After failing the task of winning Spencer Greene’s affection, I was bound to the Perfect Partner System and became his perfect wife.

When rumors spread about him and Zoey Xander, I stepped up to clear his name.

When Zoey accused me, he let it slide, and I took the blame and apologized.

Even when he got Zoey pregnant, I stayed quiet.

I calmly handed him the divorce papers and gave Zoey the title of Mrs. Greene.

But he was not pleased. He pinned me down on the bed with eyes full of anger.

“Zara, I only wanted you to behave! I never wanted you to push me away.

“Are you blaming me now?”

I froze and stared at him in shock.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

When Spencer Greene returned home, he carried the scent of an unfamiliar perfume and a faint lipstick mark on the collar of his white shirt.

He smiled indulgently as he sent a voice message on his phone.

“Oh, you. Be good.”

I was sitting on the couch watching TV. When he saw me, his smile disappeared, and his voice grew cold.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Look.”

I nodded toward the television.

On the HD screen, more than ten reporters surrounded me and pushed their black microphones toward my face.

“Mrs. Greene, did you see yesterday’s news? Is it true that Mr. Greene is having an affair with rising star Zoey Xander?”

“Mr. Greene was spotted with Zoey Xander at night. What do you have to say about that?”

…

Yesterday, a video of Spencer and Zoey entering and leaving a charity gala together went viral.

In the video, Zoey wore a red gown with a sweeping train. She held his arm and shone radiantly in the crowd.

But Spencer did not like women in red.

He once threw out every red dress in my closet. Frowning, he said, “My wife should look dignified, not flirty.”

He said he did not like women wearing makeup. He told me that only a bare face looked pure and elegant enough.

During the five years we were married, I never wore makeup once.

Yet Zoey’s lips were painted red. She leaned close and kissed the corner of his mouth. They looked very intimate.

The wedding ring I had begged him to wear for five years was not on his finger.

In the video, a big hand held a smaller one, and matching rings shone on their fingers in the light.

That was when I realized that he did not actually hate red dresses, women in makeup, and his ring.

He only hated them because of me.

He did not love me.

I cried until my tears ran dry and accepted the system’s offer to bind me to the Perfect Partner System.

In the past, when we argued, Spencer said I was too jealous, immature, and not independent enough. I was not respectable and definitely not the sort of “Mrs. Greene” he wanted.

After I was bound to the system, I prioritized him every time and ensured he was always satisfied.

So, on the TV screen, I smiled calmly, raised my hand, and hushed them.

Then, I accepted one of the microphones and smiled at the cameras.

“Spencer and Ms. Xander are only business partners.

“I’ve made a note of every media outlet present today. Before midnight, you’ll all receive a legal notice from Greene Corp.”

Spencer switched off the TV behind me.

His brows furrowed, and his face darkened.

After binding to the Perfect Partner System, I always treated his feelings as my priority. I stood up and looked at him nervously. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Three months ago, the same thing had happened.

That time, I panicked. When reporters asked me about Spencer and Zoey spending the night together, my eyes welled up with tears.

Afterward, when I asked Spencer about it, he yelled at me for embarrassing him in front of the reporters. He said I was not worthy enough to be by his side.

To punish me, he stayed away from home for two weeks.

When I went to his company to confront him, I found Zoey sitting intimately on his lap.

Spencer made the company security throw me out. When I was sitting by the roadside, soaked in the rain, he looked at me and said, “You’re crazy!”

I trudged through the rain for three hours miserably. The way home felt long.

It was long enough for five years to pass by in a flash and long enough for a heart to go from burning with passion to cold and lifeless.

Spencer’s expression faltered for a moment, as if he remembered what had happened last time.

But he said nothing. He took a precious diamond necklace from his pocket.

“Take it.”

I glanced at it and felt that it was familiar.

Two months ago, on my birthday, Spencer had arranged for his assistant to bring me this necklace.

The assistant had said, “Mr. Greene has been very busy recently, but he went to the store himself and carefully chose this gift for you.”

He had supposedly chosen it with great care, but two months later, he gave me the same necklace again.

If it had been the old me, I would have argued and shouted.

But I could not do that anymore. I was Spencer’s perfect partner. Everything I did had to make him happy.

I took the necklace from his hand with a look of genuine surprise. I held it up and looked at it closely in my hands.

“It’s beautiful!”

I smiled gratefully at him. “I really like it! Thank you.”

Spencer seemed surprised, as if he had not expected such a reaction.

He was about to speak when his phone rang.

The ringtone was familiar. It was the custom tone he had set for Zoey.

Setting a unique ringtone for someone you like was a way to show love.

I understood that.

I turned away politely and fiddled with the necklace in front of the mirror.

Spencer snorted and answered the phone.

