I couldn't help but look up at the people laughing and chatting inside the private room.
Under the dim, romantic lighting, Curtis was drinking a lover's toast with Margot, their lips meeting over the rim of the glass.
Margot pretended to stumble and fell into Curtis's arms, her face flushing red as the others whooped and cheered.
One of his friends laughed and teased him.
"Curtis, you really know how to play the game."
"Didn't spend a dime and still landed Emma Henson—that gorgeous woman—and kept her devoted to you all these years."
"But aren't you worried she'll find out and turn on you?"
Curtis lifted Margot's hand and kissed it lightly, then laughed like it was nothing.
"You know how much Emma owes in penalties for breaking her contract?"
"Eight hundred million dollars."
"Without me, she couldn't pay that off in a lifetime."
"So no matter what happens, she has no choice but to stay right by my side."
With that, Curtis smugly shared his expertise in "wife management" with the room.
How he'd bankrupted my family's company, then swooped in like a hero to win my heart.
How he'd used a box of fever medicine to destroy my reputation and wreck my career, leaving me no choice but to stay with him.
As he spoke, his face was full of pride.
He had no idea that outside the room, tears were streaming down my face.
When I first met Curtis, I was at the lowest point of my life.
My family's company had gone bankrupt. My father had taken his own life out of despair.
My mother, who had never weathered any real hardship, had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital.
To make money, I threw myself into every job I could get—acting, anything.
But I was drowning in lawsuits back then. Every actor and director who'd been friendly with me suddenly wanted nothing to do with me.
Only Curtis stepped forward to help.
It was a sunny day. He crouched down in front of me and smiled.
"Emma, I've seen your work."
"You're genuine. Beautiful. Nothing like those people chasing fame and fortune."
"Give me a chance—let me do something for you."
Before I could even respond, Curtis had already sprung into action.
He paid off every debt my family owed in one stroke.
He brought in the best specialists to treat my mother.
Designer jewelry, a mansion, a diamond ring—Curtis gave them freely, without hesitation.
When he found out I loved animals, he spared no expense.
In Capital City, where every inch of land cost a fortune, he built me an estate spanning several acres.
Everyone said I was lucky, landing a golden benefactor like Curtis.
He'd lifted me from a nobody actress to an A-list star.
Back then, I was at that age when girls fall in love easily.
I didn't understand how quickly things could change, or how cruel people could be.
So I let myself fall for his warmth and generosity.
Then, on our wedding day, Curtis said to me:
"Emma, I've been burned before. The thing I hate most in this world is a gold digger."
"I want our love to be pure—no money, no ulterior motives."
For that, he'd prepared a special divorce agreement.
The terms were crystal clear.
Curtis would take only one dollar a year in salary.
If we divorced, my share of the assets would be exactly that—one dollar.
To put his mind at ease, to prove my love was real—
I signed my name on that agreement without a second thought.
But after the wedding, I discovered the truth.
Curtis's scheming went far deeper than I'd imagined.
Every investment he'd made in my family had been structured as a loan.
Every single dollar, I had to repay—with interest.
All that jewelry? It was registered under Georgina Delgado's name.
