Chapter 4

A week later, the Sterling family held their grand annual gala.

Officially, it was to celebrate old William Sterling’s 75th birthday. In reality, it was Julian’s desperate attempt to corner me into a public reconciliation.

He knew what wealthy socialites supposedly cared about: reputation, public image, and keeping up appearances for the kids. He had invited every prominent business titan and social elite in the state, expecting me to smile politely and give him an easy way out.

When the gold-embossed invitation arrived, I laughed out loud.

"Are you really going?" my mother asked cautiously. "They’re setting a trap to force you into forgiving him publicly."

I nodded firmly. "Of course I'm going. But not to forgive him. I’m going so he can choke on his own apology."

---

The evening of the gala, I wore an immaculate black backless evening gown and arrived with my three children right on time.

The moment Julian spotted me, his eyes lit up, and he hurried across the ballroom floor.

"Evelyn! You came. And you brought the kids—thank God."

I offered a cool, detached look. "It’s your grandfather's 75th birthday. Naturally, we came to show our respect."

Failing to read the frigid distance in my tone, he turned proudly to the nearby guests. "Everyone, let me reintroduce my stunning wife, Evelyn. And our beautiful children—Chloe, Mia, and Leo."

The surrounding socialites began clapping, and someone playfully hollered, "Come on, Julian! Toast your wife and put the rumors to rest!"

Julian picked up two glasses of Dom Pérignon and held one out to me.

"Evelyn, I made mistakes. I was wrong, and I'm deeply sorry. From now on, I will devote everything to you and our babies. I’ll drain this glass to show my sincerity. You drink as much as you like."

He tipped his head back and emptied the champagne in one gulp, staring at me with expectant eyes.

The entire ballroom fell hushed, everyone watching to see if I would accept the glass.

If I drank, it signaled truce. It meant the Sterling family drama was swept under the rug, and our marriage would limp along.

I didn't lift a finger to touch the glass.

"Julian, do you really believe a cheap glass of champagne fixes everything?"

His smile stiffened. "Evelyn… I already apologized in front of everyone—"

"An apology?" I scoffed softly. "Your idea of an apology is drinking champagne?"

I slipped a flash drive out of my evening clutch and handed it to the technician running the multimedia display behind the stage.

"Please project the files on this drive to the center screens."

Julian’s face drained of color. "Evelyn, what the hell are you doing?!"

Ignoring his panic, I gave the technician a nod.

The massive 4K screens flickered to life.

The first slide displayed Julian’s explicit Snapchats with his executive assistant:

*"Babe, once I seize control of the company assets, I’m dumping that washed-up housewife."*

The second slide showed his luxury hotel booking receipts with his personal trainer—dated the very night after I gave birth to Leo via emergency C-section.

The third slide showcased wire transfers totaling over three million dollars sent to his so-called "distant cousin" over the course of eight months.

Gasps and shocked murmurs erupted across the ballroom like wildfire.

Julian turned purple with rage and lunged toward the stage to pull the cables, but my two private security guards immediately stepped forward, pinning him back.

"Evelyn Vance! Are you completely insane?! This is my family's private gala!"

I looked down at him, my expression unbothered and sovereign.

"Yes. It is your family's gala. And I wanted every single business partner and relative you have to see exactly what kind of monster you are."

"You committed adultery three times over, backed by irrefutable digital evidence. You fraudulently attempted to hide marital assets. You deliberately slandered my name by claiming our children weren't yours."

"And now, you thought a sip of wine would wipe the slate clean?"

Julian’s lips trembled violently. "Evelyn… please… I was wrong… I swear I know I messed up, please don't do this to me…"

I turned my back on him and faced the hundreds of elite guests.

"To all our distinguished colleagues and family friends: let me make this abundantly clear. Julian and I are officially divorced. I have full custody of our children, and he will not receive a single cent from my enterprise."

"If anyone here takes issue with how I conduct my affairs, my legal team at Vance Legal will happily meet you in federal court."

With that, I gathered my three children, turned gracefully on my heels, and exited the ballroom.

Behind me, Julian’s agonized roar echoed through the grand hall, accompanied by the shattering of expensive crystal.

***