Chapter 1

The night of Xavier Caldwell's 28th birthday, his wife, Reina Yarrow, whom he had loved for eight years, put on a maid outfit to surprise him. They spent the night tangled in each other's arms.

Less than an hour later, he made a call to his mother-in-law, Sarah Yarrow. He had decided to divorce Reina.

Sarah was surprised, but she immediately had her secretary, Kieran Wexler, deliver the divorce papers to him.

The terms were generous. Sarah offered him 100 million dollars as compensation under one condition—he had to leave Northreach City within three days and never return to Valdoria.

Xavier signed the papers without hesitation. He also handed over the onyx ring Sarah had given him as a token of being the Yarrow family's son-in-law to Kieran.

"Mr. Wexler, please keep my trip to Erelith a secret. Don't let Reina find out where I'm going."

"Yes, Mr. Caldwell."

Kieran frowned. "You secretly loved Ms. Yarrow for eight years and finally married her. How could you bring yourself to leave her now?"

As Xavier thought back to what had just happened, tears welled up in his eyes.

He lowered his gaze to the brilliant diamond ring still on his finger and said in a hoarse voice, "I want to chase my dreams again."

After saying goodbye to Kieran, Xavier returned to the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase. Just as he started packing, his phone lit up with a text from Reina.

"Honey, are you still awake? I'm kind of hungry. If you're up, could you make some ravioli and bring it to the office?"

Xavier stared at the message, and a flood of memories rushed in.

An hour ago, right after they had made love, Reina said she had a meeting and had to work late. She had always carried the weight of the Yarrow family on her shoulders and was a fierce workaholic.

Xavier supported her completely—so much so that bringing her late-night meals had become a daily routine.

When he had reached the CEO's office and was about to open the door, he heard a woman's voice from inside.

"Reina, you and Hugo went at it so hard just now. I thought the conference room door was gonna come off its hinges! I bet it must have felt so good. It's way better than faking it with that loser Xavier, right?"

"By the way, you're gonna divorce Xavier once that deal is finalized, right?" another woman asked.

Xavier had frozen in place, his hand still on the doorknob. Then, Reina's voice had come through, sharp and cold. "Keep your mouths shut. Don't mess up my plans."

There had been a chorus of responses from the other women in the room.

"Don't worry, Reina. We won't spill a word. Hugo's been your dream guy since you were 16. You've always wanted him to be your husband."

"Reina is truly devoted. Even though she lost everything because of Hugo years ago, she still loves him deeply. She even took down his wife's company, causing their divorce, just so she could swoop in!"

"Of course! Didn't you hear what Reina said? Xavier's useless in bed. He can't last at all. How could he satisfy anyone?"

"Plus, he comes from nothing. He's older than her by four years and is infertile. The only reason she married him was to play the loyal wife card and secure that investment from their competitor. No way she would've married him otherwise!"

"Reina still keeps a photo of Hugo's back in her wallet. Now that's true love. I can't wait for their wedding!"

The familiar voices and Reina's words made Xavier freeze in shock.

It turned out that his eight years of happiness with Reina were just a carefully crafted illusion she had created.

The way she acted in bed, pretending like she was completely enamored with him, was all an act. Her apparent indifference toward Hugo Fenton was fake too.

She and Hugo had been together long before this. And now, she was planning to ask Xavier for a divorce. Xavier's emotions instantly plummeted from heaven to hell.

Just then, he heard his phone ring. He stared at the screen, where Reina's stunning face appeared. Memories flooded back to his mind.

Reina had once been a spoiled young lady with no ambition, while Xavier was a poor but brilliant student. In Reina's senior year of high school, Sarah had asked Xavier, the top science student, to tutor Reina.

During their first meeting, Reina had spilled wine all over him. She had been cocky as she grinned brightly. "Mr. Caldwell, what do you think of my little welcome gift?"

Xavier had just been a college student at the time. Like many, he had been drawn to a woman's striking beauty. Though Reina had been nonchalant, he had been mesmerized by her looks and soon found himself completely enchanted.

Reina had seen right through him and enjoyed every second of his quiet admiration.

Although Xavier had known that she only had eyes for Hugo, he was always at her beck and call. He had helped her get into Valemont University, a top university in Valdoria. He had even coached her on how to win Hugo's heart.

After graduation, Xavier had accompanied Reina to business events and helped her with drinking. He had even trained in kickboxing to ensure her safety.

When Reina had turned 18, Hugo teamed up with others to destroy the Yarrow family and abandoned her to study abroad.

Reina had been shattered. She had developed severe schizophrenia and was sent to a mental hospital. Her family and best friends completely abandoned her.

