it was just the two of us left in the empty boardroom. "What was that supposed to mean?" I glared at him. "Were you trying to publicly humiliate me?" Kevin raised a brow. "No." I bit my lip, deciding to change the subject. "I never heard anything about the Hopkins Group collaborating with Nova Innovations. Why the sudden partnership? And why would the CEO show up in person? Is it because of..." Because of me? Before I could finish the sentence, he cut me off, his tone entirely dismissive. "You have never taken an interest in my corporate affairs. It is only natural you wouldn't know." I froze, completely struck dumb by the cold rejection. Right at that moment, the door opened. The bright intern who had presented the slides walked in. The actual heroine of the story. Stella. She froze when she saw Kevin and me alone in the room. "Oh, you two are..." Kevin casually took a step back, putting a very clear, professional distance between us. Stella smiled warmly, completely unfazed. "I am so sorry to interrupt your conversation. I just forgot my flash drive on the podium." Kevin gave her a polite nod. "It is no problem." I opened my mouth to speak, but the words died in my throat. I just gave a quiet, awkward nod. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fight the plot. Before I could sink into a depression, someone called my name. It was Sarah, the senior employee assigned to train me. She patiently clicked through a shared drive on my computer. "This folder has all the standard templates for our corporate agreements. Look through them so you know where everything is. Let me know if you get stuck." With that, she walked away. I skimmed the list of files, my eyes locking onto a specific document. My finger clicked the mouse. I opened the template for a Divorce Settlement Agreement. I quietly saved a copy to my personal desktop. When I turned my chair around, I nearly jumped out of my skin. A tall figure was standing right behind me. I had no idea how long he had been there. His calm, dark eyes shifted slowly from my computer monitor down to my face. My heart skipped a beat. "Kevin..." The air felt thick like molasses. The silence was so heavy it made my chest ache with panic. "It is... I have a friend. She is going through a messy divorce with her husband." The lie tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop it, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "I was just doing some research to help her out." The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Why did I instinctively make up an excuse? And such a pathetic one, too. But knowing Kevin’s personality, I figured he wouldn't care enough to ask follow-up questions. I was just starting to mentally sigh in relief when his flat, emotionless voice cut through the air. "Which friend? Why haven't I heard about this?" I stared at him. Why was he suddenly so inquisitive? I stayed silent for a moment before giving him a taste of his own medicine. "You have never taken an interest in my social life. It is only natural you wouldn't know." Kevin looked down at me, his thick eyelashes fluttering slightly. After a long pause, he turned around and walked away. 4 From that day on, Kevin and I entered a brutal cold war that lasted for half a month. He moved his things into the guest bedroom. Half the time, he didn't even come home, choosing to sleep in the executive suite at his headquarters. I spent my days secretly meeting with a high-end divorce attorney. After years of marriage, the Hopkins and Lockhart families had deeply intertwined financial interests. Untangling those assets without causing a stock market crash required meticulous planning. It was a slow process. One night, I came home exhausted from working late. The lights in the grand living room were dim. A tall, solitary figure was sitting on the velvet sofa. I paused in the entryway. "...Kevin?" I realized then that I physically couldn't force myself to put on a sweet voice and call him 'hubby' anymore. Kevin looked up, his dark eyes locking onto me. I hesitated. "Were you waiting for me?" The massive house was dead quiet. He didn't answer. Right. I was just flattering myself again. Just as I lifted my foot to head up the grand staircase, his calm voice echoed in the dark. "There is a charity gala the day after tomorrow. We are attending together." I was about to reject him outright, but then I thought about it. The divorce papers weren't finalized yet. If we started making public scenes now, the rumors would spread, and my parents would worry endlessly. Standing in the dim lighting, Kevin and I stared at each other. I gave a tired hum of agreement and walked straight upstairs. The room remained perfectly silent. Kevin stayed sitting on the sofa, completely motionless. 