Chapter 1 Not the Housekeeper

The sun was blazing when Noelle Quinn came home with a bag full of groceries.

It was Sunday, and her son, Zayne Fuller, had been asking for fresh chicken wings. As such, she dragged herself under the scorching sun to get them.

When she unlocked the door with her hands full, the laughter in the house suddenly stopped.

Noelle froze. Without telling her, her husband, Clifford Fuller, had invited a group of friends over to the house. He was sitting on the couch, pressed close to his secretary, Lola Perez, with Zayne beside them.

There was a smear of lipstick on Clifford's neck, and the three of them looked like a perfect family.

Everyone turned when they heard the sound, and suddenly, all eyes were on Noelle.

"Who's this, Mr. Fuller? Your housekeeper?" someone blurted out.

Lola covered her mouth to hide a snicker. "You've got it wrong. This is Mr. Fuller's wife, so we should call her Mrs. Fuller."

The crowd's eyes widened in clear surprise as they sized Noelle up from head to toe. Almost instinctively, Noelle glanced down and checked her outfit, suddenly self-conscious.

As a full-time housewife for six years, Noelle spent her days doing household chores and caring for child. Comfort and practicality had long become her only criteria when she was choosing clothes.

But she could see the obvious disdain and unspoken judgment in their eyes. Even Clifford's gaze held nothing but lingering disgust.

"Why don't you ever bother to dress up, Mom?" Zayne complained, frowning. "Look at Ms. Perez. She's always so stylish in her pretty dresses and heels. She's even an amazing amateur racer!"

Pursing his lips, he continued, "Unlike you, you just cook and clean. You don't know how to do anything else."

Just then, an awkward tension filled the air. Noelle never expected her own son would humiliate her in front of so many strangers.

Her heart sank, and her gaze turned cold as she looked at Zayne. "Zayne, are you judging me?"

Zayne wasn't intimidated. He defiantly straightened up and shot back, "I'm just telling the truth! It's embarrassing to have a mom who can't do anything, and I'd rather have Ms. Perez as my mom!"

Clifford, who'd remained silent until that moment, snapped, "Zayne!"

Even if Zayne disliked Noelle, those words should never have been said aloud.

Noelle's eyes reddened, and her heart ached sharply. "Zayne, I'm asking you. Did you really mean that?"

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Lola's voice was sweet as she chimed in, "Zayne's just a kid, Mr. Fuller. There's nothing much he knows.

"Mrs. Fuller, surely you're not petty enough to hold a grudge against your son, are you?" She shot Noelle a smug look.

Noelle clenched her fist, and just as her barely contained anger was about to erupt, Clifford flatly cut in. "That's enough. Go make dinner. No point fighting with a kid."

Zayne immediately plastered on an innocent smile. "Yeah, I didn't mean it, Mom. Hurry up and cook. I want barbecue chicken wings!"

Noelle fell silent for a moment before picking up the groceries and walking into the kitchen, shutting out the noise from outside.

By the time she finished cooking and opened the kitchen door, the guests were almost gone. Only empty glasses and a complete mess were left.

Lola stepped out of the bathroom, smiling. "Thank you for cleaning up, Mrs. Fuller. Zayne suddenly wanted Willdenese food, so Mr. Fuller said we'd all eat out tonight."

Noelle looked at Zayne and Clifford, and the latter avoided her eyes as he asked, "Why don't you come with us?"

Zayne immediately protested, "No! I want dinner with Ms. Perez, Dad! Plus, Mom's cooked, and if she doesn't eat it, it'll have to be thrown out— Mom won’t allow that kind of waste!"

Noelle let out a short, bitter laugh. For six years, she'd cooked almost every meal, stretching every dollar while Clifford built his business from the ground up.

Now that his business was finally moving on the right track, he was tangled up with Lola. Even Zayne was siding with Lola.

Noelle walked to the trash can and threw the plate of barbecue chicken wings inside. Then, she coldly announced, "Zayne, from now on, you'll never taste my cooking again."

Zayne scoffed, "Who cares? Dad's rich, so I can eat out every day. I don't want to have the food you cook.

"Let's go, Ms. Perez!" He grabbed Lola's hand and left with her without turning back, while Lola shot Noelle a smug look.

As Noelle's heart throbbed with ache, Clifford frowned at the wasted food. "Have you lost your mind?"

Her expression was calm, though her heart felt hollow as she said, "Clifford, let's get a divorce."

His frown deepened. "You really have lost your mind."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, choosing to ignore her anger entirely.

