I saw a text message on my husband Preston’s phone. He had booked a luxurious ten-day European getaway for the Thanksgiving holidays. I smiled. He had always loved surprising me like this. But when the holidays finally arrived, that surprise never came to me. Instead, he told me he had to go on an urgent business trip out of the country. Then, I saw a post on his secretary’s Instagram Story: [A kiss of true love under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. You kissed my lips, but you captured my heart.] Attached was a photo of her and Preston locked in a passionate kiss. I saved the photo and sent it to the Vance family group chat with the caption: Congratulations. Looks like you’re all getting a new daughter-in-law. 01 The Vance family group chat immediately exploded. Everyone started popping up. My mother-in-law: "Harper, is this some kind of misunderstanding?" Preston’s cousin: "Damn, Preston knows how to play." His aunt quickly tagged the cousin: "Keep your mouth shut, kids." My sister-in-law: "Why does that woman look so familiar?" Preston’s other cousin: "That’s his secretary, Chloe." The chat fell dead silent. A moment later, Preston finally sent a message: "Chloe lost a game of Truth or Dare and had to post a kissing photo. She’s my employee, and I didn’t want to see the poor girl humiliated, so I helped her out. Everyone, calm down." My phone rang immediately. It was Preston. "Harper, stop acting like a child, okay? How could you post a photo like that to the family chat? You know the Vance family is a major traditional household. The elders are very conservative. Delete it right now." I kept my voice perfectly flat. "Is there something wrong with the photo? I think the lighting is great, and the caption is very poetic." Preston’s tone grew impatient. "I told you, she lost a game of Truth or Dare. Why are you being so petty with a young girl?" I sat up straight, my tone turning deadly serious. "She’s kissing my husband. Of course I’m going to be petty. If you didn't have feelings for her, you would never have entertained something like this. Preston, I hope you don't make a mistake." His voice softened. "Okay, I promise I’ll be careful next time. I’ll bring you back a nice gift from my trip." I checked the calendar and asked, "How many more days until you're back?" The timeline he gave me matched the ten-day European tour itinerary perfectly. Preston Vance had ultimately chosen to betray our marriage. A few days later, Preston returned. I went to the airport to pick him up. It wasn't because I was clingy; the Vance family was hosting a large family gathering today, and we had to make an appearance as a couple. Preston walked out pushing a luggage cart. Trailing closely behind him, looking like a timid little bird, was Chloe. When she saw me, Chloe shrank back slightly in fear. "Mrs. Vance." Preston gently put an arm around me and kissed my cheek. "Thanks for coming, honey." His breath smelled faintly of women’s perfume. They had probably just finished kissing. I turned my head away and noticed a faint red smudge on his shirt collar. I didn't say a word. Preston looked completely unbothered. "Honey, let’s drop Chloe off first, then head home together." He naturally pulled open the passenger door, explaining that Chloe got motion sickness in the back. Chloe sat in the passenger seat and peeked at me cautiously. "Mr. Vance, maybe I should just call a cab." Preston grabbed my hand, his tone shifting into overbearing mode. "It’s dangerous for a young girl like you to be out at night. Besides, dropping you off is on our way." On our way? It was a ten-mile detour, but if he said it was on the way, fine. My eyes met Chloe’s in the rearview mirror. It was a silent clash of swords—we both knew exactly what the other was thinking, filled with a woman's intuition. I lowered my eyes and asked softly, "Was it just the two of you on this trip?" Preston answered casually, "No, the other colleagues took a different flight." Before getting out of the car, Chloe handed me a gift box, tilting her head. "Mrs. Vance, this is a gift for you. Mr. Vance said you love shawls. I hope you like it, though I wasn't sure if the color would be suitable." Preston chuckled. "Harper is a bit older, she doesn't like bright, playful colors like you young girls do. It’s perfect." A lump formed in my throat upon hearing that. I let out a quiet sigh. 02 The moment her car door shut, I sat up straight and shifted away from Preston. He frowned. "What’s wrong?" I handed him a mirror and told him to look at himself. He quickly spotted the lipstick stain. He frowned slightly, but immediately launched into an explanation to me. "When we got off the plane, Chloe tripped. I caught her, and it must