5 The night of the gala. I walked into the grand ballroom with my hand resting lightly on Kevin’s arm. A sudden wave of intense discomfort washed over me. I completely lost the desire I used to have for his physical touch. Thankfully, I spotted a socialite friend across the room. I immediately dropped Kevin’s arm and hurried over to her, escaping the suffocating proximity. Kevin stopped in his tracks, his long fingers lightly brushing the sleeve of his suit where my hand had just been. ... My friend grabbed my hand, excitedly filling me in on her life. "I have to tell you, my husband and I went to see the active volcanoes last week. It was incredible. Next month, we are booking a private island. Oh, how are things with you and your terrifying billionaire?" I pressed my lips together, dodging the question. Looking at her sparkling eyes, I suddenly asked, "Do you and your husband... talk a lot?" "Of course we do." She looked at me like I had asked a stupid question, then frowned dramatically. "But we argue all the time too! Sometimes I get so mad I want to punch him in the face... but he always ends up apologizing and coaxing me back to a good mood." As she kept talking, my mind started to drift. Kevin and I had never had a real argument. If we ever disagreed, I always gave in. If I did something that annoyed him, even if I knew I wasn't wrong, I was always the one who surrendered and apologized first. I couldn't absorb a single word my friend said after that. Seeing my pale face, she asked gently, "Do you want to go to the VIP lounge for a bit? It is a little stuffy out here." I shook my head and excused myself to go to the restroom. The gala was a sea of clinking champagne glasses and expensive perfume. There were plenty of international elites who had flown in just for this event. I recognized several familiar faces from the old days, and Kevin was likely off networking with his own inner circle. I walked down the quiet marble hallway, my mind completely unsettled. Until I heard a familiar, deep voice say, "It is fine." I stopped dead in my tracks. A man’s voice immediately followed. "We all told you back then. If you didn't love her, you shouldn't have agreed to the political marriage. Now look at the mess you are in." "Exactly. You clearly didn't want it. You should have just followed your heart, man." "Look at you now. This is what happens when you make a massive mistake." A massive... mistake. I stood there in the shadows, staring blankly at the tips of my designer heels. I had always stupidly believed that Kevin harbored at least a little bit of affection for me. We had known each other our entire lives, after all. I thought that, just like the floating comments said, he only changed his mind because he was drawn to the bright, independent heroine. But the truth was, he never had any feelings for me to begin with. To him, our entire marriage was nothing but a regrettable error. The man’s voice continued. "But I hear you are finally getting the divorce sorted out. Good for you. Better to escape that misery while you can." I spun around and practically ran in the opposite direction. My chest felt like it was going to explode with sheer rage and humiliation. Escape that misery? For years, I worshipped the ground he walked on, completely erasing my own personality to please him, and he considered being married to me a misery?! Then why didn't he ask for a divorce years ago? Oh, right. Because Stella hadn't appeared yet. Now that his perfect woman was in the picture, he didn't want to settle anymore. Fuming with anger, I wasn't looking where I was going. I slammed hard into someone’s chest. I stumbled back, quickly apologizing. "I am so sorry, are you alright?" "...Serena?" A hesitant voice called my name. I looked up, meeting a pair of very surprised eyes. I stumbled over my words. "Oh... Liam. Long time no see." The man gave a soft laugh. "You just started working at my company, right? I have been overseas on business, so I only just saw you on the floor. What a coincidence." I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "Yeah." He looked at me closely. "Why did you suddenly decide to join the workforce? Does your..." He chose his next words carefully. "Does your husband mind?" Back in the day, Kevin and I had a wedding that practically shut down the city. Everyone in high society knew about it. Naturally, my ex-boyfriend Liam knew about it too. I forced a tight smile. "He will be gone very soon." Liam froze. I kept my voice perfectly casual and repeated myself. "I said, I won't have a husband very soon." Yeah. I wasn't cursing Kevin to die. I was just calmly stating the objective fact of our impending divorce. Liam didn't respond for a long time. I followed his gaze and looked over my shoulder. Kevin was standing right behind me, a crystal champagne flute in his hand. His bespoke suit was as immaculate as always, though his silk tie was loosened just a fraction. His dark eyes landed heavily on me, then casually slid over to Liam, not lingering for even a second. Utterly devoid of warmth. How does he walk like a ghost? Does he not make any noise? I instinctively took a half-step backward. My back bumped right into Liam’s arm. Liam