Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
On the day of our engagement party, Julian abandoned me in front of hundreds of guests to comfort his childhood friend, Vivian, who claimed her "depression" was acting up again.
Everyone expected to see me fall apart in disgrace. Instead, I turned around and married his older brother, Dominic Sterling, the heir to the Sterling empire.
At our first high-profile charity gala as husband and wife, Dominic fastened an exquisite necklace of his own design around my neck under flashing cameras.
Across the ballroom, Julian's face turned deathly pale. He crushed the wine glass in his bare hand.
Everyone said I was the luckiest woman in the city. An orphan with zero connections, instantly elevated to Mrs. Sterling.
Even I began to believe that someone had finally chosen to love me for real.
Until the day I went to surprise Dominic at his office.
The door to his private suite was ajar. Through the crack, I heard Vivian's coy, teasing voice.
"Dominic, you parade her around every single day. I'm actually getting jealous."
"You haven't actually fallen for her, have you?"
Dominic's deep voice was calm, dripping with indulgence.
"If I don't sell the happy marriage act, how else would Julian lose his mind and screw up his board presentations?"
"How else would our father completely write him off?"
"Relax. Once the CEO position is permanently mine, she won't be of any use anymore."
Through the crack in the door, the man who had been nothing but tender and protective of me was leaning down, kissing Vivian.
My entire marriage had been a setup from day one.
And I was merely their most convenient pawn.
Standing outside the door, my heart went completely numb.
I used to think that even if Dominic didn't marry me for love, he had at least done it out of chivalry, saving me from public humiliation.
For over a year, he had been attentive, considerate, and impeccably sweet.
He was naturally quiet, which I took as his reserved demeanor.
We had evolved from polite strangers into a seemingly warm, loving couple.
I truly believed our marriage was blossoming into something real.
I never imagined it was all just a calculating scheme.
When my shift ended, I went back to the penthouse, hollow and drained.
I opened my laptop. On the screen was an offer letter from one of New York's top jewelry design houses.
It had been my dream job since college.
Sitting in my draft folder was a polite rejection email set on a timer.
I opened the draft, hovering my cursor over the delete key, when the bedroom door opened.
Dominic walked in.
"You're back. How did it go with the bridal boutique?"
I shut the laptop, took a breath, and turned to face him.
"I didn't pick anything."
Dominic paused, a slight frown touching his brow.
"Didn't you go to put down the deposit today?"
Looking at him, my mind drifted back to a year ago.
Our wedding had been so rushed that we never had a proper reception, let alone professional wedding photos.
Back then, he said:
"When things settle down, we'll make it up to you."
That promise had hung in the air for over a year.
Just a few days ago, he had brought it up out of the blue.
"Nora, let's do a proper bridal photoshoot."
He had been smoothing a stray strand of hair behind my shoulder when he said it.
"We rushed into this. You never got the fairy tale you deserved."
"This time, I want to give you a real wedding."
My heart had melted.
I spent sleepless nights researching dresses, scouting locations, and designing every detail.
I genuinely believed he was finally committing to us.
Then, just as I was about to leave this morning, Vivian called.
She claimed she and Julian had gotten into another fight.
Without a second thought, Dominic left to comfort her, telling me to go to the bridal shop alone.
Remembering this, I caught sight of Vivian lingering in the hallway behind him. My voice turned cold.
"What are you doing here?"
Vivian's face pinched in annoyance.
"This is Dominic's place. Why can't I be here?"
Seeing her irritation, Dominic stepped in, casting a displeased look my way.
"Vivian isn't feeling well today. I brought her here so she wouldn't be alone."
Staring at Dominic's face, I let out a soft, humorless laugh.
Over the past year, how many times had he used this exact tone with Julian?
Whenever Julian tried to talk to me, Dominic would show up, wrapping his arm around my waist, coldly reminding Julian that I was his brother's wife.
Julian had lost his temper over that title countless times, causing scenes that deeply disappointed their father.
Turns out, that was my only purpose in Dominic's life: a trigger to provoke his brother.
I had been blind not to see it.
Dominic reached out and patted Vivian's head soothingly.
"Don't be upset. If it bothers you, we won't do the photoshoot."
My chest tightened, a sharp, searing pain ripping through me.
Such an offhand, casual dismissal.
All my excitement, my late-night planning, turned into an utter joke in a single breath.
I meant that little to him.
Vivian threw me a smug, triumphant smirk before sauntering down the hall.
Taking a deep breath, I turned back to my laptop.
I deleted the rejection draft and typed out a new reply:
"I am thrilled to accept the offer. I will report to the New York office in one week. Looking forward to working with you."A short while later, Julian arrived.
Seeing him, Vivian tried to suppress a smile, pretending to still be pouting.
"Just because you came to pick me up doesn't mean I forgive you."
Julian offered a half-hearted apology, exactly the way he used to brush me off in the past.
Then his gaze shifted to me.
"Nora, has Dominic been treating you well?"
At that question, both Vivian's and Dominic's faces darkened.
Dominic stepped between us, repeating his trademark line.