have brushed against me then." I took a deep breath, turning to look at him. My eyes carried a mix of heartbreak and a look that was hard to read. "Preston, we’ve been married for seven years. Before this, you never had secretaries who were so unsteady on their feet that they rubbed lipstick on your collar. Since when did female secretaries start accidentally spraying perfume on you and leaving lipstick marks?" He stayed silent for a moment before saying apologetically, "Alright. I'll be more careful from now on." I swallowed the heavy feeling in my chest. Even though ours was a marriage built on corporate alliances, we had legitimately dated for two years before tying the knot. It wasn't a loveless marriage. But after seven years, it felt like we had reached the end. Before we stepped out to face his family, he grabbed my arm, looking serious. "Are you mad? Why? Because I didn't spend the holidays with you and went on a business trip with my secretary?" "When did you become so unreasonable? You’re acting as immature as a little girl." "You know the company is going through a crucial transition. I really don't have the time to guess what’s going through your head. I flew out of the country and worked for ten days straight. I’m truly exhausted." "If you want to be a proper Mrs. Vance, you shouldn't be wearing your emotions on your face right now." I suddenly lost all patience to play this game with him. I ripped my arm out of his grasp. "A ten-day luxury European tour? A business trip? Preston, do you really think I’m the only idiot in the whole world? "Was the kiss under the Bridge of Sighs sweet? Did you capture her heart?" I pushed the car door open, not looking back. "Let’s get through tonight’s perfect couple performance, and then we need to separate and cool off for a while." By the time the family gathering ended, I was practically on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Faking being the perfect couple hurts the body and the soul. When we got home, I drew a bath. I had just put on my pajamas and was applying body lotion when Preston gently wrapped his arms around me from behind, coaxing me softly. "Honey, I was wrong. I’ll never bring her up again. If you don't like it, I’ll transfer her to a branch office, okay?" I wriggled out of his embrace. "Preston, don't hug me when you smell like another woman's perfume and lipstick." He grabbed me again the second I broke free. "I’m sorry. Come wash up with me again, okay? You can literally peel my skin off." He leaned in to kiss me. Just as I was about to slap him, his phone rang. I glanced at the screen. The caller ID was: Little Clumsy. Through the speaker, I heard Chloe’s delicate, tear-laced voice. "Mr. Vance, what do I do? I messed up the data in the files we brought back, and I don't know how to fix it! The contract signing is tomorrow. What should I do?" Her voice was laced with panic, carrying a young girl's reliance on a man in power. Preston frowned and replied, "What's wrong with you? How could you be so careless? Stay at home and wait, I’ll be right there." He hung up the phone, turned around, and put on his coat, telling me, "This contract is crucial. I have to oversee it personally. You go to sleep, don't wait up for me." After speaking, he braved the freezing wind, completely forgetting to even wear a scarf, and hurried out the door. I sat quietly on the sofa and listened to the notification chime on my phone. I tapped it open. It was Chloe’s newly posted Instagram Story: A serious man is the most handsome, no matter what he’s doing. The photo showed Preston sitting under a lamp, painting Chloe’s fingernails. My suspended heart finally died. I locked the bedroom door, put on my earplugs and eye mask. There was no way he was coming back tonight anyway. The next morning, as I ate breakfast, the maid asked me, "Is Mr. Vance not eating breakfast?" I put down my utensils and thought for a moment. "You probably won't need to make breakfast for him anymore. I imagine he won't have much time to eat at home from now on." I picked up my phone and opened it. Sure enough, Chloe had posted another story, this one filled with the "simple joys of life." Preston was sitting at a street food cart. On the table sat soy milk and steamed buns. The rising steam blurred his face slightly. There were two sets of chopsticks and two bowls on the table. The caption read: The simple joys of life are just being with you. The endless flaunting of their affection was relentless. How picky was Preston with his food? He was allergic to dairy, allergic to peanuts, and if he ate anything remotely unsanitary, he would immediately get severe gastroenteritis. The chef in our house was held to higher standards than a five-star hotel. Ignoring a five-star breakfast to eat at a street cart—seeing this, I realized he truly was blinded by love, completely losing his mind. My fingers finally couldn't resist the itch, and I hit the "Like" button. Very quickly, the post was deleted. 