The moment I “woke up,” everything clicked—I wasn’t the heroine.
I was the toxic side chick written just to make the golden girl, Anna Lane, look perfect.
And my husband? Ethan Carter—the guy who burned his entire life for her, showered her with gifts, and still ended up dead like a fucking martyr.
Right now, Ethan and I are driving to the County Clerk’s Office to sign our divorce papers… all because of sweet little Anna.
I stared out the tinted window, plotting my next move, when we stopped at a light. My hand shot out and clamped around his wrist.
“Babe,” I said sweetly, “you can chase true love all you want, just… don’t divorce me, okay?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened in the mirror. “…Quinn Brooks, give it up. I’d rather die than love you.”
Funny he said that.
Three months later, he did.
Car crash.
Gone.
And guess who inherited everything?
Yours truly.
Best fucking day of my life.
h2 style=”text-align: center;”>Chapter 1
On the way to the clerk’s office that morning, Ethan kept glaring at me through the rearview like I’d ruined his life.
“After this is over, how are you explaining it to Mom and Dad? Got a plan? ’Cause I don’t need any more drama from you.”
I rested my chin on my palm in the backseat, silent.
That pissed him off. “What, cat got your tongue? Heatstroke got you acting like a damn mime? Quit the act.”
I finally looked up at him.
Not because I had something to say—
But because twenty minutes ago, sitting in this Bentley, my head was hit with the biggest mindfuck ever.
Turns out this life isn’t real. We’re all just characters in some billionaire fanfic cliché.
Ethan Carter? Not my ride-or-die.
His whole heart belongs to Anna Lane, the soft, innocent little salesgirl who’ll bring him to his knees. He’ll piss off the real male lead, Jason Stone—Mr. Billionaire Alpha Male himself—just for her.
And me? I’m the rich bitch from a high-end family, designed to be her steppingstone and punching bag.
The evil wife everyone hates.
Right now, we’re at the part of the story where I finally notice his obsession with Anna and start “causing trouble.”
In other words—his death is right around the corner.
Because, according to the plot? Jason Stone kills him in a jealous rage.
Then swallows up both Carter Enterprises and my family’s assets in one bite.
Game over for Quinn Brooks.
Unless I flip the script.
The Bentley rolled to a stop in front of the clerk’s office.
Ethan yanked the door open and dragged me out like I was some drunk sorority girl.
“After today, if you so much as breathe near Anna, I swear to God—”
I cut him off with a sugary smile and slid my fingers through his.
“Baby, about last night… I was harsh. I get it—you wanna chase love? Fine by me. Just… let’s not sign those papers, okay?”
Ethan froze for a second, like I’d grown two heads.
Then he ripped his hand away so fast it stung.
“Quinn, what the hell is wrong with you? You begged for this divorce!”
“I was mad,” I said, voice soft as butter, brain running a hundred miles an hour. “But now that we’re here, I realize… I don’t wanna let you go. If you stay married to me, I’ll look the other way. No drama, no telling your parents. Hell—if Anna agrees to marry you, I’ll walk away with nothing. Pinky swear.”
He stared at me like I’d sprouted horns.
“No need to walk with nothing. Brooks money helped build the company too.”
Then he leaned down, voice dripping with that arrogant alpha bullshit:
“But let me make this clear—if Anna says yes, you disappear. Forever. And you never, ever fuck with her again.”
I didn’t even hear the rest.
I was too busy nodding like a bobblehead. “Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever you say.”
He laughed—sharp, cruel.
“God, you’re pathetic. I love Anna, Quinn. You stalling won’t change shit. I will never love you.”
He slammed the door and stalked off like some tragic hero.
Spoiler alert: three months later, his ass was roadkill.
But back then?
I was already plotting my next move.
I dialed Kelly Collins.
“Hey, isn’t your yacht party this Saturday?”
“Yeah… why?”
“Got an extra invite?”
The Collins yacht was crawling with old money assholes and new money wannabes, all decked out like they were about to shoot a Vogue spread.
And then there was Anna Lane.
