Betrayed by My Husband, Reborn as a Tech Queen

I went undercover to an overseas R&D center for two years, working in isolation to crack the core AI chip technology for my husband's tech company. He promised me that once we achieved the technical breakthrough, I would be named co-founder when the company went public.

But when I returned home with patents that could revolutionize the entire industry, I discovered my private office had been turned into a nursery.

At the pre-IPO celebration party, he was holding my intern assistant in his arms, announcing that she was now the company's youngest CTO.

The intern rubbed her slightly rounded belly, her face full of smug satisfaction. I let out a cold laugh and shut down all the core servers with a flick of my wrist.

Want to use my life's work to elevate your mistress? I'll make your entire company go down with you!

**1**

Bang! I shoved open the doors to the penthouse ballroom.

Inside, the lights blazed and designer dresses swirled.

To crack that critical technical barrier, I'd worked day and night in Silicon Valley for two years. I slept less than four hours a day and ended up in the ER three times from exhaustion.

I came back with the final patent authorization, thrilled to give my husband Ethan Chase a huge surprise.

But the scene before me was like a bucket of ice water poured from the top of my head straight down to my feet.

On the stage in the center of the ballroom, Ethan wore the custom-tailored suit I'd personally ordered for him. His arm was wrapped intimately around the waist of a young woman.

It was Madison, the intern assistant I'd hired before going abroad. A fresh graduate who couldn't even write basic code and only knew how to act cute and flirt.

Right now, she was wearing a gorgeous evening gown with that sapphire necklace around her neckthe one I'd admired at an auction, the one Ethan had said was "too expensive, maybe later."

"Ladies and gentlemen, investors!" Ethan raised his glass, his voice booming with pride. "Today is the most important day in Summers Tech's history! Our core AI chip development is finally complete, and next month, the company will officially ring the bell on the stock exchange!"

Thunderous applause erupted below.

Ethan lowered his head and kissed Madison on the forehead, his eyes dripping with affection.

"Here, I want to give special thanks to one person. Our company's new CTO, and my future wifeMadison!"

"These past two years, she led the team working day and night to achieve today's technical breakthrough. And she's also carrying my child. Double blessings!"

The whole room exploded.

"Mr. Chase and Ms. Cooper are such a perfect match!"

"Congratulations, Mr. Chase! Double blessings indeed!"

"Ms. Cooper is so young and already shouldering the technical operationswhat a powerhouse!"

I stood in the doorway listening to this nauseating flattery, feeling like I'd entered some absurd alternate reality.

Madison led the team? Technical breakthrough?

She couldn't tell C++ from Java if her life depended on it. What the hell did she break through?

These past two years, I was overseas with a handful of core engineers, under crushing pressure, writing that underlying core code line by line.

I'd traded half my life for these results, and now they'd become her ticket to promotion and status as the mother of his child?

I took a deep breath, my heels clicking as I walked toward the stage step by step.

The sound of my stilettos striking the marble floor rang especially clear in the gradually quieting ballroom.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

The executives who used to call me "Ms. Summers" all changed their expressions when they saw me, their eyes shifty, whispering among themselves.

When Ethan saw me, the smile froze on his face.

He instinctively released his arm from around Madison, a flash of panic in his eyes, quickly replaced by coldness and impatience.

Madison saw me too. Not only did she show no guilt, she actually thrust out her barely visible belly and leaned closer to Ethan, speaking in a saccharine voice.

"Oh, Lila! You're finally back!"

She raised her glass of juice, looking down at me from her position above, every inch the victor.

"Please, have a seat. Everyone's celebrating. You've worked hard 'studying abroad' these two years. Now that I'm handling the company's technical R&D, you can just rest easy."

I looked at her smug face and laughed coldly.

"Studying abroad? Handling things?"

I turned and stared hard at Ethan.

"Ethan Chase, is this what you told them about me? I nearly killed myself developing technology for you overseas, and you told them I went to study abroad?"

Ethan frowned, hurried down from the stage, and hissed at me in a low voice:

"Lila, what are you making a scene for? There are investors here. Don't embarrass me!"

