In a marriage of convenience, Nathan, after a night of drinking, has an affair with Ava, leading to her ectopic pregnancy. Before the surgery, Ava calls Nathan, who is preoccupied with his mistress and neglects Ava, even going as far as to accuse her of having an affair and carrying another man's child after the surgery... As their one-year contractual marriage comes to an end, Nathan realizes his feelings for Ava. But Ava is not willing to play along anymore! Excerpt: "I am Nathan Ford's girlfriend, loved by him, as everyone knows. And you... you're just a title holder, soon to be thrown out. By then, you'll lose all your dignity... no, you've already lost it. I bet your deceased mother would turn in her grave if she knew what you've become." Hearing Iris Hart's sharp and biting words, Ava Sterling initially didn't want to stoop to her level. However, the mention of her late mother crossed a line. A crisp slap echoed before Iris Hart could even react, leaving five bright red marks on her face. "Ah—Ava Sterling—you lowlife, how dare you hit me..." Iris Hart realized she had been slapped and reached out to retaliate, but Ava Sterling was prepared and caught her hand easily. "Listen, Iris Hart, if I'm the joke, what does that make you? You're also a joke. At least I'm Nathan Ford's wife by law! You! Iris Hart, are nothing but a mistress scorned by everyone. Every wealthy man may stray, but a hotel is just a hotel, and home is home. There can be many dishes, but there's only one bowl of rice."
Afraid Alex might notice something unusual, Zoe lowered her head further and lied.
"Ava, what about her?" Alex, without thinking much, naturally helped Zoe sort the vegetables.
"She's been running around trying to get sponsorships for her project, but she's still short on funds. So I've been really worried about her." Bringing up this topic, Zoe felt more at ease and less awkward.
"A project? Why haven't I heard you mention this before?" Alex looked at Zoe with some confusion.
Zoe looked up and blinked at Alex. She... might have let something slip.
But since things had come to this, Zoe knew there was no point in hiding it, so she told Alex everything that had happened over the past few days.
After hearing her story, Alex was a bit surprised. A thought slowly formed in his mind: Could Ava be doing this to counter Nathan?