"My wife's well-being is none of your concern."
A faint smile crossed my lips.
I gave Julian a casual wave, then looked at Dominic with mock innocence.
"Your father isn't here, Dominic. There's no audience. It's just a friendly greeting."
"Right, Julian?"
Dominic's jaw clenched.
Vivian glared at me, but with Julian standing right there, she didn't dare act out like she did earlier.
Ever since Dominic and I married, Julian's dynamic with Vivian had changed.
Every time Dominic flaunted our relationship in public, Julian looked ready to murder someone.
Desperate to pull Julian away from me, Vivian grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door.
Once they were gone, Dominic sighed with exasperation. He reached out to ruffle my hair, his lips twitching with mild amusement.
"Are you jealous? Since when did you get so petty?"
I pulled away from his touch.
"I'm not jealous. I just realized how exhausting this is."
Dominic looked confused. I met his eyes steadily.
"Both you and Julian are hopelessly obsessed with Vivian. Why did either of you drag me into this?"
Dominic's expression flickered.
"What are you talking about?"
I didn't answer. After a tense silence, Dominic said smoothly:
"Vivian grew up with us. She's family, like a younger sister. That's all it is."
"Besides, we're married. The day I put a ring on your finger, I committed to taking care of you."
I couldn't help laughing out loud.
"How touching. Too bad I don't care anymore."
"Dominic, let's get a divorce."
Dominic froze, staring at me as if I had spoken in another language. Then, he chuckled.
"A divorce? You're joking. Where would you even go without me?"
I looked down, understanding his arrogance.
To the outside world, I was an orphan whose career was tied directly to Sterling Enterprises.
My comfortable life, my status, my job. Everything seemed entirely dependent on the Sterling family.
Walking away didn't make logical sense.
Too bad for him, I was done being collateral damage in their twisted family dynamic.
Seeing my silence, Dominic smirked, completely convinced that I was powerless to leave.
He looked identical to Julian back when Julian took me for granted.
A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I grabbed my purse and walked out the front door.
Once outside, the cool evening air hit my face. I walked aimlessly for a while, eventually ending up at a familiar venue.
The gallery where Dominic and I first met.
Standing before the glass facade, memories flooded back.
I had been a college senior, entering my very first major jewelry design competition.
I poured a month of sleepless nights into that piece.
Yet the day before the exhibition, someone tampered with my blueprints, attempting to steal credit for my concepts.
I had no money, no connections, and no one to turn to.
Dominic was one of the guest judges that day.
With a single glance, he had recognized the forgery.
"These lines aren't from your original draft," he had said.
I was stunned.
He pointed at the blueprint, his voice quiet and sure.
"Your original concept had negative space here."
He had remembered my initial submission.
With his backing, I was able to present my authentic work and place in the finals.
After the awards, he approached me directly.
"Would you be interested in joining Sterling Enterprises?"
I had been over the moon.
That was how I joined the company, and how I eventually met Julian.
After Dominic and I married, I once asked him why he had helped a nobody like me.
He had looked me in the eyes and said:
"Because talent like yours deserves to be seen."
I had held onto those words like a lifeline.
Because of that sentence, I let my guard down completely, believing that beneath his cold exterior, he truly cared for me.
Looking back now, it was all calculated groundwork. How utterly pathetic.Dominic didn't call me that night. He clearly intended to let me stew, thinking a night away would teach me my place.
The next morning, the first thing I did at the office was draft my resignation letter.
Before I could hit print, my assistant rushed over in a panic.
"Nora, Miss Ward just walked into your workspace and took the bespoke ring you finished yesterday."
"She said Mr. Sterling personally authorized it."
My hands paused over the keyboard.
A petty punishment from Dominic, right on schedule.
That ring was my masterpiece.
From hand-selecting the center sapphire to refining the platinum band, I had overseen every fraction of a millimeter.
Because we never had proper wedding bands, I had secretly designed that piece after he proposed the bridal photoshoot.
I wanted to surprise him during the shoot.
A closure to our rushed beginning, a quiet symbol of a fresh start.
And he had handed it to Vivian like a party favor.
I calmed my assistant down and took the elevator up to the executive suite.
Dominic was in a meeting. His secretary stopped me at the reception desk, asking me to wait.
Moments later, Vivian strutted in.
Catching sight of me, her smile dripped with mockery.
"Waiting outside, Nora? Want me to go in and ask Dominic to let you through?"
I didn't dignify her with a response. Unbothered, she clicked her heels and pushed straight into the CEO's office.
I glanced at the secretary, who averted her eyes awkwardly.
"Mr. Sterling gave standing orders that Miss Ward never needs an appointment."
I let out a bitter chuckle. The double standard was comical.
An hour later, Dominic's meeting concluded.
Inside the office, Vivian was lounging on the leather sofa like she owned the place.
I stood by the mahogany desk, looking like an unwelcome intruder.
I looked at Dominic. "Why did you give Vivian the ring I designed?"
Dominic didn't even look up from his tablet.
"She liked it."
"You're a designer. Just make another one."
My fingernails dug into my palms.