"Embarrass you?" I shook off his outstretched hand. "You're using code I wrote to elevate your mistress, and you don't feel embarrassed, so why should I?"

**2**

Ethan's face turned iron gray.

"What are you talking about! What do you mean 'your code'? That's the collective achievement of the company team! Madison, as project lead, made invaluable contributions!"

"Lila, I know you feel bitter. But you need to face reality. These two years you weren't in the country, Madison helped me manage everything at the company, top to bottom."

"She's not only capable at work, she's also carrying my child. I owe her something."

His self-righteous tone made it sound like I was the one who'd cheated and stolen credit.

I was so angry I laughed, pointing at Madison's meticulously made-up face.

"Capable at work? She can't even understand basic algorithmic logic. What project could she possibly lead? The project of providing you inspiration in bed?"

"Smack!"

Ethan suddenly raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

The force was so strong it made me stumble and fall to the ground.

I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

The entire room fell deathly silent.

Madison screamed and hid behind Ethan, clutching her belly and putting on a fragile act.

"Ethan, don't hit Lila, she just can't accept it yet... Oh! My stomach hurts a little..."

Hearing this, Ethan immediately tensed up, quickly supporting Madison, then turning to point at me viciously.

"Lila! Watch your mouth! If you dare hurt the baby in Madison's belly, I'll never forgive you!"

The surrounding executives and colleagues started criticizing me too.

"Lila, you're being so unreasonable. Mr. Chase is worth billions nowwhat's wrong with getting a younger, prettier wife?"

"Exactly. Ms. Cooper is a company hero now. You haven't contributed anything in two years, so what gives you the right to make a scene here?"

"Just apologize to Ms. Cooper and stop making Mr. Chase angry."

I got up from the floor, wiped the blood from my mouth, and looked at these boot-licking faces. My heart went completely cold.

Years ago, Ethan and I started our business in a hundred-square-foot basement apartment.

To land our first investment, I drank with investors until I had a stomach hemorrhage and spent two weeks in the hospital.

To meet project deadlines, I pulled so many all-nighters I developed sudden hearing loss in my left ear. My hearing still hasn't fully recovered.

I built him up from a penniless nobody into the glamorous tech mogul he is today.

Now that he's successful, he wants to dump his devoted wife?

"Ethan Chase, have you forgotten that I own forty-nine percent of Summers Tech's shares!"

I stared at him coldly.

"Want me gone? Fine. Split the company in half, and I'll take what's mine!"

Ethan laughed like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.

He straightened his tie, walked up to me, and said in a voice only we could hear:

"Shares? Lila, while you were abroad these two years, the domestic equity went through several rounds of dilution and restructuring."

"The shares you hold now amount to less than one percent."

"For old times' sake, I've prepared five hundred thousand in compensation. Take the money, sign the divorce papers, and hand over the core source code."

"Otherwise, you won't get a dime, and I'll make sure you can't work anywhere in this industry!"

My whole body trembled as I clenched my teeth.

"Five hundred thousand? To buy out half my company? To buy two years of my life?"

"Ethan Chase, dream on!"

I turned to leave.

"Stop!"

Ethan shouted.

A dozen burly security guards immediately rushed forward and surrounded me.

Ethan walked up behind me, his voice icy.

"Lila, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty. Without that source code, the company's chips can't go into production and the IPO will fall through."

"If you don't hand over the hard drive with the source code today, don't think about leaving through that door."

He was going to rob me outright.

I looked at the menacing security guards around me and pulled a black encrypted hard drive from my bag.

Ethan's eyes lit up as he reached to snatch it.

I laughed coldly and smashed the hard drive toward the champagne tower beside us.

"Crash"

The sound of shattering glass rang out. The hard drive fell to the floor, and without hesitation, I raised my stiletto heel and stomped down hard.

"Crack!" The hard drive shattered into pieces.

"Want the source code? In your next life!"

Ethan's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he lunged at me like a madman.

"Lila! You crazy bitch! I'll kill you!"

I took advantage of the chaos to shove a guard aside and ran out of the ballroom without looking back.

**3**

Outside, the rain was pouring.

I didn't have an umbrella. I was soaked through, and the cold wind cut straight to my heart.

