Cornton playboy Justin Swanson openly declares that he only keeps girlfriends around for one month at a time and never falls in love.

Women hoping to marry into wealth line up from one side of the city to the other. After all, when he is in a good mood, he rewards them with a villa. Even when he isn't pleased, there is still a million-dollar breakup payout.

I am a joke to everyone in Cornton. They say I'm the most humiliated rich man's wife in all of history.

They all assume I will put up with him forever.

That is, until Justin brings home a college goer named Kayla Holt.

She looks pretty ordinary, yet she becomes the first woman to make him break away from his vow of only having one woman as a girlfriend for a month.

Justin gives me two choices.

The first is to accept an open marriage and let Kayla stand on equal footing with me.

The second is to divorce him, take half the assets, and walk away with no strings attached between us.

His friends stand nearby, enjoying the show. They are convinced I will stay and keep playing the patient, long-suffering wife for the money.

But I choose the second option without hesitation.

In my previous life, I choose to tolerate Justin's infidelity, only for Kayla to become more and more demanding. She forbids Justin from touching me, and she forbids him from giving me any property.

In my old age, I can only watch with envy as Kayla is surrounded by children and even grandchildren.

When Justin dies, his will does not mention me a single time. All of his inheritance goes to Kayla.

I spend my entire life clinging to the title of Mrs. Swanson, only to end up completely alone.

After getting a second chance at life, I am no longer hung up on him.

I understand clearly that I should take the money and leave. From now on, he and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.

I took the divorce papers from Justin Swanson, read them carefully, and was just about to sign them when Justin suddenly spoke up. He rarely ever did, and his tone carried a tension to it that he probably wasn't even aware of.

"Think about it carefully, Tamara Baldwin. There's no going back once you've signed the papers."

I didn't hesitate as I signed my name and initials on the paper with a flourish.

"I'll pack up and leave now," I said.

Going back? I wasn't even going to look back at him.

In my past life, I thought that Justin had only brought Kayla Holt back with him as another new way of getting his revenge on me. I even naively thought that he would probably still harbor some feelings for me as we'd been together for a whole decade.

However, it was all just a joke after all.

He and Kayla gave birth to two children over the next three years, and they continued being as loving to each other as ever until their deaths.

Meanwhile, I felt like just the third wheel in their relationship that didn't serve any purpose at all. I was awkward and humiliated for the rest of my life. People laughed at me and gossiped about me.

It wasn't until my later years that I heard him and Kayla chatting in the hospital room. I found out that he was behind the entire fiasco when he caught me "cheating" in bed with another half-naked man.

"I was so sick of her, but I didn't want things between us to get too ugly, so I orchestrated everything."

There wasn't a hint of remorse in his murky eyes as he continued, "That way, anything I did would still be perfectly justified no matter what."

So, that had been the case after all.

No wonder he never believed me and always treated me coldly, no matter how much I desperately tried explaining things to him. He knew the truth from the very beginning. He never loved me, but he morally blackmailed me into staying with him for the last 50 years of my life.

He could have just severed all ties with me, but he chose to continue torturing me to death for years by stabbing me repeatedly with a blunt knife.

When I looked up again, I saw Justin's slightly younger face that was still as cold as ever. I felt absolutely no love or adoration for him anymore. Instead, all I felt was a burning sense of hatred and resentment.

He stared blankly at the signed divorce papers. His eyes were filled with shock. The rustling sound of someone eavesdropping at the door also stopped just then.

A split second later, my "most beloved" in-laws, Harvey Swanson and Carrie Schmidt, stormed into the office with wide smiles on their faces.

Carried grabbed Kayla's hands, looked around, and began showering her with praise.

"As expected! Youngsters are still the best! I knew that you would be more active and capable after all!"

Harvey, who'd always treated me coldly and with scorn all my life, was also smiling very affectionately at Kayla.

He cast me a pointed side glance as he said, "Finally, you're getting rid of the trash that's been taking up all the space in the house, Justin. I can't believe she has yet to give you a baby, even after so many years."

