A month after the divorce, I posted a picture to my Instagram: a stunning diamond ring nestled between two fresh marriage certificates. The caption was simple: It's official. Two minutes later, my ex-husband’s call came through. “Tiffany, take down that post. Now.” “I know you’re just trying to make me jealous with fake marriage certificates, but what will people think if they see it?” “We’ll go remarry tomorrow. I’ve already calmed Anna down; she’s forgiven you.” I was about to tell him the certificates were very much real when a deep, masculine voice drifted from the bathroom. “Tiffany, I forgot a towel.” On the other end of the line, I could hear the distinct sound of teeth grinding. My ex-husband’s lazy tone sharpened into a blade. “Who is that? Who’s in the room with you, Tiffany?” 1 I hung up and got a towel for Jim. After he was dressed, he gave me a warm hug before heading out for a work emergency. Half an hour later, the front door was kicked open. Miles rushed in, his eyes wild. He grabbed my hands, spinning me around to check for injuries. Seeing I was unharmed, he let out a shuddering breath and pulled me into a crushing embrace. “Tiffany, baby, are you mad at me? I’m so sorry, I won’t do it again. Please, don’t use some other guy to make me jealous.” His eyes were red-rimmed, and he nuzzled his chin against my shoulder. “Baby, you know I love you more than anything. Even if it’s a joke, it drives me crazy.” “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” He claimed he loved me most, but the moment his assistant, Anna, threw a tantrum, he’d filed for a "temporary" divorce without a second thought and jetted off to take wedding photos with her. He missed me so much that he took Anna to see orcas in New Zealand, then immediately flew her to Norway for the Northern Lights. Her Instagram had been a non-stop highlight reel of their romantic getaway for the past month. Hearing his heartfelt speech now, I let out a short, bitter laugh. “It wasn’t a joke.” His smile froze. My own expression was serene. “We’re divorced, Miles. I have no reason to make you jealous.” He forced a laugh, his posture relaxing instantly. “Still holding a grudge, huh? C’mon, baby, don’t be like that. She’s just my colleague. It’s not like I did anything to betray you.” “Look, to make it up to you for the whole divorce thing, I’ll propose to you all over again. We’ll be fine. Forgive me, just one more time.” He pulled a small, elegant box from his pocket. “It’s a custom-designed necklace. I had it made for you on my last business trip.” My gaze fell to his left hand. On his ring finger was the faint, pale band of skin left by a wedding ring. When we got married, he’d refused to wear a ring, claiming it was unprofessional. That tan line, combined with this sudden, extravagant gift, told me everything I needed to know about who he’d been wearing a ring for. Just then, our daughter burst through the door and threw her arms around me. She opened her small hand to reveal a delicate, lifelike butterfly hairpin. “Don’t be mad anymore, okay? The little butterfly is saying sorry.” I took the pin and clipped it into my hair. The cold refusal on my lips died away. You can’t stay angry at your own child. BOOM! The sound of fireworks crackled outside. Miles took my hand and led me to the doorway. A heart formed by 999 drones was drifting slowly through the night sky. As it reached our house, the drones shifted, spelling out my name. TIFFANY, HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY. My daughter looked up at me with hopeful eyes. Miles’s smile was as warm and tender as the day he’d first confessed his love to me, surrounded by 999 candles. Passersby stopped, oohing and aahing, some even applauding. “Wow, that’s so romantic!” “Kiss her! Kiss her!” they chanted. I met Miles’s eyes, saying nothing. He bit his lower lip and leaned in, about to kiss my cheek. At that exact moment, a pair of bright headlights washed over my face, followed by Anna’s broken sobs. 2 Anna teetered towards us on impossibly high heels, her eyes swimming with tears as she stared at Miles. “We just had our wedding photos taken, and you’re already cheating on me? Miles, you told me you’d only love me for the rest of your life! You’re a liar! I’m just going to go kill myself then!” She made a dramatic run for a nearby tree, only to collide with Miles’s chest instead. She pounded his chest with her small fists. “You’re a monster, Miles! If you’re going to break my heart, you might as well just let me die.” Our daughter, Lily, ran to her side, gently wiping away her tears. “Mommy, don’t cry. Daddy and I love you the most.” Instantly, the curious gazes of the onlookers turned sharp, pointing at me. “So, she’s the other woman?” “Obviously. They have a child together. I can’t believe she has the nerve to seduce a married