Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
After I helped my wife’s racing club win its very first championship, she promised she would finally announce our marriage to the world.
Yet, the moment the awards were handed out, the newly hired backup driver dashed onto the stage, hoisting my trophy into the air.
He even wrapped an arm around my wife’s waist, waving intimately to the cheering crowd.
"I thought you said we’d wait another two years. Why the rush?"
My wife didn't push him away. Instead, she handed him a stock transfer agreement, declaring right then and there that he was the club’s newest shareholder.
The backup driver smirked at me, his eyes full of smug condescension.
Even my wife turned to me and said coldly:
"He’s the one who brought this championship home. If you want shares, go win one yourself."
I didn't yell, and I didn't beg. I quietly stripped off my racing suit and shoved it straight into the rookie’s chest.
I couldn't wait to see if this club could even survive once its real investor walked away.
"Tonight marks our club’s very first championship victory in the national rally series!"
"To celebrate our team officially entering the ranks of champions, let’s hear it for our MVP, Austin Reed!"
My wife, Chloe Bennett, popped a bottle of champagne, letting the spray fly wildly across the stage. Her gaze lingered on Austin beside her, hazy with adoration.
Austin was equally euphoric, his cheeks flushed as he gripped Chloe’s hand tightly.
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. For an up-and-coming club like ours to take first place in a high-stakes championship was unprecedented.
This single trophy was enough to keep the club swimming in sponsorships for years.
Chloe was shaking with excitement. She reached into her blazer and pulled out a leather-bound folder.
"Austin, this is your reward!"
Austin stared at the papers, feigning utter disbelief.
"Is... is this really for me?"
Chloe set down the champagne and held up the hand Austin was using to grasp the contract.
"To honor Austin’s incredible championship win, I am transferring a twenty percent stake in this club to him!"
"Starting today, he is our newest partner and shareholder!"
Austin’s look of surprise instantly dissolved into pure ecstasy.
He yanked my wife into his arms and kissed her deeply right in front of everyone.
My wife—who had always been emotionally guarded and aloof with me—didn't push him away at all. Her face turned crimson, and her arms wrapped tightly around Austin’s neck, clinging to him as if terrified he might let go.
The audience whistled and chanted:
"Kiss her! Kiss her!"
"What do you mean, kiss her? They look married already! This is practically their official announcement!"
"So the secret husband Chloe has been hiding all this time was Austin!"
Everyone was roaring for the two lovers on stage. Only I stood off to the side, completely paralyzed.
I had just crawled out of a violent rollover crash. Dazed and concussed, without even having time to take a sip of water, I had sprinted toward the podium.
Only to walk right into this humiliating circus.
I was supposed to be the team’s lead driver. Austin was just a rookie backup, and this was supposed to be his first real rally event.
Right before the race, Chloe—who handled vehicle logistics—came to me in tears, claiming my custom No. 1 car had suffered critical frame damage during transport and couldn't be driven.
While I was frantic, Austin generously stepped forward and offered to let me drive his backup car.
For the honor of the club, I agreed.
Yet when I arrived at the starting grid, I saw my No. 1 car sitting in pole position, completely spotless and in peak condition.
I rushed toward it in relief, only to see Austin already strapped into the driver’s seat.
The race marshal’s horn sounded. I had no choice but to sprint back to Austin’s second-tier backup car.
That car’s horsepower, suspension, and roll cage safety were leagues behind my primary ride.
Even so, I fought tooth and nail through the desert course and clocked the fastest overall stage time. But right before the final paddock, the backup car’s brakes failed completely. I lost control, flipped multiple times down an embankment, and blacked out.
The moment I regained consciousness, ignoring the ringing in my ears, I grabbed the velvet ring box and the bouquet of flowers I had hidden in my gear locker, running toward the podium.
Chloe and I had been legally married for four years. But she had always insisted on keeping our marriage a secret. She told me that the club was pouring all its resources into me, and if people found out I was the owner’s husband, they’d accuse us of favoritism.
She swore that the day I brought home the championship trophy, she would proudly tell the world I was her husband. Only then, she claimed, could we silence the critics.
I had bled for this moment for years. The ring and the flowers were meant to celebrate our victory—and to fulfill the promise we made.
I never imagined that my blood, sweat, and near-death crash would be rewarded with this.
Chloe spotted me standing below the stage, and her smile instantly vanished. Her expression curdled into disgust.
"Logan, what are you doing here? We poured countless resources into you, and you couldn't even finish the race! Have you no shame showing your face right now?"
She still lingered in Austin’s embrace, showing no intention of stepping away.
And Austin, seeing me standing there, didn't let go either. Instead, he pulled Chloe even tighter against his chest.
I had driven day and night, simulating this course even in my sleep, pushing my body to the absolute limit.
