Unwanted Wife, Hidden Genius: Her Rise As A Tech Queen

"The recipient of this year's Young Researcher Award is Melany Cooper, recognized for Quantum Glue! Congratulations!"

Without warning, the spotlight shifted across the stage, and Jillian Bailey's smile stiffened in place.

Quantum Glue had always been her proudest achievement. How did it end up credited to Melany?

As her hands began to shake, she quickly grabbed her phone and signed into the patent registry. When the page finally appeared, she could not move. The registration clearly listed Melany as the rightful owner of her work.

Growing up, Melany had been Dennis's first love, and that history never seemed to fade. Earlier that day, Dennis urged Jillian to withdraw and let Melany take the award instead. She stood her ground and argued with him until he stopped insisting. At that point, she assumed the issue had finally been put to rest.

In her mind, he had already let it go. She never imagined he would go as far as claiming her patent and giving it to the woman he cherished from the past.

A piercing ring echoed in Jillian's ears, and the sharp sound made her head ache.

On stage, her husband, Dennis Miller, stepped forward and placed the trophy into Melany's hands.

Why would he do this? That recognition was the last thing she could still call her own. Why did they have to take even this away from her?

A surge of nausea rose in her throat, yet she forced herself upright and said above the applause, "Hold on, that belongs to-"

Her protest never reached the crowd because two bodyguards suddenly appeared at her sides. One locked her arms in place, and the other pressed a firm hand over her mouth.

One of them muttered, "We're sorry, ma'am. Mr. Miller gave strict instructions. You're not allowed to disrupt the event."

Without ceremony, they hauled Jillian out of the auditorium. A deep ache spread through her chest, and it felt as though something inside her had been painfully torn away.

What Dennis had done became undeniable in that moment. He sided with Melany, helped her claim the work, and then silenced Jillian to keep everything hidden.

Meanwhile, Melany remained on stage, basking in cheers that did not belong to her, while Jillian was discarded as if she meant nothing. In the end, she was left with nothing at all.

**

After some time had passed, the faint noise of the ceremony ending carried into the parking lot. Inside a black car, Jillian sat in the back seat while bodyguards stood on either side, and the sound of her pulse filled her ears.

Without warning, the car door opened, and Dennis climbed in beside her. With a sharp motion, he pulled off his tie, his irritation plain to see.

Fixing her gaze on him, Jillian could no longer hold back the storm she had kept buried for years, and her restraint finally gave way.

"My patent," she said, her tone cutting through the silence. "Tell me why it ended up under Melany's name."

Instead of answering her properly, Dennis kept his eyes away from her and spoke without concern. "She asked for it, so I handed it over."

Anger surged through her chest, and she struggled to keep it contained. "That belongs to me. What gives you the authority to take it and pass it to someone else?"

With a slight frown, Dennis reacted as if she were being unreasonable. "I already warned you ahead of time. You have given in before, so why are you suddenly acting like this is a big issue?"

A heavy truth settled over Jillian, and it made her feel sick to her core. All the things she had given up just to hold their marriage together had never been valued at all.

In a trembling voice, she spoke again, and each word carried the weight of everything she had endured. "Right... because Melany liked our house, I was the one who had to leave. Since she said my wedding dress would upset her, I never even had a wedding. When she wanted my role as Head of Research, I stepped aside for her..."

Her voice faltered, and a broken sob stopped her from continuing.

A flood of memories rushed into her thoughts, each one sharper than the last.

At nineteen, mute as she was, she fell for Dennis at first sight.

By the time she turned twenty-two, fate brought her to Cletolia, where she found him wounded and unable to see. She was the one who pulled him back from the edge of death.

Not long after that, danger followed them, and when his enemies caught up, she took the punishment meant for him and ended up with a shattered right leg. In that fragile moment, he vowed that he would make her his wife.

Everything changed seven months later, when a crisis forced her to return to her home country, and all contact between them was lost.

Years passed, and at twenty-four, her voice finally returned. Around that same time, Dennis's grandfather, Ricky Miller, sought her out and proposed a marriage arrangement. Excitement filled her heart, and she believed Dennis had searched for her at last.

However, the truth waiting at the Miller estate was far from what she imagined. Dennis looked at her like a stranger, and the woman he planned to marry was Melany Cooper.

Despite the pain, Jillian refused to walk away and chose to marry him anyway.

In the end, that decision only trapped her in a hollow marriage where she was the one who kept giving things up.