Kayla pretended to lower her head in embarrassment and said in mock humility, "Please don't put it that way, Mr. Swanson. I'm not much younger than Madam Tamara…"

She then hesitated and blushed.

"Actually, I'm already one month pregnant. It's just that I didn't want to announce it so early in the pregnancy."

I cocked an eyebrow at her when I heard the familiar nauseating tone she used. Her words were dripping with sarcasm. However, this time, I didn't care anymore.

Over the past few years, I'd been working myself to the bone at Swanson Group during the day, just so that I could be a good wife to Justin. When I got home at night, I would still have to wait on him and Kayla, hand and foot. They were picky devils.

I was just in my early 30s, and yet, my hair was already graying at the roots.

Indeed, I looked a lot older because of that.

I turned and went back to my room to pack up my few measly belongings. I was already planning where to go to relax as soon as I got the money.

I didn't expect Justin to come in after me.

"It's late. You don't have to leave immediately. Why don't you just leave tomorrow instead?

"Don't I have an empty villa in Weston? You can stay there for the time being. I'll come and visit you whenever I have the time. I know you still love me, Tamara. Stop acting difficult."

He then seemed to recall something and grinned affectionately.

"However, I really can't let you have the title of 'Mrs. Swanson' anymore. I refuse to let my child bear the stigma of being called an illegitimate child as soon as they're born."

I didn't answer him. Instead, I picked up my suitcase and walked straight to the door.

"I don't have anything to say to you. It's my pleasure to be divorced from you. If you still want to show that you care, then kindly send me the alimony as soon as possible."

The winter wind was cold against my face, chilling me to the bone, but it still wasn't enough to put out the blazing fire in my chest.

…

Justin was as efficient as ever. When I woke up the next morning, I realized that a sum of three billion dollars had been transferred into my account.

I took the money and went straight to the most luxurious spa and wellness center in Cornton. I booked a complete package. It included a hair styling appointment, a full-body spa session, and a massage.

The haggard, gray-haired woman in the mirror was gone. It was now replaced by a beautiful young woman with striking red hair and clear, sharp eyes.

I'd only just changed back into my clothes when my best friend, Melanie Gilbert, suddenly called me.

The first thing she did was scream and squeal directly into my ear.

"Tamara Baldwin! What's happened between you and Justin? Is the world going crazy? Am I going crazy?"

I held the phone away from my ear and asked lazily, "What's the matter?"

"What do you mean by that! Don't you follow the news?" Melanie squealed incredulously. "Photos of Justin and that side bitch of his made headlines!

"He brought her to some event last night in public! He also told all of the media there that that bitch was his one and only wife and that they were getting married soon!

"And your damn in-laws agreed wholly with him and said that the bitch was worth it!"

She then lowered her voice and asked me in concern, "Are you alright, though, Tammy?"

The public recognition that I'd always yearned for from Justin evaded me for the entirety of my past life. However, he was giving it to Kayla so easily.

"I'm fine," I said, checking myself out in the mirror. I continued nonchalantly, "We're divorced."

"D-Divorced?"

Melanie refused to believe me. She'd witnessed me love Justin for more than a whole decade, after all. She often felt angry and frustrated on my behalf because I was sacrificing so much of myself and behaving like a loyal lapdog without ever getting anything in return in the relationship.

I didn't bother explaining further and chuckled lightly.

"Are you free tonight? Let's go get some drinks. My treat."

That night, we went to the glitziest and most extravagant bar in Cornton. The booths around us were all bubbling over with the most expensive Ace of Spades champagne.

A number of handsome male escorts sat around me, attentively and eagerly pouring drinks for me.

Melanie watched with wide eyes.

"Damn. I believe you now. You're totally over him. You never used to be like this in the past."

In the past, I used to want to prove to Justin that I wasn't after his money by always comparing prices and buying the cheaper alternative with more value for money. I didn't want him to think that I was just squandering away his money without taking care of the household.

Now, I was seated in the VIP booths while looking at my reflection on the glass. My hair was bold and red. I was wearing a perfectly tailored haute couture dress. It somehow felt a little strange yet familiar to see myself like that.

Melanie raised her glass and clinked it with mine.