Zoey’s voice sounded through the phone.

“Spencer, I’m pregnant!”

“Pregnant?” Spencer froze for a moment. Then, his face lit up with joy. “Stay at the hospital. I’ll come get you!”

Spencer walked quickly to the bedroom. When he came back, he had changed and was smiling.

At the doorway, our eyes met.

“Zoey is having a baby…”

“Congratulations!”

We spoke at the same time.

I meant it sincerely.

But Spencer’s face darkened.

He said icily, “I don’t care what tricks you’re playing, but Zoey is having a baby. You’d better behave.”

With that, he left.

I watched his back in confusion as he walked away. I wondered what he meant.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

As a perfect partner, my role was to solve my husband’s problems.

Zoey was having a baby, which meant the title of “Mrs. Greene” should go to her.

I opened my laptop and began drafting the divorce papers.

…

The news of Zoey’s pregnancy reached the Greene family quickly.

They were thrilled. They organized a family dinner and told Spencer repeatedly to bring Zoey home.

Spencer rarely took me to the Greene villa, but this time, he said I should come along.

In the past, I would have refused.

The Greene family had never liked me.

Since I came from a small town, they thought I was not good enough for Spencer.

Spencer’s mother, in particular, saw me as a blemish in his life.

Zoey, a celebrity, came from a prominent family. Her background matched the kind of person the Greene family wanted.

When they heard about her pregnancy, Spencer’s mother was the happiest of all.

I happily changed into a new white dress and twirled in front of Spencer.

“This is your favorite color.

“But Ms. Xander’s pregnancy is a joyful occasion. Would it be inappropriate for me to wear white and draw attention to myself?”

Spencer frowned. He looked at me from head to toe.

He tugged at his tie in annoyance.

“Suit yourself.

“I’m going to pick up Zoey.”

…

When I reached the Greene villa, Spencer and Zoey were already there.

Zoey was the center of attention. She was surrounded by well-wishers. Spencer’s mother slipped a jade bracelet onto Zoey’s wrist.

“This is the Greene family heirloom. It’s meant for our daughter-in-law!”

Her face was glowing with joy, but the moment she saw me, her smile vanished.

“What are you doing here?”

She looked annoyed, as if she wished I would leave right away.

People nearby turned to watch and waited for drama to unfold.

Spencer wrapped his arm around Zoey’s waist. His eyes narrowed like he wanted to see how I would respond.

Zoey leaned close to him. Her look was provocative.

I smiled calmly. “Why would you say that?

“We’ve been married five years but never had a baby. That’s my fault, of course.

“Now, Ms. Xander is pregnant. Carrying on the Greene family line is the most important thing.”

The room went silent at my words.

Spencer’s smile disappeared. He let go of Zoey.

Even his mother stared at me in shock.

“Are you out of your mind?”

She had expected me to lose control and ruin the dinner. Then, she could throw me out.

I smiled and set down a box at the table.

“This is for Ms. Xander. I hope she likes it.”

In the past, Spencer had always hated it when I got jealous. But tonight, I had nothing to say but good things about Zoey’s pregnancy.

I was gracious and composed. I was the perfect Mrs. Greene.

Spencer should have been pleased.

But his face darkened, and his brows drew tightly together.

“Sit down. Making the whole family wait like this is rude.”

I agreed and took my seat, though I wondered why he was upset.

It did not matter.

I touched the divorce papers tucked in my bag.

Once I gave up the title of Mrs. Greene, Spencer would finally be happy.

…

Spencer stayed close to Zoey all night.

I sat at the end of the table and watched him take care of her. Even for a small piece of fish, he removed the bones before placing it in her bowl.

He used to be that way with me.

When I had cramps, he held me and warmed my stomach while tears streamed down his face.

When I wanted cakes from across town, he braved two hours of snow to bring them to me.

He lit up a whole city with fireworks when he proposed and said, “Zara, you are my only love.”

I frowned. The Perfect Partner System reminded me not to dwell on how Spencer once treated me.

The more I remembered, the more I would hope for more.

The more I hoped, the less I would be the wife he wanted.

Spencer had once been so good to me, so I told myself that I had to work harder to be the Mrs. Greene he expected me to be.

All through dinner, I did not find the right moment to give him the divorce papers.

I stood at the door in disappointment and waited for Spencer to finally return home with me.

That was when I realized that Zoey and he would be staying the night at the family villa.

“You should go home.”

His hair fell over his eyes. I could not tell what he was feeling.

I nodded and turned to leave. Just as I stepped outside, he called my name.

“Zara.”

I looked back in confusion.

He seemed like he wanted to say something, then stopped.

He rubbed his forehead with a troubled look.

“Forget it! Just text me when you get home.”