A heavy knot formed in her throat, and Jillian forced herself to speak through it.

"After everything I sacrificed, it still isn't enough, is it? There is nothing else left for me to lose. I gave three years of my life to Quantum Glue, and I failed more than a hundred times before I finally made it work. That project is the only proof that these past three years meant anything. And now you took even that away from me?"

With tearful yet unyielding eyes, she continued to face him without backing down.

A sharp scoff left Dennis as he responded without warmth, "Why are you pretending like you are the one being wronged? You knew exactly what you were doing when you pushed your way into this marriage. Melany was always the one I was meant to marry."

From Dennis's perspective, the past told a completely different story. At twenty-five, when he nearly lost his life in Cletolia, it was a voiceless girl who saved him and ended up crippled because of it.

When his vision returned, Melany was the first person he saw. She had lost her voice in a fire while studying in Cletolia, and her leg was damaged. Every detail matched what he remembered. And every investigation confirmed it: Melany was the mute girl who had saved him.

For two years, he stayed by her side and helped her recover. Eventually, her voice came back, though her leg never fully healed.

Right when he was ready to honor his promise and marry her, Jillian entered the picture by persuading his grandfather and forcing the marriage upon him.

As his face turned cold and unyielding, Dennis spoke again. "Answer me this, Jillian. Is there anything you have that doesn't actually belong to Melany?"

Each word cut into Jillian like a dull blade, dragging pain across her chest.

With a fragile voice, she chose not to dwell on everything that had already happened. "I'm not trying to fight about the past anymore. I only want my patent returned to me."

"That's not going to happen." Dennis refused without hesitation.

A heavy stillness settled inside the car, and it pressed in on them from all sides.

Out of nowhere, a dry and bitter laugh slipped from Jillian. "You really placed her above everyone else, did you not? What if I decide to reveal everything and watch her reputation fall apart?"

"She's the one who received the award. The industry acknowledges her, not you. To them, you might as well not exist. Who would believe anything you say?" Dennis answered without concern, with a faint trace of mockery in his eyes.

Like a sudden strike, his words landed hard on Jillian. He was willing to go to any length just to protect Melany. In comparison, what did that make her?

A faint, bitter smile appeared on her lips as she spoke. "Living as your wife feels like being trapped in a cage. I am done with it."

The shift in Dennis's expression was immediate, and his gaze turned cold and dangerous.

Moving closer, he leaned into her space until she had nowhere to retreat. "Do you think marriage is something you can play with? You pushed your way in when it suited you, and now you think you can walk out just because you feel like it?"

A steady voice came from Jillian as she faced him without hesitation. "Is this not what you have been aiming for all along? Once we end this marriage, you are free to be with her. I am simply making things easier for both of you."

Unimpressed, Dennis let out a cold scoff. "Stop pretending you're doing something selfless. You were the one who forced this marriage, and you don't get to decide when it is over."

"That part is true. I was the one who insisted on it. Now I am choosing to fix what I should not have started," Jillian said with calm acceptance.

Without waiting for a response, she pushed the car door open and stepped outside. Holding onto the edge of the door, she glanced back at him, and any trace of warmth she once had was gone. "Dennis, we're getting a divorce."

A faint, cold curve formed on Dennis's lips as he spoke. "There's not a single lawyer who would risk drafting a divorce agreement for you."

The meaning behind his words didn't need to be explained. No matter what she wanted, walking away from this marriage wouldn't be allowed.

With biting sarcasm, Jillian let out a quiet laugh. "Your influence really knows no limits. You can even hand someone else's patent to whoever you choose. Of course, I would believe you."

For a brief moment, irritation flickered across Dennis's face.

Without adding anything more, Jillian pivoted and left, refusing to look back even once.

Under the harsh cold of winter, she stepped outside dressed only in a formal gown with a thin shawl draped over her shoulders. The freezing air crept into her body, and a dull, pulsing pain slowly spread through her right knee.

Long ago in Cletolia, she endured a savage beating to shield him, and that moment changed her life forever. It left her leg permanently damaged, forcing surgeons to insert three steel pins just so she could stand and walk again.

At that time, he repeatedly swore that he would marry her and take care of her for the rest of her life. Now, none of those promises remained, and he looked at her like a stranger while giving all his attention to Melany.

In the end, she could only see him for what he truly was. A man without warmth and without a heart.

