The Billionaire's Discarded Wife Strikes Back

Every mistress knows the unspoken rule: never outshine the legitimate wife.

But the canary my husband kept in a gilded cage had forgotten her place. Not only did she flaunt the diamond ring that symbolized Mrs. Gilbert's position—she dared to attend the family banquet at the old estate.

Someone had warned the little bird not to overstep. She didn't care. She flashed the diamond under the chandelier lights, her voice carrying across the room.

"She's washed up. A withered flower from yesterday. Mr. Gilbert gave me the wedding ring."

"Titles don't matter. Whoever Mr. Gilbert dotes on is the real treasure. She's just a used rag—damaged goods no one else would touch."

My mother swayed, her face draining of color. I caught her arm before she could collapse.

"There's no true love in a marriage of convenience, Mother," I said quietly. "He lacks propriety, bringing a mistress to a family banquet. For that, he'll pay a heavy price."

"But the gossip..." she whispered.

"A few whispers are nothing compared to the Gilbert fortune." I met her eyes. "If their son is incompetent, then I, the dutiful daughter-in-law, will simply take the reins."

——

She searched my face for the naive girl who had worshipped Jesse Gilbert ten years ago. She found only ice.

Around us, the guests cast probing glances, hungry for a scene. They wanted screaming. Hair-pulling. A laughingstock.

I denied them the satisfaction. I turned away.

"Only what you hold in your hand is real," I told my mother. "Go to the back parlor and rest."

Seeing the absence of sorrow in my eyes, she finally exhaled. "As long as you have a plan. I believe in you."

When I turned back, Jesse Gilbert was approaching. Joanna Fox clung to his arm like a decorative parasite.

She extended her hand toward me, the enormous diamond catching the light.

"Hello, Miss Tessa Matthews."

The room fell silent. My maiden name—a calculated slap in the face.

This banquet, organized by Old Mr. Gilbert, was attended by every significant relative and business partner. Everyone here knew I was the rightful Mrs. Gilbert.

A mocking smile played on Jesse's lips as he looked past me to my mother.

"Mom, meet my new secretary. Bold, isn't she? No stage fright, no matter how big the occasion."

"Her nerve is impressive," he continued. "Daring to come to a place like this."

My mother's expression darkened. She hadn't expected Jesse to be this brazen—parading his mistress in front of his mother-in-law.

My blood ran cold. "Jesse. That's enough."

I could tolerate his disrespect toward me—I extracted tangible benefits from our arrangement. But I wouldn't let him humiliate my mother. She had treated him like her own son for a decade.

Jesse didn't care. He grinned, his eyes gleaming.

"I heard your husband had a penchant for secretaries too. Caused quite the scandal. Nearly divorced you over it." He paused. "But don't worry, Mom. I won't go that far. As long as Tessa stays obedient, she can keep the title of Mrs. Gilbert forever."

My father's infidelity was my mother's eternal wound—the shadow that had darkened my entire childhood.

Jesse knew this. He used it as a punchline.

The boy who once wept in my arms ten years ago is dead, I thought. The stranger before me shares his face, but none of his soul.

The disappointment cut colder than the betrayal.

Joanna stepped between me and my mother, blinking innocently.

"Just be obedient like a good little pug. Woof, woof."

Jesse patted the top of her head, his touch sickeningly tender. "Play nice, Joanna."

His attitude was on full display. The crowd's gaze shifted from curiosity to open contempt.

"Tessa Matthews is really clinging to the title. How stifling."

"What Mrs. Gilbert? Looks like she's about to be replaced."

"They were the golden couple back then. How things change."

Jesse's eyes locked onto the guest who had whispered "golden couple."

"A golden couple?" He scoffed. "She's just a worn-out shoe someone else broke in. Less of a 'golden girl' and more of a 'tainted woman,' wouldn't you say?"