Chapter 1

The day I was supposed to marry Jackson Reid, he eloped with his first love.

Like a challenge, he sent a photo of them together every time they went somewhere new.

The day their ninety-ninth photo arrived, I was getting a manicure and sipping on some fine imported afternoon tea.

But then, Jackson Reid, whom I hadn't seen for three years, suddenly came back.

Pointing at my wedding photo on the wall, he started yelling.

"You hooked up with some paramour while I was gone!"

I found it amusing.

"What paramour?"

"I've been married to my husband for three years."

"Jackson Reid, you didn't actually think I'd been waiting for you all these years, did you?"

Jackson Reid glared at me and scoffed.

"You think I'll believe that excuse?"

"Tell me, which man were you messing around with?"

"I'm going to make you both pay for this!"

He yanked my arm, and I heard a sickening crack from my joint.

I winced in pain.

My mother-in-law, Eleanor, heard the commotion and came out.

Seeing a strange man grabbing my arm, she rushed over to help.

"Who are you?"

"Let go of her, now!"

Seeing a plain-looking old woman, Jackson Reid assumed she was our maid.

He shoved her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Mind your own business, old woman."

I watched Eleanor fall heavily to the ground.

Worried, I cried out, "Mom!"

"Are you okay?"

Hearing me call her "Mom," Jackson Reid froze for a second.

Then his eyes blazed with fury.

He tightened his grip on my arm, refusing to let go.

"Mom? This is your mother?"

"I thought you were such a big shot!"

"Looking at how shabbily your mother is dressed, it's clear your lover isn't much either!"

Tears streamed down my face from the pain.

His grip left a bruising purple mark on my arm.

"Are you crazy?"

"You left three years ago, abandoning me without a word, and now you just show up?"

"Don't forget, we never even had the ceremony before you left."

"We were never legally married!"

Jackson Reid paused at my words.

He grabbed my hand and started dragging me outside.

"Everyone knows our families had an arrangement."

"You think you can just say we weren't married now?"

"This villa is mine."

"You brought your paramour to live here and have the nerve to talk back?"

"You've got some nerve!"

Jackson Reid dragged me all the way out of the gated community.

He finally stopped at a busy intersection with lots of people watching.

"Aurora Miller, you hooked up with another man while I was abroad."

"You have no shame!"

"This villa is mine, and you need to move out immediately."

"You also owe me five million in rent!"

"Otherwise, I'll ruin you and the Miller family name completely!"

In the crowd, I spotted a figure I knew instantly.

It was the 'first love,' the woman Jackson Reid had abandoned me for.

Her name was Scarlett Hayes.

She smirked at me triumphantly.

Her eyes were full of disdain.

My face was pale, but I managed a weak smile.

Jackson Reid abandoning me the way he did had already humiliated me completely.

Now he was back, humiliating me all over again.

I had married Jackson Reid originally to save my family's business.

I thought marrying him would rescue the company.

But even after he left, my family's company never got the investment it needed.

We were forced to declare bankruptcy.

The surrounding gated community was full of wealthy residents.

Hearing Jackson Reid's shouting, they were already half-convinced.

"No wonder that woman is rarely seen out," someone muttered.

"She's been keeping a paramour in the villa!"

"I thought she was rich herself," another scoffed.

"Turns out she's just spending some man's money, what a tramp!"