Xavier had been the only one who stayed by her side, tirelessly helping her through therapy.

When Reina had recovered and started her own business, she became a powerful figure in the corporate world in just one year.

Xavier had believed that his eight years of unwavering support had finally warmed Reina's frozen heart.

After all, she had once fought with Sarah just to marry him.

Only now did Xavier realize that his eight years of effort had been nothing but a joke.

Reina had always only had eyes for Hugo, never once leaving any room for Xavier.

At that moment, Xavier was filled with utter disappointment. He deleted Reina's message and made up his mind to disappear from her life completely.

Chapter 2

After packing up his things, Xavier sat in front of the mirror and cut his slightly curled hair.

The image of Reina pushing his gurney bed to the emergency room flashed before his eyes again. He had been injured in a car accident while saving her.

"Hold on, Xavier! You can't die! As long as you survive, I'll agree to anything you ask!"

Weakly, he had asked, "Will you marry me?"

"I will!" she had replied while hugging him tightly.

She had kept her promise. When Xavier had recovered and was discharged, she got on one knee and proposed to him. She had even personally planted ten acres of peach trees for him as a wedding gift.

The sharp sting of the scissors cutting through his finger snapped Xavier back to reality.

He thought about all the small details he had once overlooked.

Reina had never once introduced him to her friends or family. On their wedding day, there had been no grand celebration. Every night, she came home and was only interested in being intimate with him. The rest of the time, she was always working in her study.

Looking back, it seemed Reina must have thought Xavier was beneath her and would only embarrass her if she took him out in public.

His only value to her was as someone to satisfy her needs in bed.

It was so clear now. Reina had never loved him.

How foolish had he been to think that he could take over Hugo's place in her heart if he did everything he could to be good to her?

How naive of him!

Xavier took off his wedding ring and tossed it in the trash can.

He opened his laptop, logged into Instagram, and deleted all of his posts. Then, he booked a flight to leave Northreach City in three days.

That night, Xavier fell into a deep sleep, only to wake up and feel someone lying next to him. Reina was snuggling into his arms. He pushed her away, pretending to sleep with his eyes closed.

But then Reina hugged him from behind and asked in surprise, "Xavier, why did you cut your curly hair?"

Xavier kept his eyes shut without answering.

Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation on the edge of his lips. "With your curly hair, you look like Hugo from behind, but your eyes are different."

A sharp pain shot through Xavier's chest, and he clenched his sleeves tightly. No wonder she always preferred to hug him from behind. She must have been imagining he was Hugo!

He had been foolish to think that, even if she didn't truly care for him, she at least loved his body, which brought her pleasure.

The past eight years had been a complete waste for Xavier.

He couldn't sleep that night. The next morning, while getting ready, he came across a news article about Reina watching fireworks with a man.

Though the media had only captured the man's blurry silhouette, Xavier instantly recognized him. It was Hugo.

"Xavier, come eat," Reina called while setting the dishes on the table.

Xavier turned his face away to hide the pain in his eyes and replied coldly, "I'm not hungry."

Noticing that he was in a bad mood, Reina was puzzled. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. "If you're bored staying at home, I can take you to pick out some of the latest high-end suits."

Unable to resist her repeated insistence, Xavier eventually agreed.

As they reached the entrance of the luxury boutique, they ran into the dapper Hugo, who was walking toward them.

Chapter 3

Hugo cleared his throat and smiled gently. "What a coincidence, Mr. Caldwell. Are you here to pick out a suit too?"

Before Xavier could respond, Reina said coldly, "You're not qualified to shop here. Get out."

Hugo's face paled instantly, and his expression fell. "I'm sorry, Mr. Caldwell. I didn't mean to upset you. I'll leave right now."

Xavier completely ignored him, walking into the store to browse suits. Behind him, he could hear Hugo's coughs growing more frequent.

Meanwhile, Reina was absorbed in her phone, typing away, probably texting someone.

Xavier's voice was icy as he asked, "Can I skip the banquet tonight? You never took me to these business events anyway."

"No," Reina replied, locking the screen of her phone. "The entrepreneur summit tonight is very important. You need to be there."

Then, she addressed the store owner, David Wilson, saying, "David, bring me your finest suits."

Reina bought all the suits Xavier's gaze landed on. In no time, she had cleared half of the store's stock.

The salespeople watched in envy and whispered among themselves.

"Ms. Yarrow really loves Xavier, doesn't she? She doesn't mind that he's four years older and infertile. They're such a sweet couple!"

"Back when Ms. Yarrow was sent to the mental hospital, Xavier never left her side. He's so loyal to her. Of course, she'd treat him well. He deserves it!"

