There was a time when people whispered that Lindsay was nothing more than a decorative vase, someone who looked good in meetings but contributed little of substance.
Lindsay always felt I overshadowed her, insisting I step back and become the man behind her success. She said she wanted to be an inspiring, self-made woman others could admire.
To support her dream, I agreed. I willingly handed over all the credit and accolades, thinking she was the woman I’d spend my life with. Back then, I never questioned it.
But now, she’s twisted my sacrifices into something entirely untrue.
While Lindsay struggled to find a response, Nigel appeared out of nowhere.
He was wearing a beige suit—the very same one I had noticed in the back of our closet just weeks ago. It was from an exclusive custom-made collection, Only Love Original Heart, with a starting price of 520,000.
At the time, I thought it was a surprise from Lindsay, as it was just three days before our wedding anniversary. Yet, when the day came and went, there wasn’t even a simple gift, let alone the suit.
And now, here it was—on Nigel.
A bitter laugh rose in my chest. Lindsay claimed she feared making me jealous, but she had no qualms about gifting him such an extravagant suit behind my back. Did she really take me for a fool?
Nigel stopped in front of her, turning to me with a self-satisfied smirk. “Brad, no offense, but while the company’s success owes something to you, it also heavily depends on Lindsay. Yet you act like all the credit belongs to you. Don’t you think that’s a bit... thick-skinned?”
Lindsay’s eyes flickered with something—approval, perhaps?—before she chimed in, her voice sharp and cutting.
“You’re so arrogant and paranoid. You always think I’m nothing without you. Who do you think you are? The company started from scratch, and you act like I didn’t contribute at all!”
They both looked at me with the same animosity, as though I were the enemy. It was almost laughable how seamlessly they formed a united front.
When Lindsay looked at me, her face was cold and unyielding, but when she turned to Nigel, her demeanor softened, a smile playing on her lips.
All my efforts for her—all the years I stood by her side—were eclipsed by Nigel’s smooth, insincere words of defense. Years of devotion reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.