I got in a cab and went back to the downtown villa Ethan and I shared.

We'd bought it for our third wedding anniversary. I'd sold the old house my mom left me to come up with the down payment.

I walked to the door and habitually entered my fingerprint.

"Beepfingerprint error."

I froze for a moment, then entered the passcode.

"Passcode error."

I pounded on the door.

"Open up! Let me in!"

After a while, the door finally cracked open.

It was Ethan's mothermy mother-in-law.

She wore a silk robe and held a glass of red wine, looking at me with complete irritation.

"Wailing like a banshee in the middle of the night! What's all the noise!"

Seeing it was me, she rolled her eyes and moved to close the door.

I jammed my hand against the doorframe, staring at her coldly.

"This is my home. Let me in."

My mother-in-law scoffed and looked me up and down in my bedraggled state.

"Your home? The property deed has my son's name on it! You can't even have childrenwhat gives you the right to call this your home?"

"Ethan already told me you're getting divorced. Madison's moving in soon, and she's carrying our family's heir!"

"Get lost and don't bring your poverty stench into our house!"

The sound of high heels came from inside.

Madison appeared wearing my limited-edition slippers and my cashmere wrap, holding an apple, walking over leisurely.

"Mom, who's making all that noise? It's upsetting the baby."

My mother-in-law immediately put on a fawning smile and rushed to support her.

"Oh, my precious! Walk slowly, don't disturb the baby. It's just a beggar. I'll get rid of her right away."

Madison walked to the door and looked at me with fake surprise.

"Oh my, Lila! Look at you, all soaked! Didn't Ethan arrange a hotel for you?"

"You know, Ethan said the master bedroom decor is too old-fashioned. Tomorrow they're tearing it all out to renovate and make it into a nursery for me."

"All your raggedy old clothes and junkI had the maid pack them up and throw them in the trash bins in the basement garage."

I shoved past my mother-in-law, forced my way inside, and ran straight for the second-floor study.

That's where my father's last possession was kepta programming notebook he'd written by hand.

It was my most precious treasure!

I burst into the study. It had already been ransacked.

My desk had been cleared out. All the books on the shelves were gone.

I whipped around, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at Madison, who'd followed me up.

"Where's my dad's notebook?!"

Madison covered her mouth and giggled.

"That ratty old thing? The pages were all yellow, covered in chicken scratch I couldn't even read. I thought it was dirty, so I had the maid burn it as scrap paper."

"Lila, you're not going to get mad at me over some old notebook, are you? I'm pregnant, you know."

Burned...

My mind went "boom," and my last shred of rationality snapped completely.

I charged at her like a crazed lioness, grabbed her hair, and slapped her hard across the face.

"Smack!"

"You dared burn my father's belongings! I'll kill you!"

Madison let out a pig-like squeal, struggling desperately.

My mother-in-law screeched and rushed at me, scratching and clawing, yanking at my clothes.

"You jinx! You dare hit my grandson's mother! I'll kill you!"

I kicked my mother-in-law, sending her sprawling, grabbed Madison by the hair, and slammed her face hard against the wall.

"Give me back my dad's notebook! Give it back!"

Madison's forehead split open and bled. She burst into hysterical tears.

"Help! Murder! Mom, save me!"

Suddenly urgent footsteps came from outside.

Ethan burst in with several bodyguards.

Seeing the scene, his eyes went wild and he roared:

"Lila! Stop it right now!"

He rushed forward and kicked me in the stomach without mercy.

I flew backward and crashed hard into the stair railing. My internal organs felt like they'd shifted. I curled up on the ground in agony, unable to breathe for what felt like forever.

Ethan tenderly gathered Madison's bloodied form into his arms.

"Madison, Madison, are you okay? Does your stomach hurt?"

Madison collapsed into his embrace, crying pitifully.

"Ethan, it hurts so much... Lila tried to kill me, she tried to kill our baby..."

Ethan turned his head, his eyes vicious enough to devour someone.

"Lila, you're absolutely insane! A monster!"

"Let me tell you, after what you did to Madison today, I will never forgive you!"

"Throw her out! Never let her set foot in here again!"