Xavier couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Everyone thought he was the one who couldn't have children. They didn't know that it was actually Reina who couldn't.

He had feared others would mock her, so he desperately kept that secret hidden. He had believed that his sincerity would be met with sincerity in return. But all he had received was her ruthless betrayal and lies.

Her eyes had always been on Hugo, even though he had done so much to hurt her.

She was like the stars forever revolving around the moon, blind to the person in the darkness who loved her with burning passion.

Eight years of love and waiting had been for nothing. Xavier decided that it was time to let go.

He lowered his gaze to hide the tears threatening to spill and said coldly, "Reina, I have something to do. Can I leave first?"

Seeing his furrowed brows, Reina thought he was unhappy with the suits, so she said, "Wait. David, bring a few more suits over."

As she glanced at Suit No. 9 which David had hung up, her eyes lit up. She saw Hugo, who was sitting on the couch beyond the window, looking at the suit as well. His eyes were filled with admiration.

"Xavier, Suit No. 9 looks amazing. Go try it on," Reina said.

After trying on the suit, Xavier pulled back the changing room's curtain. As he stepped out, he saw Reina sitting on the couch out by the window. She was leaning toward Hugo as she fed him medicine.

Hugo gazed at her with a soft expression. "Reina, I really love Suit No. 9. Can you get it for me?"

"No," Reina said, her tone firm.

Hugo reached into his bag and pulled out a velvet gift box. Then, he leaned in close to whisper something to her. His eyes were full of affection.

Xavier turned away. He quickly changed back into his clothes and walked to the checkout counter. "David, I'll take this one. Charge it with the others."

David glanced at his phone and apologized. "Sorry, Mr. Caldwell, but this suit has a small defect. I can't sell it to you."

"A defect? And you still had it out for Xavier to try on?" Reina stormed in and glared at David with disapproval. "I'll give you three days to fix it. Deliver it to Xavier for approval after that."

David immediately apologized and promised to have it ready on time.

After leaving the boutique, Reina mentioned she had a meeting at the company.

Xavier drove off to take care of his own business. Suddenly, in the middle of the heavy traffic, he spotted a familiar black Maybach.

In the back seat, Hugo, dressed in the luxurious Suit No. 9, was helping Reina put on earrings.

When Hugo noticed Xavier's gaze, he took a sip of Reina's coffee with a smug look on his face. After that, he rolled up the window of the Maybach.

Xavier picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Madam Yarrow, please make sure my new identity stays confidential. Don't let Reina find a single trace of me."

"Don't worry. I won't let her find you." Sarah reassured him. "Have a safe flight."

Xavier closed his eyes to hide the sadness on his face. Soon, he would be far away from Reina, ready to pursue his own dreams.

Chapter 4

Xavier rushed to the government office to have his records erased from the system. Just as he finished, a short video from Hugo popped up on his phone. He clicked it.

In the video, Hugo strutted into a spacious, well-lit walk-in closet and showed off rows of custom-tailored suits. His smile was smug.

"Mr. Caldwell, you and I really do share the same taste. Those suits you liked but couldn't get are all here with me. Which one do you want? I can have it delivered. After all, Reina just bought me 20 new ones today. I don't even have space for them anymore."

Xavier didn't reply. He walked straight into the mall across the street and headed for a jewelry store.

"I'll take all the gold watches you have," he told the staff.

The saleswoman was stunned. "Sir, these watches are worth over a million dollars. Would you like to try one on first?"

"No need. Swipe this card."

He swiped Reina's card and hit up ten jewelry stores in a row. Just then, he got a call from her. Xavier ignored it. Instead, he calmly scrolled through his gallery and deleted photo after photo.

When he got home, he was surprised to see Reina pacing the living room. Her forehead was beaded with sweat from anxiety.

The moment she saw him, she rushed over, visibly flustered.

"Why weren't you answering your phone, Xavier? And why did you sell all the watches I gave you? Are you mad at me because we ran into Hugo at the boutique today?"

"I just got tired of those watches." Xavier's tone was detached. "Gold is better. It lasts and never fades."

A flicker of unease crossed Reina's face. Her brows furrowed slightly. She had instructed everyone to keep quiet about her reconciliation with Hugo. No one would dare say a word to Xavier.

When she stayed silent, Xavier sneered. "What's wrong? Are you upset because I spent 20 million dollars on gold watches using your card?"

"Of course not!" Reina refuted without thinking.

She rose on tiptoe and kissed him, igniting flames of desire. "You're my husband. You can buy whatever you want. But next time, don't ignore my calls. I was really worried."

