Original subtitles

My husband's mistress was so beautiful that I stole her for myself.

When Arthur Hastings found out, he stormed into my Manhattan penthouse.

I'm your husband, Victoria Shaw. Have you lost your mind? You stole my woman?

Chloe Bennett's eyes turned red. She slipped behind me and clutched my coat.

Victoria, he's so angry. I'm scared.

I stepped between them. Stop shouting at her. You're making a scene. I had once

believed our old money marriage would last forever.

Then I met Chloe.

Arthur was one of Manhattan's most notorious people.

After we married, the women around him never stopped changing.

Whenever one of them demanded more money or threatened a scandal, he sent me to

clean up the mess before it reached our boards.

That was how I first met Chloe.

I brought a settlement check to a private hotel lounge and prepared to

deliver the speech I had used on every woman before her. She sat beside the

window in a simple white dress.

Her eyes tilted slightly at the corners, and crying had left them red. She told

me her father had buried the family in gambling debt, her mother was seriously

ill, and her younger brother was still in school.

Every dollar Arthur had given her was already gone. I should have reminded her

that none of it was the Hastings family's responsibility.

Instead, I watched her cry and forgot my next line. I checked my watch.

She had been crying for nearly half an hour. Stop crying. If anyone sees you,

they'll think I'm bullying you.

I handed her my handkerchief.

Chloe accepted it with both hands, startled by the gesture.

This isn't your fault.

Her voice was soft, and she looked completely lost.

I studied her again. Clear skin, delicate features, and an attraction she

did not seem to recognize in herself.

No wonder Arthur had noticed her. If I had met her first, I might have wanted

her too.

Mr. Hastings never touched me. We never slept together.

Her cheeks burned, but she forced herself to hold my gaze.

Please believe me.

I do.

Arthur had severe erectile dysfunction and non-obstructive azoospermia. He

could barely have sex, and fathering a biological child was almost impossible.

The endless women were camouflaged. The more terrified he was that someone would

discover the truth, the harder he worked to look irresistible.

I pushed the check toward Chloe.

If you need anything else, tell me. But stay away from Arthur after today.

Chloe shook her head at once.

No. He's already given me more than enough. I can't take anything else.

Beautiful, desperate, and still unwilling to raise her price.

I took out a card bearing my private number.

If you ever face something you can't handle in New York, call me.

Surprise flashed through Chloe's eyes.

After a brief hesitation, she took the card.

Arthur was waiting with a glass of bourbon when I returned to our Upper

East Side townhouse.

Handled? I nodded without mentioning the private number I had left behind.

Thank you, darling.

You're always so reliable.

He made darling sound intimate enough to fool a stranger into thinking we were in

love. I walked into the bathroom and began removing my makeup. Arthur

followed and leaned against the doorframe.

Do you know what people call you?

The wife who will tolerate anything.

I parade one woman after another through the tabloids, and you write the checks.

People had even asked whether I feared Arthur would father a child outside the

marriage. I never had.

Let them talk.

His medical records were locked in my safe. The doctors had been clear about

how unlikely a biological child was.

I met his eyes in the mirror, then let my gaze drift below his belt.

Arthur caught the look. His face hardened.

and he slammed the bathroom door hard enough to shake the frame.

He had tied his entire sense of manhood to what his body could not do. I did not

understand it, but I had grown used to it.

Arthur did not come home that night.

I fell asleep alone and dreamed about Chloe.

She stood at the window in the same white dress, her dark hair spilling over

her shoulders.

Her palm pressed against my shoulder, but she did not push me away.

Do you want me to stop?

I didn't say that.

I leaned toward her mouth. The instant our breaths touched, I woke up.

My body was burning, my pulse hurt, and my fist was twisted in the sheets. I had

dreamed about my husband's mistress, and I wanted the dream back.

Maybe I really did need a therapist.

Life quickly returned to normal.

Arthur moved on to a young intern at the Hastings Family Foundation.

I ran meetings, reviewed acquisitions, and returned each night to an empty

house. If Chloe's background report had not remained open on my desk, I might

have convinced myself I felt nothing.

But after that dream, I kept remembering her red eyes, her soft voice, and the

way she had insisted Arthur never touched her.

Her mother was still ill, and her father's gambling debts remained.

I wondered how she was surviving.

If she still needed help, I could solve almost every problem with a phone call.

Money was the one thing I never lacked. My assistant entered with an invitation

from Columbia University.

They want you to speak at the Economic Forum. Should I decline as usual?

