Chapter 1

My best friend and I got married at the same time, both joining the same powerful family.

She married the rising media mogul, Noah Hayes.

I married the hotshot CEO, Liam Hayes.

But as sisters-in-law, our married lives were anything but happy.

Her husband, who she'd once saved, was constantly rumored to be secretly bankrolling models and influencers. And my husband? He was a notorious playboy, always surrounded by women.

So, Chloe and I just looked at each other.

"Divorce!"

"Done! Let's do it together!"

Tossing our divorce papers aside, Chloe and I felt utterly liberated. We grabbed a crew of handsome bodyguards and headed out to paint the town red.

So they like playing with a constant parade of women? Well, I can play too!

Everyone said the two Hayes brothers were seasoned players, keeping up appearances at home while juggling countless affairs on the side.

And they were right.

For instance, one day I went to see Liam, only to be stopped and humiliated by his assistant, Scarlett.

She claimed I was constantly spoiled and arrogant, and that the CEO had long since forbidden me from entering the company.

Right after that, Chloe went to see Noah and was blocked at the door by one of his junior models, Mia.

Mia went on and on about how Chloe and Noah were totally mismatched, gloating that we should watch how Noah was going to turn her into a top star.

I immediately tried to call Liam, again and again, but he never picked up.

It was the same for Chloe. Those two really were brothers; they ignored our calls and read our messages without replying.

I remembered all the rumors from our circle over the years. People whispered that both brothers already had someone special in their hearts, but because those women weren't as prominent as Chloe and me, they couldn't marry into the family.

So they married us to fill the void, which was why they'd been so cold to us after the weddings.

What’s worse, these rumors were often used by other women to humiliate us, and Liam and Noah knew about it.

But they never denied it; instead, they tacitly allowed those women to get away with it.

After being humiliated by Mia, Chloe and I coincidentally ran into each other back at the Hayes mansion.

We exchanged a look, and the same thought clicked in both our minds.

I stated firmly, "I want a divorce!"

"Do it! If you're divorcing, I'm divorcing too!"

As a pampered princess who’d been showered with love and attention since childhood, the biggest slights I’d ever endured were after getting married.

The attitudes of the people around our husbands reflected exactly how those men truly felt about us.

Because they didn't value us, the people around them felt free to be disrespectful.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, you know. It's not like we can't survive without them."

We were fuming, but we hadn't completely lost our minds. I quietly contacted a lawyer, while Chloe researched travel destinations.

For the rest of the time, we laid low, waiting for the perfect moment.

That evening, Liam finally came home, carrying a bottle of my favorite perfume.

He acted as if nothing was wrong, sticking to me like glue.

Every now and then, he'd complain about how exhausting his day at the office had been, how difficult the new hires were…

Then his hands moved to my head, gently massaging it.

His voice and expression showed no sign of anything amiss.

But what he didn't know was that I knew him too well; whenever he felt guilty, his ears would turn an extra shade of red.

He was testing the waters, trying to see if I was angry.

If he'd just been direct and explained himself, maybe I wouldn't have been so mad.

But he had to try and cover his tracks, only making it more glaringly obvious.

People really do change.

Even if we truly loved each other, it changes.

No exceptions.

That night, listening to his breathing beside me, I couldn't sleep a wink.

In the pitch black, I stared at the silhouette of the chandelier on the ceiling, a bitter ache throbbing in my heart.