Liam’s happiness knows no bounds. He believes his wife has declared him the most important person in her life. Unaware that she actually praised someone else in the crowd, he gazes at his reflection in the mirror, a smile spreading across his face, thrilled to think he is the center of his wife's universe.
He answers the call, his tone cheerful. It’s his manager, Lila, on the line. She has watched the entire awards show and saw that Ruby acknowledged someone else.
"Prepare a transfer agreement for the company's shares and send it over," Liam instructs Lila.
"But sir," Lila starts, wanting to tell Liam what she witnessed during the ceremony.
“No buts, Lila. Just do as I say, and please don’t question my decisions again,” Liam says, his voice firm and commanding, reflecting his position as the owner of the largest entertainment company in New York City.
Lila hesitates, then replies, “Yes, sir.”
Liam ends the call and takes a deep breath, still riding the wave of joy from Ruby's success. He looks at his reflection once more, his happiness knows no bounds.
Liam decides to surprise her with a romantic evening. "Yes, I need to celebrate with her properly," he says to himself.
He rushed to the market to buy fresh ingredients, carefully selecting the best ones as if he were a seasoned chef. He hurries back to the house, eager to create a special meal just the way Ruby likes it.
In the kitchen, Liam works with precision and care. He chops, dices, and seasons the ingredients like a master chef. Soon, the rich aroma of sauce fills the air.
He’s preparing chicken piccata, with tender chicken breasts with a crispy coating and a tangy lemon sauce.
For dessert, he bakes a chocolate lava cake, confident it will impress his wife.
Once everything is ready, he sets the table with fine china, crystal glasses, and a sprinkle of rose petals. He places candles across the table, creating an intimate atmosphere for his beloved Ruby.
Liam steps back to admire his work, pleased with the outcome. The table looks beautiful, and the aroma of the meal fills the room. He double-checks everything to ensure the presentation is perfect.
Sitting down, Liam waits patiently for Ruby, the ticking of the clock the only sound in the room. His heart beats faster with each passing second. When the clock strikes nine, unable to wait any longer, he reaches for his phone and dials Ruby's number.
"What is it?" Ruby snaps as soon as the line connects, catching Liam off guard with her harsh tone.
"I… I… was thinking…" he stammers, suddenly losing his words.
"No thinking. I won’t be back until tomorrow," she says coldly, her tone draining all the excitement from Liam.
"Okay, but is everything fine?" he asks, trying to hide the worry in his voice.
"Yes, perfectly fine," she answers hastily.
Suddenly, Liam hears a deep voice in the background, and his mind races with confusion. "Where are you?" he asks, trying to make sense of what he just heard.
"Darling, I’m at the bar with my colleagues, celebrating. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it, tomorrow morning. Bye, love you," she says quickly before hanging up the call.
Liam stares at the phone in his hand, confused, trying to process what just happened.
He looked at the beautifully set table, the candles flickering softly, the rose petals scattered across the tablecloth.
The romantic evening he had planned now feels empty, his heart heavy with unanswered questions. Who was that voice he heard in the background? Why did Ruby sound so distant? He tries to push the thoughts away, telling himself that she’s just out celebrating her success, but a nagging doubt creeps in, refusing to be ignored.
Liam’s phone dings with a message notification. It’s a photo of his wife kissing another man outside a bar.
Liam’s hand shakes as he looks at the photo. The romantic dinner he prepared sits cold on the table, forgotten. He paces the room, feeling angry and betrayed. He has done so much for Ruby, he has sacrifices, love and now it feels like it was all for nothing.
He dialed her number, trying to reach her, but her phone was off.
Panic sets in as he replays the image in his mind. Who is this man? How long has this been happening? Liam feels both betrayed and helpless. The world he thought he built with Ruby now seems to be falling apart.
He tries calling her again, but the phone stays off.
He looks at the photo again, unable to believe it. "No, this can’t be my wife," he mutters as he zooms in on the picture, hoping he’s mistaken. But there’s no denying it, it’s her. The woman he loves, the woman he has sacrificed everything for, is kissing another man.
*****
Rowan and Ruby enter a luxurious presidential suite in a high-end hotel. The moment they step in, the tension is palpable. Rowan’s eyes lock with Ruby’s, and he kisses her passionately, making her shiver. His lips move down to her neck, causing her to moan softly. He pulls back to look into her eyes.
