Part 1:

I arrived with red tulips, two first-class tickets to Paris, and a ridiculous smile I couldn't hide.

Valentine's Day has always had a special meaning for Daniel and I.

Not flowers.

Not chocolate.

Paris.

For years, Daniel had promised, “One day, Olivia, I will take you there and make you forget every horrible boardroom we endured.”

That year I decided that I would be the one to make it happen.

But when the elevator opened on the forty-second floor of Whitmore & Vale, thunderous applause filled the hallway.

For a naive moment, I thought that Daniel had somehow discovered my surprise and prepared one of his own.

Then I noticed the champagne tower.

The silver balloons.

And the huge banner stretched across the entire glass wall of the conference room.

CONGRATULATIONS, DANIEL AND VIVIENNE

My fingers tightened around the tulip stems.

Daniel stood near the conference room, wearing the dark blue suit I'd helped him pick out. Next to him was Vivienne Shaw, the company's newly appointed CEO, dressed in white silk, her hand resting possessively on his chest.

Before I could move, my husband leaned forward and kissed her.

It wasn't a friendly kiss.

It was slow, intimate, and achingly familiar.

The employees applauded.

Then Daniel lifted Vivienne's left hand, revealing a large diamond ring under the office lights.

Vivienne laughed.

“I said yes.”

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Power couple!”

My husband smiled as if he had conquered the world.

Meanwhile, I stood twelve feet away, holding a trip to Paris in one hand and some flowers in the other.

Daniel finally noticed me.

His smile faded.

Vivienne followed his gaze. Her expression betrayed no guilt.

He showed the calculations.

The applause faded until the entire room fell silent.

“Olivia,” Daniel said.

When he said it, my name sounded almost offensive.

I looked at the diamond, then at him.

"Congratulations."

His face went pale.

“It's not what it seems.”

“Apparently my husband just got engaged to another woman who works at the same company I started.”

Nobody moved.

Vivienne raised her chin.

“Perhaps this conversation should happen in private.”

I smiled at her.

“You chose your audience.”

I placed the tulips on the reception counter, opened the airline app, and cancelled both tickets to Paris while Daniel watched.

His phone vibrated.

Mine did the same too.

The first confirmation informed me that the joint bank accounts had been frozen.

The second message came from my lawyer.

The withdrawal notice has been filed. It takes effect immediately.

My eighty-three percent stake in Whitmore & Vale, valued at approximately $558 million, was no longer available as corporate collateral.

From across the room, the CFO shouted, “What happened to our operating reserve?”

Daniel rushed towards me.

“Olivia, wait!”

I entered the elevator and exited without looking back.

When I finally reached my penthouse, I had 152 missed calls.

Then the bell rang.

Through the security camera, I saw Daniel standing outside with his tie loosened and his hair ruined from repeatedly running his hands through it.

Vivienne was following him.

She was still wearing her engagement ring.

This made me angrier than the kiss.

Daniel pressed the button again.

“Olivia, open the door. We need to talk.”

I activated the intercom.

“You have three minutes.”

He stared at the speaker.

“Three minutes? I'm your husband.”

"Legally, perhaps. Emotionally, you resigned in front of two hundred employees."

Vivienne approached the camera.

“Ms. Whitmore, I understand that today has been a painful day, but your reaction has created a serious company emergency.”

I almost laughed.

“My reaction?”

Daniel leaned toward the door.

“You have frozen accounts relating to salaries, suppliers and acquisitions.”

"I've frozen our marital bank accounts. The company is suffering because you used my stake as collateral without my permission."

Silence fell in the corridor.

Daniel's gaze shifted.

That was confirmation enough.

I opened the door but left the safety chain on.

A look of relief appeared on his face, until he saw mine.

“Olivia,” he said softly, “I made a mistake.”

“You proposed marriage in public to another woman.”

“It was a strategic move.”

I stared at him.

Vivienne let out an impatient sigh.