Chapter 1
This was the 30th anniversary celebration of Morel Industries.
And yet, as the CEO’s legal wife, Wrene could only stand among the crowd like an outsider, watching her husband dance the first waltz with his mistress.
His suit framed the broad expanse of his back, carrying the raw strength of a beast. His wide palm clamped firmly around Bianca’s waist as if she belonged to him. With features carved like they had been sculpted by the Creator Himself, Wrene could almost hear the collective gasp of women around them—at this moment, it felt as though countless pairs of panties in the ballroom were spontaneously combusting into ashes.
Suddenly, Felix bent down to whisper something in Bianca’s ear, and the woman burst into laughter.
Compared to Bianca’s radiance, Wrene felt like nothing more than a ghost in Felix’s life, forever unable to draw near.
She had been married to him for three years. Every single night, she would rise at three in the morning to iron his shirts for the next day. Felix’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies bordered on pathological—if he spotted even the tiniest crease, his cold, exacting critique would cut her down. She had no choice but to spend two full hours, over and over, until the fabric was pressed to flawless stiffness.
Warm milk before bed, the tidy order of his closet, the precision of the garden hedges… She had taught herself to live like a shadow, never intruding, because he hated the traces of a “second person” in his home. For three years, her existence was like air—ignored, yet still desperate for those fleeting scraps of happiness whenever he chose to come home.
But just yesterday morning, while grocery shopping, she had saved an elderly man. He smiled at her and said, “You should see more of the world. It’s actually beautiful.” For one startling instant, it was as though she awoke from a long sleep. She finally understood—her remaining years could not be wasted on a man who had never loved her.
That was why, after receiving Bianca’s provocation, Wrene came here tonight—even knowing Felix would explode in fury, even knowing he would snarl at her.
She drew in a slow breath, exhaled, and forced herself to stay calm as she stepped toward Felix and Bianca. She hated the way her body reacted. Three years without true intimacy, yet still, her chest tightened at the sight of his tall, commanding figure, the taut strength of his long arms.
Her focus broke when a group of nearby women caught her attention.
“I’m shocked—I mean, we all know our CEO is married. But he never brings her to any of these events,” one woman said, her eager eyes glued to the dance floor where Felix and Bianca were still waltzing. “And now he’s letting another woman share the opening dance with him.”
“That’s normal. Everyone knows his marriage was forced on him by his grandmother. Especially since his wife is so ugly,” another sneered.
“If it were you, you’d lock her away too, wouldn’t you?” a third woman added with an exaggerated eye roll.
The first woman shook her head. “What a pity. Just look at them—they’re perfect together. He belongs with someone like Bianca.”
Wrene kept listening, lips curling in a silent scoff. Ugly? If they turned around, they’d see just how far from reality their words were. But Felix always told the press in interviews that his wife was “unsuitable for public appearances.”
No wonder the public assumed she was hideous.
Wrene knew she was beautiful—anyone who had ever been around her had said so.
Anyone but Felix. He loathed her as if the disgust was written into his DNA.
She shook her head. After tonight, everything would change.
She had barely taken five steps when someone suddenly blocked her path. Wrene rolled her eyes.
Simone—Felix’s sister, and another thorn in her side.
Simone swept the room theatrically. “What are you doing here? Lost your way?”
Wrene tried to brush past her, but Simone shifted to block her again.
“If you want my advice, I’d leave before Felix sees you. Clearly, you weren’t invited.”
Simone’s laugh was icy, but Wrene’s posture remained disarmingly calm. “Don’t you have better things to do, Simone?”
Then Wrene tilted her head with a mocking smile. “Oh! I get it. You couldn’t find a man tonight willing to spend more than five minutes with you. Or are you still chasing that Italian you trailed for three months who still can’t remember your name?”
“Shut up,” Simone snapped.
Wrene gave a long, theatrical sigh, her smile razor-sharp. “Pathetic as I may be, at least I carry the Morel name. You? You cling to men like chewing gum, and the sad part is—they don’t even remember you exist.”
