Chapter 1

My mom had just finished her second round of chemotherapy. She wore a wig to attend my engagement dinner.

The private dining room door slid open. But it wasn’t the waiter. It was Carter’s assistant, Vivian Ward.

Behind her were a few colleagues from the office. The dishes they carried in were leftover scraps packed from the company cafeteria.

I could even see half-eaten food smeared on the plastic containers.

"Mr. Brooks said the project budget is really tight lately," Vivian said, her smile dripping with sweet concern. "I personally asked the cafeteria staff to save these for you. These are the premium dishes everyone is usually too broke to order."

I snapped my head toward Carter.

He was looking down at his phone, texting. He didn’t even raise his eyelids. "Vivian is right, Chloe. The company is going through a tough time. As the future lady of the house, you need to be understanding."

Vivian suddenly poured a glass of cheap whiskey and walked toward my mom. "Mrs. Vance, I heard your medical bills cost Mr. Brooks a fortune? Let me toast to you. Thank you for raising a daughter who knows exactly how to 'seize an opportunity.'"

I raised my hand to slap her, but Carter grabbed my wrist in a death grip.

"Chloe Vance," his eyes were ice-cold. "If you dare touch Vivian, this engagement is off."