Chapter 1

Anastasia’s POV

I stand at the back of the conference room, my heart bubbling with excitement as I watch other employees gather in the room.

Today is the day every one of us has been anticipating, but for me, it is special. The soft hum of whispers fills the room, rumours swirling about the incoming announcement.

Felicity, my colleague and best friend walks towards me.

“Are you anxious?” She asks, her eyes beaming with joy.

I shake my head, my lips curling into a small smile. “I’m not.” My tone is barely above a whisper.

She tugs at my hand, her tone reassuring. “Don’t be surprised to hear your name being announced as the new Chief Technology Officer. It has to be you, Ana, you’ve worked so hard for it.”

“Thanks, Felicity. I appreciate your support.” I say calmly, knowing that the position is mine.

Apart from the fact that I’d worked hard for the position, Liam, my husband and the CEO of the company had assured me that the position was mine.

I am more than ready to take on the responsibilities of the Chief Technology Officer, hoping that Liam will begin to see our marriage in a new direction after getting the position.

“Who knows if this will change everything in my marriage for good,” I say inwardly, shrugging my shoulders.

“Alright, everyone.” A voice crackles over the intercom, followed by the clicking sound of heels against the floor.

The CEO and my husband, Liam Thompson, step to the front of the room with a tight smile, his suit perfectly hugging his frame, but his eyes betraying a hint of uncertainty.

And behind him? Marian, his first love, the third person in our marriage, follows with a proud smile crossing over her features.

A cold shudder crawls down my spine. What’s she doing here? My gaze flickers towards Liam, my mind a whirlwind of questions. Our eyes connect and the way he snaps his gaze away from mine makes my heart skip a beat.

My brows knit together as Liam clears his throat, his tone firm and confident.

“Thank you all for being here. As you all know, we are all gathered here to meet the new Chief Technology Officer who is going to lead the next chapter of Thompson Technology's evolution. I’m pleased to announce that…”

He pauses dramatically, his eyes scanning the room until they lock on mine.

A flicker of something I can’t decipher passes over his features before the name slips from his lips.

“Marian Wilson.”

I freeze, the name sending a chill down my spine. My breath catches in my throat and my heart pounds so hard against my chest that I think it might burst.

The conference room falls into stunned silence. My expression is a mixture of confusion and disbelief. I feel as if the air has been sucked out of the room.

“What?!” Felicity whispers beside me, her face contorted with rage.

Marian Wilson! The one person who had my husband wrapped around her fingers. The one who had made my marriage to Liam miserable for three long years.

My heart sinks.

How can Liam do this to me? How can he bring Marian into my world like this?

For a split second, Marian’s sharp eyes meet mine. There is no sense of nervousness or shame in those ocean-blue eyes. She is calm— too calm, as though she is always meant to be in charge.

“We are excited to have Marian on board,” Liam continues, snapping me out of my thoughts. “She has a great vision for the future of our company. I would like you all to cooperate with her, please.”

My pulse quickens and I feel a sharp pain in my chest. My legs feel weak beneath me and my heart bleeds like an open wound under the weight of this betrayal.

It wasn't enough that Marian had taken my place in my husband’s heart. Now my position is being given to her, just like that?

The room erupts into applause, but all I feel in my heart is numbness. My fingers curl into tight fists as I fight back my tears.

Felicity squeezes my hands gently, prying my fingers open. “Don’t let others notice it, Anastasia. You are stronger than this.” She whispers, offering her support.

I force a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes as I watch Liam and Marian walk out of the conference room— side by side after the announcement.

As we all return to our positions and offices, whispers float around me, each one piercing into my heart like a thorn.

“Did you hear that our new Chief Technology Officer is the CEO’s wife?”

The words hit me like a slap.

No one knew about my marriage to Liam, except Felicity. He insisted that we keep the marriage a secret after we got married. I hadn't minded at first, but over time, I realized he wasn't protecting us. He was ashamed of being called my husband.

“No wonder the CEO appointed her instead of Anastasia. I feel so bad for Anastasia, we all know she deserved to get the position, given how intelligent she is and her hard work towards the growth of the company.”

I storm into my office, anger bubbling in my chest, not knowing what to do amidst this chaos. No matter how much I try to focus on work, my thoughts keep drifting back to Liam, Marian and the gut-wrenching betrayal I feel.

Marian's appointment as the CTO means change not just for the company, but for my marriage. I can’t just sit and watch my hard work and dedication of three years towards the company being taken away from me by a woman who did nothing all through the years.

I storm out of my office, my feet approaching Liam’s office. I need an explanation as to why he didn’t fulfil the promise he made to me. He had said that once I got the position, things would change between us; he’d no longer keep our marriage a secret, and I believed him despite knowing that he was still in love with Marian.

That’s why I worked so hard to build his company with my intelligence. I wanted him to love me, to prove my parents wrong, that I could make this marriage work out.

Just as I get close to his door, I hear moans fill the air and my blood runs cold.

My breath catches in my throat. A shiver runs down my spine, and the emotions I have bottled up threaten to spill.

A part of me wants to run, not wanting to face the cruel fact of what might be happening in my husband’s office, but my legs don't move. I feel like my legs are rooted to the spot.

I crack the door open just enough for me to see and my heart shatters into a million pieces at the scene before me. 

Liam is thrusting so hard into Marian, while she moans and screams his name like it's the only word she's ever known.

Tears stream down my cheeks, and my hands tremble, not from fear but from rage— pure, blinding rage.

Despite being married to Liam for three years, I’m still a virgin because he has never touched me. But here he is, giving everything to her.