Chapter 2

"Aria, it's your birthday today. Why hasn't Zack shown up yet?" my friend asked.

"He's probably busy at work. He loves his job," I replied with a polite smile, though internally I was cringing with embarrassment.

Zack Sherman was my husband, but we weren't in love. Our marriage was arranged by our families to strengthen business ties. Zack despised me, but for the sake of family reputation, I never confronted him about it. In front of reporters and the media, I always strived to be the perfect "Mrs. Sherman."

"Missing your birthday? You need to teach him a lesson when you get home!" my friends fumed on my behalf. I just smiled gracefully and clinked glasses with them.

"Charlie, please contact Zack and ask when he'll arrive. The press and media are all here. Even if he hates me, we need to keep up appearances," I quietly instructed my personal assistant.

Shortly after, the ballroom doors opened. Zack walked in under everyone's gaze, wearing an immaculate suit and perfectly styled hair, carrying a large bouquet of roses.

I was shocked. Had he finally come around? Was he willing to put aside our differences and get along?

Just as I felt a spark of hope, the figure that appeared behind Zack made me freeze, my heart sinking.

It was Lily Brooks, Zack's mistress.

Lily was a rising starlet, beloved by fans for her innocent "girl-next-door" look. I'd heard rumors about her and Zack, but I never imagined he'd have the audacity to bring his mistress to my birthday party!

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to walk forward with a somewhat warm smile. "You're late. And you brought a friend?"

My tone was stiff, my gaze boring into him - part accusation, part warning.

"Aria, drop the act. Let's end this farce between us once and for all, on your birthday no less."

With that, Zack rudely brushed past me and strode onto the stage, pulling Lily along by the hand in front of all the media and guests.

"As you all know, I married Aria two years ago. But that was just an arrangement between our families for the sake of business stability. There was never any love between us. Now, we've reached the point where we can't stand the sight of each other. So I'm divorcing Aria to marry the love of my life, Lily!"

My legs went weak and I dropped my champagne glass, but with so many eyes on me, I forced myself not to show an ounce of hurt. Instead, I maintained an icy expression.

"Have you lost your mind?" My angry voice carried softly through the room as I walked to the front of the stage. "Does your father know about this? You're not some reckless 20-year-old anymore! We may not be in love, but I've treated you with nothing but respect these past years. Do you really need to humiliate me like this?"

"Respect?" Zack sneered, looking at me with disdain. "You're not worth a single hair on Lily's head. Your so-called 'respect' only disgusts me!"

I was stunned. Though Zack could be childish, he had been relatively kind and attentive when we first married. How had we ended up in this vicious situation? I suppose it's because he never loved me, so when true love appeared, he came to despise me.

A wave of emotion washed over me. I felt heartbroken at my own failure. To think that I, the heiress of the Johnson family and future CEO, could be cast aside for a scheming homewrecker.

"Aria, please don't make a scene. It's embarrassing for everyone," Lily chimed in, blinking her innocent-looking eyes. She gently rubbed her stomach and gazed at me pitifully. "Besides, I'm already carrying Zack's child. Surely you wouldn't begrudge me that?"

My mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. I steadied myself and took a deep breath before slowly responding: "You two will never be happy. Zack, one day you'll pay for everything you've done today."

I looked up at him, my eyes red not from sadness, but from anger and resentment.

Whispers broke out all around:

"Aria is so accomplished, yet she still got dumped. I bet she was too arrogant and he couldn't stand her."

"Who is this woman? Is she the mistress? Seems like Zack has hated Aria for a while."

"This is juicy! It'll be the talk of the town tomorrow."

"Kicking his wife to the curb to marry his mistress? Zack is such a shameless scumbag!"

The room buzzed with gossip - some mocking, some sympathetic, but most just enjoying the drama. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails nearly broke the skin.

"Everyone, I apologize for this spectacle. But since Mr. Sherman has found new love, I'll graciously step aside. After all, I'd hate to see the cliché of a wife fighting the mistress play out."

With that, I signed the divorce papers and threw them at Zack. "Happy now?"

In just a few sentences, I had made it clear to everyone present that Zack was cheating and Lily was the homewrecker.

"How dare you spread lies!" Zack raged, raising his hand to slap me.