Columbia was Chloe's university.

Accept it. My assistant looked surprised, but added it to my calendar.

before leaving she glanced at chloe's file and wisely said nothing on the day

of the speech chloe sat in the center of the first row her eyes followed me

through the entire presentation her dark hair lay over her shoulders making her

skin look even paler i remembered the white dress in my dream and briefly lost

my place

Afterward, she came on stage with a bouquet. I accepted it and drew her into

a brief embrace.

I placed a hand at her waist and brought my mouth close to her ear. Wait for me

in the private lounge backstage.

She looked up at me, nervous but unable to hide her curiosity.

She nodded and walked toward the backstage door, looking back once before

she stepped inside.

The lounge door closed behind me, leaving us alone.

Chloe stood immediately, convinced I had summoned her to issue another warning.

I haven't contacted Arthur.

Not once.

I know.

Arthur was too occupied with the intern to remember Chloe existed.

Relax. I asked you here because I wanted to see you alone.

Her shoulders slowly loosened. We talked about her classes and the illustration

work she had taken to help her family.

When she was not crying, she smiled easily. The change made her face even

harder to look away from.

I moved closer and pressed my fingers over hers.

Chloe lifted her face.

I had just begun to lean in when my phone rang.

An acquisition crisis needed my immediate attention.

I had to leave. At the door, I turned back.

Chloe curled her fingers around the edge of the sofa and

nodded. I did not expect her call to come so soon. Three days later, Chloe

called my private number.

She had clearly been crying.

You said I could call if I had nowhere else to turn.

I don't have anyone else.

I set down the documents in my hand.

Slow down.

Tell me what happened. My mother's kidney transplant was approved.

But insurance won't cover all the treatment, nursing care, and anti

-reduction medication.

We're still $80,000 short. If we can't confirm payment today, the hospital will

postpone the surgery.

Which hospital?

She gave me the address.

I left the office. The moment I entered the hospital lobby, Chloe ran into my

arms like I was the last thing keeping her above water.

I caught her and rubbed a hand down her back.

I'm here.

You don't have to be afraid.

She lifted a tear-streaked face.

I'll sign an IUU. I swear I'll repay every dollar.

I'll handle the money.

You mean it?

I do.

Rather than hand her cash, I had my assistant verify the charges with the

hospital and pay the uncovered balance directly.

After the paperwork was complete, I took Chloe to the restaurant across the

street. Her eyes were still red.

Please treat it as a loan. I let her eat before I asked the question that had

been on my mind. Did you agree to be with Arthur because he had money?

Chloe's hand stopped around her knife. Then she nodded.

I have money, too.

She looked at me, confused.

What? More than Arthur.

I leaned across the table and wiped the tear from her cheek.

The hospital payment has nothing to do with what you say next.

Whether you accept or refuse, I won't take the help back.

I let my thumb rest against her skin.

But anything he can give you, I can give you.

And I can give you what he never could.

Chloe stared at me, too stunned to answer.

I withdrew my hand before my attention could become pressure.

I am not buying your feelings.

The hospital bill is not a condition.

Take three days, give me an honest answer.

Before I could turn away, Chloe caught my wrist.

Her fingers were soft, but her grip was firm.

I don't need three days.

Her cheeks were bright red. She drew a breath and forced herself to meet my

eyes. I want this.

I want you.

Do you understand what you're choosing?

Yes.

I'm choosing you, not him. The courage left Chloe almost as soon as she spoke.

She lowered her eyes and released my wrist.

I touched her hair.

I'll arrange the strongest recovery team for your mother.

Her nursing care and medication are covered.

Chloe looked up, gratitude filling her eyes.

Thank you, Victoria.

You don't have to thank me for every breath.

I placed the payment receipt in her palm.

And you can change your mind at any time.

The money will never become a debt you owe me. Chloe closed her fingers around

the paper but did not take back her answer.

With Arthur, she had taken money to help maintain his reputation as a playboy.

With me... She would never have to tremble over another hospital bill.

I moved Chloe's mother to an experienced transplant care team and gave Chloe the

key to a high-rise apartment in Chelsea.

She stood before the windows and stared across the avenue.

Unease slowly replaced her amazement. Is that Hastings Capital?

Yes. The apartment faced Arthur's office tower.

on a clear day the windows of his executive floor were visible chloe's

face went pale i rested a hand on her shoulder the apartment is a premarital

asset held through my private trust arthur doesn't know i own it before the

marriage i often stood at those windows and studied the hastings tower planning

how to use the family's power now i had placed arthur's former mistress directly

across from him Chloe's shoulders finally relaxed.

