After being wrongly accused of stealing trade secrets and kicked out of the finance world, I hid away and became a teacher in a small town.

Then I saw my ex-husband, Aaron Corbie, again.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit, now a Wall Street powerhouse who could change everything with ease and had a limitless future.

A friend whispered beside me, “Becca, Mr. Corbie still has feelings for you! He’s still single all this time!”

I smiled, unsure if he still had feelings for me.

Ten years ago, he personally hired thugs to strip me naked, put me in a room with his rival and then called reporters to take photos of me and post them on social media to accuse me of being a corporate spy.

——

“Becca, look! Mr. Corbie!”

My friend whispered excitedly, tugging at my sleeve. I lifted my gaze, following her gaze.

Under the spotlight after ten years, he was no longer awkward. His eyes and expression showed calm confidence.

He shone brightly under the lights.

My friend continued chattering in my ear, “Mr. Corbie is so young and accomplished and incredibly handsome too.”

“I heard he’s been single since his divorce. He must be waiting for you!”

I forced a smile, but didn’t say anything. Waiting for me?

He was the one who pushed me into hell with his own hands.

After the meeting, the crowd swarmed toward Aaron. I turned around, trying to slip away quietly among the staff.

“Becca Lament.”

A voice pierced the noise, freezing me in place. My back stiffened as I slowly turned around.

Aaron pushed through the crowd, walking toward me. Meanwhile, everyone instantly turned to look at me with curiosity and envy.

He stopped in front of me. His gaze lingered for a second on my faded shirt. His deep eyes showed emotions too complicated to read.

In the end, it all boiled down to a simple greeting.

“Long time no see, Mr. Corbie.”

I lowered my eyes, my voice flat.

His thin lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

A woman’s voice cut in, “Aaron, so you are here.”

A girl in a white dress casually hooked her arm through Aaron’s. She looked at me, surprise and concern etched on her face.

“This must be Becca, right?”

“Aaron often talks about you, saying you’re the person he feels most sorry for.”

The girl was Claire Jimenez, Aaron’s current fiancée, the daughter of a vice minister.

I watched her arm linked with Aaron’s, the contrast with his badge stinging my eyes. Aaron didn’t pull his arm away, only furrowing his brow slightly.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Claire, however, pouted her lips. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear clearly.

“I’m not talking nonsense. There’s still a photo of Becca in your study.”

“You said you’d never forget her in this lifetime.”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Everyone stared at the three of us with suddenly understanding expressions.

Aaron pulled a business card from his suit pocket and handed it to me. “Call me if you need anything.”

His tone was like an unquestionable command. I stared at the gold-embossed business card, my stomach churning.

Ten years ago, that night, he had used the same cold, cruel tone to order the person on the other end of the phone.

“Strip her naked and throw her in a room with Julian.”

“The reporters will be here in an hour. Make sure they get the best shots.”

Overnight, I, as the brilliant financial analyst, became a despised corporate spy. My reputation was destroyed and I was permanently blocklisted from the financial world.

I took the card, my fingernails digging deep grooves into the paper.

“Thank you, Mr. Corbie.”

I lifted my head, offering him a polite smile.

“But I think I won’t need to trouble you.”

With that, I turned and walked away without pausing.

After that meeting, I returned to my small town and continued working as an English teacher.

I thought life would return to normal. It was a week later when my father suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage at the construction site and was rushed to the hospital.

The doctor handed me the critical condition notice, informing me that the surgery would cost at least three hundred thousand dollars.

I searched through all my bank cards, scraping together what I could, but could only manage less than fifty thousand dollars.

Just when I was desperate and about to sell our old house, an unfamiliar number called.

“Hello, is this Becca?”

It was Aaron.

My fingers tightened around the phone as my voice turned icy. “How did you get my number?”

“That’s not important right now.”

His voice carried through the line with a forceful tone.

“I heard about your father’s situation. I’ve already contacted the top neurosurgeon in the capital. The helicopter will arrive at your city hospital in two hours.”

My mind went blank.

“Are you investigating me?”

“I’m just concerned about you.”

He paused, his soft voice said again, “Becca, don’t argue with me. Saving your father first is the priority.”

My father was my only weakness. I couldn’t refuse.

Two hours later, my father was safely taken away. The hospital director personally invited me to his office and his attitude was respectful.

“Ms. Lament, all medical expenses for your father have been prepaid in full by Mr. Corbie. Don’t worry, we will use the best resources.”

I sat in the empty corridor, feeling suffocated, with nowhere to escape. Aaron used my father’s life to force me back into entanglement with him.

Late at night, another unfamiliar number called me. I swiped to answer. It was Claire’s voice.

