I came home from a night shift and caught my husband in bed with his secretary.

After the screaming and the chaos, I ran out like a woman losing her mind. Derek chased after me.

We ended up at the river, fighting. Somehow we both fell in. He nearly drowned trying to save me—the doctors said the oxygen deprivation had caused severe brain damage.

When he woke up, he could barely function. No memory. No independence. He followed me around like a lost child.

"Wifey, don't leave me. I'm scared."

Looking at that helpless, broken man, I gritted my teeth and held this family together. The secretary vanished without a trace.

Six years passed. Derek slowly seemed to recover. He was gentle with me, attentive, loving. I even got pregnant with our second child.

Then came the family dinner.

Derek knocked back two glasses of whiskey and suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his face twisted with frustration.

"My oldest boy is already in first grade, and I haven't made it to a single parent-teacher conference!"

I thought his brain was glitching again.

MY sister-in-law Vanessa rushed to cover his mouth, but he shoved her away and let out a cold laugh.

"You really thought the water scrambled my brains?"

"Chloe gave me a son. I haven't forgotten about him for a single day!"

"So you're not actually brain-damaged?"

I stared at Derek in disbelief.

Derek yanked off his tie—the Hermes tie I'd just bought him yesterday—and tossed it carelessly on the floor.

"You think pretending to be an idiot for six years was easy?" He leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of contempt. "If I hadn't played dumb, would you have willingly picked up all the mess at home? Would you have worked yourself half to death making money and paying off debts?"

My whole body trembled with rage.

Six years ago, he'd fallen into the water trying to save me. The doctors said he might never wake up.

I'd endured everyone's scorn, staying by his bedside day and night.

When he finally woke up, he had the mental capacity of a three-year-old.

I swallowed my disgust, kicked out Chloe—the secretary I'd caught rolling around in bed with him—and took care of him like he was my own child while simultaneously taking over his company, which was on the brink of bankruptcy.

For six years, I never got a full night's sleep. I single-handedly took that company public.

And now he was telling me it was all an act?

The private dining room door banged open.

A woman in a Chanel suit walked in, leading a little boy by the hand.

She wore flawless makeup. It was Chloe—who had vanished without a trace six years ago.

"Daddy!" The boy wrenched free from Chloe's grip and threw himself into Derek's arms.

Derek scooped him up and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "There's my good boy! Daddy missed you so much!"

Margaret, who moments ago had been too embarrassed to even look at me, broke into a wide smile.

"Oh, my precious grandson! Come let Grandma hold you!" She beamed, pushing past me to get closer to Derek, cooing over the boy like he was the most precious thing in the world.

Vanessa rushed over too, grabbing Chloe's hand with exaggerated warmth. "Sis—I mean, Chloe, you're finally here! Was the traffic bad? Are you hungry?"

I watched this happy little family of four with cold, dead eyes.

So they'd all known.

I was the only one—performing like a fool on a stage, kept in the dark for six entire years.

"Margaret, Vanessa—what is the meaning of this?" I forced down the nausea churning in my stomach and fixed my gaze on Margaret.

Her eyes darted away for a split second before she puffed out her chest with righteous indignation.

"What meaning? Audrey, you're about to be a mother yourself—how can you be so petty?"

"Derek nearly drowned saving your life!"

"Chloe has been raising an Ashford heir out there all alone for six years, suffering all that hardship. What's wrong with us doting on our grandson a little?"

I laughed bitterly and pointed at Chloe's designer outfit.

"Suffering? If she's been suffering so much, how can she afford an outfit worth over a hundred thousand dollars?"

For six years, Derek had been extracting money from me every month under every excuse imaginable—toys, snacks, whatever. I'd thought he was simple-minded, so I'd let him have it all.

Now it was clear: every last cent had gone straight into their pockets.

Chloe leaned against the doorframe, the picture of fragile vulnerability, her eyes glistening.

"Audrey, please don't blame Derek. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have had Brandon, but... Brandon can't grow up without a father."

"Shut up!" I shot to my feet, grabbed the teacup in front of me, and hurled it at her.

The cup shattered at her feet, splashing water all over her pants.

"Ah!" Chloe shrieked.

Derek leaped up, shielding Chloe behind him, and jabbed his finger at my face. "Have you lost your mind, Audrey? Touch her and see what happens!"

I looked at this man—the man who'd been nothing but tender and devoted to me for six years—and felt like I was staring at a complete stranger.

"Don't forget, Derek—everything you have right now, I gave you," I said through gritted teeth. "I built that company. I bought this house. Every bite you eat, every stitch you wear—I earned it all."

Vanessa rolled her eyes with theatrical disdain. "Now that's not fair, Audrey."

"If my brother hadn't saved you, you'd have drowned. You wouldn't even be alive to throw a tantrum right now."

"Exactly!" Margaret chimed in. "Your life belongs to Derek. So your money is Derek's money, simple as that."

"A woman's money is her husband's money. That's just how it works."