quickly reached out to steady me, then politely let go. "Mr. Hopkins," Liam spoke first, his tone perfectly diplomatic. "I have heard a lot about you." Kevin didn't even look at him. Instead, he looked down at me. It was that terrifying, calculating look I knew all too well. The exact same look he gave me when he caught me daydreaming during our study sessions as kids. The hallway fell dead silent. It felt like an invisible barrier had slammed down, cutting us off from the noise of the ballroom. My heart was pounding out of my chest. My palms were slick with nervous sweat. "I will leave you two to catch up," I managed to force a stiff smile. "I promised my friend I would find her." I turned to flee. But a large hand clamped firmly around my wrist. Kevin’s thumb, slightly calloused, pressed against my pulse point. I froze, looking up into his dark eyes. "We are done catching up," Kevin said, his voice flat. "I will go with you." I completely stiffened. Liam looked at me, then looked at Kevin. He wisely smiled and took a step back. "I will excuse myself then. Serena, see you at the office." I couldn't tell if I was imagining it, but the grip on my wrist instantly tightened to the point of pain. The moment Liam disappeared around the corner, I tried to rip my arm out of Kevin's grasp. But his fingers were like iron. Struggling was completely useless. "What did you mean?" Kevin’s lips barely moved, his voice dangerously low. I bit my lip, staring defiantly into his eyes. I slowly opened my mouth. "You heard exactly what I said, Kevin. We are getting a div—" "Mr. Hopkins!" A frantic voice suddenly interrupted me. A middle-aged executive hurried over, giving me a quick, nervous nod. "Madam." He then turned to Kevin in a panic. "Mr. Hopkins, Miss Stella is being harassed by a group of guests by the ice sculpture. Everyone is watching..." The glowing text, which had been silent for days, suddenly exploded in my vision. [Here it comes! The classic hero-saves-the-beauty scene!] [Hurry up, male lead! Our poor, resilient heroine is about to get a drink thrown in her face!] [I have a feeling tonight is the turning point for their romance!] [The side character needs to back off and stop ruining the plot. I want my romantic climax!] I instinctively looked up at Kevin's face. His gaze had already left mine, locking onto the direction the executive was pointing. Kevin’s fingers, which had been cutting off the circulation to my wrist, slowly loosened. He took a step away from me, toward the ballroom. I let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "I thought you were coming with me to see my friend? Change of plans?" Kevin’s brows pulled together slightly. "Wait for me after the gala. I will find you." I stood rooted to the spot, watching his broad shoulders and tall silhouette march step by step toward the girl trapped in the center of the crowd. Then, I heard his low, commanding voice cut through the noise. From halfway across the massive ballroom, it wasn't clear, but I caught the word: "Stella." The crowd parted like the Red Sea. I watched Stella look up at him. Her bright eyes were filled with the perfect mixture of shock and profound gratitude. They looked so perfect together. The whispers of the socialites drifted over to me. "Who is that girl?" "I heard she is just an intern at Liam Cross’s company." "Really? What is her relationship with Kevin Hopkins? He looks ready to kill for her." "Keep your voice down! Kevin and Serena are happily married. It is probably just a corporate courtesy thing." The last two sentences were quickly tacked on when they realized I was standing right there. I listened in silence, staring at the scene unfolding in the distance. Just by standing next to her, Kevin dissolved all the malice directed at Stella. The people who had been bullying her were suddenly all smiles, frantically apologizing and claiming it was all a big misunderstanding. The comments were still flying across my eyes. [They look so cinematic standing together.] [Standing in front of the whole world to shield her from their cruelty... I am swooning.] [The side character looks so pathetic standing all alone in the corner. I almost feel bad for her.] [That is what happens when you let a man walk all over you. You get left in the dust to cry.] [I really hope the side character doesn't turn crazy and start harassing the male lead... She loves him so much, it is going to be messy.] Kevin stood beside Stella. Elegant, unbothered, and radiating a warmth I rarely ever saw. I looked down at my expensive shoes and smiled. Harass him? Why would I ever do that? I had finally realized the cold, hard truth. Kevin and I were fundamentally incompatible. I had never once truly walked into his heart. I didn't wait for the gala to end. I called my driver and left. As for Kevin saying he would find me afterward? Who would believe that? Only an absolute idiot would sit around waiting for him.
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