Chapter 1 Five Years, Everything Is Fake

"Where in the world did that marriage certificate go? Did Benny really stash it like some top-secret document? Was he worried I'd file for divorce behind his back?" Kristine Holt muttered to herself, both amused and irritated as she rummaged through drawers in her Slufield villa.

With their fifth anniversary just around the corner, Kristine's mind spun with plans. She wanted to surprise her husband with a custom helicopter, designed entirely by her own hands.

Benny Higgins had always raved about Kueen, that elusive designer-and now, she would finally reveal that she was Kueen all along.

This anniversary was supposed to be unforgettable.

But as she gathered all the documents needed for the ownership transfer, she realized she needed their marriage certificate to finalize the paperwork.

"Found it! Wait, why are there two certificates here?"

All the excitement drained from Kristine's face in an instant.

Carefully, Kristine unfolded both documents. One belonged to her and Benny. The other was for Benny and his childhood love, Emilee Hewitt.

Her brows furrowed, confusion quickly morphing into a sharp unease. Which certificate was actually real?

Driven by a rising wave of dread, Kristine rushed to check the registration number for her own certificate online.

No matter how many times she tried, the system kept flashing error messages, asking her to re-enter the information-clear proof that the document was a fake.

Kristine's hands shook as she typed in the details from Benny and Emilee's certificate. This time, the site loaded with no trouble at all.

Reality crashed down on Kristine like a tidal wave, leaving her stunned and aching.

All those years-five years of believing she and Benny were truly married, of trusting his endless proposals and declarations that Emilee was nothing more than a closed chapter in his past. Everyone knew them as the perfect couple, but now it felt like her entire life with him had been nothing but a cruel illusion.

After Benny complained she was too thin and unfit for motherhood, Kristine had thrown herself into weight gain shakes and supplement regimens.

Her body changed quickly, all for him-her once celebrated figure traded away without a second thought.

And now she was supposed to swallow the idea that it had all been meaningless?

She could not accept that-not yet.

Kristine prided herself on being levelheaded, refusing to jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story.

Brushing away her tears, she summoned a cab and headed straight for Benny's office. She needed answers, face to face.

When she arrived and paused outside his door, voices drifted from inside, clear enough to stop her in her tracks.

"Benny, you really plan to have a kid with Kristine? Emilee's almost done with her training-she'll be back any day now. Won't she be crushed if she finds out?" Benny's friend Clint Dawson's tone was uneasy.

"Are you clueless? Benny's had a vasectomy. Even if Kristine dreams about having his baby, it's never going to happen," said another voice, one of Benny's friends.

"Exactly. So she packed on all that weight for nothing! She used to be slim and pretty indeed, but now, look at her-hard to believe she was ever attractive in the first place," the second friend added with a snicker.

Their laughter, mean-spirited and loud, sliced through Kristine like a knife.

And Benny? He didn't say a word to stop them. He just sipped his coffee and wore a lazy, uncaring expression on his handsome face, as if none of it mattered at all.

Kristine's hand clamped around the office door handle, her knuckles white as she fought the urge to scream. Tears streaked down her cheeks, the realization hammering through her.

A vasectomy? Benny never told her.

Wasn't he the one who insisted on marriage? Wasn't he the one who wanted a family?

Everything he said had been a lie. All along, he had another woman and only kept her on a string for his own amusement.

The truth landed hard, and any lingering hope shattered on the spot.

She clenched her jaw, spun around, and strode out of the office, anger giving her strength.

As she stormed toward the elevators, a woman stepped out-a vision in a purple dress and golden curls, her whole style screaming she did not belong in a tedious office. Kristine, desperate to escape, barely even noticed.

While the doors slid shut, the blonde woman seemed to glance back, but Kristine was already focused on getting out.

"Yes, this is Kristine Holt. I need to cancel the helicopter order. A cancellation fee? Five hundred thousand? Are you kidding me? Fine, alright. Charge me whatever you want-just get rid of that thing," Kristine said sharply into her phone.

She ended the call without hesitation, not caring about the lost money.

Determined, Kristine wasted no time. She hired a fitness coach and set herself a challenge-within three months, she would take back everything she lost.

But the anger did not fade. The betrayal of more than five years, of nearly two thousand days and nights of loyalty and effort, gnawed at her, refusing to let go.

Had Benny ever felt even a moment's guilt for what he'd done to her?

Kristine stood on the busy street, her mind wandering for a moment before she sent a message to her lawyer, Mathew Fletcher. "Mathew, I need your help drafting an agreement."