The woody perfume clinging to her white dress made him nauseous. Xavier pushed her away and said coldly, "I'm tired. I'm going for a nap."

As Reina looked at his cold expression, she felt like something about him had changed. She was just about to ask when her phone rang.

When she noticed the caller ID, her expression stiffened. "Xavier, something urgent came up at work. I need to head over for a bit."

Before he could speak, she grabbed her coat and made for the door.

"Reina," Xavier called out. He flipped to the last page of a document in his hand. "This document needs your signature."

She didn't even glance at it. She just scribbled her name with a wave of her hand.

He watched her and said flatly, "You didn't even glance at the papers before signing. Aren't you afraid I might've handed you… divorce papers?"

Looking at her phone, Reina responded absentmindedly, "With you handling the investment plan, I'm not worried. I'll have the finance department wire the money to the client tomorrow."

Xavier let out a bitter laugh. His fingers tightened around the divorce papers. After a pause, he said, "Your birthday's next Friday. I got you a gift. Don't forget to check it."

"Oh? What is it?" Reina finally looked up. Her eyes lit up with expectation. "Is it the starlit blue diamond necklace I liked?"

Xavier's voice was flat. "Let's just say you'll love it."

As she wished, he was stepping aside for her beloved first love. He had made up his mind to never see her again.

Chapter 5

After Reina left, Xavier received a link from Hugo on Instagram. "I'm going live in five minutes. There's a surprise."

He clicked the link. In the video, Hugo was sitting on an extravagant couch, reading a book. The diamond ring on his ring finger gleamed brightly.

Comments were flooding in as the viewers went wild.

"Oh my God! Hugo's wedding ring is even more dazzling than Xavier's! Who's his mysterious girlfriend? She's more extravagant than Ms. Yarrow!"

"His mansion looks like one in Eagle's Crest. With such a prime location, it has to be worth at least 20 million dollars. I'm so jealous!"

"Hugo may have gotten divorced before, but his charm is still undeniable. He's about to become a son-in-law of a prestigious family. I wonder which powerful family in Northreach City has that kind of wealth. I'm so envious!"

"Hi, everyone. My girlfriend and I are about to register our marriage." Hugo zoomed the camera in and flashed a gentle smile. "Once our marriage is officially registered, I'll be giving a lucky draw worth 100 thousand dollars. Stay tuned and don't go anywhere!"

As soon as he said that, the live chat exploded with excitement.

Then a slender woman walked into the frame and took Hugo's hand. "Hugo, the staff will be here in five minutes. We need to get changed."

Even though the woman's face was blurred with a cat image and her voice was altered, Xavier immediately recognized her.

The woman, wearing an emerald bracelet, was none other than Reina.

His mind went blank. He rushed upstairs to find his marriage certificate. Both his and Reina's signatures were on the paper, and everything seemed in order.

What was going on?

Bigamy was illegal in Valdoria. Why would Reina…

A sudden thought flashed through Xavier's mind, but his train of thought was interrupted by the noise from his phone. He looked at the screen.

Hugo was holding a marriage certificate, surrounded by a shower of rose petals. He sounded thrilled. "I did it, family! I finally got married! My dream has finally come true after six years of waiting! Let's see all the well wishes come through! We're about to start the lucky draw!"

The woman walked up to him and took his hand. "100 thousand dollars is too little. Make it a million! I want to be with you for a million years!"

The live chat was flooded with requests for them to kiss.

Xavier couldn't bear to watch anymore. He opened the government website, entered the serial number on his marriage certificate, and hit search.

The results came back blank.

Reina's marriage certificate with him was fake? Their marriage was just a de facto relationship?

His phone crashed to the ground. The screen shattered into a thousand pieces. It was like his heart, torn apart by a sharp blade. He was aching with unbearable pain.

It turned out Reina had been planning this from the very day they got married. She had been waiting for today to give Hugo his rightful status.

She had deceived Xavier and treated him like a fool.

Fury and humiliation surged inside him. He tore the marriage certificate into pieces and threw it, along with every piece of clothing he had bought Reina, into the trash.

It all went up in flames.

Tessa Kinney, the housekeeper, heard the noise and rushed over. Seeing his suitcase, she looked at Xavier with fear in her eyes.

"Mr. Caldwell, Ms. Yarrow clearly cares for you. She has such a distinguished status, yet she even cooks for you. You can't just leave like this. She won't be able to handle it!"

"She'll never care about me." Xavier lowered his head.

Hugo was the rightful son-in-law of the Yarrow family. As for Xavier, he was nothing more than a joke. He should have left a long time ago.