“Do you even realize how serious this is?” I snapped. “If their company gets entangled in a scandal, your corporation will be dragged down with it—our family will share the blame.”
Before Damian could respond, Adriana spoke first, her voice trembling with false hurt.
“Emilia, I know you dislike me, but please don’t tarnish our company’s reputation with baseless accusations.”
I turned toward Damian, expecting him—just once—to stand beside me. Instead, his stare turned icy.
“Adriana is right,” he said flatly. “You never had a formal education, so you wouldn’t understand how corporate alliances work. How could you possibly tell whether this deal benefits us or not?”
The words stabbed straight through me.
“It’s better if you leave the business decisions to me,” he continued without hesitation. “Adriana managed executive responsibilities for three years. I won’t show favoritism just because you’re my wife, especially when you’re an uneducated orphan.”
My hands trembled under the table. My own husband had just humiliated me in front of everyone.
The rest of the dinner felt hollow and flavorless. I didn’t speak again. Damian kept glancing at me, uneasy, while his mother remained in high spirits—laughing loudly with Adriana as if victory had already been declared.
When I finally reached for an oyster, his mother suddenly slammed her chopsticks down.
“Emilia, I get that no one raised you properly,” she sneered, “but are you truly so foolish that you’d eat something this spicy while pregnant? Do you even care about the baby at all?”
Her gaze sharpened. “No wonder Damian has to watch over you so tightly.”
“Is this what you call him protecting me?” I shot back.
The entire table fell silent.
Even my mother-in-law was left momentarily speechless. Damian stared at me in disbelief.
“This oyster was prepared by my nutritionist for digestion,” I said quietly. “I brought it only because you rushed me during lunch and demanded that I hurry here with food for everyone.”
I rose slowly from my seat. “But it seems I’m nothing but a burden here. I shouldn’t have come at all.”
“Emilia!” Damian stood up and followed me outside.
“Emilia, my mother didn’t mean it that way,” he insisted. “Come back inside right now.”
I turned to him with a bitter smile.
“Damian, my parents are still very much alive. And if I had listened to them back then, I would never have chosen a place where I’m treated like an outsider every single day.”
He grabbed my shoulders, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re just saying this because you’re upset.”
“Let it go just this once,” he urged. “You need to be a good wife… a good daughter-in-law.”
Suddenly, Colin rushed over anxiously.
“Damian! Adriana can’t breathe properly—you need to come now!”
Damian looked torn. Then he turned to me.
“Emilia, go back inside. A storm’s coming. I’ll help Adriana first—just wait for me.”
I stared at him like I was looking at a stranger.
He hesitated, searching my face for permission he didn’t deserve, then squeezed my hand before letting go and running back to her.
A message flashed across my phone almost instantly—from his mother:
[You may come back inside now. I misunderstood earlier.]
[Let’s not ruin this dinner.]
I smiled through burning tears. It was never about me. It was always about image, status, and power.
---
Three years ago, I had been abducted during a business trip. My father and brothers had turned the entire city upside down searching for me, but my identity was kept hidden for my own safety.
In the end, it was Damian—the heir of the JadeMoon Corporation—who led the rescue operation.
My mother wanted to compensate him generously.
Instead, I told her I had fallen in love with him.
My brothers opposed everything. They warned me that as the only daughter of a powerful family, someone as cold and ruthless as Damian would never truly protect my heart.
How foolish I had been—believing love could outweigh status.
Tonight, my own husband had made it clear: without status, I was nothing.
---
Rain poured down mercilessly as I stood outside, soaked to the bone. I ignored every call and message telling me to return. Shame crushed my chest.
How could I go back now?
What would I tell my parents?
Would they even accept me after everything?
Suddenly, warmth wrapped around me.
Damian pulled me into his arms, drenched just like I was. “Are you okay?” he murmured. “I’m sorry I left you like that. But why couldn’t you just listen and go back inside?”
He pulled back slightly. “Adriana is really unwell. I brought her here myself—I couldn’t just abandon her. Even then, she told me to come find you. You should learn something from her.”
He sighed in frustration. “Mom kept calling you. Why are you always this stubborn?”
Then he noticed how pale my face had become.
Without another word, he took me to a nearby boutique so I could change into dry clothes.
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked afterward. “I’ll call a taxi to take you home.”
I shook my head. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I still have something to take care of—”
“You’re taking Adriana home, aren’t you?”
He stiffened. “What?”
For the first time, he realized I had seen through him.
Guilt and irritation collided across his face. “I’ll come back after dropping her off,” he said carefully. “She’s a single mother, Emilia. She’s sick. What if something happens to her on the way?”
I cut him off quietly.
“I understand,” I said. “She needs you because she’s weak and helpless. And I can go home alone—because I always have.”