She watched the door close behind him. And waited until her emotions settled for ten minutes before dialing a number.

On the other end, that person answered with excitement, "Noelle, does this mean you're coming back to train with the national team? The intensive closed-door training camp runs for three months. Are you sure you're ready?"

Chapter 2 I Wish You Were My Mom

The voice on the phone belonged to Jude Landaal, head coach of the national team.

Noelle firmly replied, "I've made up my mind. I just have some personal matters to settle, and I'll report to the training camp in a week."

Jude agreed without hesitation, "If you need help with anything, come to me. You would've been an international racing star if it weren't for marriage and kids. I'm glad you're coming back!"

Her heart clenched as she ended the call.

Six years ago, while heading for the racing circuit of an international race, Noelle encountered a car crash that killed her parents. When she woke up in the hospital, Clifford's face was the first thing she saw.

She used to think he was heaven's gift, the man sent to lift her during her lowest moments of despair. So, she married him and gave birth to Zayne a year later.

Even during pregnancy, she helped Clifford run his fledgling company. Once the business finally found its footing and Zayne was proven to be weak and sickly, she stayed home to care for him. Over time, she became nothing more than a useless housewife in everyone's eyes.

Instead of sinking into past memories, Noelle packed her suitcase and decided to move out that night.

In fact, there wasn't anything much she could pack. After six years of marriage to Clifford, all her belongings fit into just one suitcase.

She'd paid half for the house they lived in, but she didn't want it now. It disgusted her.

She booked a room at a high-end hotel. Just as she arrived at the entrance, she received a call from Zayne.

When she picked up, his voice came through. "Mom, Dad's drunk. He can't go home tonight, so I'm staying with him at a hotel."

She looked up and saw Lola in Clifford's arms through the hotel lobby's glass doors. Turning around, she hid herself behind a pillar and dug her nails into her palm. "I understand."

After the call ended, Zayne's voice drifted across the lobby. "Dad, Mom said it's fine for you to stay here tonight. Ms. Perez, you've got to take good care of him!"

Lola giggled and bent over to gently pinch his cheek. "Don't worry, Zayne. You'll have the theme suite tonight, where you can watch cartoons all night and eat all the snacks you want. Your mom isn't here to scold you."

Zayne clapped. "That's awesome! You're so much better than Mom, Ms. Perez. She's always so controlling, and I hate it. I wish you were my mom instead!"

Lola chuckled. "Well, you can call me 'Mom' when your mom isn't around. I don't mind."

And off to the side, Clifford said nothing, giving his silent approval.

Zayne beamed and called out, "Mom!"

Lola stroked his hair. "Good boy."

Behind the pillar, Noelle's heart ached so much she could barely breathe. The restriction she'd placed on him, limiting TV and tablets, was because Zayne was born with vision problems. Without strict control, too much screen time could deteriorate those existing issues and leave him blind.

Zayne'd always been weak. Too much junk food would ruin his appetite and leave his body malnourished and sickly.

But Zayne thought these restrictions were meant to destroy him.

That was just laughable.

She sneered as she watched the three of them step into the elevator. Then, she texted a private investigator the room number that Lola and Clifford checked into.

"Follow them until you have evidence."

That night, she barely slept. When the first light of dawn spilled into the room, she squinted against the glare and checked the pictures from the private investigator.

Clifford and Lola had spent the night at the hotel, just as she had suspected. At the same time, she found Lola's latest post on the internet.

Lola, with over a hundred thousand followers as an amateur racer, uploaded a mirror selfie in a bathrobe, flashing a diamond ring. The mirror reflected the massive hotel bed, and in the bed, the bare shoulder and half a man's back were unmistakable.

Noelle recognized Clifford instantly.

The caption read. "A gift from my love. Does anyone recognize this diamond ring?"

Comments poured in.

"Wow, he's so generous! That's ten carats at least. It must be worth millions!"

"Lola's gorgeous and deserves diamond rings of any size! Unlike me, my husband says I'm a washed-up housewife and only deserve a plain ring."

Noelle instinctively glanced at the plain wedding ring on her finger and managed an absurd laugh. After saving all the evidence, she washed up, then threw the ring and the last few pieces of her clothes from the suitcase into the trash can.

Immediately after, she headed straight for the mall for new clothes, facial treatments, and a new haircut.

As she browsed racks, she received a call from Clifford. "Noelle, it's Monday. Zayne needs breakfast before going off to school. Where are you?"

Noelle never cleaned up after they left last night, so the house was still in a mess.