03 My prediction came true very quickly. Preston was rushed to the hospital with severe vomiting and diarrhea. When I arrived at the hospital, Preston was pale and hooked up to an IV, his eyes half-closed. His secretary was crying next to him, her eyes swollen red. She looked a hundred times more heartbroken than I, the actual wife, did. Preston was still asleep. When Chloe saw me, she immediately stood up and whispered, "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Vance. It’s all my fault." I held out a hand to stop her. "Of course it’s your fault. You’re definitely the reason he’s hospitalized. Have you figured out how you’re going to explain to the Vance family how you single-handedly put Preston in the hospital?" "Harper, it doesn't involve Chloe," Preston said weakly, waking up at that moment. Chloe rushed over and stood by the bed, her eyes as red as a little rabbit's. "I really didn't know you couldn't eat street food. I’ll cook for you myself next time, okay?" Preston stopped her from saying more. "You go back first. I don't need you to take care of me here." I stood up from the sofa and stopped Chloe from leaving. "No, you should take care of him. There’s probably no one who can take care of him better than you. I have things to deal with at my company. I don't have time to stay at the hospital." Preston hurriedly explained, "I was up all night fixing data last night. Chloe felt bad this morning and treated me to breakfast. Please don't misunderstand." I grabbed my purse to leave, shaking my head to stop his explanation. "Whether your secretary is completely incompetent is Vance Corp's business. It has nothing to do with me. But my husband spent the entire night with a young girl fixing data, and then hospitalized himself over the 'simple joys of life' this morning. It's inevitable that I'd be unhappy. So, I don't want to see you today." Behind me, I heard Chloe’s anxious voice: "It’s all my fault. Let me go explain to Mrs. Vance so she won't be angry." Preston comforted her with a hoarse voice. "Stop crying. If you cry any more, you really will turn into a little rabbit." That evening, succumbing to my mother-in-law's various worries and explicit and implicit hints—being a wealthy family's daughter-in-law is hard. Fortunately, I wouldn't be one for much longer. Ultimately, I still carried the recovery soup and went to the hospital. The door to the VIP ward was slightly ajar. I walked to the door, just about to push it open, when I heard voices inside. "Preston, I kissed you because I truly love you. I don't care that you're married, and I’m not asking you to marry me. I just want to be by your side. Please don't transfer me away, okay?" "Please, don't reject me." It was a delicate, heartbreaking cry. Peering through the crack in the door, I saw Chloe’s tear-streaked face resting against Preston’s body. She looked up at him like a god, her face full of admiration and worship. She gently tilted her face up and pressed her tender lips against his. "I'm begging you." Finally getting a response, it went from a gentle, probing touch to a deep kiss. The long, intoxicating deep kiss made the two of them sink into it, unable to pull away. Clatter! The thermos in my hand dropped straight to the floor, making a massive noise that startled the two kissing people inside, causing them to break apart immediately. Seeing me standing at the door, Preston froze, and Chloe, her face flushed, shrank behind him. Preston ripped out his IV needle, jumping out of bed to grab me and explain. I threw a hard slap, striking his face and forcing his head to the side. "Get away from me." Chloe rushed over, blocking him. "Mrs. Vance, how could you hit someone? It’s all my fault. If you want to hit someone, just hit me." Looking at the two of them, a wave of nausea washed over me. I didn't want to say another word. I turned around to leave. "Harper, it’s not what you saw." I spun around fiercely. "It's not what I saw, then what is it? Making out for five minutes, what are you going to tell me? You have a good working relationship? Or you were comforting a scared little girl?" "Don't touch me, Preston. You make me sick." "I’ll have the Sterling family lawyers contact you. Preston, I want a divorce." 