Eight years into our marriage, heavily pregnant, I had just secured a fifty-million-dollar contract for Carter Vance. But the moment I walked back into the office, I caught him and his new secretary locked in a passionate embrace, passionately making out. My body trembled with rage as I confronted them. Yet, all I got in return was a sneer from the young girl. "So you're the famous charity-case scholarship girl Carter sponsored back in college? Look at you—so tacky and plain. You don't look like Mrs. Vance at all! Carter has me now. If you have any self-respect left, get an abortion, sign the papers, and get lost!" I slowly turned my gaze to Carter, who was standing beside her. Though he didn't say a word, his bowed head and avoided gaze spoke volumes. Taking advantage of their distraction, I quickly slipped the signed fifty-million-dollar contract back into my designer bag. A cold smile played on my lips as I looked at my husband. "Carter, after all these years as husband and wife, I only need one word from you. Do you actually dare to divorce me?"

I had married into the Vance family when Vance Tech was on the verge of bankruptcy. For eight long years—over two thousand grueling days and nights—I relied on my own research and dozens of patents to bring Vance Tech back from the dead. Even Carter's snobbish parents used to treat me with absolute respect. I honestly thought Carter understood what was at stake. "Chloe, let's just get a divorce." Carter stared at his own expensive shoes, mumbling those six words. His voice wasn't loud, but there was a sickeningly firm resolve behind his feigned helplessness. Suddenly, a sharp, deafening ringing buzzed in my ears—a symptom that had plagued me ever since I got pregnant. In my belly, the baby gave a sudden, violent kick. I lunged forward, grabbing Carter by his silk tie. "Are you serious? I am five months pregnant! You want a divorce now?" Carter let me yank his tie, refusing to meet my eyes or utter a single word of defense. The anger inside me burned hotter. This was always Carter's way when things got tough. Avoidance. Silence. Just as I was about to scream at him, a high-pitched, mocking female voice cut in. "Oh, cut the drama, you rabid dog. Carter is only being nice because of your history. When a man asks for a divorce once, it's already over. If you had any dignity, you'd pack your bags and roll out..." Hailey Bennett was someone a business contact had begged me dozens of times to slip into our company. I never expected to recruit my own nightmare. I made a mental note to make that contact pay dearly for this later. But Hailey took another step forward, getting right in my face. "Are you deaf? I'm talking to you, you trailer-trash she-devil—" Before she could finish her sentence, my hand flew out and delivered a ringing slap across her face. "That slap was to teach you how to speak to your boss!" "And this one..." I raised my hand again, aiming for her other cheek, "...is to teach you how to speak to a wife!" But before my palm could connect, a large, firm hand clamped down on my wrist. Carter looked at me with a complicated, guilty expression. "That's enough, Chloe! If you want to hit someone, hit me! I drank too much that night and got Hailey pregnant. She's young, and I have to take responsibility for her and the baby..." It felt like a lump of cold ash was wedged in my throat. My chest surged with absolute fury and betrayal, but I couldn't squeeze out a single word. Carter had health issues; for Hailey to get pregnant so quickly seemed less like an accident and more like a carefully orchestrated trap. Suddenly, it hit me. A few months ago, Carter, who used to chain-smoke, had abruptly quit. When I asked him about it back then, he had wrapped his arms around me with tender affection and whispered in my ear: "Chloe, you're pregnant now. For you, the baby, and our future, I have to quit." I had actually thought he was finally growing up, ready to be a real partner. Turns out, he was just preparing his body to conceive a child with this cheap little girl. My stomach suddenly churned. I leaned against the wall, dry-heaving uncontrollably. Carter rushed forward, trying to support me. "Chloe, I'm sorry," he whispered cautiously. "I know I messed up. I'll give you time to process this. As long as we get the divorce finalized before Hailey gives birth, that's all I ask. Please try to understand... Hailey's baby can't grow up without a father." The scent of his familiar cologne drifted into my nose, making me feel even sicker. I violently pushed him away, forcing a cold, lethal smile as I stared him down. "What is there to process? We're divorcing. Right now." Then, I shifted my icy gaze to Hailey's barely visible baby bump. "Her kid can't be without a father, and neither can mine. Let's get this done quickly so I can find a much better dad for my son." A flicker of panic flashed deep in Carter's eyes. "Chloe..." "Carter! She already agreed! Why are you stalling? Get the divorce papers out!" Hailey pouted, cutting him off. Before Carter could even react, Hailey had already grabbed the pre-printed divorce agreement and shoved it into my hands. I scanned the terms, and a cold, hysterical laugh escaped my lips. "Carter Vance, zero shares of the company for me?" "Chloe, Vance Tech belongs to my family. Besides, I funded your college tuition for eight years. In all fairness, you have no right to these shares." I had been grateful once. That was why I married him when the Vance family was at their lowest. Over the years, dozens of tech giants had offered me hundreds of millions for my patents. But I had let the Vance family use them for free for eight years. Ninety percent of Vance Tech's clients only signed with us because of my patents. And now, Carter wanted me to leave with absolutely nothing. "Chloe, if you're really unhappy about it, I suppose I could transfer a tiny fraction of my personal shares to you..." "No need," I said, grabbing a pen. "I'll sign. We're divorcing right now." Once this marriage is over, forget your petty shares—the entire Vance family will soon find themselves holding a hollow shell.