I drew a deep breath, fighting to keep my voice steady.

"Fine. Wonderful. Since your family is so close and loving, let's get a divorce."

"The company and the house are the results of my own work during our marriage. You won't get a single penny."

Derek let out a cold laugh. He pulled a document from his briefcase and slapped it on the table.

"Divorce? Sure. But you might want to read this first."

"The legal representative of this company was changed to my name six years ago."

"And those shares you thought you owned? I transferred them to Chloe under your name a long time ago."

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I snatched up the document.

There it was in black and white—a share transfer agreement, and in the signature line, my own handwriting, shaky and crooked.

I remembered now.

Six months ago, I'd had a fever that wouldn't break. Derek came to me with tears in his eyes and a stack of papers, saying they were liability waivers from the hospital that needed my signature.

I'd been so delirious with fever that I signed without even looking.

"You tricked me?" I glared at him, my teeth clenched so hard they ached.

Derek walked up to me, towering over me, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth.

"Don't push your luck, Audrey."

"Chloe suffered for six years. Consider the company compensation—for her and for Brandon."

I don't know how I made it out of that hotel.

When I got back to the home I'd so carefully put together, I collapsed onto the couch, every ounce of strength drained from my body.

The door lock clicked.

Derek pushed the door open. Behind him trailed Chloe, loaded down with bags, and Brandon, who immediately started tearing through the apartment.

"What are you doing here? Get out!" I grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it at the doorway.

Derek sidestepped it, his expression dark.

"Get this straight, Audrey—this house was bought with company money."

"That makes it mine too."

"Chloe's been struggling out there in some rental, raising a child on her own. From now on, they're living here."

He turned to Chloe, his voice soft and tender. "Go on, take Brandon and pick out a room."

Chloe put on her most helpless expression and tugged at Derek's sleeve. "Derek, I don't think this is a good idea. Audrey will be upset."

"I'll just take a guest room. That's fine."

"A guest room? You're the mother of my son!" Derek shot me a glare. "She doesn't get an opinion."

Chloe took Brandon by the hand and headed straight for the room at the end of the hallway.

The sunniest, best room in the house.

I'd spent three solid months on that room—painting it with non-toxic paint by hand, putting up cartoon wallpaper myself. I'd even bought a full set of expensive solid-wood nursery furniture, all to welcome the second baby growing inside me.

"Wow! Mommy, this room is so pretty! I want this one!" Brandon bounced excitedly on the crib, his muddy shoes stamping dirty prints all over the white mattress.

Something inside me snapped. I rushed over and pulled him off.

"Who said you could come in here? Get out!"

Brandon landed on his bottom from the tug and immediately burst into wailing sobs.

"Daddy! This mean lady hit me!"

Derek charged over and shoved me hard.

"What's wrong with you, Audrey? He's a child! What are you doing picking a fight with a child?"

My back slammed into the doorframe. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen.

Chloe hurried to scoop up Brandon, patting his back soothingly, tears springing to her eyes on command.

"Audrey, Brandon's just a little boy. He doesn't know any better."

"Even if you're angry at me, you can't take it out on a child!"

Derek wrapped a protective arm around Chloe's shoulders, then turned and roared at me.

"This room belongs to Brandon now! Tomorrow I'm having all this junk thrown out!"

"Don't you dare!" My eyes blazed as I glared at him. "I set this up for my unborn baby!"

"An embryo that's barely even formed deserves a room this nice?" Derek said coldly. "Brandon is six years old and still doesn't have his own room. You call yourself a stepmother? Aren't you embarrassed?"

I was so stunned by the sheer audacity of his words that I couldn't speak.

Emboldened by the backup, Brandon wriggled free from Chloe's arms and bolted into the master bedroom.

By the time I ran in after him, he was standing on the vanity, holding a rough little wooden bear in his hands.

Derek had carved it for me right after he woke up, when his mind was still that of a three-year-old. It had taken him an entire month. His hands had been covered in cuts by the time he finished. He'd held up the little bear and said to me: "Wifey, little bear protects you. Don't be scared."

I'd treasured it like it was the most precious thing in the world. I polished it every single day.

"Don't touch that!" I screamed in panic.

Brandon stuck his tongue out at me, raised the bear high, and smashed it against the marble floor.

A dull crack. The wooden bear splintered into pieces.

"Junk! It's all junk!" Brandon clapped his hands and laughed.

My mind went blank—a high-pitched ringing filled my ears—and something inside me snapped.

I lunged forward, my hand raised to slap him.

But my wrist was caught mid-swing, locked in an iron grip.

Derek wrenched my arm aside. I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the floor.

The dragging pain in my lower abdomen surged violently. Cold sweat soaked through my clothes.

"Derek..." I clutched my stomach, looking up at him in disbelief.

Derek stood over me, disgust written all over his face.

"Over a piece of scrap wood, you'd hit a child? You really are vicious, Audrey."