04 Preston chased me all the way into the elevator. I used my purse to smash him out of it fiercely. "Get out, I am not staying in the same elevator as you. Even sharing the same space as you, I find your breathing disgusting." Preston's face was deathly pale. He stood dumbly at the elevator doors, watching them slowly close, looking at my disappointed eyes that wished I could kill him. My elevator reached the first floor. Preston, in his hospital gown, was panting heavily having run all the way down the stairs. He blocked my path at the hospital entrance. "Honey, I'm not divorcing you. Don't speak out of anger. We can't get divorced. Listen to my explanation." I shook him off. "A misunderstanding? You want my forgiveness? Which sentence do you think you have the nerve to say out loud? Preston, I am so disappointed in you." Preston grabbed my hand, refusing to let go. "No, I admit I made a mistake, I lost my mind. I just felt a little bored, and she was young, fresh, and I had a momentary lapse in judgment and got distracted. But Harper, don't cry. When I saw you just now, I completely realized that the person I love the most is only you. What I have with her is just playing a game." I glared at him coldly. "Playing a game? Your games are endless. Preston, are you an actor? Why don't you go into acting? The next Best Actor award would be yours." "What did you say? You were just playing a game with me?" Chloe had taken the elevator down and chased after us. When the elevator doors opened, she perfectly caught Preston’s words. Her tears fell like beads, staring straight at Preston. "Everything you said last night was a lie? When you were in bed saying you loved me, that was fake? When you said she was boring, that was fake? When you said you would divorce her and marry me, that was fake too?" "Then what am I supposed to do? I love you so much. I really will die without you." She cried beautifully like a rain-soaked blossom. Before Preston could comfort her, he saw me leaving and immediately tried to chase after me. A gasp came from behind, and Chloe collapsed softly to the ground. "Chloe!" Preston rushed over, gathering her into his arms. When he frantically looked back for me, he found that I had already opened my car door and sped away. "Harper!" Preston shouted loudly, but there was no one left to answer him. My fiery temper was inherited from my father, swift and decisive. When I got back to the home I shared with Preston, I called a professional moving company and began packing and clearing out everything I owned in the Vance house. The senior maids in the Vance household were running around in a panic. They called Preston, but his phone was off, so they called my mother-in-law and father-in-law. I didn't answer their calls. I just uploaded a video to the Vance family group chat. This time, no one came out to speak. It was the high-definition video of Preston and Chloe’s five-minute passionate kiss. Both the emotions and the body language were perfectly captured—spicy, passionate, and full of desire. I posted a single sentence: "Doesn't a love like this deserve my blessing?" Then, I clicked 'Leave Group Chat'. From today on, I was no longer a member of the Vance family, and I had absolutely nothing to do with them. Preston’s phone was off, leaving him completely unaware of this. He didn't know that outside his little universe of love, the whole world had exploded. When I returned to my family home, my dad jumped up, wanting to go to the hospital and break Preston’s legs. My brother coldly called our corporate partners, declaring that whoever did business with the Vance family would hereafter be an enemy of the Sterling family. The Sterling legal team worked overnight, calculating our pre-marital assets, marital assets, and drafting the divorce agreement. Meanwhile, Chloe innocently and romantically posted on her Instagram: I love watching the way you wake up next to me in the morning. The photo featured Preston’s sleeping face. It was clear the two of them had slept quite contentedly. I loved seeing it. I saved the picture with a quick screenshot and sent it along to the lawyers. I loved how direct young girls were about love, how much they loved to show off, and how they posted everything on social media. Finding evidence couldn't be any easier. Preston didn't want to divorce, but now it was out of his hands. The division of partnerships between our two families was underway. My father and my father-in-law were negotiating the terms. Disentangling the partnerships of two major conglomerates was no small matter. 