"You never know what you have until you lose it!" This was the case for Samuel who despised his wife throughout their marriage. Tessa gave her all to Samuel. But what did he do? He treated her like a useless rag. In his eyes, she was selfish, unscrupulous, and disgusting. He wanted to be away from her at all times. He was happy to divorce her. However, his happiness didn't last. He soon realized that he had let go of a jewel of inestimable value. By this time, Tessa was already doing well for herself. "Tessa love, I know I was such a jerk, but I have learned my lessons. Give me another chance," Samuel begged with teary eyes. "Ha-ha! You are a comedian, Samuel. Weren't you always disgusted with me? What changed now?" Tessa sneered, eyeing him. "I changed, my love. I became a better man. Please take me back. I won't stop until you agree." With her eyes shooting lasers, Tessa yelled, "Get the hell out of my sight! I don't want to ever see you again!"
The thud of paper landing on a hard surface echoed in the room.
A divorce agreement was thrown in front of Tessa Lopez.
"Your cousin has woken up, and I've promised her that she'll be my only wife for as long as she lives. Sign it, Tessa, so that we can finally end this marriage."
Tessa's expression did not show the slightest sign of surprise. She already knew this would happen the moment she heard that her cousin had woken up.
She looked at the man and asked bitterly, "You still don't believe me, do you?"
Samuel Pearson sneered. "Why should I believe in a greedy and vain woman like you? Anyway, don't make me repeat myself. Sign it, and this villa will be yours. That should be enough for you, right? I'm being generous already."
Tessa smiled mockingly.
He genuinely believed that he was being generous to her just because he was giving her a house.
She picked up the document and read it. His signature was already on it.
Tessa felt a lump in her throat and a strong desire to cry.
However, she forced herself to calm down.
She turned her gaze back to Samuel and questioned, "Did Grandma agree to this?"
"You can't always rely on Grandma whenever the odds are stacked against you. She won't help you every time." In a cold tone, Samuel added, "You know damn well why I married you. Now, stop being greedy, or I'll hate you even more."
Tessa rolled her eyes. "You already despise me. What difference will it make if you hate me even more?"
"Tessa!" Samuel called impatiently.
"Okay, I'll sign it," Tessa said as she grabbed the pen.
Following her cousin's awakening, she received a deluge of intimate photos of her and Samuel. They were obviously in love, so there was no point in Tessa staying married to him.
With that in mind, she crossed off the name of the villa on the divorce agreement before finally signing it.
Just like that, their marriage of three years had come to an end.
She was free at last.
Tessa gave Samuel the divorce papers and said, "Give me an hour. I'll be on my way as soon as I finish packing."
Samuel furrowed his brows. He gave her a hard look and replied, "This villa is yours. You don't have to leave."
"I don't need it. For me, every place you've been to..." After a chuckle, she continued, "They're all filthy."
"Tessa!"
Ignoring Samuel's outburst of rage, she pushed him out of the room, no longer as submissive as she used to be.
An hour later, Tessa discovered that Samuel was gone when she went downstairs. She looked down at the Casio men's watch in her hand.
It was a gift she had prepared for his upcoming birthday. But now it was useless since she had cut off any expectation of him. In fact, just looking at it stung like hell.
Without hesitation, she dumped the million-dollar watch in the bin.
She sighed deeply, lamenting that the past three years had been for naught.
It was all over now, though. From now on, she would live for herself.
Tessa rode in a taxi to get to her own private residence.
She had purchased her villa years ago, but she never returned to it because she had moved to live with Samuel instead.
The servants were all shocked to see her. A moment later, they were standing in a row, their voices raised in a reverent chorus: "Welcome home, Mrs. Pearson!"
Setting her luggage down, Tessa flopped onto the sofa and massaged the skin above her brows. She corrected, "I'm not Mrs. Pearson anymore. Call me Miss Lopez from now on."
She once took pride in being known as Mrs. Pearson, but now, she found the title ironic.
Despite their curiosity, the servants left without asking any questions.
Once she was in her room, Tessa called her assistant, Monica Herbert. "Hey, how are you doing?"
"You called me first. This is new," Monica remarked, with surprise evident in her tone. "Did something happen?"
"As of today, I'm officially single again. From now on, I'm going to do nothing other than focus on my career."
"What? Really?" Monica exclaimed in disbelief.
"Oh my god! Did I hear it wrong? You've been so devoted to your husband over the past three years that you even quit your job to become a full-time housewife. Why did you two split up? You're not kidding me, are you?"
Monica was her assistant. She was one of the few people who knew that Tessa had another identity.
Unbeknownst to others, Tessa was a top-notch lawyer who went by the name Iris.
And she was not just an ordinary lawyer. In fact, the mere mention of her name was enough to strike fear into the hearts of many lawyers.
"Has anyone asked for me recently?" Tessa asked Monica, who had yet to recover from the shock. "Are there any interesting cases?"
Monica recalled a recent event and sighed. "Yes, there is, and the client is offering an extremely high reward to anyone who can help them win the case. However, no one is brave enough to accept it. Also, you absolutely can't accept it."
"Tell me more about it." Tessa was intrigued now.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Despite being an illegitimate daughter, Lena bore a striking resemblance to the young lady of the Evans family. Faced with their threats, she was forced to take her half-sister’s place and marry Dylan. As an act of defiance, Lena seduced Dylan night after night, until she had him completely wrapped around her finger. Using his affections to her advantage, she set out to undermine the Evans family. Over time, Dylan began to notice something odd about his beloved wife...
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
To the public, Arabella was Owen's trusty secretary who catered to all his needs and served as the primary blood donor of his beloved, who was in a coma. Behind closed doors, she was Owen's submissive wife. Arabella was quiet and obedient, and she endured every humiliation without a word of protest. Rumored to be a neat freak, Owen had tossed the last woman who had dared to kiss him into the river. Yet he pinned Arabella against the wall and demanded, "Give me a child, and I’ll let you go!" Arabella pushed him away and flashed him a cold smile. "You are not worthy!"
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
What happens when a hook-up gets complicated by a baby? Can she hide the secret from him? Or will he show her how possessive he can be when he learns she's carrying his child? "Seven years ago, I had a one-night stand with my brother's best friend, who also happened to be my lifelong crush. The next day, he vanished leaving me pregnant. Now, I am a single mom raising our son in the same small town. Recently, he returned to attend my brother's wedding and the truth about our son was finally revealed. As he reclaims his place in our lives, the sparks between us reignite. However, danger from his past threatens to shatter our newfound connection. I am torn between my love for him and my fear of getting hurt again, especially now that I have two hearts to protect - our son's and my own."