She let out a dry laugh. "Zayne likes Lola and wants her to be his mom, doesn't he? Kindly have her step up and act like a real parent. She can make him breakfast and take him to school."

Chapter 3 Better Not Do Anything You Will Regret

Clifford fumed, "This is insane! Zayne's your son. How long are you going to keep this up!"

Before Noelle could answer, Zayne's wails came through the line. "I don't want Mom to take me to school, and I don't want to eat the breakfast she prepares either! I want to ride to school in your car, Dad!"

Noelle laughed outright. "Did you hear that, Clifford? Your son doesn't need me, so I'd suggest you think carefully about what I told you last night. Your time is running out."

With that, she decisively ended the call as a heavy, gloomy silence settled in her chest. After all the love and care she poured into raising Zayne, she might have been better off raising a stray dog.

She decided to browse other stores when a clear, mocking voice sounded behind her. "Well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Fuller? Shouldn't you be at home attending to Mr. Fuller and Mr. Zayne? What brings you out shopping?"

Noelle turned around as her cool, detached gaze fell on Lola. The latter stood beside a woman dressed in trendy, youthful attire with countless shopping bags dangling from her wrists.

In comparison, Noelle's two modest bags seemed almost pitiful.

Lola stepped closer with a sultry smile on her face. "Mrs. Fuller, is this about what Zayne said yesterday? Did it hurt you so much you decided to dress yourself up?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and feigned a look of pity. "Unfortunately, a 26-year-old woman can't compete with a 21-year-old. A woman loses her value once she's past 25."

Noelle's expression stayed the same as a cold smile tugged at her lips. "What's wrong? Are you not planning to make it to 26 yourself?"

Lola's eyes flashed with fury. "How dare you!" But she swallowed the rest of her words, aware of the friend standing behind her.

Leaning close to Noelle's ear, Lola whispered, "Old hag, it's pointless, no matter how you dress up. Clifford hasn't touched you in ages, has he? But he couldn't get enough of me last night again and again…"

Noelle took one step back, swung her arm, and sent a hard slap across Lola's face.

"Ah!" Lola shrieked as her friend rushed forward to steady her and shout at Noelle, "What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?"

Flexing her wrist, Noelle stared at Lola calmly as she said, "That was for your filthy mouth. Lola, if you love stealing others' husbands and children so much, you can have them.

"Don't worry. I don't recycle trash. Also, feel free to whine to Clifford because I recorded every word you said." She lifted her phone.

Intimidated by Noelle, Lola dared not take another step forward. All Lola could do was clutch her cheek, swallowing her rage.

Noelle smiled as she turned and walked away. If she could love with all her heart, she could let go just as easily.

…

At a private room in The Royal Blackout, Noelle downed glass after glass of liquor. Her phone kept flashing with Clifford's name, but she ignored it.

Instead, she waved the manager, Lindon Merle, over and pulled a stack of banknotes from her bag. "Bring me the best-looking man you've got with the best body!"

Lindon looked startled. After spending years working at the club, he'd seen wealthy women, but never anyone this young and gorgeous.

Following a facial treatment, Noelle had her hair freshly styled into soft waves, nothing like her usual disheveled hair. The black strappy dress clung to her figure, revealing her bare shoulders.

She still had the inheritance her parents had left behind, supposedly money she'd vowed never to touch.

"What? Isn't that enough?" She pulled out another bundle of banknotes on the table and snapped, "Go!"

Lindon nodded vigorously and scurried away to get the best male escort in the club.

Noelle poured herself another drink, but before she could take a sip, a strong hand seized her wrist and wrenched the glass away. "Stop drinking!"

Perfectly sober, she glared up at the man. Under the dim lights, his features were sharp, and his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar exposed his well-built chest.

He carried an air of elegance, and he was young and handsome. Noelle was pleased, as he was exactly what she'd asked for.

She hooked a finger under his chin and muttered, "Hello, handsome. For a man like you… How much for one night?"

The man's expression darkened as he slapped her hand aside. "Noelle, don't you know me anymore?"

She chuckled. "We know each other now, don't we?"

With a sudden tug at his collar, she yanked him close with only a finger separating them.

The man swallowed, clearly tempted by her flirt. His voice turned raspy as he said, "Do you have any idea what you're doing? You'll ruin yourself, so you'd better not do anything you'll regret!"

Noelle's lips curled up in a smirk. The next second, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Chapter 4 Here to Catch Me Cheating

Noelle hadn't kissed a man in years, not to mention that this man was perfection.

