Chapter 1

I rushed into the roaring fire to pull Ethan out, leaving myself with horrific, permanent burns.

At the hospital, Ethan swore to God: "V Vivi, I will never let you suffer a single day for the rest of your life."

But the moment his new young secretary arrived, he sided with her on everything, constantly making things hard for me.

"She's just a young, innocent girl. You're being too sensitive and paranoid."

"So what if she got the wedding dress style wrong? Is that really worth firing her over?"

On our wedding day, I was locked in a dark, dusty utility room with zero cell service, unable to call for help.

Instead of looking for me, Ethan held his young secretary's hand and walked down the aisle.

Seven years of deep love, a life risked to save him—and I was turned into the "other woman" in my own story.

...

"Vivian, get in here."

The text lit up my phone screen. The words practically dripped with coldness and resentment.

In all the years I'd known Ethan, this was the first time he had ever called me by my full name instead of Vivi.

As soon as I walked into his office, I ran straight into Chloe. Her eyes were red and welling with tears, looking like a fragile, kicked puppy.

"Ms. Hale, I am so, so sorry. Please just give me one more chance," she sobbed. "I didn't know you hated your burn scars so much. It was my fault!"

She was apologizing with her mouth, but her eyes were gleaming with pure provocation.

Without my permission, she had taken it upon herself to call the bridal boutique and change my long-sleeved wedding dress to an off-the-shoulder gown. Not only would it expose my horrific scars to hundreds of guests, but it was also the dead of winter, with temperatures dropping below freezing.

If the boutique hadn't sent me a confirmation photo, I would have been completely humiliated on my own wedding day.

It was a glaringly obvious trap, but Ethan refused to see it.

"Vivian, so what if she made a mistake with the dress style? Is that really worth firing her over?" Ethan's voice was sharp and accusing.

Seeing that she had a protector, Chloe cried even harder, her tears falling like perfectly timed rain.

Ethan instinctively reached for a tissue to hand to her. But maybe because he felt my burning glare, he stopped mid-motion and awkwardly sat back down.

"Chloe, go back to your desk. No one is firing you. Just focus on your work," he said, shielding her protectively.

Chloe turned to leave. As she brushed past me, she let out a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk.

"Vivian, your temper has gotten so much worse lately," Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples. "You used to be so lenient with the staff. Why are you so hostile toward Chloe?"

He was genuinely baffled. In his mind, I was just relentlessly bullying a young girl.

Ever since Chloe became his personal secretary, Ethan's attitude toward me had shifted.

Initially, he used to complain about how clumsy and incompetent she was, even asking me to fire her several times. But in just two short months, everything flipped. He started praising her constantly, his voice filled with admiration and trust. They became inseparable.

People in the office were already whispering: "Wherever Ethan Vance is, Chloe Brooks is less than five feet away."

"Are you seriously blind, Ethan? Can't you see she did this on purpose?" I demanded.

I hated arguing over these petty things, but Ethan was refusing to give me a way out.

"What kind of scheme could a young girl like her possibly have? You're just paranoid." He looked at me, his eyes suddenly darkening with doubt and a strange, twisted pain. "You hate your scars so much... Tell me, Vivian, do you regret saving me that night?"

My breath hitched.

That stormy night years ago. Ethan had gotten completely wasted at a business dinner, and I had hired a personal driver to take us home. But we hadn't driven far before the car slammed into a utility pole and caught fire. Within seconds, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

Without a second thought for my own safety, I had dragged him out of the burning wreck.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion went off right behind us. I had shielded his body with mine, and my shoulder took the brunt of the blast, leaving me with third-degree burns. The young hired driver didn't make it out in time. He died in that fiery wreck.

Burn recovery is widely known as one of the most agonizing medical processes a person can endure.

The bandages were constantly soaked with pus and blood. To cope with the excruciating pain, I had to take massive doses of painkillers.

Seeing me in such agony, Ethan had been consumed by guilt and gratitude. He had held my hand, tears streaming down his face, and sworn: "Vivi, I'm so sorry. I caused you all this pain. I swear to God, I will never let you suffer a single day for the rest of your life. If I ever break this promise, may my life fall into ruin."

Life loves to play cruel jokes. It hands you a beautiful dream, only to crush it right before your eyes.

To protect Chloe, he was actively rubbing salt into my oldest, deepest wound.

"Seven years, Ethan. We've been together for seven years, and this is really what you think of me?" My chest ached so badly that tears finally spilled over.

We had built this company from nothing. We had starved together, struggled through the worst of times, and finally made it to the top.

Just a year ago, he had gotten down on one knee and proposed to me in front of everyone, crying like a baby.

I had always been the strong one. Seeing me cry now flustered him.

Ethan stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around me, his tone softening.

"Vivi, don't cry. I get it. What woman doesn't want to look beautiful on her wedding day?" he murmured.

"But you have to face your scars. You can't just take your anger out on innocent people. Chloe is still young and inexperienced. There's no need to hold a grudge against a kid."

It sounded like comfort, but every single word was still defending Chloe.