05 After Preston was discharged from the hospital, he came to my family home every day to see me. Every time, he was kicked out by my brother, sometimes not even allowed through the door. But he insisted on coming, rain or shine. My mom couldn't bear it anymore. With a disappointed face, she told him, "You say you love Harper, but you go and fool around with someone else, cheating and betraying her. If you say you don't like Harper, then why are you putting on this act now? What's the point of this?" He knelt in front of my mom, begging her. "Mom, let me see Harper. I am sincere about her. I really lost my mind, making mistake after mistake. Please, let me see Harper." "She won't even give me a chance to make one mistake. I will explain everything to her properly." My mom sighed and shook her head. "Go back. Harper said she won't see you again unless you sign the divorce papers." It was useless for him to kneel at my house until he died. I wasn't even home. I had started an impromptu trip with my best friend. My best friend tilted her head, her eyes sparkling, and smiled. "You just got dumb staying at home after you got married. You don't know how wonderful the outside world is." We went to the snow mountains, visited Shangri-La, and went to Qinghai Lake. I was won over by the beautiful scenery. The gloom in my heart was swept away, leaving only a good mood. The answers are always on the road, and freedom is in the wind. I resolutely refused to be a fool for love. During this period, Chloe frequently appeared as Preston’s girlfriend. In the social media posts my friends sent me, I could often spot Preston and Chloe together. I found it a bit funny. Preston’s brain must have been eaten by a dog. On one hand, he refused to divorce, and on the other, he was wandering around with his affair partner. Was he afraid people wouldn't know he cheated? By the time I returned to the city, two months had passed. When I arrived at the airport, I actually saw Preston. He was holding a bouquet of flowers, waiting for me at the airport. He stepped forward, a gentle look on his face. "Honey." I took a step back, looking at him coldly. "We don't need to do this, Preston. Why hasn't the divorce agreement been signed after two months? Haven't you been having a great time playing around with your little mistress every day? Why are you dragging me down? Can't we just let each other live?" Preston’s eyes darted away, looking a bit guilty. "We've been married for so many years. Do you really not care about our old feelings at all? I really need you." I smiled. "You don't need me. You just need a presentable wife who can earn you face. And I am tired of playing that role." He only wanted my status as the eldest daughter of the Sterling family to give him prestige in the Vance family and make him look good at social events. Where else would he find a wife like that? If I hadn't looked at his face back then, I wouldn't have fallen for such a massive trap. Now he had found all these other women. Besides playing around, what use did he have for them? I pushed my luggage past him, leaving without turning back. I didn't care how ugly his face looked. The second day after I returned home, Chloe came looking for me, asking to meet. I didn't even need to guess to know that this kind of meeting was just the classic plot of persuading me to hurry up and divorce him so they could be together. But I still went. Before she could speak, I raised a hand to stop her. "I want to divorce Preston even more than you do. So, you'd better find a way to convince him to sign." "Otherwise, how are you going to become Mrs. Vance?" Taking the words right out of her mouth left Chloe speechless for a long time. She lowered her head, pursed her lips, and twisted her fingers together. After a long while, she gathered the courage to say, "I know you won't get back together with him and that you want a divorce. I didn't come to you because of that, but because... Preston has another woman." Ah?? I was stunned. After thinking for a moment, I started laughing out loud. "And then? Why are you telling me this? Expecting me to help you fight the mistress? Don't worry, I never even considered you a threat, let alone mistresses number four and five. In my eyes, you're all the same type, and I simply don't care." "Let me tell you the truth. In his eyes, you are worthless. You don't understand the lives of the wealthy. They only marry their equals. Did you think a Cinderella story would fall into your lap? Stop dreaming. Little girl, being too naive will only make you look stupid." "A wealthy family will never accept a daughter-in-law like you. No background, a homewrecker, and completely useless." Chloe broke down and screamed loudly, "But I have Preston’s child!" "But I haven't seen him for a week. I snooped on his phone and found out he has someone else outside. The person he likes now is another woman." After she finished, she covered her face and cried, full of grievances. "What should I do? I can't find him anywhere. I have nothing now. I only have him." She saw my gloating face and suddenly looked at me suspiciously. "Did you send that little