Dumped the Scum, Married the Billionaire

The celebration party was about to start, but Sophia found out her husband Nolan Chase was cheating.

Through the thin door, Sophia Taylor heard her husband Nolan flirting with another woman.

Nolan was always cold and serious with her, but he could sound so gentle too.

Sophia glanced at the thick stack of files in her hand. She was about to be the buzzkill.

Sophia knocked hard on the door. After three knocks, the voices in the lounge stopped right away.

"Who is it?" Vivian Martinez came to open the door. She had short hair, wore a cute white dress, and at twenty years old, she looked so young and fresh.

Seeing Sophia outside, Vivian froze for a second, then showed a subtle look. She turned her head and said sweetly to Nolan, like she was whining: "Nolan."

"Mr. Chase, these files need your signature."

Sophia ignored her and handed the stack of files and pen to Nolan. Her face showed no emotion, all business.

They had been secretly married for three years. Except for family and a few close friends, everyone else just saw her as an ordinary vice president at Nolan's company.

Nolan frowned a bit, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

He walked over, signed his name without even looking at the files, and whispered low: "It's not what you think."

Like always, even though Sophia didn't show any emotion, Nolan could tell she was upset.

But he couldn't even be bothered to explain properly. The lazier his lies got, the colder her heart felt.

She glanced at the lipstick mark on Nolan's white shirt collar, then took back the signed files.

"The banquet starts in fifteen minutes," she reminded him. Then she gave Vivian a deep look. "Mr. Chase, remember today is a product launch, not a love announcement."

Vivian looked at her timidly, eyes watery.

Nolan's face darkened right away.

Sophia pretended not to notice, turned, and left. She closed the door for them too. She could imagine Vivian throwing herself into Nolan's arms for comfort after she left, looking all pitiful.

Guys love that innocent, fragile type—shy and weak, blushing for ages after a kiss.

Sophia felt sick just thinking about it, but she pushed all thoughts aside as she looked at the files in her hand.

Because among the four files, one was a divorce agreement, and another was her backup plan.

Fifteen minutes later, the banquet began.

Nolan wore a black suit, broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs—elegant and classy.

As soon as he appeared, his face—the most perfect one in the whole finance world—got captured by countless cameras, flashes going off nonstop.

But today, there was a woman with him.

Nolan always showed up alone to every event. This was the first time he brought a date.

Reporters started asking questions all at once.

Vivian held his arm, blushing shyly.

Sophia stood outside the crowd, her champagne as cold as her heart, frozen solid.

Back then, old Mrs. Chase said she didn't like her, so their planned big wedding got canceled and turned into a secret marriage.

Every year, Nolan promised to make it up to her with a proper wedding and go public someday.

She understood his struggles. No matter how much it hurt, she put his feelings first, gave her all willingly, staying the unknown woman behind him.

She thought once his career stabilized, they'd have time for love. But what she got was his love for someone else.

Turns out Nolan didn't mind weddings—he just thought she wasn't worthy.

"Vice President Taylor, we haven't officially met." Just then, Vivian came over with a glass of red wine.

"Who doesn't know the Martinez family heiress?" Sophia said flatly.

Vivian smiled innocently: "Mr. Chase personally set me up for an internship at Horizon Ventures Group. He said Vice President Taylor would mentor me personally. You're from design, and I study design too."

She blinked, looking expectant: "Can I join the design team?"

Sophia felt sick again.

She took a sip of champagne to push it down, but couldn't hide the disgust in her eyes.

Vivian noticed and put on a hurt look right away: "Does Vice President Taylor look down on me? I'm only a sophomore, but I learn fast."

"No looking down." Sophia smirked. She glanced at the tall figure approaching slowly and added, "Mr. Chase is really good to you—personally setting up your internship. So thoughtful."

Unlike how he treated her, leaving her to handle everything alone. Whether clients gave her trouble or colleagues pushed her out, he never helped.

Afterward, he'd say she was capable and didn't need him.

Turns out, it's the incapable ones who get the pity and love.

"Sophia, the new project has funding from Martinez Corporation, so Vivian interning here makes sense." Nolan walked up, stood naturally by Vivian's side, and said to Sophia, "Treat her like a little sister and mentor her yourself. She's a lot like you when you were young."

Sophia laughed at that.

"If I was this fragile back then, I would've been chewed up and spit out a long time ago." She glanced at Vivian. "Just talking business here, nothing personal."

Vivian's eyes turned red instantly.

Sophia ignored it and said to Nolan: "I'm busy, no time for interns. Whoever wants to mentor her can do it."

Then she turned and walked away.

"Vice President Taylor, sorry—" Vivian's anxious voice came from behind. Several people turned to look curiously.

Vivian hurried after her: "Sorry, it's because I'm not good enough that you don't want to mentor me."

She held her red wine in one hand, running fast in her heels, and tripped forward. The whole glass spilled on Sophia.

"Ah!"

Vivian gasped, hand over her mouth, frozen: "I-I didn't mean to. It's my first time in heels..."

She shook all over, like Sophia was some man-eating monster.

The cold wine soaked through Sophia's silk gown on her back and side waist, the wet fabric sticking to her skin.

Good thing it wasn't the chest, or she'd have had a wardrobe malfunction.

Luckily, Sophia had a great figure, so even with the wet dress, she didn't look messy. She turned and smiled at Vivian: "It's fine."

Just a normal slip-up.

Guests around saw no fight and started to walk away.

But then Sophia said: "I'll splash a glass of red wine on you too, and we're even."

Vivian froze and looked to Nolan for help.

"Vice President Taylor loves jokes." Nolan frowned, his eyes holding a warning only Sophia could read.

"Not a joke." Sophia shrugged like she didn't get it. "We're not kids. If sorry fixed everything, why have cops?"

She raised her hand, pretending to splash her champagne on Vivian.

Vivian screamed and hid behind Nolan.

"Sophia." Nolan's voice got deeper.

The way he protected her without hesitation made Sophia's heart peel away layer by layer.

"What do you want exactly?" Nolan stared at Sophia, anger clear now.

"Pay for it then?" Sophia pulled back the glass with regret. "This dress can only be dry-cleaned. Water ruins it. Seventeen grand, worn for half an hour."

"Fine." Nolan agreed right away. "I'll pay you. Happy now?"