Several bodyguards came over, dragged me up from the floor like a dead dog, and threw me out the front door.

"Bang!"

The heavy door slammed shut mercilessly in front of me.

I lay in the freezing rain, the violent pain in my abdomen nearly making me pass out.

Rainwater mixed with mud streamed into my eyes, blurring my vision.

I bit my lip hard until I tasted thick blood.

Ethan Chase. Madison Cooper. That old hag.

You'll pay back everything you owe me a thousand times, ten thousand times over!

**4**

I don't know how long I lay there in the rain.

Until a pair of black custom leather shoes stopped in front of me.

A black umbrella opened above my head, blocking out the torrential downpour.

I struggled to lift my head.

Before me was an extremely cold, sharply defined face.

Adrian Sterling.

CEO of Sterling Empire, Ethan Chase's biggest business rival.

And for the past two years, my true "secret partner" overseas.

"Ms. Summers, seems like your celebration tonight wasn't very pleasant."

Adrian's voice was deep and magnetic, with a barely detectable hint of mockery.

I pushed myself up from the ground, swaying as I stood, and looked at him coldly.

"Mr. Sterling here to watch me suffer?"

Adrian chuckled softly, took off his black trench coat, and draped it over my shoulders.

"I'm just here to take my Chief Technology Officer home."

"The car's outside. Let's go."

I didn't refuse. I followed him to the Rolls-Royce Phantom parked by the curb.

The cabin had the heat on. Adrian handed me a cup of hot coffee.

"That hard drivedestroyed?" he asked casually.

I cradled the coffee cup, feeling its warmth.

"Fake. It had the complete series of some old cartoons on it."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, a smile of appreciation curving his lips.

"And the real source code?"

I pointed to my own head.

"All in here. No one else in the world can make that system run except me."

Adrian leaned back in the leather seat, his long fingers tapping lightly on his knee.

"Ethan thinks that as long as he kicks you out, he can take your technology to ring the bell at the stock exchange."

"He has no idea you already built a backdoor into that system."

I laughed coldly, a flash of ruthlessness in my eyes.

"Did he really think he could just take what's mine?"

"I'm going to make him fall as hard as he's climbed."

Adrian turned to look at me, his gaze deep.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Help me prepare a big gift." I looked out at the speeding nightscape. "Ethan wants to hold his IPO bell-ringing ceremony, doesn't he? I want the whole world to see his true face."

The next morning.

I was still resting in the hotel Adrian had arranged when my phone started ringing like crazy.

It was Ethan calling.

I hit answer and turned on the recording.

"Lila! What the hell did you do to the source code!"

On the other end, Ethan's voice was frantic, like a rabid boar.

"Why is all the test data showing errors? The system won't even start!"

"The investors are coming to see the final demo tomorrow. Hand over the decryption file right now!"

I took a leisurely sip of milk.

"Mr. Chase, we're getting divorced. Whether your company goes public or not has nothing to do with me."

Ethan gritted his teeth.

"Lila, don't push me!"

"You think I can't do anything if you don't hand it over?"

"Your brother's kidney transplant surgery years agothat went through company accounts! Three hundred thousand dollars!"

"I have all the transfer records and signatures. If I report this to the police, that's embezzlement, misappropriation of company funds!"

"Enough to put you away for ten years or more!"

My hand clenched suddenly, nails digging deep into my palm.

My brother had sudden kidney failure years ago and urgently needed a transplant. I was overseas in lockdown development and couldn't get back.

Ethan had volunteered to advance the money from company funds, saying I could pay it back from my dividends when I returned.

Turns out he'd been calculating this from the very beginning.

He'd deliberately made this transaction look like evidence of embezzlement just so he could have leverage over me today!

"Ethan Chase, you're truly despicable," I said through clenched teeth.

"No mercy in war!" Ethan sneered. "Three o'clock this afternoon. Come to the office, sign the divorce papers, and hand over the decryption file."

"Otherwise, just wait for the court summons and spend the rest of your life in prison!"

The call was brutally disconnected.

I looked at the blackened phone screen and laughed in fury.

Fine. Very good.

Ethan Chase, if you want to play, let's play big.