If she were sober, she'd never have crossed the line. But with the kick of liquor burning in her veins, the recklessness almost felt thrilling.

The moment her lips pressed to his, Hunter Haberkorn stiffened. Then, he quickly pulled her closer, cupping the back of her head as he returned her kiss.

If not for the car crash six years ago, he'd never have left her or given her to another man. Their bodies locked together as the kiss grew increasingly intense.

Outside the door, Clifford's furious voice boomed. "Noelle's getting more and more out of hand! She doesn't pick up Zayne from school, won't make dinner, and runs off to a place like this to drink!"

The kiss came to a brief pause before Hunter slid an arm around Noelle's waist and led her toward the private room's restroom.

Their lips found each other again, and the kiss deepened until her breath grew rapid. As his teeth sank into her earlobe, she clawed at his shirt, just to keep herself from crying out.

Right then, Zayne's voice rang out from outside. "Dad, Mom must be out looking for some other guy. She's disobedient, and I don't like her at all!"

Noelle let out a bitter laugh, only to be stifled almost instantly by Hunter's bite on her lips.

Lola kindly piped up, "She's your biological mom, Zayne. Even if you don't like her, you shouldn't say such things in front of her. It'd hurt her feelings."

Noelle nearly laughed out loud. She leaned closer to Hunter's ear, whispered her number, and pressed a hand against his chest playfully. "Good service. I'll request you again next time."

After planting a quick kiss at the corner of his lips, she pushed open the restroom door as footsteps approached. Clifford stood out there, frowning deeply.

She shut the door behind her and flicked droplets from her hands. "I thought I made myself clear yesterday that I want a divorce. Did you rush all the way here to me just because you couldn't understand what I said?"

His gaze swept across her face before darting past her toward the restroom. Without a word, he shoved past her and kicked the door open, only to find it empty.

Noelle's gaze flickered toward the closed window in silent understanding. Crossing her arms, she eyed him and said, "It looks like you're here to catch me cheating, huh? Sorry to disappoint, I guess."

Clifford turned away from the restroom, his cold expression softening. It was only now that he seemed to notice the change in her, and a trace of admiration flickered in his eyes.

"Noelle, I know I've been occupied with work lately and neglected you. But as my wife, you should be more understanding. Throwing tantrums won't achieve anything."

Lola chimed in smoothly from the side, "Mr. Fuller has been working himself to death, Mrs. Fuller. It's exhausting for him to run such a large company with no one to help him out."

"Exactly!" Zayne added with a displeased scowl. "I don't understand what this is all about. Dad works so hard to provide for us and gives you money every month, while you get to stay home and do nothing. If you're still not satisfied, maybe that's why he doesn't like you!"

Without hesitation, Noelle threw a tight slap across Clifford's face. That slap stunned both Clifford and Zayne, while Lola froze for a heartbeat before delight flickered in her eyes.

"As a father, you allow your son to humiliate his mother. You earned that slap," Noelle said mockingly, shaking her hand.

Lola seized the moment to cover her mouth and gasped, "Mrs. Fuller, how could you—"

Before Lola could finish speaking, Noelle slapped Lola on both sides of her face and sent her staggering back with a scream.

Clifford roared, "Noelle!"

This time, Noelle's hand landed back on his face.

Noelle stared at the two, who bore bright red handprints on their cheeks. Rubbing her numb palm, she laughed. "Two slaps for each of you. Now you two look so much more like the perfect match."

Clifford's eyes welled up with disgust. "You've completely lost your mind!"

"Of course I have," Noelle lazily replied. "I'm giving you a final chance to get a divorce. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring you the divorce papers, and if you refuse, I'll hit you both again every time I see you."

Her smile widened as she continued, "Like what you've seen, six years trapped as a housewife has driven me insane. And for a lunatic like me, you never know how much further I could go."

She enunciated every single word as she threatened, "Divorce me, or I'll want you dead."

Chapter 5 A New Low

Clifford's eyes widened. He'd never seen such a lunatic side of Noelle.

But he recovered almost instantly and snapped, "Fine, let's get a divorce! I have money, power, and plenty of women who want to be with me. As for you, you're just an old hag who's spent six years toiling away as a housewife. No one would ever want you!

Noelle shrugged. "It doesn't matter. We'll meet at 9:00 am tomorrow, and if you don't show up, I'll walk straight into your office."

"I heard there's a big contract signing tomorrow morning. You wouldn't want a scene, would you?" She sneered.

For a brief moment, Clifford felt like he was staring at a stranger.

