As I watched Mia bustle around the room, I almost convinced myself that everything I saw last night was nothing more than a nightmare. But the messy bed and the hickeys on her neck shattered every illusion. This woman had betrayed me, undeniably and completely.

When she went into the kitchen, she forgot to take her phone with her. It vibrated a few times, and the screen showed a message from Jackson Cabot.

"Tsk, such a teasing little jinx. Remember to miss me."

I frowned and locked the screen.

After Mia finished reheating breakfast, she finally realized she had left her phone behind and walked over, clearly nervous. When she saw the dark screen, she quietly let out a sigh of relief.

I watched her every move, sneering inwardly.

As I stared at the pancakes in my hand, hot on the outside and raw within, my thoughts drifted back to the days when Mia and I first got together.

Back then, I was a serious, hardworking senior in college, with good grades and no dating history.

Mia, on the other hand, was the famous social butterfly from the vocational school next door.

When we first started dating, no one believed we would last. Yet I was determined to stay with her. At the time, I thought she was innocent and gentle. I believed all the rumors swirling around her were nothing more than envy-fueled lies.

Every day, when I came home from my internship, a steaming meal would be waiting for me.

It was only after we got married that I learned that those meals had all been ordered in advance as takeout.

Even so, I never complained. Instead, I was moved, convinced that she loved me without holding anything back.

"Owen, I have good news for you."

She suddenly looked at me shyly and held out a pregnancy test.

"You're going to be a dad."

I stared at the two lines on the stick. Thinking of what she had said to Jackson last night, a cold smile tugged at my lips.

I was an orphan. Growing up, I had desperately wanted a family of my own. After marrying Mia, I had actively tried for a baby, but the first pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

I wanted a baby badly, but I could not bear to let her take that risk again. After the miscarriage, I went and had a vasectomy on my own.

I never imagined that she would end up pregnant with another man's baby.

How could she be this cruel?

I clenched the pregnancy test in my hand and curved my lips slightly. "Yes. That really is good news."

"Then when are we going to sign the paperwork?" Mia snatched the test back, looking up at me with a smug look. "You promised before that you'd transfer this apartment in my name."

I froze for a moment. After her miscarriage, I had been beside myself with grief. No matter what she asked for back then, I agreed to everything. That included transferring the apartment I had worked for five years to pay off in her name.

At the time, I believed that if we were spending our lives together, it didn't matter whose name the property was under.

Now it was clear. She was trying to swallow my assets and leave me with nothing.

As the saying went, time would reveal a person's true nature. Perhaps I was finally starting to see what she was really like.

"There's no need to rush. We'll do the paperwork."

I tightened my grip on her wrist and smiled meaningfully. "I just hope that when you see the documents, you'll be just as eager as you are now."

…

That afternoon, I drove to my childhood friend's place.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Brooks, the one I failed to recruit."

Mason Hayes laughed the moment he saw me, slinging an arm over my shoulder.

"Showing up with whiskey out of nowhere. What is it? Finally had a change of heart and decided to join my company?"

A year ago, as the head of another major company in the industry, Mason had tried every possible way to poach me. Back then, I had refused because I couldn't bear to leave Mia.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head, finally laying bare the secrets of my marriage.

"Mia is just unbelievable!" Mason snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "You held nothing back and gave her everything, and she still cheated on you. If you ask me, you should never have gotten together with her in the first place."

I took a hard gulp of whiskey. "I don't even know how it turned out like this. Back then, she was so good to me. Even after the miscarriage, she never blamed me. But now…"

Mason's expression shifted several times. After hesitating for a long while, he pulled his phone out, scrolled through his photo gallery, and placed it in front of me.

It was a consent form for a drug-induced abortion.

And under the section for the accompanying person was a signature—Jackson.

I snatched up the phone, staring at the words in disbelief.

"I always felt something was off," Mason said quietly. "But I only found solid proof recently. I was afraid it would hurt you, so I never dared to say anything."

My eyes locked onto Mia's name on the screen. Rage flooded my chest.

"So both this pregnancy and the last one were Jackson's children."

How dare she go this far?

In that instant, the property transfer documents flashed through my mind. Everything suddenly fell into place.

Mia must have been cheating on me for a long time, and she might have even been pregnant with Jackson's baby back then. But at the time, she was a housewife with no income, and Jackson was just a college student. So she didn't dare to give birth to the baby.

But things were different now—she was about to get my apartment.

Once all my assets were in her hands, she would have nothing to fear. Even if she got pregnant, she would only think about running off with her lover.

Thinking back on it now, I felt like a complete fool.

My breathing turned ragged. My body swayed as I braced myself against the table to keep from collapsing.

"Owen, are you alright?" Mason rushed to steady me. "Don't wreck your health over this. Divorce her. You should just cut ties completely with a woman like that.

