Chapter 2

The wind swept in from the terrace, snuffing out the last flickering candle on the table.

The crowd that followed him in had already pulled up chairs at the surrounding tables.

Waiters immediately brought out fresh drinks and fruit platters. It was clear everything had been arranged well in advance.

Ethan pulled out the chair across from me and gestured for Chloe to sit.

Chloe crossed her long legs, tapping her manicured nail against an unfinished wine glass on the table.

"This is great wine. Must be thousands a bottle, right? You opened six of them all by yourself, Maya. Think you can finish them?"

"Your boss told me to order them."

"Oh, right, Ethan told you to."

She turned to smile up at him. "Ethan, you're so generous to your wife. It's just a shame she can't even afford to pay the tab."

People at the nearby tables immediately chimed in.

"I heard Mrs. Miller came from some small-town background. She just got lucky that Ethan took a liking to her."

"Right? What good is a trophy wife? Once her looks fade, she's basically useless."

"Shh, keep it down, she's still sitting right there."

"So what? She has no money to pay. Where's she going to go?"

Their laughter washed over me in waves, every barb cutting deep.

Chloe reached for the most expensive bottle on the table. Without even bothering with a glass, she tilted it back and took a long swig.

Then, she slammed the bottle onto the floor.

Smash!

Dark red wine splattered across the hem of my dress. A shard of broken glass grazed my ankle, sending a sharp sting up my leg.

"Oops, my hand slipped," Chloe said, tilting her head as she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

"Not like you can pay for it anyway. Well, actually, you have to pay for it. You just can't afford it."

She threw her head back, laughing hysterically. Ethan stood beside her, watching with an amused smirk.

"Maya, look at yourself right now."

He picked up a grape, peeling it slowly. "Stains all over your dress, hair looking like a bird's nest, and you're still trying to act like the high-and-mighty boss's wife."

"Why don't you look in a mirror? What right did you have to freeze Chloe's card?"

"Do you have any idea how many accounts she's closed for the company? She's carrying three of our biggest clients on her own!"

"What about you? Aside from swiping my card every month to buy designer bags, have you ever brought a single cent of value to the firm?"

Chloe nodded eagerly. "Exactly! I stay at the office working past midnight every day while you're probably at home doing face masks."

Her babyish, whining tone made my stomach churn.

"Ethan, you're married to me."

I stared straight into his eyes, my voice far steadier than I expected.

"Three years of marriage. Did you forget the vows you made at our wedding?"

Ethan popped the peeled grape into Chloe's mouth, not even looking back at me.

"What vows? Promising to love you forever? Maya, did you really think wedding vows were a legally binding contract?"

Chloe chewed the grape, mumbling around it, "Wake up, sweetie. Ethan only married you out of pity. Did you really think you belonged in high society?"

She grabbed another bottle of red wine, and this time, she hurled it straight at me.

The cold liquid poured over my head, streaming down my forehead and into my eyes, burning so fiercely I could barely keep them open.

The room erupted into cheers.

"Nice shot!"

"Now that's what I call a fitting look! Pouring wine on a trophy—absolute perfection!"

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Ethan pulled out a wet wipe, casually dabbing at a few stray drops on his cuff. His tone remained completely detached.

"Don't blame Chloe. When you humiliated her in front of our clients, you were far crueler than this."

"Pay the bill first before you say another word. I don't have all night to waste on you."