Chapter 2

By the time I arrived, there was already a woman standing next to my husband Charlie.

Long wavy hair, crimson lips, dressed in a bold red evening gown—her delicate hand resting naturally in the crook of Charlie's arm.

I raised an eyebrow and walked over to Charlie's side without changing my expression.

When Audrey saw me, she made no move to release Charlie's arm. Instead, she leaned in slightly, smiling at me.

"Miss Laura, you're here. That dress looks stunning on you tonight—white really brings out your complexion."

Her words were complimentary, but her body pressed even closer to Charlie. She looked down, smoothing her own dress.

"Not like me. I've been fighting in the trenches with Mr. Charlie for so long, I can't pull off such an elegant color. I'd only ruin it."

I looked at her with a smile but said nothing.

Charlie smoothly extracted his arm and took two steps forward to my side, wrapping his hand around my waist as he said quietly,

"Mr. Brown is here today. Let's go say hello."

Audrey was naturally left standing where she was, head lowered, lost in thought.

Halfway through the gala, I stood beside Charlie with a glass of champagne, watching him exchange pleasantries with several directors from headquarters.

At some point, Audrey had positioned herself on Charlie's other side.

She jumped into the conversation at just the right moments.

She steered the discussion perfectly toward the high-stakes deals she and Charlie had closed together.

And then, at just the right moment, she suddenly reached out and brushed something off Charlie's cuff.

"Mr. Charlie, right here."

Charlie glanced at me and shifted away from her hand.

Audrey's hand froze mid-air. She didn't seem bothered, though. Instead, she turned to look at me, her eyes glistening.

"Miss Laura, please don't take offense. I've spent so many years building this empire alongside Mr. Charlie, taking care of him has become second nature."

She paused, her lips curving into a smile as she sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder—if I'd been born with Miss Laura's privileges, maybe I could've lived comfortably as a wealthy heiress instead of weathering every storm, grinding myself down into this rough version of who I am now."

Finally, she concluded: "I really envy you. I wasn't so lucky."

I couldn't help but laugh, studying her with interest for a few seconds.

"Miss Audrey, has the pressure gotten to you? Are you having some kind of breakdown?"

Audrey's smile faltered. She stared at me in shock.

I handed my champagne glass to Charlie beside me and straightened his collar.

"Have you been putting too much pressure on Miss Audrey? She's started talking nonsense in broad daylight."

"It's embarrassing, really."

The area around us gradually fell silent.

Several directors exchanged glances and smiled as they echoed my words.

"That's right, Audrey's worked herself into some kind of delusion."

"Young people, ambition is good. But too much ambition makes you lose touch with reality. Do it long enough and you can't tell the difference between privilege and fantasy anymore."

Audrey's smile completely collapsed.

"Gentlemen, you're joking. I was only—"

"Only what? Only envying President Laura's good fortune?"

"Young lady, President Laura doesn't just sit at home drinking coffee. When she was managing billion-dollar investment portfolios, you and Mr. Charlie were probably still scraping by in the dirt."

The comment was cutting enough that it didn't even spare Charlie.

Someone laughed quietly.

Audrey's face went paler and paler. She looked at Charlie helplessly.

Charlie rubbed his temples, his tone sharp as he addressed Audrey:

"Apologize to Miss Laura. If the pressure's too much, take some time off. Stop spouting nonsense."

Audrey froze. Her gaze shattered as she looked at me and said hoarsely,

"Miss Laura, I'm sorry."

I didn't look at her. I didn't even wait for her to finish.

Charlie called out softly, "Laura."

I turned the bracelet on my wrist, acting as if I hadn't heard him, and said goodbye to the gentlemen.

"Gentlemen, enjoy yourselves. I have a meeting early tomorrow."

After a few polite exchanges, I'd already taken two steps toward the exit.

People around me began stepping aside, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Miss Laura, have a good evening."

"Miss Laura, see you at next week's meeting."

"Miss Laura, please give my regards to your father."

President Laura. Not Charlie's wife.