"As for Jackson, he's only so arrogant because he's the CEO's illegitimate son. But everyone knows you're the real backbone of that company. Say the word, and I'll help you bring Cabot Corporation down."

"You're right." I clenched the phone in my hand, lowering my voice. "I'm going to make them pay."

…

A few days later, it happened to be Mia's birthday. Using overtime as an excuse, I stayed out late into the night discussing the divorce with my lawyer.

When I returned to the apartment complex, I saw Jackson's luxury car parked downstairs. My blood went cold instantly. I parked my car, hurried upstairs, and pushed the door open.

I walked straight into Jackson as he was about to leave, while Mia leaned against the entryway, gazing at him with clear reluctance.

They both froze for a split second when they saw me.

Mia recovered first. "Owen, you're done with overtime? It's my birthday today. Jackson came by specially to bring me a gift."

A gift? More like he delivered himself to her doorstep.

I looked straight at the man in front of me, meeting his gaze. I had to admit, he did have the looks to charm women.

He sized me up from head to toe, the disdain in his eyes undisguised.

"You work yourself to the bone every single day. You don't even have time to spend your wife's birthday with her," he sneered. "And you only make that small amount of money? How about I talk to my dad and have you fired? That way you can find a new job."

"Fire me?"

I forced myself to hold back from punching him. With a cold smile, I raised a brow and shot back, "Please. In this company, I matter a lot more than you."

Everyone in the company knew it. Jackson was nothing more than the CEO's illegitimate son. Aside from getting his monthly allowance, he held no real power.

I, on the other hand, was responsible for the company's entire underlying framework—its lifeline.

Fire me? What a joke! Pure fantasy.

Seeing that he couldn't outargue me, Jackson let out a cold laugh and turned to leave. Noticing the look on my face, Mia immediately plastered on a smile and hooked her arm through mine.

"Oh, come on, darling, don't be mad. Jackson has always been like that. The way he talked was just as nasty back in college, when he was your junior. Don't you remember?"

"I do."

Even back then, Jackson had it out for me. I only ever let it slide because he was Mia's friend.

Thinking about it now, their relationship may have started as early as then. I was the only fool kept completely in the dark.

The apartment was a mess. When Mia saw my gaze linger, she quickly scooped up the tissues scattered on the floor, but it did nothing to hide the holes in her story.

To break the awkward tension, she leaned in and asked sweetly, "Darling, where's my birthday present?"

She had been tangled up with another man in my home, and now she was asking me for a gift. The absurdity made me laugh.

"Of course you're getting a present."

I handed her a jet-black folder.

Her eyes widened in delight. "Is this… the property transfer document?" Her excitement burst forth uncontrollably. "That's amazing! I love you, Owen!"

She snatched the folder and opened it, barely able to contain herself. When she saw the words "Property Transfer Agreement" printed across the first page, she was overjoyed. She flipped straight to the last page and signed her name without hesitation.

She never noticed the final document tucked behind it, a voluntary divorce agreement relinquishing all claims.

The moment she finished signing, she asked eagerly, "So when do you want to go handle the formalities?"

I took the folder back, the corners of my lips lifting slightly. My eyes were filled with mockery.

"Just wait."

…

The next morning, as soon as I arrived at Cabot Corporation, I saw Mia and Jackson standing together, intimate and unrestrained. They noticed me too. Mia instinctively tried to pull away, but Jackson dragged her right back to his side.

"The apartment is already yours. What are you afraid of?"

He shot me a provocative look.

I smiled coldly and walked straight into the office without sparing them another glance. What I didn't expect was that they would follow me inside.

Jackson openly sat down in my chair and crossed his legs, his face full of arrogance.

I stared at him coldly. "Get out. You're not welcome here."

"Not welcome?" He burst out laughing. "That's not up to you. This used to be your office, but not anymore."

He tilted his mouth into a crooked grin, wearing a look that practically begged to be punched.

"I told my dad that things weren't peaceful at home for you and that you couldn't focus on work. So he arranged for someone to keep an eye on you."

I locked eyes with him, the chill in my gaze sharp enough to cut.

"Want to guess who that is?"

He twirled a pen between his fingers, savoring the moment, then pointed at himself.

"And now, as your supervisor, my first order is to fire you. You've lost your house and your job too. Owen, you're a stray dog with nowhere left to go now.

"But don't worry. Your job, your wife, even your house—I'll take good care of all of it for you."

"Oh, stop teasing him," Mia said as she leaned into Jackson's arms, her voice soft while her eyes gleamed with open mockery.

I sent Mason the message I had prepared long ago.

"Do it the way we discussed. It's time to make the Cabots pay."

Then I pulled out the same jet-black folder I had taken home the day before and flung the signed documents straight at their faces.

"Unfortunately for you, your perfect plan is about to fall apart."