Showing up in a wrinkled white sundress and flats like she’d just wandered out of a goddamn farmer’s market.
People stared. Whispered.
“Who the hell is that? The help?”
“Jesus, did security let her in by mistake?”
“I heard invites were tighter than a senator’s Botox. Who the fuck slipped her one?”
The security guy finally stepped in, blocking her at the entrance.
“Ma’am, dress code. You can’t come in like that.”
Anna bit her lip, big Bambi eyes shimmering. “I’m with D.K. Jewelry. The person who invited me said I could demo our pieces. Nobody said I needed a gown.”
Cue the collective laughter.
And, because karma’s a bitch, here comes some over-tanned socialite with a blowout strutting up, sneering like Regina George on steroids.
“You seriously think you belong here? Honey, this isn’t some dive bar where you can shake your tits for free drinks. Take your knock-off invite and crawl back to whatever trailer park you came from.”
Anna clutched her invite like it was a lifeline. She didn’t move.
So Queen Blowout lost her patience and—bam—splashed red wine all over her white dress.
The room went quiet for a beat, then the whispers turned into giggles.
And me?
I sipped my champagne, deadpan, watching the show.
Kelly slid up next to me, smirking.
“That your guest out there? You gonna play hero?”
I tipped my glass. “No need. Watch this.”
Right on cue, the double doors flew open.
Guess who swaggered in like some Wall Street wet dream?
Ethan fucking Carter.
The same man who told me this morning he was ‘too busy’ to come.
Without a word, he stripped off his Armani jacket and draped it over Anna’s shoulders like some chivalrous asshole in a Netflix drama.
Then he turned on security, voice icy as hell:
“She’s on the list. You got a problem, you take it up with me. This is Collins turf, not your damn playground.”
Oh, the theatrics.
I could’ve slow-clapped.
Until his eyes snapped to me—full of fire.
Next thing I knew, he was striding over, dragging Anna behind him… grabbed a glass of merlot off a tray—
And flung it straight in my face.
I stood there for a good three seconds, drenched in merlot, before I snapped.
“Ethan, what the fuck is wrong with you?!”
He didn’t even flinch. Just looked at me like I was a cockroach he forgot to kill.
“Don’t act innocent, Quinn. I know damn well that invite came from you. You brought Anna here just to humiliate her. You’re fucking evil. And everything she suffered tonight? I’m putting it all on you.”
Kelly handed me a napkin like she was watching a reality show.
I wiped my face, calm as hell.
“How’d you figure out it was me?”
Anna, the pathetic little flower she is, stepped forward, lip trembling.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Brooks. I showed the invite to Ethan… He traced the sender. It’s my fault. Please don’t blame him. Don’t let this ruin your marriage.”
I snorted. “So you knew I invited you. And you still showed up?”
She lowered her eyes like a guilty little puppy.
Ethan immediately jumped in front of her like her goddamn bodyguard.
“Anna was just trying to do her job. Unlike you, she actually works for a living. You knew this was a formal party, and you didn’t say shit. You set her up. I warned you.”
I glanced around.
Everyone was watching.
Smirking. Whispering. Loving the drama.
“Wait, isn’t that Ethan Carter? Shouldn’t he be with his wife tonight?”
“Looks like those rumors about their marriage going to shit were true.”
“Yikes. He’s going off on his own wife over some salesgirl? What the hell?”
“Honestly,” someone muttered, “if Quinn Brooks can’t even keep her man, no wonder someone like Anna can step all over her.”
Anna gasped like she was heartbroken.
“That’s not true! Ethan, I never wanted to come between you and Ms. Brooks—”
But her fingers were still laced with his, death grip tight.
Yeah. Just friends, huh?
I laughed coldly.
I’d seen this movie before.
Anna always acted like she and Ethan were just “close coworkers,”
while she slept in his penthouse, wore his T-shirts, spent his money, and used his contacts.
And every time she teared up, Ethan came at me like I’d kicked a baby.
“Quinn,” he snapped, “apologize to Anna. Now.”
