Chapter 3

From that day on, Elizabeth put me through what could only be described as boot camp.

She stopped asking me to do any housework. Three housekeepers were hired to take care of the estate. My entire daily schedule was restructured.

Six in the morning — morning runs with her.

"Your body is your most important asset. You're carrying two lives now. Take care of yourself."

In the mornings, she brought in a top-tier financial advisor and a business mentor to teach me how to read financial reports and analyze market trends.

"You have to keep control of the money yourself. If you can't even read a balance sheet, how are you going to hold your own against William?"

Afternoons were packed with intensive courses — etiquette, negotiation tactics, and psychology.

"Wipe that pitiful look off your face. Straighten your back, lift your chin. You are a co-ruler of this family, not William's accessory."

In the evenings, she would personally walk me through Sterling Group's recent operations, breaking down every decision William had made.

I was like a dried-out sponge, soaking up everything desperately. I stopped crying, because Elizabeth was right — tears solved nothing.

And William? After that night at the restaurant, he completely fell apart.

His cards were frozen, his signing authority stripped, and at the company, Elizabeth had him boxed in at every turn. He came crawling to me for peace.

He started coming home on time every day, buying me designer bags, jewelry, even dropping to his knees begging for forgiveness.

"Eve, I was wrong. I swear, things with Daisy are completely over. That day, I only took her to dinner because I felt sorry for her..."

I sat on the sofa, watching him sob and break down, and felt absolutely nothing.

If this had been before, I would have caved immediately. But now, all I felt was a deep, nauseating disgust.

"William, do you think that just because I'm pregnant, I can't leave you?" I stared at him, my voice ice-cold.

He froze for a moment, his eyes shifting away. "Eve, how can you say that? I genuinely love you. I love our baby..."

"Save it." I stood up and looked down at him. "Starting today, we sleep in separate rooms. You'd better pray you don't make any mistakes at the company — because if your mother can freeze your cards, I can have you thrown out of Sterling Group entirely."

William stared up at me, like he was looking at a stranger.

He probably never imagined it — that the wife who had once bent to his every wish could turn into someone like this.

Elizabeth watched it all unfold, a faint, cold smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She began lifting me up in every public setting she could.

She brought me to top-tier business dinners, introducing me to the heavyweights of the industry.

"This is my daughter-in-law, Evelyn Woods. Going forward, she will be taking full charge of several of Sterling Group's investment projects."

At first, the looks people gave me were dismissive — they assumed I was just some trophy wife who'd secured her position by getting pregnant. But after a few exchanges, they realized I could negotiate entirely in English without missing a beat, and I could pinpoint the weak spots in any deal with precision.

My reputation began to spread through the circles.

I was no longer Mrs. Sterling. I was Ms. Woods.

The way William looked at me shifted — from guilt, to shock, and finally to a deep, uneasy mix of wariness and flattery.

He was beginning to see it. The business empire he was so proud of was slowly being carved away, piece by piece, by me and Elizabeth.

He started working overtime to prove himself, desperate to win me back. He took over every chore around the house, fussed over my every need, and if I so much as furrowed my brow, he'd spend the next half hour on edge.

But I knew the truth. He wasn't afraid of losing me. He was afraid of losing his position.

"That's how men are. The more you give in to them, the less they value you. Leave them out in the cold, and suddenly they're begging."

Elizabeth said, cradling her coffee, watching William wash my car in the driveway, her tone laced with mockery.

I looked at her, and something complicated stirred inside me.

"Why are you helping me like this?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting somewhere far away.

"Because I don't want you to end up walking the same road I did." Her voice dropped. "William's father was exactly the same. I built this company with him from nothing, side by side. And on the day it went public, he walked in with his mistress right in front of me."