"You're finally more reminiscent of how you used to be known—the legendary genius school beauty from Alberton College's School of Finance."

She took a huge gulp of champagne and began complaining indignantly on my behalf.

"Do you know how many venture capitalists were falling over their feet to try and get you? If you'd started your own company, you would have crushed the Swansons a long time ago!"

"And yet, after working yourself to the bone for a decade at the Swansons, all you got was just this little bit of alimony. It's so not fair. I feel so sorry for you, Tammy," Melanie said.

It hadn't just been ten years of my life.

In my past life, Swanson Group once dominated the list of the top-performing companies in the country under my leadership. Yet, in my older years, I couldn't even afford to buy myself a box of painkillers.

Ultimately, I was even kicked out of the family by Kayla's children and died from an illness next to a garbage dump on a cold winter night.

The business empire I spent my entire life building ended up benefiting Kayla and her children.

At that thought, I downed the alcohol in my glass at one go, letting the liquid burn down my throat and ignite a fire in my chest.

I was going to show them.

Without me, they would not be able to continue living the life they were used to.

…

The next morning, news of my company registration spread like wildfire, and the industry was instantly abuzz.

Some investors sensed a golden opportunity and rushed in overnight with elaborate proposals, eager to invest in my company. However, many more just watched in amusement, observing the Swanson family's attitude toward the news.

I didn't know who started it, but the paparazzi's news was filled with articles calling me a fool, belittling me, and calling me overly smug and confident.

I just looked at the notifications on my phone and swiped them all away.

I just didn't expect to receive a call from Justin.

"Stop making a fool of yourself, Tamara Baldwin! Running a company is not child's play. Your bit of money won't last that long.

"I haven't removed your position from Swanson Group yet. You can come back instead."

I rejected him coldly and said, "There's no need for you to worry about me, Mr. Swanson."

There were a few seconds of silence on the phone. He was somewhat displeased, but he still tried being patient with me and said, "Can't you be more understanding of me, Tamara? I just met my true love.

"Also, isn't it better for you to stay here in Swanson Group than it is for you to start some stupid company of your own? You should follow up on that M&A project in Southon…"

I hung up on him right away.

Just as I thought, he just didn't want to lose access to using my abilities after all.

That project in Southon was a tough nut to crack, and it was something I'd spent nearly half a year working on before they finally awarded it to me. The Swansons had no way of getting it without me.

Even though I was supposed to be the CEO of Swanson Group, I only received a monthly salary of 3,000 dollars. That was because Harvey told me that we were family, and we shouldn't have to be that petty and calculating when it came to money matters.

I naively used to think that they were simply testing me. However, now that I thought about it, I was just a highly capable yet incredibly cheap labor force they managed to hire.

The more I thought of it, the angrier I got.

I made up my mind.

Regarding all those projects I once secured for the Swansons in my past life, it didn't matter if my new company wouldn't be able to handle them all. If it couldn't, I would direct them straight to Swanson Group's arch-rivals instead.

…

Justin was so mad at being hung up on that he angrily flung his phone to the ground.

He'd been so used to my docile obedience. I used to be at his beck and call. Thus, he felt embarrassed and humiliated to have been hung up on this time.

At that moment, his secretary, Nigel Browning, awkwardly knocked on his door with a pile of documents that Justin couldn't make heads or tails of for signing.

The past few days of hard work, coupled with his years of neglecting the company affairs, had truly left Justin feeling overwhelmed.

Kayla walked in as well and took his hand. She looked at him in concern.

"Don't overwork yourself, Justin. Let me join the company and help you share your burden with you."

Justin was a little hesitant about it. "You're still young and unfamiliar with the company's operations. Why don't you start from the bottom and learn from each department first?"

Kayla's eyes turned red at once. She demanded, "If Tamara could be the CEO last time, why can't I?"

Justin instinctively wanted to say that I was the top student from Alberton College in finance, but when he was met with Kayla's teary eyes, his sense of reason vanished at once.

His heart softened, and he nodded in agreement.

Kayla smiled through her tears and hugged him tightly. She said tenderly, "I'm just so worried about you. Look at you. You've already lost so much weight."