Today was supposed to be a joyous occasion for Emily Carter, as her husband James Carter had just been promoted. However, it turned out to be her worst nightmare.

Holding a carefully chosen gift, she hailed a taxi and headed to the hotel. Wanting to surprise her husband, she hadn’t informed him of her arrival and had even lied about working overtime, claiming she couldn’t make it.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Emily approached the front desk and mentioned James’ name. The staff promptly escorted her inside. As she pushed open the door, her eyes quickly scanned the room for her husband, only to find him embracing another woman.

In that instant, she froze, as if struck by lightning.

She watched as the two whispered intimately, the woman giggling and clinging to James’ chest. The people around them even referred to the other woman as "Mrs. Carter"

And what about her? What did that make her?

She recognized the woman embracing James as Olivia Turner.

She had to confront James and demand an explanation!

Fuming, Emily stormed over to him. James, caught off guard, turned pale and then flushed with embarrassment.

"Emmy, you—"

Before she could speak, her mother-in-law, Charlotte Carter, forcefully yanked her aside.

"Emily, what are you doing here?" Charlotte demanded.

Emily’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

"If I hadn’t come today, how long were you planning to keep this from me, Mom? How could you all be so cruel?"

For a brief moment, Charlotte’s expression faltered, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Emily, you can’t blame me for this, and you certainly can’t blame James for wanting a divorce. After all these years, you still haven’t given us a child. James is the only heir to our family. I can’t let the Carter lineage end with him."

Emily's eyes brimmed with tears, her voice choked with emotion. "I can't have children, and it's all because your son has issues in that department."

Charlotte's eyes widened in shock, and without hesitation, she slapped Emily across the face. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Emily was stunned. She hadn't expected Charlotte to hit her in front of everyone. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to them. Emily clutched her cheek, staring at Charlotte in disbelief. "If you don't believe me, ask your son yourself!"

"Shut your mouth!" Charlotte snapped.

The dinner was now beyond salvaging. James, realizing the truth could no longer be hidden, strode over with Olivia clinging to his arm. He glared at Emily and barked, "Emily, stop making a scene. We're already divorced. Why are you still clinging to me like this? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Emily was blindsided. Just days ago, they had argued, and he had suddenly brought up divorce. She hadn’t thought he was serious. "James, I'm the one who should be embarrassed? Don’t forget, we’re not even officially divorced yet, and you’re already parading this shameless mistress around for everyone to see."

Olivia,still standing beside James sneered, "Hey, watch your mouth! Who’s the shameless one here? James already told me everything. Not only can’t you have kids, but you’re also a slut. You weren’t even a virgin when you married him. Who knows what you were up to before?"

Emily was utterly devastated. She never imagined James would expose her most private matters like this. All these years, she had felt guilty toward him, never once revealing his infertility to anyone. And now, this was her reward?

She had worked so hard to build this family, enduring years of her mother-in-law’s bitter scorn, only for it to end like this. "If I’m a slut, then what does that make you? James abandoned me, his lawful wife, for you today. Who’s to say he won’t dump you for someone else tomorrow?"

Olivia was taken aback by Emily's audacity to openly challenge her, her face flushing crimson with rage.

"You... you shameless wench, I'll make sure you regret this today," she spat, her voice trembling with fury.

With claws bared, Olivia lunged at Emily, and in an instant, chaos erupted. Emily could handle Olivia alone, but to her dismay, her mother-in-law, Charlotte, joined the fray. Caught between the two, Emily was overwhelmed, no match for their combined assault. The onlookers stood by, silently watching the spectacle unfold, making no move to intervene.

Her estranged husband stood idly by, watching as his mistress and his mother ganged up on his wife, his expression cold and indifferent.

Olivia showed no mercy, delivering a vicious kick that sent Emily sprawling to the ground. Emily clutched her stomach, writhing in pain as blows rained down on her like a relentless storm.

She struggled to rise, but before she could steady herself, she was knocked down again. Her vision blurred, the world around her fading into darkness...

Just as she thought she might die there, a pair of strong hands lifted her up, and she found herself cradled in a man's arms. His scent was oddly familiar, as if she had encountered it before.

"Is it fitting for so many to gang up on one woman?" the man's voice rang out, firm and commanding.

Emily recognized the voice instantly, though she couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

James was equally surprised to see his company's rival here.

"Mr. Brooks, this is a family matter. It's none of your concern," James said, his tone defensive.

The man raised an eyebrow, his expression unyielding.

"Unfortunately, I happen to know this woman," he replied coolly.

Olivia stepped forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, so you must be this wench's lover, huh? Trying to play the hero? You might want to think twice about whose turf you're on."

James had always harbored a deep dislike for Brooks Nathaniel. Not only had Nathaniel snatched several lucrative deals from their company, but now he was meddling in James' personal affairs, which was beyond irritating.

"Mr. Brooks, I suggest you leave and mind your own business," James said with a sly, mocking smile, his narrow eyes glinting with mischief.

"And what if I insist on meddling?" Nathaniel retorted, his voice calm but firm.

James couldn't help but sneer. "Then I’m afraid I’ll have to call security."

With a subtle glance, James signaled to Olivia, who immediately went to fetch the security guards. Within moments, two or three burly men approached, surrounding Brooks Nathaniel. James and Olivia stood to the side, eager to watch the drama unfold.

The security guards, however, did something unexpected. They stood at attention beside Nathaniel and, in unison, greeted him respectfully, "Mr. Brooks!"

Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his sharp eyes narrowing as he issued a command. "Get these people out of here."

"Yes, sir," the guards replied promptly, turning their attention to Olivia and James.

Olivia’s face paled with panic. "What are you doing? Back off! I’m a VIP here! You can’t just throw us out!"

"Apologies, ma’am," one of the guards replied firmly. "Mr. Brooks is a major shareholder of this hotel. We must follow his orders."

As James was being dragged out by the security guards, he snarled viciously, "I won’t let you two lovebirds off the hook!"

Emily couldn’t help but sneer. Who were the real lovebirds here?

In an instant, the lobby was cleared, leaving only Nathaniel and Emily. He gently placed her on a chair. "Can you walk?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with concern.

Emily opened her eyes, her vision still blurry, and finally managed to focus on the man before her. "You are…" she murmured, her voice weak.

The man smiled with a hint of mystery, his fingers lightly tilting her chin upward. "Little one, don’t you recognize me?"