Chapter 1

The day Vivienne Beaumont's first love returned to the country, everyone was waiting to see me become a laughingstock.

In our elite circles, everyone knew that even though Vivienne was my wife, the only person she ever loved was Dominic Sterling.

I was just a placeholder. I was the pathetic, loyal dog who stayed by her side despite being publicly cuckolded.

She called me that night, telling me she had a business dinner and wouldn't be coming home.

At that exact moment, I was watching her and Dominic walk into a luxury hotel, looking happier than I had ever seen her.

I forced a bitter smile and whispered a quiet acknowledgment before hanging up.

She wasn't the only one with a past. I had a childhood sweetheart, too.

1

I had heard the news of Dominic Sterling's return a month ago from Vivienne's friends.

"Dominic is coming back soon. Don't you need to figure out how to explain things to that husband of yours?" one of them asked.

I saw Vivienne leaning back against the sofa, her expression filled with disdain.

"Why bother? He's the one who said he loves me to death. I've treated him like dirt for years, and he's never breathed a word of complaint."

"True. The Rhodes family has been in the gutter for so long. He's definitely not going to let go of a golden ticket like you."

"I'm telling you, guys like him are just desperate. Everyone knows Dominic is the only one you ever wanted."

I stood outside the door in silence for a long time before finally pushing it open.

"Vivienne," I called out.

The room went silent instantly. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, filled with mockery.

Vivienne grabbed her coat and stood up. "You guys keep playing. I'm leaving."

We were silent the whole way to the car. Suddenly, she spoke up.

"You heard what they were saying, didn't you?" she asked.

I looked at her, my eyes filled with feigned confusion.

She arched an eyebrow. "Kieran, I hope you know your place. Don't start dreaming about things that don't belong to you."

I understood her warning. She was afraid I would play some dirty trick to hurt her precious Dominic.

Before I married Vivienne, I knew I was just a substitute for Dominic Sterling.

After my family's business went bankrupt, the people who used to flatter us vanished into thin air.

Vivienne took an interest in me because I shared a striking resemblance to Dominic. She basically bought me from my parents for a high price.

With that money, my family finally stopped living in fear of debt collectors. Because of this, my parents constantly reminded me to please her.

"The fact that Mrs. Beaumont even looked at you is like we hit the cosmic lottery. We don't care what you have to do, just make sure she's satisfied," they told me.

So, for five years, I took care of Vivienne with every ounce of my being.

If you raise a dog for five years, it learns to be loyal. But from Vivienne, all I ever received was cold mockery.

When she looked at me, her eyes were always filled with disgust.

"Remember your identity. Someone like you doesn't deserve to take Dominic's place," she would say.

Whenever she said things like that, she would subject me to her almost cruel, cold whims.

If I struggled even a little, she would simply ask, "What? Is this how your parents taught you to please me?"

She looked down at me with ice in her gaze. Even the tiny beauty mark near the corner of her eye seemed cold and elegant.

Shaking off the memory, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "I understand."

However, I never expected that on the day Dominic returned, he would corner me in a bathroom stall at the airport.

"Do you really think Vivienne loves you?" he sneered.

"You're just a cheap imitation. Believe me, if I so much as wave a hand, she'll come running back to me."

Dominic leaned into my ear, his voice full of contempt.

"As for you… I heard your family is trying to start a business again?"

Vivienne was supposed to pick him up herself, but a last-minute meeting forced her to send me as a driver instead.

She had warned me multiple times over the phone not to do anything to hurt him.

I really wished she could see her refined, delicate prince now. He was acting like a common thug, pinning me against a stall door.

Seeing that I wasn't giving him the reaction he wanted, Dominic cleared his throat.

"If you're smart, you'll leave Vivienne on your own. Otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I understand," I replied softly, keeping my eyes down.

"Hmph. At least you know when you're beaten. I'll give you two weeks. If you haven't divorced her by then, you'll see what happens."