Chapter 1

I had been in a relationship with Zachary Dawson for seven years and engaged for three when, out of the blue, Ruby White, the daughter of his mentor, moved into our home.

Sitting casually on the bed that Zachary and I shared, Ruby lounged with an air of nonchalance, her voice playful and teasing. "Zachary, the dental god, sure has a nice bed," she remarked with a smirk. "I can only imagine what it would be like to spend the night with him in this bed."

I captured the scene on my phone and sent the video to our family group chat with a brief message: Looks like Zachary might have a new girlfriend

Zachary rushed home, wrapping his arms protectively around a tearful Ruby. He pointed at me, his voice seething with anger. "My mentor's dying wish was for me to take care of Ruby! If you can't accept that, then move out!"

Honestly, my brows furrowed deeper than the wrinkles on the bedsheets Ruby had sat on.

Fine.

I didn't need the bed, and honestly, I didn't need a fiancé anymore.

*

I had a rare day off, but early in the morning, I was jolted awake by the incessant ringing of the doorbell. Barely awake, I shuffled to the door in my slippers. I didn't even have time to get changed.

As I opened the door, I found a young woman standing there. She gave me a dismissive once-over before pushing past me with her suitcase in tow.

I had never seen this woman before and certainly didn't know her. Instinctively, I stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed. "Move out of the way. It was Zachary, I mean, Deputy Director Dawson, who told me to move in."

Zachary? Move in?

My mind went blank.

Seven years of dating, three years of engagement—ten years in total—and now he was letting a stranger move into our home without even consulting me? Worse yet, it was our marital home.

Seeing my silence, the woman gave me a shove. "You must be Zachary's maid. You should know your place. Now hurry up and help me with these suitcases. And be careful—you won't be able to afford it if you break anything."

My frown deepened, and I asked her slowly, "Didn't Zachary tell you he has a fiancée?"

She scoffed. "Whether he told me or not, what's it got to do with you?

"He's been with that woman, Dr. Gray, was it? Ten years and he still hasn't married her. It's obvious he doesn't love her!

"My advice? Know your place. A washed-up woman like his fiancée stands no chance against me, Ruby White. You should reconsider where to place your loyalties."

Ruby White?

I let out a cold laugh. That name sounded familiar.

She was the daughter of Zachary's university mentor.

She cast me a sidelong glance before dragging her suitcases into the house, leaving dirty streaks across my once-spotless floors.

I had a severe case of OCD. I couldn't stand any dirt in my home.

Without hesitation, I snatched up her suitcases and tossed them outside the front door with a resounding "bang," dusting my hands off afterward. "Trash like this has no place inside."

Ruby clearly hadn't expected such a reaction. Her face twisted in shock as she shrieked at me while pointing a trembling finger. "How dare you! You think your master Zachary was really on a business trip the other day? Let me tell you! He took me on vacation, said he wanted to help me relax!

"How dare you treat me like this! He won't let you off when he gets back! I'll have him fire you!"

*

Business trip? Vacation?

Hmph, I should really thank her for telling me that.

I pointed toward the door with disgust, articulating each word clearly. "You can get out too, and take your trash with you. Thanks."

Ruby trembled with fury, her face flushed with anger, but instead of leaving, she fumbled for her phone, quickly dialing Zachary's number and putting the call on speaker.

It didn't take more than three seconds for the phone to connect. On the other end, Zachary's deep voice answered, "Ruby?"

Her voice immediately took on a tearful tone, full of false grievance. "Zach! Your maid must be crazy! She threw my luggage outside!"

I snatched the phone from her hand and, in a cold, cutting voice, said, "Dr. Dawson, I think you're the one who's crazy."

There was a moment of silence before Zachary's voice came through again, laced with irritation and a hint of warning. "Let Ruby inside."

Before I could even process what he said, Ruby triumphantly hung up the phone, shoved me aside, and strutted into the house, her high heels clacking against the floor.

With a sway of her hips, she looked around, eyes appraising the place.

"Who knew the stupid old man's student was so rich!" she sneered.

"Hmm… This chandelier looks... a little outdated. And this sofa? What kind of taste is this? The house is big enough, I suppose, but the decor is just so tacky. I'll have Zachary replace everything for me soon."

A wave of disgust welled up inside me as I watched her.

Zachary and I both worked at my father's renowned dental hospital, Everbright Dental. It was one of the top dental hospitals in the country.

My father had made it clear—if Zachary stayed faithful to me during our three-year engagement, he would be promoted from deputy director to director, and the hospital would eventually be his to manage.

There were less than two months left before the end of Zachary's probation period, and it seemed he couldn't keep his hands to himself any longer.

Without hesitation, I turned and headed for the bedroom, determined to toss every last one of Zachary's belongings out.

But before I even made it to the door, a sudden force shoved me from behind, sending me stumbling forward. I nearly fell to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" I spun around, my anger flaring.

Ruby stood there, arms crossed, a smug, challenging look on her face. "Tsk tsk, if you're a servant, act like one. Don't go throwing tantrums at your masters."

Before I could respond, she sauntered past me, making her way to the master bedroom—the room I shared with Zachary—and plopped down on the bed with a satisfied smirk.

Then she started taking selfies, her hands running over the bedspread, as if she were savoring it. She recorded a voice message and sent it to her friends. "I'm telling you, the dental god Zachary's bed... it's amazing.

"I wonder... what it's like to sleep with him?"

Dental god? Sleep with him?

The audacity.

I let out a cold laugh, marched downstairs, and sent the video I had just taken to the family group chat and added a caption: Looks like Zachary might have a new girlfriend.