Punished for My Ex's First Love, I Became the Billionaire's Wife

The second year after I gave birth to the child of one of Harborview's biggest power players, my ex-boyfriend Tyler Henson showed up with an engagement ring.

“Hilary Fox, I'm here to keep my promise from three years ago. I'm going to marry you.”

Three years ago, Tyler's childhood sweetheart, Letitia Pruitt, offended Joseph Gilbert, one of the heaviest names in Harborview's underworld, and came crawling to me on her knees.

“Hilary, you've been through torment before. You know how to handle that vengeful devil. Please, help me just this once.”

The anniversary gift I'd prepared for Tyler slipped from my hands. I stared at him, unable to believe it.

He had once promised he would help that scar heal, that he would never tell a soul.

His face was grim, but there was a threat in his voice.

“If you won't go, I'll make public how you were once humiliated and abused. You'll never be able to hold your head up again.”

“Haven't you always wanted to marry me? Fine. I promise you, as long as you survive these three years for Letitia, I'll marry you.”

My heart twisted with pain, and I refused on the spot.

But I never imagined that, to protect Letitia, she would actually drug me and deliver me to Joseph Gilbert, trading three years of my serving him for Letitia's safety.

Later, when Joseph was attacked by his rivals, I threw myself in the way to save his life, and then unexpectedly carried his child. After that, I became the one thing no one dared touch.

Now, I sidestepped the hand Tyler held out with the ring.

My voice was calm “I'm already married. Please show some self-respect.”

——

“Married?”

Tyler froze, as if he'd just heard a joke.

“Hilary, I know you're angry with me over what happened back then, but you don't have to say something this ridiculous.”

“Everyone knows you're head over heels for me. Who would ever marry you?”

“All right, stop messing around. I promised you back then. Once you survived three years with that devil, I'd marry you.”

“I know you don't have friends, so today I made a point of bringing mine along to cheer you on.”

The friends behind him looked at me with displeasure.

“Hilary, Tyler dragged us all away from dinner for your sake, just to witness the moment you propose.”

Tyler's eyes glinted with amusement “You heard them. This time I'm serious.”

With that, he held the ring out to me.

I lowered my eyes to look.

My name and Tyler's were written on the ring box. It was the same one I'd bought back then, when I'd meant to propose to him.

Back then, after I'd set everything up and was about to confess, my heart fluttering like a girl's, he gave the ring to Letitia instead.

“Today's Letitia's birthday. Her wish is to experience being proposed to. You can propose another time.”

One careless sentence, and I became everyone's joke for a solid month.

Later, just as I'd clawed my way out of the shadow of being mocked by everyone, Tyler came around again, asking me to take Letitia's punishment.

I refused, so he drugged me.

If I hadn't saved Joseph's life by sheer accident, I don't know what would have become of me now.

Now, I slowly took the ring.

Before I could speak, a smile spread across Tyler's face. He suddenly turned his head and stretched out his hand toward the others.

“See? I told you all it'd take was a little coaxing. You lost. Pay up, pay up!”

They all looked at me helplessly.

“Hilary, Tyler said you were his number-one doormat. At first we didn't believe him. Now we do.”

“It's all your fault we lost our money.”

Tyler turned back, smiling at me, eyes crinkled.

“All right, today's Letitia's birthday. Hurry up and propose. I still have to go set up the venue for her.”

The words had barely left his mouth before I dropped the ring straight into the trash.

My voice was steady “Once something's tainted, I won't take it.”

Tyler's smile froze. His brow furrowed.

“Hilary, you're not still angry, are you?”