Chapter 1

My husband's assistant used his black card to buy herself a Mercedes.

Then, at the annual company gala, she mocked me in front of everyone, calling me a trophy wife who only got ahead through marriage.

Furious, I canceled the black card. The next time she took clients out to dinner, the card was declined.

The client was outraged on the spot. As punishment, she was forced to kneel in the office and write a formal apology letter all night long.

When my husband found out, he gently tapped my forehead.

"Oh, come on, babe. She's just an assistant. Why lower yourself to fight with her? It makes such a messy scene."

He didn't blame me at all. He remained as tender as ever—until Valentine's Day.

That evening, he took me to an oceanfront restaurant.

He reserved the entire terrace, telling me the other wives from his social circle would be joining us soon to celebrate.

"Babe, I'm just running down to the pier to grab a package. I'll be right back to watch the fireworks with you."

I waited until the last firework faded from the sky, but he never returned. None of the wives ever showed up, either.

Just as I stood up to settle the bill, the manager stepped in front of me.

"Mrs. Miller, the charges for this entire terrace have been transferred to your personal account. However, your card was frozen three minutes ago."

"Frozen? Three minutes ago?"

I clutched the card, my fingertips turning icy cold.

Ethan Miller had slipped this very card into my clutch before we left the house.

He told me not to worry about a thing on Valentine's Day. He said everything tonight was on him.

The manager stood across from me, his professional smile completely gone.

"Mrs. Miller, do you have another card you can use?"

"The total for the entire terrace, including the reserve wine ordered in advance, comes to sixty thousand dollars."

Sixty thousand dollars.

Ethan had ordered the most expensive ocean-view tasting menu and opened six bottles of vintage wine, claiming they were for the ladies who would arrive later.

Where were they?

I had sat on the terrace alone, watching the fireworks display from start to finish.

The ocean breeze had blown out the candles twice. The waiter had refilled my water three times. Not a single person had shown up.

I dialed Ethan's number. The first call went unanswered.

The second line was busy. The third call went straight to voicemail.

The pier was right behind the restaurant, less than a five-minute walk away.

He said he was picking up a package. It had been two hours. What kind of package took two hours to pick up?

"Mrs. Miller, we close at eleven," the manager said, his tone growing sharper.

I parted my lips, about to ask for a few more minutes.

Suddenly, a rush of footsteps echoed from the dining room, mingled with a woman's shrill laugh.

I turned my head.

Ethan pushed open the glass doors and walked in, his suit crisp, not a single hair out of place.

His hand rested casually on Chloe Evans's shoulder.

The very woman who had used his black card to buy a Mercedes.

The assistant who had pointed in my face at the company gala and called me a useless trophy wife.

Right now, she wore sky-high heels, her makeup more immaculate than anyone going to a gala. She clung to my husband's arm as if she were the guest of honor tonight.

Behind them trailed a dozen people.

There were Ethan's business partners and several senior vice presidents from his firm. Every single face wore the exact same expression: eager for a show.

"Kept you waiting, didn't we, Maya?"

Ethan let go of Chloe, shoved his hands into his slacks, and strolled up to me.

His tone was just as gentle as when we left home, carrying an easy smile.

"Watching the fireworks all alone on an empty terrace, without a soul to talk to, and now you can't even pay the tab."

"Tell me, was this Valentine's Day romantic enough for you?"

A chill ran down my spine.

"You did this on purpose."

"Didn't you do it on purpose, too?"

He tilted his head. "You froze Chloe's card, leaving her stranded in front of a client like a stray dog with no money. She had to kneel on the floor all night writing an apology. Remember what I told you?"

He mimicked his own soft voice: "'Oh, come on, babe. Why lower yourself to fight with her?'"

Chloe covered her mouth and let out a giggle beside him.

"Ethan, stop, you're embarrassing her."

Ethan reached out and lightly pinched Chloe's chin.

"Don't worry, the real show is just getting started."

He turned back to look at me, the warmth in his eyes instantly replaced by a cold, unfamiliar cruelty.

"Maya, tonight I'm going to make sure you taste what it feels like to be cornered in a restaurant without a cent to your name."

"Everything you did to Chloe, you're paying back tonight. Every single bit of it."