"Stop right there!"

The expected pain never came. Instead, a firm, authoritative voice rang out.

The ballroom doors opened again. The newcomer wore an expensive suit that accentuated his tall, lean build. He resembled Zack somewhat, with chiseled features and cold eyes, but his aura was completely different - more mature and powerful, not childish like Zack.

"Cousin!" Zack exclaimed in surprise, his raised hand slowly lowering. He hurried off the stage to greet the man.

"Cousin, you didn't tell Dad you were coming? I thought you never attended events like this. What brings you here?"

Following Zack's gaze, I noticed the newcomer was flanked by several bodyguards in dark sunglasses. Curiously, they were carrying flowers, jewelry boxes, and luxury shopping bags.

"I heard it was Miss Johnson's birthday, so I came to offer my congratulations. I didn't expect to witness such an interesting scene," the man Zack called "cousin" said, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Zack. His commanding presence left everyone speechless as the cousins faced off, with Zack eventually backing down.

I recognized him from the few times my father had mentioned him. Ryan Sherman was the son of Zack's father's older brother. Known for his intelligence and steady demeanor, he had successfully managed the company from a young age, becoming a role model for the Sherman children.

Ryan scanned the room, his eyes lighting up briefly when they landed on something, before darkening again. Just as I tried to follow his gaze, he walked up to me in front of everyone.

He took my hand and brought it to his lips, smiling warmly. "I came here today to announce that I want to marry Aria. I love her."

What?! Everyone, including myself, was shocked. We were all baffled by this turn of events. I barely knew Ryan - I'd only heard his name mentioned by others. Yet here he was, proposing to me right after Zack divorced me. It was absurd!

"Mr. Sherman, I think there must be some misunderstanding between us," I said.

"There's no misunderstanding. You may not know me, but I've known you for a long time. Your talent, your ambition, your beauty and grace - everything about you attracts me. To be precise, I've wanted to marry you for a while, but you were already engaged to my cousin at the time."

His heartfelt confession touched me. Growing up, my family had always been extremely strict with me. No one had ever affirmed me like this before. It piqued my interest in the man before me.

"Mr. Sherman, I appreciate your affection, but isn't marriage a bit rushed? We..." I started to refuse, but caught sight of Zack's furious expression from the corner of my eye. Feeling a surge of satisfaction, I changed course mid-sentence. "We may not have met before, but I can tell you're a true gentleman with integrity. When should we get engaged?"

My words caused an uproar. Even the dimmest person could tell I was criticizing Zack for lacking the qualities his cousin possessed.

"Cousin! I object! Did you come here just to oppose me? I just divorced Aria - she's damaged goods now! Uncle won't approve of this!" Zack protested.

"Does it concern you?" Ryan coldly glanced at Zack, dismissing his objections.

"You're really going to humiliate me for a woman I just discarded? Do you want rumors spreading about us feuding?" Zack glared at Ryan in disbelief, his face twisted with displeasure.

"Weren't your actions today humiliating enough for her?" Ryan's words were icy, but they warmed my heart. He furrowed his brow as he faced off against Zack, and his protective stance made my long-dormant heart flutter.

"I'm marrying Aria because she's the love of my life. I'd do anything for her!" Ryan declared firmly, gripping my hand tighter. My heart bloomed like the first flower of spring, a mix of nerves, excitement and anticipation washing over me.

"Ryan Sherman! You'll regret this. I'll make you pay for humiliating me today!" Zack seethed, trembling with rage. But he didn't dare say more, and could only swallow his anger as he stormed out with Lily in tow.

As the stars climbed into the night sky, this dramatic scene came to an end. The rest of the birthday celebrations were awkward, with everyone lost in their own thoughts as they halfheartedly toasted to me.

"Thank you for today," I said earnestly to Ryan as we walked down the street after the party.

"I meant what I said. I'll give you three days to consider. I promise I'll treat you better than he ever did. Please trust me and give me a chance," Ryan said. Though he appeared cold on the outside, the tenderness in his eyes as he gazed at me intently made it hard to refuse. In fact, I found myself looking forward to being with him.

"I understand. My driver's here, so you should head home too," I nodded, unable to hide my smile as I watched Ryan leave before getting into my car.