CHAPTER ONE

"It has been 3 years, I'm finally out..." Archer walked out from the prison, he took a deep breath of the fresh air. 

3 years ago, Archer's wife Eva made a big mistake on tax issue, which would land her into prison. To protect his wife, Archer took the blame instead of her.

But he would never imagine what an incredible experience he would have after he was put into the prison.

Archer took a deep breath and smiled, now he was able to make her the happiest woman in the world!

He stood in front of the door of the prison, he believed Eva would give him the warmest welcome. 

In the cold rain, Archer waited for almost an hour, finally a car came. He smiled as he saw that car, it belonged to his wife. But when the car stopped, another girl got out of the car.

It was his wife's secretary, Janice.

"Get on the car." She said coldly to Archer.

"Eva must be busy..." Archer thought.

Soon, the car stopped in front of a cafe, Archer walked in with confusion. Everything was different as what he imagined.

"Where's Eva, Janice?" Archer sat down and asked.

Janice ignored his question, she took out a stack of paper from her bag and threw them on the table.

"Archer, Ms Eva Austin asked me to give you this." She said without any expression on her face.

It wrote two big words on that stack of paper, "Divorce Agreement".

“What? It must be a joking, it's not interesting at all Janice, it's not the April Fool's day.” Archer said, his voice evidently showing that he was trying to control his anger.

 

The same woman whom he had sacrificed himself for, to protect her and her company had turned against him, serving him divorce papers on the same today he was released from prison and she didn’t even have the boldness to do it herself.

 

Miss Janice Mighty, Secretary to the CEO of Eve Pharmaceuticals, sat at the other end of the table, eagerly waving a pen at him.

 

“Sign the papers” she said in a cold, unpleasant voice, sneering at Archer with disdain.

 

“Ms Austin is doing you a favor by giving you one million dollars as alimony. You don’t deserve a pin, you good for nothing man” Janice snapped, but what did she know? Archer had been in prison for three years, and the real reason for his imprisonment remained between him and his wife.

 

“Where is Eva?” Archer asked again, his voice cool and calm as if her insults was barely scratching his surface.

 

Janice sneered at him, staring at him disdainfully, and said with a vicious tone,

 

"Ms Eva is a high career woman... she doesn't have time to attend to pathetic losers like you, if you wanted to see her, you should have booked an appointment.

 

Do you think that just because you were married to her, that you can see her anyhow?

 

Look at yourself, you're a miserable useless ex-con with no status or wealth. Don't you think being married to her will destroy her status and fame, you shameless nobody?"

 

“Sign the papers and keep the one million dollars, this is the closest chance you’ll ever get to being a millionaire.” Janice scoffed irritably, almost spitting in his face.

 

Archer withdrew from the table, resting his back on the base of the chair.

 

A rumble of soft unbelievable laughter escaped his lips and his face darkened in a shade of rage. His eyes became bloodshot, he could feel his heart thumping heavily from anger and betrayal.

 

His time in Prison had completely changed him from the pauper everybody thought he was to the heir of the richest company in the world.

 

Her company had become an Affiliate with The Sterling Group because he allowed it, but she was suddenly not in the same class with him anymore?

 

“Is this why she couldn’t show up today? To protect her fame and status?” Archer asked with a wry smile, withholding his anger.

 

“You’re not just an embarrassment to Ms Eva, you’re also daft in the head, because I already said she is too busy to meet you!”

 

“I want to see Eva”

“Eva doesn’t want to see you. Is this your way of begging for more money? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Trying to mooch off of a woman’s hard earned money”

 

“Sign the papers…”

 

“Why would I sign these documents without seeing my wife?!” Archer objected.

 

“How can you be so bold to call her your wife? You’re a miserable ex-convict with no status or class.

 

"This is your only opportunity to become a millionaire despite being an ex convict, you'll never get another chance like this and would probably die miserably in the cold streets begging for crumbs. Don't be as pathetic as we all think you are, take the money, you can finally be something of worth" Janice retorted, pointing a pen at him,

 

“If you have any dignity left in you, sign these papers and walk away quietly.”

 

“Not a lot of people can make that amount after three years.” Janice mocked.

 

A wry smile crossed his lips as he turned to Janice,

 

“I won’t sign these papers until Eva meets me” he said calmly.

 

“And I said, she is busy!”

 

“That’s enough, you two” a female voice bellowed from behind. Archer turned around and his eyes met a gorgeous jet black hair woman, making her way towards them. She carried herself with effortless elegance, swaying her hips as she walked towards them.

 

“Ms Austin!” Janice exclaimed, her cold tone suddenly shifted to a soft one.

 

“He has refused to sign the paper…” she reported.

 

“It’s okay, Janice. I’ll handle it myself” Eva replied.

 

Archer was stunned to see his wife after three years, she was even more beautiful than he imagined, her hips were round and ample, melting his frustrations and sadness.

 

“Hello Archer” Eva replied in her sleek small voice.

 

“What’s going on dear?” Archer asked softly.

 

“I want a divorce, that’s what” she replied sharply, even though she was filled with guilt and unable to hold Archer’s gaze.

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m sorry, do I need to explain why I need a divorce?!” Eva snapped.

 

“Yes, I need to know, at least.” Archer said.

 

“Really?” Eva asked,

 

“When we were married, what did you do to support my dreams? My life with you was miserable, you had no power or status to help me grow. And now, you’re an ex-convict… but everything has changed for me.”

 

“Huh!” Archer scoffed unbelievably.

 

“I did everything for you. I…”

 

“I don’t remember you doing anything tangible for me” Eva interrupted.

 

Archer’s mouth opened agape as he listened to his wife call him an obstruction to her breakthrough, when in fact, he was the reason for it.

 

“You don’t also remember me going to prison for you?” Archer asked in a calm voice.

 

“I didn’t ask you to do that!” Eva snapped.

 

“You did that out of your own freewill, and I have offered you one million dollars for your trouble, I will give you more if you want.”

 

“What?!” Archer exclaimed, his heart clenching in his chest. Eva’s words felt like a stab of betrayal.

 

“Three years ago, I…”

 

“That was three years ago!” Eva exclaimed,

 

“Now you don’t have anything going on for you!”

 

“But I have my company, I have my career and my whole life ahead of me”

 

“I recently became a partner with the most Valuable groups in the world,

Sterling Group!”

 

“What will people say when they find out my husband is fresh out of…” she paused, unable to speak the word.

“Prison” Archer completed the sentence, his voice dripping with disappointment.

 

“So you care about what people will say, more than you care about our marriage?”

 

Guilt flickered in her eyes and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

 

“I’m sorry, Archer, but some things can not be helped.” She said sadly,

 

“Please Archer, just sign the papers.”

 

“You will never understand me because you don’t have anything to lose…“

 

“I am grateful for our past, but that is our past.”

 

“Thank you for everything you did for me, but being indebted to you is not love”

 

Archer remained quiet watching her get eaten up by guilt yet her determination remained intact. Archer exhaled deeply and looked through the papers.

 

He paused briefly and a smile crept across his face, if only she knew that Archer Williams was the new CEO of the Sterling Group.

 

If only she knew that her company owes all its success to him… “if only you knew, Eva!” Archer muttered silently.