Chapter 3 Sixteen Formula Cards

Milly was the only one who had that special ringtone set just for her.

There had been a time when Milly, right in front of Rachael, snatched Xander's phone, entered his passcode without hesitation, and changed his ringtone for her.

She had grinned and subtly announced to everyone just how close the two of them were.

Xander never once protested or even tried to stop her.

The sting of those memories came rushing back, leaving Rachael barely able to stand it.

When Xander checked his phone, the screen unlocked with facial recognition, revealing a seductive photo of a woman in nothing but revealing lingerie.

From where Rachael stood, she couldn't miss the image. Her lips curled into a bitter, mocking smile.

Xander only realized Rachael had seen it too after catching her expression. He fumbled to lock his phone and murmured, "There's an emergency at work. Don't bother waiting up for me tonight."

He tried to play it off as nothing, but the tension in his eyes gave everything away.

He clearly wanted to rush out and see the woman who sent him that picture.

Moments later, the Porsche shot out of the driveway, its engine noise growing softer and softer as it sped away.

Left behind, Rachael pressed a hand to her chest, fighting back a storm of emotion. Her teeth nearly drew blood from her lower lip.

"That's it, Xander. I'm finished with you."

Looking around, the home she had poured her heart into felt cold and unforgiving, almost like it was mocking her for ever believing in it.

She refused to let this drag her down anymore.

With that, she got up and headed for her bedroom, determined to pack her bags and leave at the first chance.

Inside the walk-in closet, every piece of clothing seemed bland, all the colors washed-out and lifeless.

But Xander always insisted that she wear those dull shades. He claimed it made her look more gentle and agreeable and he liked it. But did he really?

Milly, on the other hand, favored bold colors and never hesitated to stand out. She acted fast and asked for what she wanted just as quickly.

It seemed that love, or the lack of it, was never decided by such simple things.

No matter how hard Rachael tried to fit into Xander's vision, she only managed to lose herself in the process.

As she moved around the closet gathering her belongings, a metal tin tumbled from an upper shelf.

The lid slipped off, sending a handful of perfumed cards fluttering across the floor.

She stopped for a moment and then lowered herself into a crouch.

The faint smell stirred old memories that quietly surfaced in her mind.

She remembered meeting Xander when no one in the Spencer family would claim him. He was just the family's secret, fighting to persuade Lorenzo Spencer, his own father, to let him have a shot at a failing branch of the company.

At that time, the business had nothing to show for itself. Investors stayed away, projects never took off, and the whole supply chain was bleeding money.

Xander drowned himself in work, desperate to prove he was worth something to Lorenzo.

Rachael saw his ambition and understood the ache of wanting recognition. That was why she handed him her very first original perfume formula, hoping it would help him get his break. And it did.

Thanks to her formula, the company launched a fresh perfume line that turned everything around. Overnight, Xander's small team was back in business and he suddenly found himself in the running for the Spencer Group's inheritance.

After that, every few months, she developed a new formula. Each one helped keep Xander's fragrance line profitable and ensured he had consistent results to present.

He used that momentum to gather resources and soon branched out into new ventures.

Just three months after their wedding, Xander landed a position at Spencer Group, and within half a year, he had already climbed to the top as CEO.

As Rachael sifted through the perfumed formula cards, she counted sixteen-each one the result of her hard work, not a single one paid for.

Things changed once Xander became CEO. He came to her with a share transfer contract in hand, promising her a fifth of the perfume division's shares.

But when she went to sign, he told her, "Now that I've taken over Spencer Group, cash is tight. These shares belong to both of us, so whatever profits we get will go straight back into the company for now."

Rachael had never protested. In fact, she pitied him for all the obstacles he had faced.

Yet, looking back, their marriage was a fraud, which meant any talk of shared assets was meaningless.

The truth was, this was just another trick to get her formulas for free.

Still, the contract itself was genuine, and she remembered seeing it in Xander's study.

Without wasting time, she hurried to his study and searched through drawers and folders, her patience thinning. Relief washed over her as she finally found the document tucked away.

With the signed document in hand, she had just slipped out of the room when Xander suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, phone in hand.

Surprise shot through Rachael, and she instinctively hid the document behind her back, hugging the wall and hoping to go unnoticed.

Xander, however, spotted her immediately, a hint of suspicion knitting his brows.

Tension filled the hallway as he fixed her with a pointed look.

"You were just in my study, weren't you?" he asked.