“Was that pathetic husband of yours the one who called?” Rowan asks, his gaze intense.
“That imbecile jerk—I can’t stand him. I really despise him,” Ruby murmurs.
Rowan’s eyes soften a bit, though he still looks irritated. “You deserve better than him,” he says, pulling Ruby close and resting his hands gently on her back.
Ruby looks up at Rowan with a mix of longing and relief. "I know, but it’s hard not to think about him, even when he’s not around."
Rowan kisses her forehead gently. "Divorce him. You shouldn’t be with that lowlife. He doesn’t deserve you," he says, nibbling on her ear.
Ruby hesitates for a moment. "Don’t worry, the divorce papers will be here in a few days," she says, her voice trembling under Rowan’s touch.
"I can’t wait any longer, babe. I want you all to myself. You mean everything to me," Rowan says, his desire clear.
Ruby’s breath catches. Rowan’s look and touch make her heart race. She leans into him and whispers, "I know. It’s just... everything is happening so fast.”
Rowan gently tilts her chin up to meet his eyes. "I understand. But I promise, once we’re together, everything will be perfect. We’ll build the future we both want."
Ruby nods, feeling a rush of emotions as she looks into Rowan’s eyes. Even though she has been married to Liam for three years, Rowan is the man she has always dreamed of. He was her first love.
What Ruby doesn’t know is that Rowan arranged the photo to force a divorce between her and Liam.
After an exhausting night with Rowan, Ruby returns home, her face flushed, thinking about her escapade with him. She bites her lips as she steps into the room and gasps when she sees that it is decorated according to her preferences. Even her favorite food is placed on the table. She scoffs, "Is this the only thing you can put together after you kept bugging me to come home?" She kisses her teeth in annoyance.Liam, who is standing nearby, looks hurt and confused. He takes a deep breath and tries to keep his composure. "I wanted to make last night special for you. I thought we could celebrate your success together."Ruby rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Celebrate? Really? I work hard day and night to keep the family going, and this is what you put together? But anyway, I’ll pardon you for being silly. Come over here and give me a massage," she says, flopping onto the sofa. "Gosh, I’m so tired."When she sees that Liam remains unmoved and does not immediately respond to her request, s
Rowan sends the picture to Liam to hasten the divorce. He senses Ruby's reluctance to end her marriage, so he goes to their house, knowing the picture will create a rift between them. He hopes to appear like a prince in shining armor, ready to protect her.“How dare you hit a woman like that, you fool who doesn’t know her worth?” Rowan says. Liam is taken aback by his sudden appearance. “You have no right to walk into my house and tell me what to do with my wife,” Liam argues.Rowan’s expression hardens. “I’m here because you clearly don’t understand the value of the woman you’re mistreating. Ruby deserves respect and love, not this kind of humiliation.”Liam’s face reddens with anger. “And who do you think you are to come here and lecture me? You have no idea what’s going on in my marriage.”Rowan steps closer, his face redden with anger. “I don’t need to know every detail to see that Ruby is being mistreated. You’ve shown her nothing but disrespect. If you truly cared for her, you’d
Liam's heart tugged in his chest as he walked out the door, leaving behind Ruby and Rowan. He walked aimlessly without direction because he felt used by his wife. He had been the driving force in her acting career, and now he was being repaid in this way.But then, realization dawned on him, mixed with anger. He remembered that this was his home, and the ones who should be leaving were his cheating wife and her lover, not him!The sudden ringing of his phone brought him out of his reverie. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and placed it to his ear."Good news, sir. The new movie is set. The director has agreed to your terms, and your wife has been cast as the female lead," Lilia's voice came through.A bitter, cold laughter escaped Liam's mouth. "Too late, Lilia. We are already divorced."Lila, on the other hand, was thrilled as she voiced out, "Finally, this is great news!" Liam was taken aback by her reaction."What was that, Lila? You seem so happy about the news.""Nothing, si
