After the Divorce, I Married the Richest Man Alive

"He called you a homewrecker, and he wasn't wrong."

Elliot walked up to me and leaned in close, his voice pitched low enough for only the two of us to hear. "After all, the one who isn't loved is always the other woman."

Then he turned around and took Gladys's hand, raising it high for everyone to see.

"This is my wife. The only woman I will never betray."

The crowd erupted in cheers. People gushed about what a stand-up guy Elliot Sanchez was, what a responsible man.

I watched the spectacle and felt nothing but bitter amusement. On the day we graduated college, Elliot had said those exact same words to me.

Imogen, you're the only woman I'll ever marry. I will never love anyone else as long as I live.

During the years between our first date and our wedding, I'd believed every syllable. He'd given me no reason not to. He was attentive, responsive, present for me and for our child.

Then Gladys Fox appeared, and all of it crumbled to dust.

But if he could fall in love with Gladys while married to me, what guarantee did Gladys have that he wouldn't do the same to her?

A flicker of pity crossed my face before I could stop it. Elliot caught it, and for a second he looked thrown off, as though he assumed his words had wounded me.

He leaned in again, whispering against my ear. "I know things must have been rough for you since you got out of prison. How about this: I'll set you up with a place to stay. Every weekend, I'll come visit you. And if you behave yourself, maybe I'll stay a few extra days."

"Get lost."

I had no interest in entangling myself with Elliot Sanchez ever again. Dudley would be home any minute now.

All I wanted was to surprise my husband.

I turned and started walking away. But the moment I passed Gladys, her leg shot out.

Crack.

I hit the ground hard. The box in my pocket flew out and skidded across the floor.

I tried to push myself up, but the pain that tore through my knees was impossible to ignore.

Through the haze, I heard the whispers starting up again.

"That box looks awfully expensive. How would a servant have something like that? She probably stole it from the Farleys."

Elliot stared at the box, his expression calculating. He clearly believed them. In his mind, I'd stolen it from somewhere.

A second later, he walked over, picked it up, and opened the elegant case in front of everyone.

Nestled inside was the Bloodstone Qilin.

"Isn't that the Farley family's Bloodstone Qilin? The one that's been passed down for centuries?"

Gladys shrieked the moment she saw it.

The fact that the Bloodstone Qilin was a Farley heirloom was no secret in Crestfield. Most people knew it had been stolen over a hundred years ago.

I had spent months tracking down every lead, following every thread, until I finally discovered where the Bloodstone Qilin had ended up. Then I'd placed the winning bid at auction.

All so I could surprise Dudley today.

I never imagined the treasure I'd fought so hard to win would end up in someone else's hands.

I gritted my teeth against the searing pain and forced myself to my feet, reaching for what was mine. But Elliot's grip on the Bloodstone Qilin tightened like a vise, disbelief stamped across his face.

The people around us had recognized it too. Suspicion gleamed in every pair of eyes.

"So that's why you showed up at the Farley estate. For the Bloodstone Qilin."

"Stealing other women's husbands wasn't enough for you? Now you're stealing family heirlooms too?"

Gladys's words set the crowd ablaze. I lunged forward, ignoring the pain, but Elliot seized my arm and held me in place.

"This isn't the real Bloodstone Qilin. Anyone with eyes can see it's a fake." He scoffed. "She was just trying to use this knockoff to swindle the Farleys out of their money."