I scoffed. “I gave her the opportunity to pitch her jewelry. She blew it. Then your new princess poured wine on me and trashed my custom Dior. And you think I owe her an apology?”
“You—” Ethan grabbed my arm so hard I winced. His fingers left instant bruises.
Right then, the ballroom doors slammed open.
The crowd gasped.
A deep, slow set of footsteps echoed into the room.
“Holy shit—is that Jason Stone? Didn’t he move to Switzerland or something?”
“I thought he wasn’t even in the country anymore.”
I looked up.
Tall. Stone-faced. Cold as death.
And heading straight for us.
Kelly leaned in close. “You ever seen him in person?”
“Nope,” I murmured.
“He got lost when he was four, got found again at sixteen, then shipped off to Europe. They say he’s back now to run Stone Enterprises.”
I turned my gaze toward Anna.
She’d already let go of Ethan’s hand.
She blinked, her mouth slightly parted in shock.
“Rocky…?” she whispered.
Jason paused, his expression twitching just a little.
“It’s me,” he said flatly.
Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes.
“I thought you were just some fisherman kid from a beach town…”
“Well, now I’m Jason Stone,” he said, stepping closer. “And I can protect you now. Come with me.”
“Okay.”
She looked at him like he just came out of a Nicholas Sparks novel.
And just like that, the rest of us faded into background noise.
Ethan suddenly snapped out of his little fantasy.
He grabbed Anna’s wrist.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going with him? I’ll drive you home after the party—”
Anna looked conflicted.
She glanced at Ethan, then at Jason, who—let’s be honest—looked like he walked off a Calvin Klein billboard.
“Ethan… don’t do this. Let go,” she said softly.
Jason’s gaze shifted lazily to Ethan. “Friend of yours?”
“I’m Anna’s boy—”
Jason cut him off with a smirk. “You’re co-owner of Carter-Brooks Corp, right? Stone Enterprises is currently in talks to acquire one of your joint projects. You wanna keep those deals alive? Let her go.”
Ethan’s face went pale.
Those four little words—Stone Enterprises’ leverage—hit like a slap.
He unclenched his hand.
Jason gave him a condescending “good boy” nod, then turned and took Anna’s hand.
They were about to walk off when I casually stepped forward.
“Wow. You really make it sound like Ethan never did shit for her,” I said sweetly. “Before you showed up, he was the one buying her $10K dresses and $100K necklaces. All paid for by Carter-Brooks Corp. So technically, you’ve been benefiting Anna too, Jason. Through us.”
Jason stopped.
The entire room held its breath.
He’s not stupid.
He knew exactly what I meant.
Ethan was Anna’s sugar daddy.
Jason’s jaw tightened.
He clearly didn’t like that detail.
Then he turned to Ethan and said, loud enough for everyone to hear:
“You’re married. Maybe try acting like it. Stay in your damn lane. She’s not your responsibility anymore.”
Boom.
Slap to the face.
Ethan looked like he’d swallowed a cockroach.
Everyone around us was too scared to speak, but you could feel the judgment dripping off them.
The drive home was silent.
The kind of silence that screamed.
I hummed a pop song and touched up my lipstick.
Ethan finally snapped, glancing at me in the mirror.
“You seem real fucking happy.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I smiled innocently.
“You loved watching Jason humiliate me, didn’t you?”
I faked a pout.
“Oh babe, come on. We’re married. His insult to you? That’s technically an insult to me too.”
He gripped the steering wheel like he wanted to snap it in half.
“You’re such a fucking snake. What the hell were you thinking, running your mouth like that? You basically called me a simp in front of him! Made me look pathetic!”
I tucked my compact back into my clutch.
“I was defending you, Ethan. He just swooped in and took Anna right out from under you. I thought you’d be grateful someone stood up for your pride.”
“You think this is funny?”
I tilted my head. “Not really. But it is kinda ironic, isn’t it? You spent all that money on her, and now she’s walking off with the guy who could bury your company in one press release.”
His hands turned white-knuckled on the wheel.