"That was meant for our wedding shoot."
"I spent months on it. Every single detail was personalized."
Hearing my persistence, Vivian rolled her eyes.
"Nora, are you really throwing a tantrum over a piece of jewelry? Dominic already said you can just make another one."
I kept my eyes glued to Dominic.
"Does it really mean nothing to you?"
Dominic pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyance creeping into his voice.
"I said make another one. Are you done making a scene?"
So that was that. I had played the fool all along.
The last trace of warmth in my chest died.
I didn't argue. I turned on my heel, walked back down to my office, and finished the final sentence of my resignation.
Click. Sent.
Given my title, my resignation didn't technically require Dominic's personal sign-off.
I had been qualified for Design Director months ago, but Dominic had shelved my promotion because Vivian complained it would look like nepotism.
Still, HR knew I was the CEO's wife. Nobody dared to process it without checking upstairs.
After dragging their feet all afternoon, HR finally sent an intern up to the executive floor to test the waters.
At that moment, Vivian was pestering Dominic to take her to an early movie. Dominic had stepped into his private dressing room to change out of his suit.
When the HR intern arrived, only Vivian was in the room.
Hearing that I was resigning, Vivian's eyes lit up. She pretended to go into the back room to check with Dominic.
Two seconds later, she walked back out with a cheerful smile.
"Dominic says go ahead. Approve it immediately."When the approval notification pinged my inbox, I quietly began packing my personal belongings.
I had worried Dominic might hold up my exit paperwork to be difficult.
Turns out, I flattered myself.
This worked out perfectly. It meant nothing would delay my start date in New York.
As I wrapped up, my phone lit up with a text from Dominic:
I'm taking Vivian to a movie. Go home by yourself.
Just like that. A casual notice that he was spending the evening with another woman.
No apology. No acknowledgment of the morning's argument.
I set the phone face down, taped up my cardboard box, and headed for the elevators.
I knew carrying a box of personal effects down the staff elevator would fuel office gossip.
I didn't give a damn.
Over the past year, hadn't I gotten used to it?
As the CEO's wife, I rode the crowded employee elevators, ate in the regular cafeteria, and commuted completely separately from him.
Everyone knew I was married to Dominic Sterling. Everyone also knew I held zero privilege.
He always claimed he believed in keeping church and state separate.
Yet those rigid principles never applied to Vivian.
Downstairs on the curb, I hailed a cab.
Employees walking past stared with wide eyes. By tonight, the internal group chats would be buzzing with rumors that the boss's wife had been kicked to the curb.
Across the street, Dominic's black Maybach pulled up to the curb.
Vivian slid into the passenger seat. Dominic leaned over, gently clicking her seatbelt into place with practiced ease.
A memory flashed unbidden.
Whenever I rode in his car, he never touched my seatbelt.
Once, I had waited, playfully hinting for him to help. He had merely glanced over and said coolly:
"You don't know how to buckle yourself in?"
He knew how to be attentive.
He just reserved it for someone else.
Standing on the bustling sidewalk, I let out a soft, mocking breath.
I climbed into my cab without looking back.
I made a quick stop at the penthouse to grab my passport, legal IDs, and essential clothes, then checked into a hotel near the airport.
For two days, I didn't set foot in the Sterling residence. By Friday morning, my project handovers were complete.
I went to Dominic's office one last time to drop off the portfolio for the upcoming international expo, my final pending assignment.
Seeing me walk in, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. He stayed silent, waiting for me to apologize first.
I dropped the leather binder on his desk and turned to leave.
Dominic couldn't hold back.
"How much longer are you going to keep up this childish act?"
His tone treated me like a petulant kid throwing a tantrum.
I paused, looking back with an expressionless face.
"No idea."
I heard his breath catch, followed by a harsh, dismissive scoff.
"I've spoiled you too much. Let's see how long you last out there without me."
I didn't waste my breath. I walked out into the corridor.
My phone chimed with an airline alert: Check-in is now open for your flight to New York tomorrow.
Stepping out of the glass tower into the autumn sunlight, I looked up at the sky and smiled.
Live your life, Dominic. I'm finally letting you go.
By Friday afternoon, Dominic finally wrapped his meetings. Checking his watch, he remembered something and buzzed his assistant.
"Did you lock down the bridal studio I asked about?"
His assistant nodded promptly.
"All set, Mr. Sterling. The entire boutique is reserved for Saturday afternoon. The master photographer, glam team, and couture gowns are ready."
Dominic gave a satisfied nod.
Their initial marriage had been rushed.
This time, he had personally selected the best design team and private venue in the state.
Imagining Nora in a wedding dress, a rare, genuine tenderness softened his features.
"We had a minor disagreement lately," Dominic muttered, his mood significantly lifting. "Consider this my peace offering."
He couldn't wait to see the shock and delight on her face.
Smiling faintly, Dominic picked up the intercom and dialed the design department.
"Have Nora Vance come up to my office."
The line went dead silent for two full seconds before a timid voice answered.
"Mr. Sterling, Nora resigned two days ago."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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