Love Lies and Redemption in the Thompson Family

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

Xiao Xiaosu

I went to the City Clerk’s office for a routine copy of my marriage license to finalize a trust fund audit. I expected a simple piece of paper, but the clerk’s pitying look told me my entire life was a lie. "The license was never finalized, Ms. Oliver. In the eyes of the state, you are single." The three-hundred-guest wedding at the Plaza and the Vogue features meant nothing. My husband, Gray Cooley, had intentionally filed the documents with a "procedural defect" so he could discard me without a legal divorce. Moments later, an iCloud invite titled "Our Little Secret" popped up on my screen. It was a photo of my best friend, Brylee, holding a positive pregnancy test at our Hamptons estate. Gray’s text to her was the final blow: "Happy anniversary, babe. This baby is the best gift. Once the trust unlocks today, we’re done with the charade." I soon discovered they were even stealing my career, reassigning my architectural masterpiece to Brylee while preparing my eviction notice. Gray's mother called me a "barren mule" in a leaked recording, mocking the infertility I suffered after saving Gray’s life in a construction accident. I wasn't a wife; I was a three-year placeholder used to secure his inheritance. How could the man I bled for treat me like a disposable prop? How could my best friend carry his child while pretending to comfort me through my darkest moments? The betrayal burned until it turned into a cold, hard stone of fury. I didn't cry. Instead, I walked into the penthouse of the Barretts, the Cooleys' most powerful rivals. I signed a marriage contract with Kane Barrett, the man the tabloids called the "Beast of Wall Street." "I want a wedding," I told his father, my voice steady and lethal. "Bigger than the one I had with Gray." If they wanted me gone, they would have to watch me become the woman who owns their world.

Modern Revenge Divorce Revenge Female-centered Divorce

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Chapter 1

I was born a sorceress from Zleanding.

With just a casual remark, "The witchcraft of Zleanding defies the laws of nature," the regent ordered the annihilation of my entire clan.

The fire blazed for three days, turning the entire town into a wasteland of ashes.

Amidst the darkness that engulfed the city, a man dressed in luxurious attire took my hand and asked, "If you seek revenge, I can help you."

Tears still streaked my face as I gripped his hand tightly, my voice resolute, "For the massacre of my clan, I will not rest until I have avenged them."

Because of my beauty, the women of the Imperial City saw me as their enemy.

They believed that I had won Tobias's favor solely because of my looks.

In reality, appearances meant nothing to Tobias. I had merely cast a spell on him.

"I don't know what tricks that woman used, but even the regent is completely enchanted by her."

"I heard she just arrived in the capital. She must be trying to gain entry into the Marsh Residence."

That's what people said about me.

But I liked listening to them. The more I listened, the more new information I gathered.

"Did you know? Mr. Marsh once had a wife whom he married through proper channels. She later died of illness, and Mr. Marsh was so heartbroken that he vowed never to remarry."

Never to remarry?

That night, Tobias appeared at my door, dressed in black official robes.

"Today, the court was in an uproar again over the matter of designating the heir. I've been busy with various official duties until now," he said, looking impatient.

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