“You bitch,” Simone hissed. “Watch your filthy mouth! At least I wasn’t dragged in by our grandmother like some sewer rat.”
Spittle landed on Wrene’s cheek. She rolled her eyes in disgust. “For God’s sake, Simone.”
Fishing a handkerchief from her purse, she dabbed at her face. “Do you also spit on men during your dates? No wonder none of them ever call you back.”
Simone’s false poise crumbled. She lifted her hand to slap Wrene.
But Wrene was quicker. Snatching a glass of red wine from a waiter’s tray, she tossed it straight into Simone’s face.
The crowd gasped, the shock sucking the air from the room. Simone staggered back, hands flying to her eyes, crimson liquid dripping down her neck to stain her chest.
Wrene calmly set the empty glass back on the waiter’s tray. “Now go freshen up. At least you’ll have something useful to do,” she advised, stepping around Simone and leaving her there dripping.
Ask Wrene, and she would tell you—the whole family was disgraceful. Except for their late grandmother, who had been truly kind, there wasn’t a shred of integrity among them. Parasites, all of them, unworthy of the fortune they had inherited.
By then, Felix and Bianca had also stopped dancing, drawn by the commotion. Felix’s face darkened the instant his eyes found Wrene. He released Bianca, pulled away from the crowd, and slipped his phone from his pocket.
Wrene glanced at her own phone. A text flashed across the screen from Felix: Come with me.
With that, Felix vanished behind the curtains. Bianca shot Wrene a smug smile before trailing after him.
“What are you doing here?” Felix hissed the second they were out of sight. “How many times have I told you—stay away from my events. Did you come here to catch me cheating?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Felix,” Wrene retorted. “It was your precious mistress who invited me. Apparently, she needed to prove to me that she’s your true love—and that you’re completely under her control.”
Bianca, who was present, gasped theatrically. She clutched her forehead. “Oh, Felix, that’s not true! You know I’ve always been pure. Don’t you?”
Wrene rolled her eyes. Why was Felix always so easily duped by Bianca’s lousy acting? Love must have glued his bWren together with dopamine.
She sneered. “Come on, Bianca. Don’t tell me you didn’t know deleted texts can be recovered from the trash folder. Why don’t you show us your phone—”
“Enough!” Felix roared. His handsome face bore no trace of guilt. “Wrene! I will not tolerate your theatrics. Stop playing the pitiful wife. Look at yourself,” he spat, eyes raking over her with disdain. “Compared to Bianca, you’re nothing but a shameful housewife. Tonight is crucial for Morel’s image. I won’t risk negative press. Leave. Now.”
“I understand,” Wrene said smoothly. “If the company’s image depends on your mistress, then Bianca is indeed the perfect choice.”
Bianca’s smile faltered, freezing in place.
Felix’s gaze ignited like fire, searing her where she stood. Wrene instinctively stepped back, but he lunged forward, seizing her arm.
“Of course. That courage of yours comes from champagne,” he growled low. “Time for you to vomit it out in the restroom.”
His palm was scorching hot, his grip unyielding. Muscles flexed, trapping her in a vice. Wrene’s chest clenched; her body betrayed her before her mind could resist—a fleeting shiver ran through her. She bit her tongue, crushing the shame back down.
“Let go, Felix. It’s not that complicated.” She fought his hold. “I came here to tell you—”
Before she could finish, a couple’s voices cut in.
“Felix!”
The moment Felix spotted them approaching, he released her arm at once. His lips forced into a smile.
“Mr. and Mrs. Adler! What a surprise to see you here—” he greeted quickly, shaking hands.
Mr. Adler chuckled. “It was a surprise to us as well, but our engagement ended earlier than planned. And my wife insisted on meeting your wife.”
Felix’s smile froze, his face tightening once again.
Mrs. Adler added, “Indeed. As the saying goes, behind every successful man stands a woman. We’d love to meet your beautiful wife, Mr. Morel.”
Then their eyes shifted toward Wrene and Bianca, who were standing side by side.
“So tell us—which one of them is your wife?”