Chapter 1

The day before our engagement party, my fiancé’s assistant told me she had a "huge surprise" for me on behalf of the entire company.

She lured me into the corporate studio, locked the heavy glass doors, and projected a slideshow of my supposed "scandals" across the massive display.

Over a thousand employees were watching live via the company-wide Zoom broadcast.

Through the glass, Chloe smiled with sickening innocence.

"Serena, aren't you our untouchable Head of HR? Let’s see how you handle getting exposed in front of everyone."

My fiancé, Julian Vance, sat casually right beside her.

"It's just an internal meeting," Julian remarked coldly. "As long as it doesn't leak outside, it's fine."

"She worked her way up to HR Director all on her own and has grown far too arrogant. If we don't knock her down a peg now, how will she ever know her place and support me as my wife?"

Later, holding the flash drive packed with the entire recorded session, I smiled coldly.

"Thanks for the lovely gift, Julian. Now, are you ready for mine?"

The glass door clicked locked behind me.

Before I could even question it, my eyes landed on the massive black banner hanging across the wall:

"Official Performance Review: Qualifying to Be the CEO's Wife."

Black satin with harsh white lettering. It looked less like a corporate banner and more like a funeral ribbon.

At the exact same moment, the giant screen lit up, launching straight into a presentation titled "Serena Miller's Exposed Secrets."

The first slide was an old college photo of mine, stamped with bold, bloody red letters: EXPELLED FOR ACADEMIC PLAGIARISM!

I turned to look at Chloe behind the glass.

She stood at the control desk, clicking the mouse with manicured fingers, her makeup flawless and a smug smirk playing on her lips.

Clearing her throat, she leaned into the microphone. Her voice rang out crystal clear through the speakers, bubbly and upbeat, as if she were hosting an annual awards gala.

"First question: Serena, could you explain to the team why you were kicked out of college for plagiarism?"

"And frankly, as someone who doesn't even hold a valid bachelor's degree, where do you get the nerve to manage a team of master's grads, PhDs, and Ivy League alumni?"

Instantly, the live webinar chat exploded with messages.

"Wait, Serena doesn't even have a college degree? How is she our VP of HR?!"

"LMAO, and she had the audacity to lecture us on talent acquisition strategy last month. The absolute hypocrisy."

"Even if degrees don't matter, how can someone expelled for academic fraud be our Head of HR?"

"Oh come on, why are you guys surprised? She's about to marry the CEO. She could have dropped out of elementary school and still gotten the job."

"A woman sleeping her way to the top is going to ruin this company."

Every comment felt like a poisoned needle prickling against my skin.

But I couldn't flinch. I couldn't break.

Over a thousand pairs of eyes were glued to me. Every subtle twitch or sign of weakness would be screenshotted and passed around the office forever.

Forcing myself to inhale slowly, I locked eyes with Chloe through the soundproof glass.

"This is during business hours. Does Julian know you're wasting company time and resources on this pathetic prank?"

Chloe's smirk widened with total self-satisfaction.

"Do you really think I could commandeer a company-wide all-hands without Julian's permission?"

Right on cue, Julian walked into the control booth.

Ignoring my gaze, he pulled out a chair, sat back, and casually lit a cigarette.

"Don't be such a sore sport, Serena. It’s an internal meeting among colleagues. There's nothing we can't talk through openly."

"You're becoming my wife tomorrow. Chloe put this little review together just for fun, and I thought it was amusing, so I gave her the green light."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

Just last night, he held me close on the living room sofa, obsessing over every tiny detail of our engagement party.

He was even wearing the navy silk tie I had bought him earlier this year.

Yet now, looking straight at my humiliation, he didn't care at all.

Taking a deep breath, I kept my voice dead-level, refusing to let a single tremor betray my rage.

"Julian. Tell Chloe to end this meeting right now."

Julian didn't even look up. That mocking little half-smile remained plastered across his face.

The look sent an icy shiver straight down my spine.

Chloe, on the other hand, let out a light laugh that echoed loudly over the speakers.

"Is that question too hard to answer, Serena? No worries, we have plenty of time. You can think it over."

She clicked to the next slide.

It was a screenshot of a private iMessage conversation between Julian and me.

Crystal clear. Our profile pictures weren't even blurred out.

Me: *Julian, I can't sleep. My anti-anxiety meds are running out. Can you come with me to the clinic tomorrow morning?*

His reply: *Go by yourself. I have an important board meeting tomorrow.*

Me: *The doctor said I need a family member present. You know I can't do this alone without you.*

His reply: *It's not your first time. Be a good girl and handle it.*