When I witness my husband, Wayne Donaldson, and Valeria Meadows, a poor scholarship student he had been funding, exiting the hospital with a baby, I finally realize that Wayne has been lying to me about the fact that he got drugged by others.

That day, I file for a divorce from him.

But Wayne grips my hand and promises me, "Don't worry, you'll be the only Mrs. Donaldson. She won't be able to affect your position in any way."

I just laugh in his face. He thinks I choose to be with him because of his money.

But what he doesn't know is that my dad is the richest man in the city. Even the Donaldsons' ascent through the ranks is all thanks to my secretive help.

That night, I send my dad two texts.

The first one writes, "I agree to enter a marriage alliance with Mason Frost."

The second one writes, "You can terminate all investments devoted to the Donaldsons right now."

On the third day after leaving the Donaldsons, I returned with a set of printed divorce papers, ready to get Wayne Donaldson sign them.

Once I stepped through the front door, a baby's laughter drifted through the air.

My in-laws were huddled around a newborn, beaming with affection. Meanwhile, Wayne wore a doting smile as he carefully cradled the baby in his arms. But when they finally spotted me standing at the door, all their smiles instantly vanished.

Wayne's expression stiffened when he looked up and saw me. His lips parted to say, "Shelby… you're back."

I didn't respond.

My mother-in-law, Maria Duncan, followed his gaze and looked up before her expression soured.

"As a barren wife, you've got a lot of nerve to throw a tantrum, Shelby. Try it again, and I'll make sure Wayne kicks you out of the Donaldsons for good."

Toying with the baby's tiny fingers, my father-in-law, Harold Donaldson, snorted. "As long as you behave, we'll make sure you keep your title as Mrs. Donaldson."

I almost laughed.

This was the man I had loved for five years, and the Donaldson family that rose into prominence and everything they were today, under the quiet support of my dad and me.

That was when Wayne's mistress, Valeria Meadows, approached me while holding the baby.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at me timidly. "This is all my fault, Mrs. Donaldson. If I hadn't given birth to the baby, you and Mr. Donaldson wouldn't be fighting all day.

"Hit me, scold me; do whatever you need to get it out of your system. I just hope you'll stop fighting him."

I smiled and replied, "Oh, can I? Did you think I had no idea you slipped the drugs back then?"

Valeria's face flushed bright red at my words, as if she hadn't expected me to drag the ugly truth into the light.

For a split second, pure malice and jealousy flickered in her eyes before she suddenly pinched the baby hard. His piercing cries tore through the air.

Wayne rushed over at the noise and violently shoved me aside.

Stumbling back, I crashed into a vase. Porcelain shards cut into my palm, and blood trickled down my fingers, pooling onto the floor.

Valeria's eyes brimmed with tears as she pitifully wept. "I just wanted to show Mrs. Donaldson the baby, and I never thought she'd…"

When Wayne's cold gaze snapped to me, rage burned in his eyes. "Can't you even stand the sight of an innocent baby?"

Without another word, he grabbed my wrist and shoved me out the door. "Stay out there and think about what you've done, Shelby Moyers. Don't bother coming back until you've come to your senses!"

He had no idea that I was back to get a divorce, so several minutes of delay wouldn't change anything.

After being shut out, I sat on the steps and ran my fingers over the marble tiles of the villa, feeling utterly overwhelmed with emotions.

The Donaldsons might have forgotten that without me, they would never have reached the heights they enjoy today.

Memories of the past flickered through my mind like scenes from an old movie strip.

Wayne and I met in college, fell in love, and quickly became inseparable.

Back then, the Donaldsons were nothing more than an ordinary middle-class household. On the other hand, I was born into an affluent family and known as the honorary princess of Jynxwood's elites.

I had kept my identity a secret before marrying Wayne, just so he wouldn't feel inferior.

After the wedding, I had quietly mobilized my family's resources. Step by step, I lent him a helping hand to build the Donaldson family's empire.

But somewhere along the way, the Donaldsons caught a serious case of the "new money syndrome". Maria and Harold shed their humility and began posing as aristocratic nobles.

Every sentence they spoke revolved around the sacred words "the Donaldsons". They even tried to set rules for me.

Still, I wasn't bothered because I only had eyes for Wayne. We were married for five years, and were the picture-perfect couple everyone admired.

On our fifth anniversary, he was drugged and ended up in bed with the poor scholarship student he had been funding, Valeria.

