After my husband became director, he demanded a divorce, called me “beneath his status,” and tried to seize everything, backed by his mother. I quietly agreed to every ridiculous request. They thought I was broken… until the final court hearing, when I laid a thick stack of documents on the table—and his lawyer’s confident smile vanished as he read the first page.


Chapter 1: The Vinegar of Success

The crystal chandelier above the table at L’Ermitage cast sharp, diamond-like glints off Mark Thorne’s brand-new Rolex. He had spent the entire appetizer course—a delicate arrangement of wagyu carpaccio he barely touched—adjusting his cuff. He wanted to ensure the waiter, the sommelier, and presumably the patrons at the next table could see the way the light danced off the gold casing.