The moment the ink dried on my signature, Hailey let out a mocking chuckle beside me. "I don't get why you're still acting so proud. A divorced, pregnant trailer-trash woman—let's see how you survive without Carter!" "Unlike you, Carter has my family's backing now. Within a year, he'll easily become the richest man in the city!" I stopped in my tracks and cast a chilling side-eye at Hailey. Her family? I vaguely recalled her belonging to some old-money family in decline, but I couldn't quite place the name. I tossed the signed agreement onto the desk and turned to leave. Just as I reached the door, Carter called out to me. "Chloe! Did you sign that fifty-million-dollar contract you went out to negotiate today?" I slowly turned around, a sweet, mocking smile on my face. "I did. But I just sent a message to the client telling them the contract is canceled." "Carter, we're divorced now. I have no interest in working like a dog for the Vance family anymore. I'm sure you understand." The otherwise quiet and passive Carter suddenly erupted into a furious rage. "Chloe! Do you have to be this ruthless?!" Gritting his teeth in anger, he snatched his phone and dialed the client's number. The moment the call connected, Carter instantly forced a greasy, sycophantic smile onto his face. "M-Mr. Sterling! Hello, this is Carter Vance from Vance Tech..." "Carter Vance? Who the hell is that? At Vance Tech, I only deal with Chloe Miller." The next second, the line went dead. Carter desperately dialed back, but every call went straight to voicemail. In a fit of rage, Carter slammed his phone onto the marble floor, glaring at me like he wanted to rip me apart. "Chloe! Do you have to ruin us?! Do you know how important that fifty-million-dollar contract was?! That was almost our entire profit margin for the year!" I shrugged, utterly indifferent. "I know. But what does that have to do with me?" Hailey quickly rushed to his side, rubbing his back and whispering sweet nothings. "Carter, babe, don't worry. It's just a fifty-million-dollar contract. I'll talk to my grandfather when I get home. Forget fifty million—he can get you a five-hundred-million-dollar deal with a snap of his fingers!" I smiled and walked out of the building. Behind me, Carter's furious, resentful roars echoed down the hallway. "Chloe! Getting rid of you was the best decision of my life! I never realized what a vicious, disgusting bitch you really are!" Ignoring his pathetic screams, I dialed the contact who had forced Hailey into my company. "Julian, what is the background of that little girl you had me hire?" "Oh, her?" Julian Brooks laughed over the line. "She's the spoiled heiress of Apex Holdings—well, what's left of it. Old man Bennett practically begged me for five years just to get a meeting with you. He probably figured sending his granddaughter to butter you up was his best shot. They want your patents. They figured if you could save the Vance family, you could save the Bennetts too..." The foggy pieces of my memory suddenly clicked together. During the last few industry summits, a frail, elderly man had bowed politely to me, with a decent-looking girl hovering behind him. A quiet sneer escaped my lips. So, Carter and Hailey were playing a game of mutual deception, both trying to leech off each other's non-existent fortunes. How entertaining.

