Chapter 1

After I helped my wife’s racing club win its very first championship, she promised she would finally announce our marriage to the world.

Yet, the moment the awards were handed out, the newly hired backup driver dashed onto the stage, hoisting my trophy into the air.

He even wrapped an arm around my wife’s waist, waving intimately to the cheering crowd.

"I thought you said we’d wait another two years. Why the rush?"

My wife didn't push him away. Instead, she handed him a stock transfer agreement, declaring right then and there that he was the club’s newest shareholder.

The backup driver smirked at me, his eyes full of smug condescension.

Even my wife turned to me and said coldly:

"He’s the one who brought this championship home. If you want shares, go win one yourself."

I didn't yell, and I didn't beg. I quietly stripped off my racing suit and shoved it straight into the rookie’s chest.

I couldn't wait to see if this club could even survive once its real investor walked away.

"Tonight marks our club’s very first championship victory in the national rally series!"

"To celebrate our team officially entering the ranks of champions, let’s hear it for our MVP, Austin Reed!"

My wife, Chloe Bennett, popped a bottle of champagne, letting the spray fly wildly across the stage. Her gaze lingered on Austin beside her, hazy with adoration.

Austin was equally euphoric, his cheeks flushed as he gripped Chloe’s hand tightly.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. For an up-and-coming club like ours to take first place in a high-stakes championship was unprecedented.

This single trophy was enough to keep the club swimming in sponsorships for years.

Chloe was shaking with excitement. She reached into her blazer and pulled out a leather-bound folder.

"Austin, this is your reward!"

Austin stared at the papers, feigning utter disbelief.

"Is... is this really for me?"

Chloe set down the champagne and held up the hand Austin was using to grasp the contract.

"To honor Austin’s incredible championship win, I am transferring a twenty percent stake in this club to him!"

"Starting today, he is our newest partner and shareholder!"

Austin’s look of surprise instantly dissolved into pure ecstasy.

He yanked my wife into his arms and kissed her deeply right in front of everyone.

My wife—who had always been emotionally guarded and aloof with me—didn't push him away at all. Her face turned crimson, and her arms wrapped tightly around Austin’s neck, clinging to him as if terrified he might let go.

The audience whistled and chanted:

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

"What do you mean, kiss her? They look married already! This is practically their official announcement!"

"So the secret husband Chloe has been hiding all this time was Austin!"

Everyone was roaring for the two lovers on stage. Only I stood off to the side, completely paralyzed.

I had just crawled out of a violent rollover crash. Dazed and concussed, without even having time to take a sip of water, I had sprinted toward the podium.

Only to walk right into this humiliating circus.

I was supposed to be the team’s lead driver. Austin was just a rookie backup, and this was supposed to be his first real rally event.

Right before the race, Chloe—who handled vehicle logistics—came to me in tears, claiming my custom No. 1 car had suffered critical frame damage during transport and couldn't be driven.

While I was frantic, Austin generously stepped forward and offered to let me drive his backup car.

For the honor of the club, I agreed.

Yet when I arrived at the starting grid, I saw my No. 1 car sitting in pole position, completely spotless and in peak condition.

I rushed toward it in relief, only to see Austin already strapped into the driver’s seat.

The race marshal’s horn sounded. I had no choice but to sprint back to Austin’s second-tier backup car.

That car’s horsepower, suspension, and roll cage safety were leagues behind my primary ride.

Even so, I fought tooth and nail through the desert course and clocked the fastest overall stage time. But right before the final paddock, the backup car’s brakes failed completely. I lost control, flipped multiple times down an embankment, and blacked out.

The moment I regained consciousness, ignoring the ringing in my ears, I grabbed the velvet ring box and the bouquet of flowers I had hidden in my gear locker, running toward the podium.

Chloe and I had been legally married for four years. But she had always insisted on keeping our marriage a secret. She told me that the club was pouring all its resources into me, and if people found out I was the owner’s husband, they’d accuse us of favoritism.

She swore that the day I brought home the championship trophy, she would proudly tell the world I was her husband. Only then, she claimed, could we silence the critics.

I had bled for this moment for years. The ring and the flowers were meant to celebrate our victory—and to fulfill the promise we made.

I never imagined that my blood, sweat, and near-death crash would be rewarded with this.

Chloe spotted me standing below the stage, and her smile instantly vanished. Her expression curdled into disgust.

"Logan, what are you doing here? We poured countless resources into you, and you couldn't even finish the race! Have you no shame showing your face right now?"

She still lingered in Austin’s embrace, showing no intention of stepping away.

And Austin, seeing me standing there, didn't let go either. Instead, he pulled Chloe even tighter against his chest.

I had driven day and night, simulating this course even in my sleep, pushing my body to the absolute limit.

And this was my reward.

Austin gently nudged Chloe behind him, putting on a sickeningly smug, diplomatic face.

"Hey, come on, Chloe. Logan’s been with the club for years. Sure, he never won anything, and he didn't really contribute today, but he worked hard. You really should have given him a couple of shares. Giving them all to me is bound to make him jealous."

With just a few casual words, he erased my entire track record and cemented himself as the rightful champion.