And this was my reward.
Austin gently nudged Chloe behind him, putting on a sickeningly smug, diplomatic face.
"Hey, come on, Chloe. Logan’s been with the club for years. Sure, he never won anything, and he didn't really contribute today, but he worked hard. You really should have given him a couple of shares. Giving them all to me is bound to make him jealous."
With just a few casual words, he erased my entire track record and cemented himself as the rightful champion.Chloe softened her tone, looking at Austin with pure adoration.
"Don't worry about it, Austin. You're our club's very first champion. You earned every single piece of this. True talent deserves the lion's share."
She then turned back to me, her voice dropping below freezing.
"Logan, think about everything this club has handed you on a silver platter. You couldn't even cross the finish line today. What right do you have to stand there whining?"
"Any random amateur off the street could drive better than you. If you want shares, earn them yourself."
"You don't have the talent, so go back to the garage and practice. Stop acting like you're entitled to free handouts!"
She didn't sound like a wife talking to her husband. She sounded like an annoyed sugar momma reprimanding a useless moocher.
Maybe she had truly forgotten that I was never her charity case.
The only reason our club even qualified for national-tier events was that I drove every grueling dirt race, stage by stage, building our reputation from scratch.
Beyond driving, I was the one who pulled strings and brought in major corporate sponsors so we could afford entry fees, high-end mechanics, and custom engine tunes.
And now that the club had finally made it to the big leagues, they pulled this stunt.
Just because I drove Austin’s car across the finish line, the club credited the entire win to Austin’s name.
Meanwhile, Austin had taken my No. 1 car, failed to finish even half the course, and wouldn't even have qualified for the rookie roster if not for Chloe’s shameless favoritism.
The entire crew stood watching, waiting for me to explode. They were waiting for a show.
Aside from a handful of veteran mechanics I had personally hired—who kept their heads down in silent shame—the rest of the staff wore smug grins, ready for the drama.
I looked at the two of them clinging to each other, and I walked forward.
They clearly expected me to throw a punch. A few of Austin’s sycophants had already pulled out their phones, angling their cameras to record me.
As I approached, Austin dramatically wrapped his arms tighter around Chloe.
"Don't be scared, Chloe. I've got you. I won't let him lay a finger on you!"
He sounded so heroically righteous it made me sick.
I simply tossed my battered racing suit and the original share agreement she had once given me straight into Austin’s chest.
"Since you love taking what's mine, take these too. You can have my shares. I resign."
Chloe blinked, caught off guard. A flicker of sudden anger and confusion flashed across her eyes.
I looked at her and let out a faint chuckle. Wasn't this what she wanted? She wanted Austin to have everything. Why was she looking angry now that I was willingly handing it over?
Without another word, I turned my back on them and walked away.
I pulled out my phone and dialed a private number I hadn't called in years.
"Dad. I've made up my mind. I'm ready to come home and take over the family business."
My family’s multinational conglomerate spanned multiple continents and industries, from advanced manufacturing to clean energy. Our family name was etched across global financial rankings.
My father sat comfortably among the top billionaires in the world.
I was born into immense, untouchable wealth. Growing up, I thought that status was an asset.
Then I met Chloe, and my background became a weapon she used to despise me.
When she was a child, her grandmother fell critically ill. A desperately needed charity medical grant that had been promised to her family was pulled at the last second, handed over to a wealthy donor’s spoiled kid instead. Her beloved grandmother died waiting for care.
From that day on, Chloe despised the ultra-wealthy. She hated trust-fund kids who inherited everything without lifting a finger.
Yet I had fallen head over heels in love with her anyway. I gave up my luxury life, hid my real last name, and married her in secret.
On our wedding day, terrified of triggering her trauma, I didn't even allow my parents to attend the modest ceremony.
When she said she dreamed of founding a professional rally club, I liquidated every dime of my personal trust fund and poured it into her company.
I truly believed we would build a life together forever.
Now I finally saw it for what it was: a pathetic, one-sided delusion.
I took a direct flight back to the club’s headquarters in the city to pack my personal belongings.
When everything was cleared out, I stood in my private locker room, staring at the wall lined with regional trophies and the unpresented diamond ring in my palm. Memories flooded back.
Back then, I was overflowing with endless drive. I told myself that every trophy I brought home would make our lives a little easier.
Every win brought us one step closer to Chloe’s dream.
All of that shattered the day Austin Reed showed up at the club.
Chloe seemed instantly enchanted by the charming, silver-tongued slacker. She fast-tracked him onto the reserve roster and channeled more and more team funds his way.
If she hadn't needed to keep the club afloat, she probably would have given him every cent we had.
At first, I told myself she just saw raw potential in him. Until the afternoon I saw them walking downtown, her arm looped tightly through his.