I was in Julian's office, telling him about Hailey's grand performance, when his assistant knocked and entered with a pale face. The assistant hesitantly leaned in to whisper to Julian, but Julian pushed him back. "Chloe is family. If you have something to say, say it out loud." The assistant trembled. "Mr. Brooks... our building is being swarmed by reporters." "Why are they swarming us?" "They're... they're demanding a statement from Ms. Miller..." Julian and I pulled out our phones at the same time. The moment I saw the trending headlines on Instagram and Twitter, my heart sank into a cold, dark abyss. Out of the top ten trending topics in the city, I occupied three, highlighted in blood-red. 【Viper in the House! Vance Family's Charity Case Cancels $50M Contract to Vent Personal Malice!】 【Vance Tech's Wife Betrays Husband: Secretly Pregnant with a Boytoy's Child!】 【Chloe Miller's Calculated Scam: The Truth Behind Her Parasitic Marriage to the Vance Family!】 Then came a barrage of emails and messages from my clients. [Ms. Miller, we need an official explanation regarding these scandals immediately. Otherwise, we may have to reconsider our partnership for the next quarter.] [Chloe, let's put our ongoing negotiations on hold for now.] There were even vicious messages from anonymous internet trolls. [You disgusting whore! I'll spit on you if I ever see you on the street!] [Ungrateful snake! I hope your baby is born a freak!] I clenched my fist and slammed it on the desk. This was clearly the work of Carter and Hailey. The moment I notified the clients of my departure from Vance Tech, these smear campaigns had flooded the internet. They wanted to utterly ruin me. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, but Julian caught my arm. "Chloe, you're pregnant. Don't go out there. Let me handle this." I gently shook his hand off. "Julian, I dragged myself out of hell to get where I am today. A little rain storm isn't going to break me." But the moment I stepped out of the lobby, I realized why Julian's assistant had been so terrified. Because besides the bloodthirsty paparazzi, there were several prominent figures from the city's high society standing at the entrance. Among them were Carter's parents. Eleanor Vance spotted me from a distance and immediately put on a fake, warm smile, rushing over to grab my hands. "Chloe, sweetie! I don't know how things got so out of hand. It must be because of that fifty-million-dollar contract. Did we upset Mr. Sterling?" Richard Vance stepped forward too, forcing a reassuring smile. "Yes, Chloe. Canceling a signed deal so suddenly... it's natural for the client to be upset. Just go apologize to Mr. Sterling, get the contract back, and I'm sure these reporters will leave you alone." I slowly peeled Eleanor's manicured hands off me and smiled. "Actually, Eleanor, Mr. Sterling isn't upset at all. I just signed a new deal with him through a friend's company. He is actually thrilled." I watched the color drain from the elderly couple's faces. A cold sneer formed in my heart. It seemed they had a hand in this media circus today too. I had bled myself dry for the Vance family for eight years, only to realize I had been feeding a pack of ungrateful wolves. Eleanor's face instantly twisted in anger. "Chloe, what did you just say?! You signed Mr. Sterling with a friend's company? You are the daughter-in-law of the Vance family! How dare you betray us like this?!" I met her furious gaze, reached into my bag, and slapped the newly signed divorce agreement into her hands. "I'm sorry, but I have absolutely nothing to do with the Vance family anymore."

I pushed past Eleanor to leave, but the hundreds of reporters waiting outside swarmed me like vultures. In my eight years of running a business, I had dealt with the media countless times. I knew that the more I spoke now, the more they would twist my words. I turned toward the back exit, but a sharp, mocking voice cut through the noise. "Oh, look at the elegant Chloe Miller. What's wrong? Did we hit a nerve? Running away because you can't face the truth?" Hailey, clinging tightly to Carter's arm, strutted toward me. I ignored her and kept walking, but before I could take two steps, someone grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. Hailey jumped in front of me, pointing a finger right at my nose. "Let me tell you, Chloe, don't think Vance Tech is nothing without you! Fifty million is pocket change. Even if it's five hundred million, or five billion, it's just a phone call away for me!" "Mrs. Vance was kind enough to give you a way out, and instead of being grateful, you disrespected her in public! Get your ass over here and apologize to her right now!" Carter chimed in, his face cold and arrogant. "Chloe, you crossed the line today. If you don't apologize to my mother properly, you aren't leaving this place." As the drama unfolded, the crowd grew larger. I could see the luxury cars of several major business partners pulling up down the street. It seemed Carter and Hailey had really planned this trap thoroughly. While I was looking away, a sharp pain erupted from my scalp. Hailey had grabbed me by my hair, violently dragging me toward Eleanor. In the chaos and shoving, I lost my footing and crashed hard against the concrete stairs. A careless reporter tripped over me, and his heavy camera slammed directly into my lower abdomen before he fell right on top of my body. An excruciating, stabbing pain shot through my belly. A second later, a warm, wet sensation began to pool beneath me, soaking through my clothes. Eleanor stood over me, looking down coldly. Hailey yanked my hair again, forcing my head up. "Do it! Apologize to Mrs. Vance!" Looking at the blood pooling beneath me, Eleanor showed a brief flicker of hesitation. After all, she knew my value to their business better than Carter did. But just as she bent down to help me up, Hailey cut her off. "Mrs. Vance, don't waste your pity on this snake! Don't worry about the business. Leave it all to me. I already spoke to my grandfather about that five-hundred-million-dollar project. The contract will be signed, and the money will hit your account in no time!" Hearing the mention of five hundred million dollars, Eleanor's eyes lit up with greed. When she looked back down at me, her face was filled with haughty disdain once more. "Chloe, you're a grown woman, yet you're not even half as sensible as Hailey. For old times' sake, just apologize to me, hand back our clients, and we will let this go." Hailey stepped closer, whispering maliciously in my ear as she looked at my blood-soaked pants. "You worthless trash. You couldn't even keep your husband, and now you can't even keep your baby." "Once my grandfather transfers that five hundred million to the Vance family, your real living hell begins!" I gritted my teeth, forced myself up, and landed a vicious slap right across Hailey's face. "Your grandfather is on his way. Let's see whose living hell begins then..." Hailey gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Just as she was about to slap me back, a deep, booming voice echoed from the entrance. "Hailey Bennett!"

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