Chapter 1 I had been married to Lewis Carter for three years . He was 35 , while I was not yet 21 - still a senior in college . I hadn't decided yet if I wanted to become a full - time housewife . Then one day , I overheard him chatting with a group of industry elites . He laughed and said , " Emily's only asset is her youth . Compared to her , Victoria is far more refined and intelligent . Honestly , I regret getting married . Keeping a young woman on the side would've cost me a lot less , but divorcing now would be a financial disaster . " The moment I heard that , I handed him the divorce papers . When he saw the document in black and white stating I'd get nothing in the divorce , he let out a long sigh of relief . Then , pretending to be generous , he said , " I'll transfer twenty million dollars to you , consider it a parting gift . " I smiled and declined . " I'm still young , I can afford to take the loss . " What he didn't know was that my brother , Andrew Johnson , was a scion of New York's upper crust . Everything Lewis had achieved , every step he'd taken into that elite world , was thanks to Andrew's support . Now that we were getting divorced , his downfall was just beginning . *** During my senior - year internship , I made a firm decision to join Lewis's company , simply so I could see my handsome husband a little more every day . As a regular low - level intern , I kept my head down . Chapter 1 0.99 % I was so discreet that Lewis didn't even realize I had joined the company . I didn't want to bother him or become a distraction . Sometimes , I overheard the other interns from my batch talking about him . I just listened quietly and never said a word . " Mr. Lewis is seriously attractive . Thirty - five is a man's prime . " " Too bad he's married . And from what I've heard , he married some unknown girl with no notable background . " " Why couldn't I be that lucky ? " When I was eighteen , Lewis had made his intentions clear the moment he started courting me . On the very first day he confessed , he told me he was looking to marry . He gave me a diamond ring on the spot . I responded with full - hearted passion . We dated for a year and got our marriage certificate . It was impulsive , intense , and sweet . He gave me a kind of dreamlike love I'd never imagined possible . The kind of love only a domineering CEO could give - direct , overwhelming , and all - consuming , leaving me so dazed that I couldn't think straight . If I hadn't taken the internship at his company , I might have never discovered what he was hiding . Victoria Blake - Lewis's secretary . Sexy , elegant , the definition of a mature woman . She accompanied him on all his business trips , and attended every networking event by his side . She took charge of practically every aspect of the company , sometimes she seemed to know more about its operations than Lewis himself . Chapter 1 0.99 % Before anyone at the company found out Lewis was married , everyone just assumed Victoria was his wife . Even in the cafeteria , I often heard long - time employees who'd worked with Victoria complain , " Mr. Lewis must be blind . How could he not treasure a knockout like Victoria ? " " She gave up an executive position at a publicly listed company to become his secretary . " " Just wait . Once the excitement fades , Mr. Lewis is bound to divorce and end up with Victoria . " There were plenty of rumors . I didn't take them seriously . After all , Lewis and I were still passionately in love , night after night . Until one night , during a company dinner , Victoria got drunk and confessed her feelings to Lewis in front of everyone . Well , it wasn't so much a confession as it was forcing him to choose . She asked him straight out if he had feelings for her . Lewis stayed silent for a long time . Then she asked again , " If you don't care about me , why haven't you approved my resignation letter ? " His face grew heavy , and he finally said one word . " Yes , " Then he looked at her with unmistakable emotion and added , " I do care about you . I can't lose you . That's why I couldn't bring myself to approve it . Is that reason enough ? " Victoria smiled , finished a shot of whiskey from the table , picked up her bag , and walked out . The air in the room froze for a couple of seconds . Then Lewis got up and chased after her . Everyone at that gathering had been working alongside Lewis and Victoria for years . Chapter 1 0.99 % I wasn't there . But a chubby girl I was close with , Molly Parker , who had a real passion for gossip , secretly filmed the entire scene and sent it to me . She messaged me , [ What do you think will happen between Mr. Lewis and Victoria tonight ? ] I replied , [ Probably nothing ... I guess . ] She pushed back , [ Come on , they're both adults , they've known each other for years , their bond runs deep , they drank , and she confessed her feelings . You really think nothing will happen ? ] I typed out a firm response . [ Mr. Lewis is married . He should know where the line is . And I don't think Victoria's the kind of woman who would stoop to being a side piece . ] She sent back , [ You might be right . But whether something happens or not , we'll find out tomorrow . ] I didn't really understand what she meant by that . But the moment I closed the chat window , I found out exactly what she meant . Lewis sent me a message saying he wouldn't be coming home that night . He said something work - related had come up at the dinner . My heart sank , so I called him right away , but no one answered at first . I kept calling again and again . He finally answered , " Hey baby , my phone was on silent . I didn't hear it . What's wrong ? " I held back my emotions , and my fingernails had already dug into my palm . " Honey , are you really not coming home tonight ? " " Yeah , the gathering's still going . Everyone's here . Can you be understanding , baby ? " I gritted my teeth and pushed further . " Are there any women at the dinner ? " He paused for a moment , then chuckled . Chapter 1 0.99 % " Nope . Since when did you start checking up on me ? Want me to video call you to prove I'm innocent ? " While he was speaking , I heard a soft rustling sound in the background . It was the sound of expensive dress shirts brushing against hotel bed sheets . Back when our love had been fiery and wild , I'd heard that sound many times . Then came a soft groan from Lewis . " Mmm ... " A low , breathy sound slipped from his throat . In that moment , everything I had been holding in shattered . After three years with Lewis , I knew that sound all too well . It was the kind of release that came after deep pleasure . He probably didn't even realize he'd made it . Perfect . I didn't even need to stop him from cheating . He already had . I let out a bitter laugh , " Skip the video call ... I'd rather not ruin my eyes with what I'd see . Have fun . I'm going to sleep . " My heart was completely numb as I prepared to hang up . Then his voice came through again , low and hoarse . " Baby , we landed a huge deal tonight . Starting tomorrow , everyone will be working overtime . I might be staying late at the office . Don't wait for me for dinner these next few days . " Was he really staying late to work , or staying late to be with Victoria ? At that point , it didn't matter anymore . Chapter 1 0.99 %