“Becca, are you asleep?”

I remained silent. Claire chuckled softly. Her tone was laced with smugness and pity.

“Aaron has been running around handling your father’s affairs. He even canceled our family dinner.”

“He says he owes you something and this debt can never be repaid in this lifetime.”

“Becca, Aaron has done so much for you. You mustn’t be ungrateful.”

“Just let him make amends. Otherwise, he won’t be able to get over it and it will affect our relationship.”

Just as I was about to hang up, she suddenly added. “Oh, Becca, Aaron asked me to tell you that he wants you to stay put at home and wait. He’ll handle everything.”

“Handle what?” I asked coldly.

Her cheerful laughter came from the other end of the phone. “Of course, it’s your business.”

“He said he can’t let you carry that stain for the rest of your life.”

“He’ll find a way to restore your reputation.”

She emphasized those words with deliberate force, restoring my reputation.

My blood froze instantly. What did Claire mean by restoring my reputation?

He was the sole mastermind behind what happened back then. How did he plan to restore it? By finding someone to take the blame and then expecting me to be grateful to him?

A “beep” sounded as a multimedia message arrived. It was a photo of Claire and Aaron together.

In the picture, Aaron wore a robe while reviewing documents. Claire embraced him from behind, smiling sweetly at the camera.

The caption was [Aaron says, let bygones be bygones. We must look forward.]

The nausea in my stomach could no longer be contained. I rushed into the bathroom and vomited until I was dizzy.

In ten years, they ruined my life and now they want to buy their own peace of mind by acting like saviors.

Why should I? A week later, my father’s surgery was a complete success. Aaron came to the hospital himself.

He looked thinner, with dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to have worried a lot about my father’s situation.

Carrying a fruit basket, he peeled an apple and casually brought up the past.

“Becca, I’m sorry for what happened back then.”

He handed me the peeled apple, his voice low. “I was too young then, blinded by power.”

“Claire’s father could give me everything I wanted, so I had no choice.”

I looked at him, but didn’t take the apple.

No choice?

I realized he simply chose the fastest and cruelest path. And my family was just a stepping stone on that path.

“Mr. Corbie, you’re too kind.”

I forced a stiff smile. “It’s all in the past.”

He looked at me intently, a hint of regret in his eyes. “I know you hate me.”

“Becca, give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?”

Just then, the hospital room door swung open. Claire walked in, carrying a bowl of chicken soup, followed by several reporters carrying cameras.

Spotting me, she feigned surprise before breaking into a smile.

“Becca, you’re here too. I heard Uncle woke up, so I specially made this soup to bring over.”

She placed the soup by the bedside, then took my arm and said to the cameras,

“Aaron and I have decided to establish a special fund for you, Becca. To help those who, like you, have suffered unjust accusations.”

“Becca is incredibly generous because she forgave us long ago and even wishes us well!”

Flashbulbs went off relentlessly. Claire held me tightly, leaving me unable to move.

My father lay in the hospital bed, watching it all with a blank expression. I couldn’t lose my temper, couldn’t upset him.

All I could do was watch Claire and Aaron perform their touching drama at my father’s bedside. The next day, news flooded every outlet.

[Tycoon Aaron Proves His Loyalty, Invests Massive Funds to Clear Ex-Wife’s Name]

[Ten Years of Waiting: Devoted CEO and Ex-Wife Reconcile.]

In the articles, Aaron was portrayed as a paragon of loyalty and righteousness. And I? I was the woman he had redeemed and magnanimously forgiven.

He used my father’s life as leverage, wielded public opinion as a weapon and nailed me to the victim’s pedestal—a pitiful creature needing his mercy and charity.

That evening, I received a call from Aaron. “Becca, have you seen the news?”

“This is just the first step. I’ll gradually help you return to the public eye.”

My voice firmly said, “My reputation doesn’t need your restoration.”

He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly.

“Becca, don’t be stubborn. Your father’s ongoing rehabilitation treatment will require a large sum of money. Can you afford it with your meager salary?”

My heart sank.

“Are you threatening me?”

His voice softened again and said, “I’m helping you.”

“I know you don’t like Claire. I’ll make sure she appears in front of you less often from now on. Be good, okay?”

I hung up the phone, chilled to the bone. With the gentlest tone, Aaron did the cruelest things, keeping me firmly under his control.

Claire’s provocations shifted from the shadows to the open. She began visiting the hospital frequently, always accompanied by reporters, feigning reconciliation with me.

In front of everyone, she affectionately called me, then casually said, “Becca, don’t blame Aaronge. He had no choice back then. After all, your father’s position was too crucial.”