Chloe wore that same radiant, giddy smile she used to give me when we first fell in love. She didn't care who saw them together.
While I was risking my neck on deadly mountain trails for the club’s future, they were out playing house on endless dates.
I had confronted her about it once, and we had an explosive fight. She cried and swore it was completely innocent, promising she would keep her distance.
Now I understood. She was never going to give Austin up. The only person she was willing to throw away was me—no matter how much I sacrificed for her.
Her rule about keeping our marriage a secret was never about protecting the club from rumors of favoritism.
The only person she wanted to hide was me.
Ever since Austin arrived, Chloe had orbited him completely.
Even though we held a legal marriage license, we were strangers.
I looked down at the engagement ring in my hand and laughed bitterly.
I guess I was the only fool who still remembered our promise.
With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the ring box and the wilted bouquet straight into the dumpster behind the garage.
Good riddance.I booked a first-class ticket back to my parents' estate and called a luxury real estate broker to list my condo on the market immediately.
Just after I hung up with the agent, my phone buzzed with a priority notification.
It was a message from Chloe.
I unlocked the screen. The image that popped up showed my legal wife lying on a plush hotel bed, wearing nothing but sheer black lingerie.
Resting heavily against her bare thigh was a man’s tattooed hand.
I recognized that tattoo instantly.
It was Austin’s.
Staring at the photo, I expected to feel blinding rage. But all I felt was an eerie, hollow numbness.
I locked my screen, laid back on the hotel bed, and closed my eyes.
Early the next morning, my phone started blaring.
Still groggy, I answered. The moment the line connected, Chloe’s furious shrieks erupted through the speaker.
"Logan, are you out of your mind?! I sent you a photo like that and you didn't even react?!"
"Do you even consider me your wife?! Do you still consider yourself a man?!"
"I'm warning you, cut out this childish tantrum and get your ass back to the clubhouse right now. We might still have something to talk about."
"Otherwise, consider yourself officially fired from this team!"
She slammed the phone down before I could reply.
In the past, I would have panicked. I would have called her back dozens of times, begging her not to leave me, apologizing profusely just to soothe her temper.
That was who I was when I loved her.
Now that the love was dead, I couldn't care less.
I thought handing over my racing suit and resignation yesterday made things crystal clear. Apparently, she still thought I was just acting out for attention.
I opened my laptop, drafted a formal, legally binding resignation letter, and emailed it directly to HR and Chloe’s inbox.
Then, I switched my phone to Do Not Disturb and went right back to sleep.
Whenever Chloe and I argued in the past, no matter how much I tried to brush it off, I spent the entire night pacing the floor, agonizing over how to make amends.
Yet today, I slept like a baby. I hadn't felt this light in years.
When I woke up and stepped out of the shower, I checked my phone. Chloe had sent over 99 missed messages, and her number was ringing on call-waiting again.
I swiped to answer.
Her voice was noticeably less shrill this time, replaced by her usual frosty, commanding tone:
"I'm starving. Come home and cook lunch for me."
That familiar, bossy delivery. Every time we had a silent standoff in the past, this was her way of tossing me an olive branch.
The moment she ate my food, our fight was considered over.
To make sure she forgave me, I used to study recipe books late into the night, perfecting every single dish to cater to her picky palate.
During every cold war, she would dangle a sliver of dependence, giving me an excuse to reconcile and smooth things over.
I put up with it because I adored her.
Now that my feelings were gone, it just sounded exhausting.
"You have DoorDash on your phone. Order it yourself."
I hung up cold.
Before I could even set the phone down, it buzzed again.
This time, it wasn't Chloe’s voice on the line. It was Austin’s smug, patronizing drawl.
"Hey, Logan, man, why are you still acting so salty? It was just a little celebratory kiss, no need to blow it out of proportion."
"I was just running on pure adrenaline on the podium, you know? Besides, the media ate it up. It’s huge publicity for the club. We're all doing this for the team's brand."
Chloe’s voice chimed in immediately after. The two of them were standing close enough that their breaths mingled into the microphone.
"Logan, Austin and I are strictly professional. Why won't you just trust me?"
"Everything I do is for the future of this club!"
I was honestly surprised. She was actually trying to offer an explanation.
Whether she believed her own lies was irrelevant; I certainly didn't.
Tired of the pathetic act, I asked flatly:
"Do you even remember the promise we made?"
Chloe went dead silent on the other end, completely blanking. After an awkward pause, she snapped:
"What promise? Why are you bringing up useless nonsense at a time like this?"
Her answer extinguished the very last ember in my chest.
Since she had forgotten every vow we ever shared, there was nothing left to say.
I ended the call and blocked both of their numbers for good.
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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