Everyone envied me. Mrs. Calloway.

Wife to the untouchable titan of Wall Street.

But they didn't know our secret.

In two years of marriage, my husband had never once touched me.

Then, at the annual charity gala, he kissed the love of his life.

In front of everyone.

I walked straight up to them and ripped the diamond from my finger.

“You want the title of Mrs. Calloway?”

“It’s all yours. I’m done.”

————————

1

This was the first time Evander Calloway had brought Vivian Garrett to a business forum of this caliber, and the first time the heir to the Calloway family had ever appeared with a date.

In the financial world, Evander was notorious for his ruthless and erratic nature, a standout even among the elite heirs. Right now, his face was a thundercloud, a fury simmering in his eyes that I knew all too well.

On the television screen, a teary-eyed Vivian Garrett stood behind him, sobbing softly. She looked so pitifully fragile that even I felt a pang of sympathy for her.

I snapped back to reality. My phone screen was still lit, displaying my chat history with Evander.

At the very bottom was a message from him, sent half an hour ago.

“Stay home and rest tonight. Don’t go out.”

Those few words felt like a thousand ice-cold needles piercing my heart.

I had always known my relationship with Evander was nothing more than a contract. I loved him. I had loved him for a very long time.

But in his world, I had never truly existed.

Just minutes ago, when Evander had made his entrance with Vivian, all eyes were drawn to the beautiful woman on his arm.

Instantly, headlines across major financial news outlets blared: “The Promising Artist, Now the Future Mrs. Calloway, Finally Makes Her Debut!”

Vivian Garrett sat in the audience, her eyes glistening. Her skin was fair, her features breathtakingly beautiful. A green strapless gown perfectly showcased her flawless figure, and her face, set atop a slender neck, was both fragile and captivating.

She gazed adoringly at Evander on the stage, a soft smile playing on her lips.

The camera then panned to Evander, who was giving a speech.

I hadn't seen him in days, and he seemed like a different person—so relaxed and at ease, a stark contrast to the Evander I knew.

Throughout his five-minute speech, his gaze never left Vivian Garrett. They looked like lovers lost in their own world, the intimacy between them so palpable it seemed to make the whole room flush with heat.

When the speech ended, a swarm of reporters rushed forward.

“This must be Mrs. Calloway, right? What a stunning beauty!”

“Mr. Calloway, you two are a perfect match, a true power couple. We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!”

“Mr. Calloway, Mrs. Calloway, please look over here!”

The reporters’ incessant questions made Vivian Garrett’s smile gradually stiffen.

She forced a smile, struggling to control her emotions. “I’m sorry, I’m not Mrs. Calloway. I’m not Freya Donovan.”

Her words caused an uproar. The reporters, sensing a scoop, turned their cameras on her and began a relentless barrage of questions.

“Not Mrs. Calloway? Then what is your relationship with Mr. Calloway?”

“Rumor has it that Mr. Calloway had a sweetheart in his youth. Was that you?”

“Miss, please answer the question!”

The onslaught of questions caught Vivian Garrett off guard, and her silence only fueled the reporters' desire to dig deeper.

Whispers started to ripple through the crowd.

“The Calloways and the Donovans are a powerhouse match. How did she manage to screw up a perfect union like that?”

“Please, she’s just a gold digger. But you have to admit, the woman is a stunner.”

“Do you think Evander Calloway would even look at her if she wasn’t gorgeous? He’s probably just playing around.”

“Have you said enough?”

On the screen, Evander strode through the crowd, his black eyes bottomless pits, his handsome features radiating an icy chill.

His low, cold voice slipped from between thin lips, his narrow eyes filled with menace.

“Vivian, come here.”

Evander extended his hand, and the frigid aura emanating from him instantly silenced the surrounding crowd.

Vivian Garrett, with her head down, quickly walked over to stand behind Evander.

Evander lifted his head, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the reporters who had just been asking questions, as if he were examining ants.

“Miss Garrett is an artist friend whom I invited. My wife is feeling under the weather today and was unable to attend. My poor handling of the situation has caused some misunderstanding, and I hope you can all forgive me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters and guests who had been gossiping began to smooth things over.

Anyone with eyes could see that Evander Calloway was not a man to be crossed.

To oppose him was to court death.

The live broadcast had ended, but Evander’s final words still echoed in my mind.

I wasn’t sick. I could have been there.

Evander just hadn’t allowed it.

Over the years, very few people had actually met me. I never went to those social events, and he never asked me to.