tramp to deliberately seduce Preston? How can you be so vicious? Since you couldn't win him back yourself, you found someone else to disgust me?!" I looked at the unwillingness in her eyes and said coldly, "Is there something seriously wrong with your brain?" Seeing my expression, she became even more convinced of her guessed truth. Pointing at me, she said angrily, "Alright, Harper Sterling, let me tell you. If I don't have a good life, neither you nor that little tramp will have a good life either." As if she herself wasn't a tramp. I lost patience to keep listening. I stood up. "I have zero interest in your affairs with Preston, and I am not as bored as you are. Please do not bother me again in the future." After saying that, I turned and left. 06 It turned out I underestimated Chloe. She hired someone to follow and secretly photograph Preston and that girl, discovering that the girl was actually a university student. She tracked down the student's major and university, and posted all the intimate photos of the girl and Preston onto the university's official forum, demanding the school give her an explanation. A female university student seducing a married man—such behavior was deeply despised. The girl was called in by the university administration, demanding she immediately stop this immoral behavior and issue a public apology. The student refused. She had finally latched onto a big tree like Preston, how could she give up? Later, to quell the scandal, the university expelled her. Preston called my house. He sighed on the phone. "Harper, I said that as long as you were willing to give me a chance and we started over, I would cut off all ties. Since you refuse to give me a chance, why did you step in to suppress a little student? Mia is only 20 years old, she doesn't understand anything." I felt blood rushing to my head. I was so angry I wanted to curse him out. "Preston, get this straight. When I say you disgust me, it means even hearing your name makes me nauseous. Do you think I would care about your business? Do you think I would step in to manage your mistresses? You flatter yourself." "Also, the lawyers have gathered all the evidence of your affairs. If you still refuse to sign the divorce papers, don't blame me when I add even more conditions later. Do you want to walk away with nothing?" Eventually, Preston signed the divorce agreement. A month later, we officially divorced. Preston looked at me, showing some regret and an indescribable emotion. He finally just smiled and said, "Let me drive you home one more time, just like when we were dating, okay?" I took a step back and shook my head. "Preston, I used to really like you, and I thought we would grow old together. But we still ended up here. Since we are divorced, let it be. There is no need to entangle anymore. From now on, take care of yourself." I didn't know if he understood what I meant. He had a bunch of rotten peach blossoms (bad romances), and he thought he could play the field without any consequences. But he didn't know that some pretty flowers are poisonous. Sure enough, as soon as Chloe found out Preston was divorced, she started pressuring him to marry her. How could Preston marry her? He could play around, but the position of Mrs. Vance had to go to a lady from a prominent family. Chloe finally understood what my words meant. So, she appeared at the Vance Corporation's 30th Anniversary Press Conference, rubbing her visibly pregnant belly. She stood in front of the reporters, grabbed a microphone from one of them, and asked, "I want to ask CEO Vance, are you prepared to take responsibility for the child in your girlfriend's stomach?" As soon as that question came out, everyone in the room turned their eyes, and all the camera lenses focused on her face and belly. Preston’s father's face turned black, and Preston froze, speechless. A crowd of reporters immediately rushed forward to interview. "Mr. Vance, what is your relationship with this lady?" "I heard she was your former secretary. Did you develop feelings only after your divorce?" "Ms. Chloe, are you the other woman?" "Ms. Chloe, how many months pregnant are you?" A female reporter who was a mother herself asked sharply, "Ms. Chloe, your belly looks four or five months along, right? Mr. Vance has been divorced for less than a month. Did you have an extramarital affair?" "Mr. Vance, did you get a divorce because of her?" The Vance Corporation's PR department quickly stepped in to calm the storm. Preston finally regained his senses and said, "Of course I will take responsibility. I was just waiting for an opportunity to plan a proposal. When there is good news, I will certainly notify everyone."
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