After she left, Zayne tugged on his sleeve and whined, "Dad, are you really going to divorce Mom? She's useless, but at least she's obedient and takes good care of us. Just keep her at home."

While Clifford was simmering in rage, Lola slid her hand up his shoulder as she chimed in with false concern, "Mr. Fuller, couples fight all the time. Mrs. Fuller has misunderstood, and if you could just set your pride aside to coax her, I'm certain she'll calm down."

Lola had willingly become Clifford's mistress, but he had always warned her never to let Noelle find out. Now that Noelle had finally demanded a divorce, Lola was determined to make sure that the couple never reconciled.

Instead of soothing him, her words only fueled his anger and made his face turn grimmer. "I'll never coax her or indulge her selfish games! Do you think she'll divorce me? This is nothing but her way of flaunting the little power she has as Mrs. Fuller.

He sneered, "Just wait until tomorrow. She'll realize very quickly that this is a divorce she can't afford."

…

The next morning, Noelle stood outside Clifford's office building with her lawyer, Georgia Fox, at her side.

Clifford had barely slept the night before, and he arrived looking exhausted. By contrast, Noelle looked radiant with flushed cheeks. She wore a red dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

His throat tightened as it struck him that he and Noelle had barely touched each other since Zayne's birth. Whenever he came home after work, she'd be exhausted and disheveled from tending to Zayne, so he'd never had the desire to make out with her.

But today, she was dressed sharply and burning with defiance. And somehow, he actually felt slightly unsettled.

But Noelle didn't notice his odd behavior and tossed the divorce papers onto the table. "If there are no objections, sign it."

Clifford skimmed through the contents as his frown grew deeper. She wanted half of their house and compensation for the years she'd spent running their household.

He snorted. "Half the house? On what grounds?"

Noelle's expression turned cold. "Do you have dementia? I put up half the down payment with my savings when we bought the house years ago, and now that it's doubled in value, I should get my share."

"So that's your game, huh? We can get a divorce, but you can forget about the house. And all that talk about compensation for the past six years is just absurd. Zayne's your child, so you have the responsibility and duty to care for him.

"I covered every expense, every bill, and took on all the pressure. You should be grateful that I don't demand repayment from you," he said, giving her a mocking glare.

That smug look on his face was almost comical, so Noelle laughed.

His expression darkened. "You're cheating on me, aren't you? Only a fool would throw away the comfort of being Mrs. Fuller and demand a divorce.

"If you don't divorce me, I'll give you an allowance of 5,000 dollars a month. No, 8,000 dollars. That's more than enough to sustain a decent life."

Noelle's laughter rang sharper. "Clifford, you refused to hire a housekeeper because you got used to my cooking and needed my help in raising Zayne. You didn't want any strangers in the house, so for five years, I've been working as a housekeeper for you and Zayne.

"I didn't want to make things ugly. My parents are gone, but even a worm would turn. Don't push it, Clifford."

Beside them, Georgia shifted uncomfortably, biting back words. She'd dealt with plenty of men in her career, but this was a new low.

Clifford paused for seconds before saying, "If you insist on a divorce, fine, but you won't get a single dollar from me. You've lived in the house for six years without paying a dime in rent, so you have no right to anything.

"And if you insist on proceeding with a divorce, you won't get Zayne's custody."

Noelle smiled at that. "Don't worry. I do not intend to fight for Zayne."

With an arched brow, she turned calmly to Georgia and said, "Please draft a new agreement which states that I'd leave with nothing.

"I, Noelle Quinn, have been married to Clifford Fuller for six years and have borne him a son. Out of these six years, I've spent five toiling away as a housekeeper, all while helping him structure his company and secure clients. After contributing half the down payment for this house…"

She paused, and her face paled slightly. "I will walk away with nothing. Consider whatever I owe as future support for Zayne Fuller. From this day onward, he is no longer my son."

Noelle's declaration rang with conviction. She meant every word she said.

If Clifford wanted to hold her back with money, she'd walk away with nothing. That was the fastest way out for a divorce.

For an instant, Clifford felt a flicker of panic before it quickly vanished. He was certain that Noelle would never get a divorce.

She'd always stayed loyal and poured her whole being into him and Zayne, so there was no way she'd walk away just like that. This had to be some act and a desperate ploy to draw them back in.

He impatiently snapped, "I know you're jealous of Lola's degree, her talent, and her looks, but there's nothing between us. She's just a colleague—"

"Why won't you sign, Clifford? Are you afraid to let me go, or are you just unwilling to lose your unpaid housekeeper?"