The woman opposite me wasn't tall, and her figure was swollen because of her pregnancy. She had a round face, her features plain, but her expression exuded a certain gentle and unpretentious quality.

It was a look that mirrored Samuel's simplicity perfectly.

The first time I saw her, I thought it was a resemblance carved into their genes, owing to their blood relation. Now, it seemed less certain.

I knew her as Samuel’s distant cousin, Nadia Rook.

Just before our marriage, Nadia suddenly sought refuge with Samuel. We took some money and sent her to night school for accounting. She worked hard, obtained her certification, and I used my connections to get her a job as a cashier in a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise.

Her colleagues praised her character and abilities whenever I crossed paths with them.

My impression of Nadia had always been good. During that time, I often invited her to dinner at our house and gave her little gifts. I treated her like my own cousin.

Later, Samuel told me she was dating a classmate from night school and they quickly progressed to marriage. She quit her job and moved to his house.

When Nadia got married, I asked Samuel to give her a generous red envelope.

How ironic, I might have used my money and kindness to help my rival reach the pinnacle of her life.

When I discovered the truth and reexamined the past, I realized there had been clues all along, alerting me to Nadia's presence.

About six months ago, a water leak from the upstairs unit flooded my apartment. I knocked on their door several times but got no response. I had to enlist the property management’s help and saw a familiar name — Nadia Rook — on the owners’ list.

I thought it was just a coincidence and didn't dwell on it. Little did I know, Samuel was audacious enough to buy two buildings in the same community: one for me and one for his cousin!

The combined injury and insult caused my ears to ring.

Gregory sent another message, a brief one: "Should I verify her identity and background?"

Of course, I had to know. My fingers trembled as I typed a reply, "Yes! How much extra?"

His response came quickly, and after some negotiation, I got the lowest price.

I didn't want to waste any more money on this pair of scumbags.

While waiting for the results, I wasn't idle.

Since the company was founded by both of us, with the initial capital from selling my parents’ two houses, I had always been the actual head until after our child was born. I had a strong, loyal team in place.

I decided to secretly investigate the company's situation behind Samuel’s back.

What I found was shocking. Samuel had replaced both the key finance and HR directors.

When I reached out to our former colleagues, I learned that Samuel had fired them two years ago over minor work mistakes.

Although his actions were ruthless, their work had indeed been flawed, so they never complained to me, thinking I was protecting their dignity.

In reality, I had been kept completely in the dark!

Replacing the HR and finance directors could only mean Samuel was scheming against the company.

I suddenly remembered that scam call I had received. I quickly pulled up my call records and dialed the number again.

It turned out to be a reputable local investment firm. They had discovered non-compliant stock transfers in our company while considering investing in a new project.

After several conversations, it became clear. Samuel had secretly transferred my shares to Nadia!

If we divorced, I wouldn't get a penny from the company.

All my years of hard work would be for nothing.

Samuel was vicious!

If it weren't for the need for both parties to personally file for divorce at the civil affairs bureau, Samuel might have secretly divorced me without my knowledge.

If I felt heartbroken before, now all I felt was rage.

I quickly scheduled a meeting with the investment firm for a face-to-face discussion.

But when I arrived at the agreed location, the person waiting for me was a complete shock.