For now, grieving over her broken marriage could wait, because reclaiming her patent mattered far more. Without hesitation, she flagged down a cab and made her way straight to the Miller Group headquarters to secure the proof she needed.

Back when they had just married, Dennis personally placed her in the company's core research division.

At the heart of Quantum Glue was her late mother's unfinished work. Jillian made a promise to see it through, and she refused to let anyone else take ownership of it.

As soon as she stepped into the building, she went straight to the lab. Without wasting a second, she began transferring experimental records, research drafts, and raw data onto a flash drive. While the files were being copied, she took out her phone and started searching for a capable lawyer.

Out of nowhere, raised voices and hurried footsteps echoed from the lab entrance. Before Jillian could even make sense of the disturbance, Melany rushed inside.

Rolling in quickly, Melany fixed her gaze on the illuminated screen. The moment she recognized the data being transferred, a calculating look flickered in her eyes.

With a casual but pointed tone, she spoke. "Jillian, what exactly are you doing here? Are you trying to interfere with my award-winning project?"

Before Jillian had the chance to respond, Melany suddenly pushed herself forward and struck the computer's power button, forcing the system to shut down.

A surge of anger ran through Jillian, and her voice shook as she spoke. "Melany, have you completely lost your mind?"

With open disdain, Melany let out a dismissive scoff. "I'm only making sure no one resorts to cheap tricks to sabotage something I rightfully earned."

Closing the distance between them, she lowered her voice into a taunting whisper. "Did you honestly believe you could collect evidence against me? Dennis already gave me his word that he would protect me. Your patent, your position, even your future, are already in my hands. If you keep this up, you are only making a fool of yourself."

Rage surged through Jillian, breaking past everything she had tried to contain. "You took my work, and now you walk in here acting proud of it?" The moment she met Melany's smug expression, the last thread of her restraint snapped, and she lifted her hand to strike.

Before her hand could land, a strong grip seized her wrist and stopped her cold.

"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Dennis's face was livid, a dark rage swirling in the depths of his eyes.

At once, Melany pulled back as if frightened. "Dennis, please... I understand that she is upset about losing the award. If she needs to take it out on me, then just let her."

As she spoke, tears welled up and slipped down her face, making her appear every bit the innocent victim.

A cold edge settled over Dennis's features, and the way he looked at Jillian carried nothing but disdain. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already? Raising your hand against someone in a wheelchair-do you feel no shame at all?"

A sharp mix of bitterness and hurt surged through Jillian as she faced him. "Shame? There is nothing shameful about reclaiming what was stolen from me!"

Cutting her off, Dennis spoke with clear irritation. "That's enough. I have already made it clear that the issue with the patent is closed. Melany is preparing to apply for her doctorate, and I refuse to let anything interfere with that."

Color slowly drained from Jillian's face as his words sank in. She said, "For her sake, I already gave up my entire career. You know how much my mother's final wish means to me!"

Without the slightest flicker of emotion, Dennis delivered his next decision. "Starting today, you no longer have any access to this laboratory."

The weight of his words struck Jillian hard, leaving her reeling. Dennis was cutting off her only chance to gather proof and fight back.

As if it were an afterthought, Dennis reached into his suit and pulled out a small velvet box. With no care at all, he tossed it onto the floor. The lid sprang open, and a diamond necklace fell out onto the tiles.

With a detached look, Dennis spoke as he glanced down at her. "It's your birthday today. I bought that necklace as compensation for the patent and to keep you from causing trouble. Now it looks like I threw my money away for nothing."

A sharp, mocking smile appeared on Jillian's lips. So he remembered her birthday. He knew, and yet he still chose to hurt her this way.

After taking everything from her, he still believed he could fix it with a piece of jewelry, just like he always had.

"I have no interest in your fake compensation," Jillian said through clenched teeth.

Without hesitation, Dennis gave his verdict. "This is the result of your own actions. Now, apologize to Melany."

While Jillian stood there in anger and disarray, a faint trace of satisfaction flickered across Melany's face before it quickly disappeared. Keeping up her gentle act, she spoke gently. "Dennis, please calm down. There's no need to be so harsh on Jillian. I understand she feels wronged. Let us not make a big issue out of this. I'm truly fine without an apology."

Her attempt to defend Jillian only made Dennis look even more displeased. "What do you mean you are fine? She almost hit you! Jillian, apologize to her this instant."