I sighed, sitting on the balcony, lost in thought.

In my youth, I was the definition of brash and ambitious.

As soon as I graduated from Wharton, I started making a name for myself on Wall Street. Everyone thought a young woman like me couldn't possibly make waves in the financial world and advised me to give up. I refused.

The more they doubted me, the more determined I was to succeed.

The projects I handled soared to the top of the industry in just a few short months, and major corporations were clamoring to partner with us.

The Donovan Group cemented its place as an industry giant.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until Evander returned from Europe with someone by his side: Vivian Garrett.

For her, Evander began to cast aside all the other women in his life, including me.

I started to feel a sense of unease.

I had grown up with Evander, and in his world, it seemed no other girl had ever existed besides me.

Let alone someone who could capture his interest.

He was always cold and distant with everyone.

That year, on Independence Day, at a family party in the Hamptons, the air was filled with the clamor of voices and celebration.

I stayed in a corner by myself, going nowhere.

As dusk settled, I heard a voice call my name and thought I must be imagining it.

“Freya.”

I looked up. Under the moonlight, Evander stood not far away, his eyes sparkling like stars.

“Freya, happy Fourth of July!”

His bangs fell across his forehead, and in the soft, misty starlight, his deep, dark eyes held a rare tranquility.

His pleasant voice sounded above me, and at the same time, the dark night sky behind him erupted in a magnificent private fireworks show, prepared just for me.

In that moment, my heart skipped a beat.

So this is what it feels like to fall in love.

I had always thought I was an exception. It wasn't until Vivian Garrett appeared that I realized, all these years, it had been nothing but my own wishful thinking.

It was raining outside.

I called Evander several times, but he didn’t answer.

Just as I was about to send a text, he called me back.

I pressed the answer button, but before I could speak, a woman’s voice came from the other end.

“E, I said the wrong thing today. I shouldn’t have responded to the reporters. I’m sorry.”

I paused. It was Vivian.

Before I could process it, Evander’s voice came through, laced with a deep, fond affection.

“Vivian, you don’t have to apologize. You’ve been wronged all these years. You know, you’re the one I’ve always loved.”

I stared at my phone in shock.

Then the line went silent, followed by a series of unsettling, suppressed, and ragged breaths.

In the past two years, I had witnessed scenes like this countless times.

It was Evander who had proposed the marriage as a business alliance in the first place.

Two years ago, my family’s company was betrayed from within. Our funding was abruptly cut, and panic ripped through the firm.

It was the Calloway family who extended a helping hand, assisting the Donovan Group through the crisis.

Everyone thought it was just mutual support between families.

Only I knew it was nothing more than a transaction.

The day before the Calloway family offered their help, he came to find me.

“You like me?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. I did like him, and all our friends knew it. It was only Vivian’s appearance that turned this open affection into a secret.

He stood before me, looking directly into my eyes, his expression no longer the one from our childhood, his tone as if coated in ice.

“Marry me,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

I lowered my head, saying nothing. I knew he hadn't finished.

“I can help the Donovan family through this, but I need a wife to satisfy the clause in the family trust that requires me to be married to fully inherit.”

“I can give you anything but love.”

I curved my lips into a faint, bitter smile.

He was marrying me not for love, but out of necessity.

When Evander had returned to the country with Vivian, his mother had vehemently opposed their relationship.

Even when Evander bowed his head and pleaded, his mother remained unmoved.

I heard from his friends abroad that he and Vivian Garrett had met in a gallery in Europe.

They hit it off immediately, becoming inseparable friends, especially being so far from home.

After an accident where Vivian was injured while saving Evander, she was hospitalized.

During her hospital stay, Evander took meticulous care of her.

From then on, their relationship grew closer, far beyond the boundaries of friendship.

The night Evander returned to the country, everyone gathered for a welcome-back party.

The moment I saw Vivian, everyone in the room turned to look at me.

I later found out that Evander had told everyone about him and Vivian, everyone except me.

I agreed to Evander’s proposal because, in the world of business, true friends who offer help in a time of need are few and far between. Without the Calloway Group's help, my family’s company might have actually gone bankrupt.

Besides the marriage certificate, Evander and I signed another agreement.

“No interference in each other’s private lives.” So, in the two years I was married to Evander, I never asked about his personal affairs. I never knew when he was on a business trip, where he was going, or who he was with. I had no right to know.

But in front of our elders, he was never improper. He always took care of me, never letting our parents worry.

In this respect, we cooperated flawlessly.

We continued to play the part of a loving couple in public.