Chapter 1

When I slid three paternity test reports across the desk to my husband, he was in the middle of sending a voice note to his side piece. He was boasting about how he was going to "put that crazy bitch in her place."

Seven years of marriage. Three children. All his.

Yet he preferred to believe that the kids were bastards rather than trust hard science.

He screamed that I had forged the tests, that I had lost my mind, and that I’d stoop to anything just to get revenge.

What Julian didn't know was that I wasn't just a mother of three. I was the founder and Chief Science Officer of Apex Genetics, one of the top three biotechnology firms in the country.

Even worse for him, alongside those paternity reports, I held complete records of his hotel bookings, bank transfers, and private Snapchats with three different mistresses.

A week later, at the Sterling family’s elite annual gala, he walked up with a glass of champagne in his hand. In front of all of New York’s high society, he asked me to forgive him "for the sake of our children," expecting me to swallow my pride.

Everyone was watching, waiting to see me break.

I didn't take the glass.

Instead, I connected my flash drive to the grand ballroom's massive LED screens.

That night, every elite family in Manhattan learned exactly what kind of trash Julian Sterling really was.

***

When I slid the three paternity test reports in front of Julian, he was casually dictating a voice note.

"Hold on, babe. Once I put that crazy bitch in her place, we can get married."

He didn't even call me his wife. I was just "that crazy bitch."

Seven years of devotion had reduced me to an annoying obstacle he had to get rid of.

I waited until he tapped send before speaking up. "Julian. All three kids are yours."

He paused, then let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Finally admitting you slipped up, Evelyn? I wondered how long you’d stay in denial. Tell me, who was the guy? Give me his name, and I’ll make sure he leaves this city on a stretcher."

Without a word, I pushed the documents closer to him.

Julian glanced down, and his smug smirk vanished into thin air.

Under the test conclusion column, the bold text read:

*Subject: Julian Sterling is confirmed as the biological father.*

*Probability of Paternity: 99.9999%.*

Three reports. Three kids. Every single one was his flesh and blood.

"This… this is bullshit!" He sprang up so fast his chair screeched against the floor, and he slammed the papers into the carpet. "You forged these! Evelyn, you're so desperate for revenge that you're faking lab results now?!"

I calmly bent down, retrieved the folders, and dusted them off.

"Apex Genetics ranks in the top three diagnostic labs in this country. Do you really think I'd forge a report produced by my own scientists?"

Julian froze.

The reality finally hit him. I wasn't just a stay-at-home mom. I was the founder and Chief Science Officer of Apex Genetics. A biotech empire I launched before we ever said 'I do.' He hadn't contributed a dime to it, and today, it was valued at three billion dollars.

"So… they really are mine?" His voice dropped an octave, dripping with sudden, pathetic flattery.

I looked at him and smiled coolly.

"Yes, they're yours. But look at what else I have."

I pulled out three thick manila envelopes from my purse.

Inside were hotel check-in records, intercepted Snapchats, and wire transfers detailing his affairs with three different women.

The first was his executive assistant, who had been sleeping with him for three years.

The second was his personal fitness trainer, a fling going on twelve months.

The third was his so-called "distant cousin," who had been warming his bed for the past six months.

"Evelyn, let me explain—"

I held up a hand, silencing him instantly.

"Save your breath. I already understand. You just made the classic mistake that weak men make. Plus, they're all younger, prettier, and far more obedient than I ever was, right?"

Julian’s face went dead white. "They meant nothing! It was just meaningless fun! You're the only woman I truly love!"

I nodded calmly. "I know. If I didn't understand that, I wouldn't have put up with you this long. We're getting a divorce. I’m taking full physical custody of the kids."

Julian’s eyes flared with sudden fury. "Over my dead body! Those are my kids, and you're not taking a single one!"

My gaze turned to ice. "Just try and stop me."

***