As Jillian faced the two of them standing together, a chilling numbness spread through her veins. Taking a slow step forward, she pressed her heel down onto the necklace and crushed it beneath her foot, as though she were destroying every last piece of hope she once had for him.

"An apology isn't going to happen." Her tone remained eerily steady, and the warmth that once filled her eyes was nowhere to be found. "Dennis, we are ending this marriage. I will take back my patent, and I will reclaim everything you took from me, one piece at a time."

Bracing herself against the sharp pain shooting through her knee, she turned away and began to walk off.

From behind, Dennis watched her leave with clear dissatisfaction, but something in her movements caught his attention. As his eyes narrowed, a hint of confusion crossed his face. What was wrong with Jillian's leg?

Unwilling to remain at the Miller Group any longer, Jillian immediately handed in her resignation.

Afterward, she stopped to buy painkillers to dull the intense ache in her leg, and then she began visiting several law firms, one after another.

At each place, the response was the same. The moment they learned her case involved taking something back from Miller Group, their attitude changed, and she was turned away without hesitation. Even Apex Law Firm, the final office on her list, rejected her for that very reason.

With nothing left to try, she started packing her belongings, ready to leave in defeat, when someone suddenly called out behind her, "Miss, could you wait for a moment, please?"

Turning around, she recognized the receptionist who had assisted her earlier.

A hint of confusion crossed Jillian's face as she responded, "Did I take something that belongs to your firm by mistake?" Her hand instinctively moved toward her purse to check.

Quickly shaking her head, the receptionist dismissed the concern. "No, that's not it. One of our partners reviewed your file and became interested. He would like to speak with you again."

Hope flickered back to life within her, and Jillian followed the receptionist into a modern conference room. Once inside, she sat down and steadied herself, but the partner had not arrived yet.

After a short wait, the door opened, and a tall man entered, then took the seat across from her.

The moment his features came into view, the courteous smile on Jillian's face stiffened. Of all situations, running into an ex-boyfriend while looking for a lawyer felt almost absurd.

Seated across from her was Leland Wilson, the first man she had dated when she was eighteen.

Back then, she had been the one who chose to end things.

He struggled to accept the breakup, and the way they parted had been far from pleasant.

Even so, Jillian had long since viewed that relationship with clear-headed detachment, so seeing him again did not unsettle her as much as it could have.

After gathering her thoughts, she pushed forward and began laying out her situation without hesitation.

Throughout her explanation, Leland said nothing and simply kept his attention on the documents, flipping through them one page at a time.

When her voice finally fell silent, the room was left in a tense quiet.

Only then did Leland raise his eyes, and his question caught her off guard. "Your husband treats you like that, and you're still not planning to leave him?"

A slight crease formed between Jillian's brows as she answered, "I'm going to divorce him. But right now, getting my patent back matters more."

Fixing her with a sharp look, Leland spoke with blunt honesty. "So you left me, only to end up with someone like him? Your judgment is worse than I thought."

The instant Jillian realized who he was, she had known that sarcasm was coming her way. Instead of reacting, she stayed composed and answered evenly, "Men like you are no different from each other. I walked away from you once, and I can walk away from him, too. I made a mistake before, and now I'll make a different choice."

A shadow crossed Leland's face as her words sank in. Was she really putting him on the same level as the man she was trying to leave?

"Don't lump me together with him. I never betrayed you when we were together." With a tightening jaw, he spoke with restrained irritation.

Then, as something from the past resurfaced, his tone sharpened further. "When I tried to get you back, I told you Dennis and Melany were involved. You were the only one who refused to see it. You rushed in anyway without thinking."

A faint, bitter smile curved across Jillian's lips.

Looking back, she could only see how naive she had been. She convinced herself that Dennis and Melany were nothing more than harmless childhood companions. She tolerated his cold treatment again and again, hoping he would finally acknowledge her. She even held onto the belief that he would one day remember who had saved his life. In truth, expecting anything from him had only made her look foolish.

Dwelling on those memories held no appeal for her anymore. With a steady breath, Jillian straightened her back and adopted a composed, professional demeanor. "Now that you know everything about my situation, can we focus on the case?"

After studying her for a moment, Leland chose not to press further and shifted into a more formal tone. He began outlining the legal aspects of her situation and offered his advice.

As the discussion came to an end, Jillian made her way toward the door. Just before she could leave, Leland called out from behind her, "Aren't you the well-known Dr. Casey Hadley? Why not use that identity to take back your patent?"