Chapter2
“Enough!” I snapped. “I married William five years ago. Our marriage certificate is in my bag. Our relationship has always been solid, so he would never cheat. You’ve clearly got the wrong person.”
I drew in a steadying, breath. “If you lay another hand on me, I’ll call the police.”
Olivia Scott rolled her eyes, her face twisting with disdain. After digging through her purse, she pulled out a marriage certificate and waved it triumphantly.
“William and I have been married for three years. He personally took me to City Hall to get our marriage license. For the past three years, he’s often been abroad, and on his phone I saw your messages. He told me you were just a childhood buddy, but I looked deeper into his Social Media Feed, pictures of you two together, always side by side. Don’t insult my intelligence. Men and women can never just be friends. You’re nothing but a mistress.”
Her entourage sneered in unison.
“I knew it. She clung to Mr. Ford under the pretense of being his ‘brother.‘ Now that he’s soaring high, she wants to kick you aside and take your place. What a scheme!“.
“Exactly! If this were the old days, a homewrecker like her would have been shamed in public back in the day!”
My mind went blank. I snatched the Marriage Certificate from her hand, only to see William Ford’s name printed there.
Before I could speak, my phone buzzed.
[Miss, the old master doesn’t have much time left. He keeps calling for you. He wants to see you one last time.]
My chest tightened. I had no time to process anything. “Miss Scott, my marriage certificate predates yours. I strongly suggest you verify whether someone has stolen your identity.”
“My grandfather is critically ill. I need to leave. My lawyer will contact you.”
I rushed toward the exit, but she grabbed my wrist again, relentless.
“In such a hurry to run?” Olivia’s eyes flashed coldly. “Afraid your dirty little secret as the mistress will finally be exposed?”
Being blocked again and again while Grandpa lay dying in bed, rage burned in my chest. How could she not understand a single word I
said?
Just then, a timid voice came from behind us.
“I’m staff here. I can check the ID numbers on your marriage certificates and confirm which is real.”
I froze. I didn’t want to waste time, but if I refused, it would only look like I was guilty and running away.
I gave Olivia one last warning. “Fine, But once you’ve seen it, you let me go.”
Meanwhile, I messaged Butler James again, desperate for updates. A video came through. Grandpa’s eyes were wide, his lips trembling as he rasped my name, clinging to life by a thread.
My eyes stung with tears. I turned to the staffer, voice trembling. “Is it done yet? Please, I’m running out of time.”
Even in that moment, I forced myself to be fair. “Olivia, something isn’t right here. Follow up with my assistant later. This could be a new kind of identity scam.”
Whoever dared use William Ford’s name as part of some sick joke, I would make sure they paid.
William was the CEO of Sterling Corporation, the company my grandfather had painstakingly built and entrusted to me. If this marriage mess was staged, it reeked of a setup by business rivals trying to ruin our reputation.
The staffer studied both certificates, then looked uneasy. She handed Olivia’s booklet back with exaggerated politeness.
“Yours has a proper registration number. It’s real.”
Chapter2
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Then she turned to me with open mockery. My certificate hit the floor with a thud.
“And yours? It doesn’t even exist in the system.”
Her voice dripped with scorn.
“Pretending to be married? To William Ford, of all people? He’s made a name for himself these past few years. I suppose it’s only natural that filth like you would crawl out of the shadows to cling to his fame.”
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