I waited a beat.
Then, super casually:
“Still… it’s not like you’ve never been underestimated before. Remember two years ago when Vincent Cole refused to return your calls? Now look who’s running the boardroom. I believe in you, Ethan. You’re a fighter.”
That was the last straw.
He slammed the brakes so hard my head whipped forward.
“Get the fuck out of my car.”
Ethan Carter kept talking shit about how much he hated me, but guess what?
His body said otherwise.
Ever since that yacht party, he’d been throwing himself into work like a man on fire. The boardroom became his therapy, and damn if the guy didn’t have game when he wanted to.
In just a month, Carter-Brooks Corp’s stock skyrocketed, and he started going head-to-head with Jason Stone in every deal that mattered.
Of course, half the reason was because Jason’s daddy just dropped dead, and Jason was too busy playing clean-up crew at Stone Enterprises to care about Ethan’s little moves.
Then came the auction.
And Ethan did the most unthinkable thing—
He brought me.
I knew something was off the second I spotted Jason and Anna already seated across the aisle. And guess what? Anna ditched her whole “pure white dress” bullshit and came dressed like a damn heiress—deep violet silk hugging her like she was born into old money.
Ethan’s eyes never left her.
Not once.
I leaned over, voice all honey and venom.
“So that’s why you dragged me here. Your date showed up with another man.”
He snapped his gaze to me, face twisting.
“She’s just being polite. She and Jason go way back. Don’t start.”
I chuckled softly.
“Polite? That’s cute.”
Bitch, I wasn’t even warming up yet.
As the auction ramped up, I waited.
And then—finally—they wheeled it out.
Behind the glass sat a necklace that shimmered like it was made of ocean tears and heartbreak. They called it The Goddess’s Tear, supposedly crafted from a rare blue sapphire pulled from Poseidon’s asshole or something equally dramatic.
In the original plot?
Jason bought it for Anna.
As a twisted love confession.
And just like clockwork, I saw Anna’s eyes light up the moment it hit the stage.
She reached for Jason’s arm.
“Thirty million,” Jason said flatly, without even blinking.
“Forty,” I countered immediately.
They both turned to look at me.
Ethan looked annoyed. “Don’t you already have like twenty necklaces? Why the hell do you want this one?”
I smirked.
“Because I fucking feel like it.”
The bidding war started to sizzle.
Me and Jason, back and forth, no blinking, no flinching.
The price climbed like it was on coke.
Ethan was losing it.
When it hit $100 million, he yanked my hand.
“You’ve lost your damn mind. No piece of jewelry is worth this. We can’t afford this shit!”
I tilted my head toward him.
“Oh, sweetie… you really don’t get it? Jason’s not bidding on a rock. He’s bidding on Anna. You want me to bow out and let him win? You okay with that?”
That shut him up.
He stared across the room at Anna, her back straight, her fingers gently grazing Jason’s sleeve.
Something flipped in him.
“One-twenty million,” Ethan blurted out.
The room gasped.
People started murmuring.
“Carter just outbid Stone by forty million. Must really love his wife.”
“Or maybe it’s not about the wife at all…”
Jason’s face darkened like a thundercloud.
He knew he was getting played.
He glared at Ethan like he wanted to shove the auction paddle down his throat.
In the end, Ethan won.
$150 million.
For a necklace.
For a power trip.
For Anna.
Jason didn’t even look surprised when he lost. He just looked pissed.
After the crowd thinned, Jason strolled right up to Ethan like a goddamn storm in a tux.
His eyes flicked down to the velvet box in Ethan’s hand.
“You must really be feeling generous today.”
Ethan’s smirk barely reached his eyes.
“What can I say? I accidentally stole something you wanted again.”
He said “again” like it was personal.
Because it was.
Last time, Ethan had snatched a prime piece of downtown property right from under Jason’s nose.
Jason hadn’t forgotten.
But something in Ethan had changed.
And I could feel it.
He wasn’t just a side character anymore.
He wanted the spotlight.
Which meant things were about to get messy.
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