Chapter 003

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, she looks up and sees his gaze. His eyes are narrow and frosty. The warmth he used to have is gone, replaced with chilly indifference. His jaw is clenched, and his lips are pressed into a thin line.

Ruby shifts uncomfortably on the sofa, sensing the change in his demeanor. "What's wrong with you?" she asks, her irritation rising. "I asked you to come over here and give me a massage."

Liam's eyes remain fixed on her, his expression unreadable. "Where the hell are you coming from?" he asks.

She stares back at him, a shiver running down her spine as her anger rises. "What kind of dumb question are you asking me, Liam?" she snaps, her mind drifting to Rowan's tenderness, how he looked into her eyes and made her feel special—compared to her husband's indifference, which only fuels her anger further.

"You are here day and night doing nothing while I work my ass off, and all you can do is ask me where I’m coming from?" she continues, mimicking Liam’s doubt. "How dare you question me without any reason?"

Liam's jaw tightens, and his eyes flash with frustration. "Is this how you respond to my concern? You come home late, and you’re annoyed when I ask about it?"

Ruby scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Concern? This isn't a concern; it’s just another way for you to control me. You don't get to decide how I live my life just because you're uncomfortable with my choices."

Liam's face darkens, his patience wearing thin. For a moment, they just stare at each other, the silence thick with tension. Then Liam pulls out his phone, shoving it in her face. "What the hell is this?" he demands, showing her the picture of her kissing Rowan.

Ruby, realizing she’s caught, calms slightly. "Oh, this is why you’re flipping out like a maniac? Let me be clear, my dear husband—this is a behind-the-scenes shot from my next movie," she says mockingly. "Now take this damn phone out of my face, you loser.”

Liam is beyond stunned as he stares at his wife in disbelief. She has lied to him without batting an eyelid. Liam starts clapping in mock applause. "And the award for the best liar goes to you," he says sarcastically. "You could have fooled me into believing that you are still faithful to me."

What Ruby does not know is that every role she has taken has been arranged by Liam.

Ruby’s eyes flare with anger as she watches Liam mock her. She raises her hand, intending to slap him, but he catches it mid-air. "You wouldn’t dare," he spits out in fury.

She yanks her hand away from his grasp. "Damn you, Liam! Is this how you repay me for working tirelessly to put food on the table? While you waste your time doing nothing at home, I’m out there busting my ass. How do I even put up with you? I hate you with every fiber of my being for doubting me and thinking I lied about this damn picture," she barks in anger.

Liam folds his arms, a smirk on his face. "You could have fooled me, Ruby, but guess what? You're a pathetic liar."

Ruby glares at him, her frustration evident. "You don't even trust me and you reap the benefits of my hard work? You're just so unbelievable," she whines.

Liam’s smirk fades, replaced by a cold, hard stare. "Reap the benefits? You think I’ve been sitting around doing nothing while you ‘work hard’? You have no idea what I've been doing behind the scenes, Ruby."

Ruby crosses her arms, refusing to back down. "Oh, really? And what exactly have you been doing, Liam? Enlighten me, because from where I’m standing, all I see is a man who’s been living off my success."

Liam is at a loss for words. He can’t believe that all his efforts for his wife have been in vain. He has supported her acting career without her knowledge, the driving force that kept her career rolling, ensuring she stayed relevant. He chose to stay at home so he could take care of everything, and now, he feels deeply disappointed.

Liam stares at Ruby, his mind racing. He has sacrificed so much, hiring professionals to manage his companies so he could support her at home and allow her to thrive in her acting career. Now, it all feels meaningless. He wonders how it all went wrong, how the woman he loved and believed in could betray him so completely.

Ruby, on the other hand, is still fuming. She refuses to admit any wrongdoing, convinced that she is justified in her actions. In her mind, Liam's lack of ambition and his decision to stay home have only fueled her resentment. She sees him as weak, unworthy of the respect she once had for him.

"Ruby, you amaze me with your lies. Do you think we're shooting a movie here?" He asks, staring at her in disbelief.

Ruby flares up in anger. "I am so damn disappointed in you, thinking so lowly of me! You parasite, leeching off me. You have nothing—I mean nothing—to your name!"

"And he has something to his name? Is that why you spent all night with him, rocking his mic, forgetting you have a husband waiting for you with all these surprises?" Liam shouts, his voice rising with anger as he points to everything he had set up to surprise her.

Ruby's eyes narrow in anger as she moves closer to Liam and tries to slap him a second time. He catches her hand again, shaking with fury. She stumbles, losing her balance, and falls to the floor, humiliated and defeated.

At that moment, Rowan barges in, his voice booms in anger, and his hand forms a fist. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on her!" he shouts, rushing in like a hero in shining armor to save her.