When he sobered up, he immediately knelt before me, crying as he apologized. "I swear I'll cut off all contact with her…"

I trusted him until a year later, when I ran into him and Valeria during a routine gynaecological checkup.

Valeria clung to his arm, and they were holding a baby, looking like the perfect family of three.

I never imagined Wayne would lie to me and keep seeing her behind my back, much less expected them to have a baby together.

That was when it struck me that my love was a complete joke.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message. "The wedding's set for tomorrow. Are you sure you can make it in time?"

I replied with just two words, "No problem."

After sending the text, I was about to get up when Wayne rushed out and grabbed my arm. He had been hovering behind the door the whole time, waiting for me to yield and admit fault.

"If you'd just bow your head and admit you were wrong, you can come back. Why are you so stubborn? Besides, I've told you more than once that Valeria's the mother of my baby, while you're the only Mrs. Donaldson!"

I coolly yanked my arm free.

How could he have the nerve to demand that I yield and admit that I was wrong?

After we married, I had spent years hiding my identity as Jynxwood's princess just to protect his pride. Even now, he believed that the Donaldson family's rise to fame was credited to his brilliance and efforts.

He had no idea that "Mrs. Donaldson" was never a title he had granted to me because, without me, Donaldson Group would never have existed in the first place.

Now, I was done being the lady of the Donaldsons.

My calmness and composure seemed to unsettle Wayne. Just as he was about to speak again, Valeria came running over, tears streaming down her face.

"Something's wrong with the baby, and he won't stop crying, Mr. Donaldson. I'm scared!"

Wayne's face went pale. He was about to get up and leave when I held him back.

Turning around, he shot me a hesitant look and said in a hoarse voice, "I have to check on the baby, Shelby. Just stay here and wait for me."

Instead of responding, I took out the readied divorce papers and held them out to him, beckoning for him to sign.

He paused and probably assumed it was a work contract. So, without bothering to give it a look, he took the pen and scribbled his name.

If he had just flipped back one page, he would have noticed that it was our divorce papers, but it was a pity that he didn't.

After signing the papers, he rushed off.

Behind him, Valeria shot me a triumphant look.

Looking down at the signed name on the divorce papers, I heaved a long sigh of relief.

Five years of our marriage ended with just that single stroke of a pen.

After making sure the divorce papers were signed, I turned and made my way to the bedroom.

All the designer outfits, bags, and luxury pieces I left at the Donaldson residence meant nothing to me, so they could stay.

But there was one thing I had to take with me—a gold hairpin my late grandma had left me. It was a family heirloom.

When I returned to the bedroom, the unfamiliar interior furnishings stopped me cold. All my clothes and belongings were gone.

The air carried the scent of another woman's perfume.

Wasn't this Valeria's scent? It seemed she had taken over my bedroom in my absence.

Just as I was searching for the gold hairpin, Wayne unexpectedly returned. He paced briefly behind me before saying, "Look… I overreacted today and embarrassed you in front of everyone. But I'm the head of the Donaldsons, so I have to be fair to maintain respect. If you'd just go and apologize to Valeria…"

"Excuse me," I said, completely ignoring his words.

He grabbed my wrist and anxiously snapped, "I told you! Valeria and I aren't like what you think!"

His desperation was almost funny to me, so I chuckled and asked in return, "What does it have to do with me?"

"Please don't do this, Shelby," he said. "The Donaldsons need an heir, and since you can't conceive, why won't you let another woman carry on the Donaldson family name?"

I jerked my head up and gawked at him in disbelief.

Had Wayne forgotten that three years ago, he had driven drunk and landed in a car crash that nearly killed him?

I had desperately dragged him out of the wreckage, and when it exploded, the shrapnel had caused me severe injuries.

When the doctors announced that I might never conceive again, he swore with red-rimmed eyes, "You're all I need in this lifetime, Shelby."

But now, he had forgotten that vow and let another woman bear his child behind my back.

Seemingly realizing he had misspoken, he turned away and added, "Whatever. There's a family dinner tonight, so don't forget to be there."

After a pause, he explained, "This room is the quietest in the house, and Valeria needs rest, so she and the baby will be staying here for now. I've moved your belongings to the storage room in the south wing.

Do this for me, Shelby. Don't cause trouble today and tarnish your reputation as Mrs. Donaldson."

I gave him a long, cold look and walked out. Since I was leaving, which room I stayed in no longer mattered.

I found the gold hairpin in the storage room and carefully tucked it away. After removing the wedding ring from my finger, I casually tossed it into the trash can.