"Scrap wood?" A ragged, broken laugh tore out of me as tears poured down my face. "You carved that for me with your own hands! You told me you'd protect me!"

Derek's lip curled with revulsion, as if he were looking at someone deranged.

"I made that garbage while I was pretending to be an idiot. Only a fool like you would treat it like some kind of treasure."

"Face it, Audrey. Every single second of those six years made my skin crawl."

A sharp pain tore through my lower abdomen.

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself not to cry out.

Chloe let out a theatrical gasp. "Oh no, Audrey's sweating. Are you feeling all right? Derek, maybe we should take her to the hospital."

"Hospital for what? She's putting on a show." Derek cast me a cold, indifferent glance.

He pulled another document from his briefcase and dropped it on the floor in front of me.

"Since you're not dying, sign this."

My hands shaking, I picked up the pages.

Every word on that crisp white paper was a knife to the heart.

"Domestic Harmony Agreement."

Clause One: Audrey voluntarily adopts Brandon as her legal child, to be raised as her own, with full inheritance rights.

Clause Two: Chloe Pemberton shall reside in the Ashford household in the capacity of Derek's personal assistant. Audrey shall not obstruct, harass, or attempt to remove her under any circumstances.

Clause Three: All remaining savings, investment accounts, and real estate under Audrey's name shall be placed under Derek's full management authority.

I trembled with fury, jabbing my finger at Derek's face.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Derek?"

"You want me to raise your mistress's kid and hand over everything I own? Keep dreaming!"

Derek dropped onto the sofa, unbothered. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

"Audrey, it's called looking at the big picture."

"You care about appearances, don't you? Sign this, and you'll still be the glamorous Mrs. Ashford."

"Brandon becomes your legitimate son, on paper and in the eyes of the law."

"As for Chloe—she doesn't want a title. All she asks is to be near me."

"I've already bent over backwards here. Don't be ungrateful."

I nearly laughed at the sheer brazenness of it.

"Bent over backwards? You've dressed up highway robbery in a pretty bow!"

I grabbed the edge of the coffee table, hauled myself upright, tore the agreement to shreds, and flung the pieces in his face.

"Let me make this perfectly clear—I am getting this divorce."

"Everything that's mine stays mine. I won't leave a single cent to you and your little homewrecker."

"First thing tomorrow, I'm having my lawyer file charges against you for embezzlement and illegal transfer of marital assets. I will make you pay back every last penny with interest."

The smile faded from Derek's face. His eyes turned cold and predatory.

"The hard way, then."

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number right in front of me.

"Yeah, it's me. Cancel all the supplementary credit cards under Audrey's name. Every single one. Effective immediately."

"And notify building security—starting tomorrow, Audrey is not to set foot in the office without my personal authorization."

He hung up and looked at me with a smirk.

"Go ahead and sue. You can't even scrape together enough for a lawyer. What are you going to fight me with?"

My heart dropped like a stone.

For six years, I'd poured my blood, sweat, and tears into that company. Nearly all my liquid assets had gone straight back into operations.

My personal bank account held maybe a hundred and fifty thousand in emergency funds—and every card was an authorized user card tied to Derek's primary account.

He was cutting off my lifeline entirely.

Chloe stood to the side, barely concealing her glee behind her hand.

"Really, Audrey, why make this so hard on yourself?"

"You're a woman. What's wrong with backing down a little? Derek's the CEO of a publicly traded company now. Even if you walked out that door, who do you think would hire you?"

I fixed her with an icy stare.

"You think that company is all I have?"

"Don't forget, Derek—my family is in the construction materials business."

"Even if I leave this marriage with nothing, my parents aren't going to sit by and watch you walk all over me."

Harrington Construction Materials wasn't some corporate giant, but it had solid footing in Westfield. It was my last card to play.

When Derek heard that, far from looking worried, he threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, Audrey. You're really pinning your hopes on your family's little operation?"

He rose and walked toward me.

"You think all I've been doing these six years is playing dumb?"

"That clueless father of yours signed a major supply contract six months ago. The supplier? I set it up."

"Now take a guess—if that batch of materials turns out to have serious quality defects, serious enough to cause a structural collapse, how much do you think your daddy would owe?"

Ice flooded my veins. Every drop of blood in my body ran cold.

"You... you set my father up?"

"Set him up? That's a harsh way to put it. It's just business." Derek flicked his cigarette ash with a satisfied smile.

"Those materials have already been used in the Southside development project. One phone call from me, and the Building Inspection Authority will be there within the hour."

"When that happens, Harrington Construction Materials won't just go bankrupt—your old man with the bad heart might be looking at a few years of hard time."

He seized my chin, gripping so hard it felt like he'd crush bone.

"You're a smart woman, Audrey."

"So what's it going to be? Sign the agreement, play the dutiful Mrs. Ashford—or watch your entire family go down in flames?"

He slapped a freshly printed copy of the agreement against my chest.

"Refuse to sign, and I'll make sure your family's name is destroyed in this city."