Chapter 1

On New Year's Eve, my husband Vincent was still on a business trip in Europe.

I decided to fly out and surprise him. When I went to book the ticket, only first class was available.

I looked at the $10,000 price tag and used a year's worth of savings to buy it.

After I sat down, I could not figure out how to adjust my seat.

The young woman next to me let out a scornful laugh.

"Never flown first class before?"

I smiled awkwardly. "No, I haven't."

"My boss always books me first class," she said. "Sometimes he even arranges a private jet for me."

I was taken aback. "Your boss must be very generous."

"Actually," she said smugly, "he's not just my boss. He's my lover. Look, this is the ring he gave me"

Looking at the diamond ring on her hand that was identical to my missing wedding ring, I froze.

Wait. Wasn't Vincent just a regular employee?

When did he become a CEO?

I stared at her ring finger.

"But that ring...it's a wedding band. Are you two engaged? Or married?"

"This?" Lucia glanced at the diamond. "I had him take it off his wife."

I was stunned.

"I wasn't going to trouble the wife at first. But on my birthday, that woman had a miscarriage and made him rush to the hospital. I spent my birthday alone."

My hand moved to my lower abdomen.

I suddenly remembered that brutal winter

The road home from the market was a sheet of black ice.

Vincent's salary was pitiful-we couldn't even afford an electric scooter.

I slipped and fell hard. Our three-month-old baby became nothing but a pool of blood...

That day, Vincent dropped everything. He stayed by my side for three days and three nights.

But when I finally woke, my wedding ring was gone. Just like our child.

Vincent held me close.

"It's okay, we'll have another child. And the ring-I'll buy you a new one."

I cried and shook my head.

"Didn't you say the company is doing layoffs? We need to save money. When you're making big money later, then you can get me a new one."

That day he looked at me with reddened eyes, tears welling up.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't earned enough money. I'm sorry I haven't given you a good life."

I shook my head.

Beside me, Lucia was still admiring the diamond ring.

I asked, "So you made him take his wife's ring and give it to you?"

"Yes. Actually, he refused at first. Said he'd buy me something more expensive."

Lucia examined the ring from all angles.

"But that old woman is so arrogant precisely because she thinks she's his wife, right? If I didn't teach her a lesson, wouldn't she just walk all over me in the future?"

I clenched my teeth.

"Honestly, this ring isn't worth as much as the other things he's bought me."

"But it is a wedding ring, after all."

Lucia smiled at me. "When a woman ends up like that old hag, she's got no hope left in this life."

I gripped the corner of my clothes, forcing out a smile.

"If your sugar daddy is so willing to spend money on you, he must be paying his wife plenty of hush money, right?"

Lucia laughed.

She leaned in close.

"I'll tell you-that old woman doesn't even know he's a CEO yet."