Liam looks into her eyes and feels an inexplicable attraction. They both stare at each other, caught in a moment that seems to stretch time. She coughs, trying to break the spell that has engulfed them."I'm Remi, and you?" she asks, adjusting her hair and tucking a few loose strands behind her ear. She looks up at Liam with a hesitant smile."I'm Liam. Nice to meet you," he says while nursing his sore side."Would you like to grab a coffee?" she asks, her voice still a bit shaky from the earlier ordeal. "I could use someone to talk to right now.”He nods. "Sure, that sounds good," he replies, trying to push aside the pain from the fight. "I could use a break."They walk together to a nearby café. Inside, the atmosphere is cozy, with dim lighting. They find a quiet corner and order their drinks.As they sip their coffee, Remi begins to open up. "It's been a rough few days. I was supposed to get a lead role in this big movie. I’ve worked so hard for it, and I knew I was the best fit. B
Liam stiffens as Ruby and Rowan step into the elevator. Ruby looks at Liam and Remi with disdain, noticing how close they are standing. Her heart tugs in her chest as jealousy flares up, but she quickly masks it with a sneer."Well, well, isn’t this cozy," Ruby says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn’t realize you had moved on so quickly. And to think you accused me of being unfaithful in our marriage—talk about the pot calling the kettle black. And with *her* of all people," she adds, spitting out the words as she glares at Remi.Remi stays calm, though Liam can sense the tension in her. She’s putting on a brave front, holding herself together despite the hurt Ruby’s words are causing.Though Ruby's words sting, Remi is determined not to give her the satisfaction of seeing her hurt.Ruby has always been jealous of Remi—the way she carries herself with grace and poise, and she knows Remi is a great actress. Ruby just got lucky in landing the lead role.Liam steps forward, tryin
Liam was dressed in a shirt and trousers that didn’t fit him well, but he tried to look confident as he arrived at the party. He stepped out of the taxi, ready to walk into the event, but just as he was about to enter, a bodyguard stopped him.“Hey, you! Stop right there. Where do you think you’re going?” the bodyguard asked with a stern look.Liam smiled brightly, trying to stay calm. “Hello, I’m going right into the party,” he replied.The bodyguard looked at Liam with disdain, eyeing his poorly fitted clothes. “Dressed like this? Are you sure you haven’t lost your way?” the bodyguard sneered.“No, I haven’t lost my way. I’m here on invitation,” Liam insisted, standing his ground."Invitation?" the bodyguard asked, looking surprised. "Oh, I guess you must be one of the servers who didn’t come with the company bus. Wait right here while I call your boss from the catering company to come and identify you."“No, you’re mistaken. I’m not a caterer—Murphy invited me,” Liam said, trying t
Ruby was stunned as murmurs spread through the hall. Everyone watched as Murphy humiliated her. The upcoming actors and actresses, who admired Ruby as a big name in the industry, were shocked by what happened. Ruby, however, didn’t back down. Her face showed disgust as she turned to Murphy.“You invited this low-life actress trying to get noticed, and she brought this worthless man who looks like a beggar?” Ruby said, pointing at Liam.Murphy looked in the direction Ruby was pointing and saw that she was referring to Liam. He was furious to realize that Ruby was insulting Liam.Ruby doesn’t realize how powerful her ex-husband is. She thinks he’s just a worthless househusband with no ambition.Murphy quickly approached Liam to show his respect, and everyone was surprised by the gesture. However, before Murphy could get too close, Liam raised his hand to stop him and gave him a look that signaled not to come any nearer. Murphy understood that Liam didn't want to reveal his identity y
Lady Williams sits in the living room, watching her youngest child, Ruby, on the television. She eagerly waits to hear about Ruby's latest achievement as an actress."That's my wife. I'm so happy, and I'm sure she's going to win," Liam says excitedly.Lady Williams, Liam's mother-in-law, laughs heartily, looks down at Liam, and snaps, "Get out of here right now and slice some apples for me. You're such a disgrace to the family.”Liam is married to Ruby, the actress. He has worked hard, doing endless tasks and being treated like a servant. He has supported Ruby's acting career out of love.Liam feels humiliated right in his own house. This has been his life for the last three years. He clenches his fists tightly, trying to swallow the humiliation from Lady Williams's outburst. But for the love he has for his wife, Ruby, he rushes into the kitchen to do Lady Williams’s bidding.The soft hum of the refrigerator and the rhythmic chopping of the crisp apple are the only sounds in the kitch