Chapter 1

Everyone in the kept-man circle knew one rule. No matter the temptation, a married woman was never to be touched

But my wife was the only exception.

She had big breasts, slim waist, fair skin and I, her husband, was very weak and easy to bully.

Anyone could touch her right in front of me and I would not dare say anything.

“I heard Mr. Griffin used to be very controlling. When Miss Sloane hired a male secretary, he even caused trouble all the way to the Sloane Family elders.”

“That was because Miss Sloane spoiled him too much. Later, she stopped caring. Look at him. He became so obedient, just like a servant.”

When my friends saw me being talked about like this by those kept men, they were furious.

They wanted to drag me away and force me to divorce Esme Sloane.

I quickly stopped them and said, “First, she did not know that I had already arranged for her to undergo sterilization surgery. She could not have an illegitimate child to compete with my son for the inheritance. Second, she spent money freely and lived wildly, so the real power of the Sloane Family would eventually fall into my hands. Finally, she indulged herself every day and shortened her own life. I should be thanking her—why would I get a divorce?”

——

My friends left, feeling satisfied.

As soon as I got home, the person sitting on the living room sofa made me freeze.

The man on Esme’s body seemed startled when he saw me. He suddenly stopped and shrank back.

Esme stared at me and let me watch as she placed a kiss on the man’s lips.

“It’s fine,” she said. “He wouldn’t dare do anything.”

The man gently put a hand on her waist, his face full of innocence.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you had a husband.”

“Really?” I sneered.

It was the first time I spoke up when Esme cheated. Not because I felt heartbroken. I was just surprised.

It was fine if other people did not know I had a wife. But there was no way this boy did not know.

Back in the orphanage, he had looked at me with firm eyes and said he wanted to become a strong, upright man.

I took him away. I contacted friends and sent him abroad to study medicine. He grew up exactly according to the path I planned.

When he heard about Esme’s cheating before, he had been full of anger.

He had even spat at Esme’s photo.

I did not care who was with Esme. But when it was Tyson Japper, I could not accept it.

Had he not said he wanted to become a strong, upright man?

“But I heard Mr. Griffin was famous for being very controlling,” he said. “I was afraid he would…”

Tyson could not finish his sentence.

Esme stood up and stepped between him and me.

“I was the one who led him on,” she said. “If there’s a problem, come to me.”

My gaze paused for a moment on the man behind her.

I sighed.

Then I turned and went into the bedroom.

After closing the door, I heard her gentle, coaxing voice outside.

“Alright, don’t worry. That ‘control freak’ reputation was from the past. He won’t do anything to you now.”

I leaned back by the window and let out a puff of smoke.

She was right. When I first got married, I was not like this.

If Esme dared to say even one extra word to someone shady, I would scare that person so badly that they would never dare approach her again.

Even when she only hired a male secretary, I caused trouble all the way up to the Sloane Family elders.

Her girlfriends once mocked her for marrying a control freak.

But she said that listening to her husband was a form of love

She said those women were just jealous because they did not have a husband.

She said she was willing to be controlled by me and no one was allowed to call me a control freak.

Under my supervision, her business grew bigger and bigger.

One day, without warning, she suddenly pushed me away—the one who had always stood between her and those ill-intentioned men.

“Are you done yet?” she snapped.

Only then did I realize that Esme was no longer the small business owner she used to be.

She was now Miss Sloane, a well-known female CEO.

She had her own authority now.

She no longer hid the kiss marks on her neck. And right in front of me, she dismissed the special assistant I had carefully chosen for her.