man.” I opened my mouth to explain, but Miles cut me off with a frown. “You should go, Tiffany. I can’t do this to Anna.” Lily reached up and yanked the hairpin from my head, taking a clump of my hair with it. She snatched the necklace box from my hand. “Did you really think this was for you? It was a gift from Daddy and me to Mommy.” In just one month, my daughter had started calling Anna "Mommy." A smirk played on Miles’s lips. He dropped to one knee before Anna. “I kept feeling like I still owed you something. I think… this was it.” Lily clipped the butterfly pin into Anna’s hair. “Mommy loves butterflies. I picked this out just for you.” On a bystander's livestream, the hashtag #RealLove was trending. Her husband and child adore her! She’s the real winner here! Oh my god, is that a two-carat diamond? It looks like the ‘Heart of the Ocean’ masterpiece that took three years to design. It’s worth over a hundred million, the only one in the world! Amid the chorus of praise, Anna shot me a look of pure contempt before melting into Miles’s arms. He held her with one arm and took Lily’s hand with the other, turning their backs on me. I simply pulled out my phone, screenshotted every single one of Anna’s gloating posts, and then blocked and deleted them both. I had no time for this pathetic homewrecker soap opera. 3 A little while later, a video call from Jim came through. “Tiffany, I’ve handled things at the office and I’m on my way back. Want me to pick up a late-night snack?” I thought for a moment. “No, thanks. I don’t really have an appetite.” Jim’s expression immediately grew tense. “What’s wrong? Did that guy from this afternoon bother you? He… he didn’t do anything to you, did he?” He tried to look casual, turning his head to the side, but the way he bit his lip betrayed his concern. I shook my head, a small smile touching my lips. “What are you thinking? It’s just the heat.” When Jim got home, he saw the empty living room and rushed into the bedroom, only relaxing when he saw me packing a suitcase. “I thought you weren’t leaving for another month. Why are you packing now?” I smiled and gave him a hug. “I changed the flight to three days from now. If we leave early, we can do some sightseeing.” I had agonized over buying that ticket for weeks, but the decision to finally leave took only a second. I had always stayed for Lily’s sake. Now, I realized there was nothing left here for me to hold onto. But before I left, there was one last important thing to do. The next morning, I arrived at the auction house. My parents had gone missing during a round-the-world trip years ago. An island up for bid today held the only clue I’d found to their whereabouts. I hadn’t even reached my seat when a stiletto heel shot out, tripping me. I stumbled and fell. Anna laughed. “Oh, Tiffany, I know your daughter calls me ‘Mommy’ now, but you don’t have to bow to me.” “You’re so much older than me. I’d hate for you to shorten my lifespan with such respect.” She didn’t move, however, instead motioning for her friends to help me up. “You’re so good at playing the victim. If I were a man, I’d probably fall for it too. Too bad for you, Miles is completely devoted to me.” I slapped their hands away. “You seem to be enjoying the role of the other woman. Is that why you’re so happy?” Her smile vanished. “You’ve got a sharp tongue. Let’s see if you’re still smiling in a few minutes.” I assumed she was talking about Miles and brushed it off. I couldn't care less about a man who had already cheated. But to my horror, when the bidding for the island began, one of Miles’s employees walked to the podium and began presenting my proposal. They had stolen my work. I stared at Miles in disbelief. He couldn’t meet my eyes. I had poured my heart and soul into that proposal, working sleepless nights for a month, all for the chance to get access to that island and investigate my parents’ last known location. I never thought he would do this to me, all for Anna. Anna tilted her head, pointing to the presentation on the screen. “Isn’t it a great pitch, Tiffany? That island is mine.” To find the truth, I had no choice. I gritted my teeth and called my assistant. “Add ten percent to the budget. I don’t care what it takes. Get me that island.” Miles opened his mouth as if to explain, but Anna tugged on his arm. “Miles, you promised you’d give me this island. You can’t let Tiffany use your money to steal it from me.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. So, after all the years we’d spent building our company from nothing, in everyone’s eyes, I was just a gold digger living off his wealth. I was about to tell him I would fight him for it when he suddenly stopped Anna. “Why fight over a deserted island? I have a much better gift for you, Anna.”
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