Before I left, she stepped close and straightened my collar. The orange

blossom perfume on her skin lingered on my shirt. Arthur stopped me in the entry

hall when I returned home.

That perfume smells familiar. It's not yours.

He leaned toward my neck. I did not move.

Too sweet for you.

I like it.

That's enough.

Arthur looked surprised, then dismissed me with a shrug.

He had not recognized it.

The scent came from Chloe's reluctant embrace before I left. I removed every

urgent threat hanging over Chloe's family.

Her father's debts came from illegal card games and predatory lenders.

My attorneys negotiated a settlement and obtained an order barring the collectors

from approaching Chloe or her mother.

Her mother moved into a private room with two nurses working in shifts.

I also funded her brother's remaining private school tuition and living

expenses. If Chloe chose me, I would not let money drive her back into

desperation. Her caution did not disappear overnight.

She walked softly through the apartment and waited at the door before each

visit, as if making me wait one minute might cost her everything. She cooked

for me and tensed whenever my expression turned cold, even if I was only thinking

about work.

I hated watching her make herself smaller.

I took her shopping and told her the apartment was her home. In the fitting

room, she called softly through the door.

The zipper is stuck.

I stepped inside.

The dress hung open down her back. My fingers followed her spine until I found

the zipper.

Chloe watched me in the mirror, then lifted her hair and exposed the back of

her neck.

i pulled the zipper up slowly when she saw the price tag she immediately tried

to put the dress back it's too expensive i've already spent so much on me

ordinary clothes are fine no one had tried to protect my money before keep

trying things on money is not your problem anymore i bought everything she

had chosen That evening, Chloe insisted on cooking.

The apartment came with staff, but she admitted strangers in the room made her

uncomfortable. I did not force the issue. I leaned against the sofa and

watched her move through the kitchen.

The apartment was smaller than the townhouse I shared with Arthur.

It had no wine cellar, screening room, or staff waiting around the clock.

But when Chloe looked over her shoulder and smiled at me, the place felt more

like home than anything I had shared with my husband.

After dinner, We curled up on the sofa to watch a movie. Chloe nudged my arm.

You're taking this very seriously.

Technically, I invested in it. Arthur had funded the film to secure a major

role for a young actress with very little talent.

Since he had used marital funds, half the investment was mine.

The intern is throwing a fit at the hotel.

Come deal with her.

He spoke as if my obedience were guaranteed.

I ended the call and stood.

Chloe looked up at me. Do you have to go?

Yes. Her disappointment was impossible to miss. You've never stayed the night?

Our marital agreements required Arthur and me to maintain the townhouse as our

primary residence because of family trusts and joint ventures.

Even Arthur had never openly established another home.

I did not explain any of that to Chloe.

I only resented Arthur for dragging me away again.

The next morning, Arthur's intern, Jessica Cole, walked into my office

without an appointment. My assistant asked whether she should have security

remove her. Let her in. Jessica crossed the room in sharp heels and sat down

without being invited.

Ambition showed openly in her face. She was nothing like Chloe. Before I could

begin my standard speech, she slapped a lab report onto my desk.

I'm pregnant.

I glanced at the report.

Eight weeks?

Exactly.

Arthur told me you could never give him a child.

The Histings family needs an heir.

He'll leave you eventually.

I laughed before I could stop myself.

Jessica's face tightened. What's so funny?

Just because you can't have one doesn't mean I can't. I pushed the report back

across the desk.

At eight weeks, a non-invasive prenatal paternity test is already possible.

It only requires blood from the mother and a DNA sample from the alleged

father. Jessica's confidence vanished.

She said nothing.

Arthur's diagnosis did not make biological fatherhood mathematically

impossible, but every follow-up test had produced the same result.

If Jessica insisted the child was his, a paternity test was the only answer that

mattered. You're not the first woman to bring me a pregnancy report.

and you won't be the last.

I opened a drawer and placed a settlement agreement beside a $200,000

cashier's check.

Sign that, you will stop claiming Arthur fathered this child, and the money is

yours. Or refuse and take the test.

Jessica stared at the check for a long time.

Then she picked up the pen and signed.

She tucked the check into her bag and gave a bitter laugh.

Your husband chases woman after woman, and you clean up after him. Do you

really think you're winning?

You're young and trapped in a sexless marriage.

Doesn't that bother you?

She would never understand that I had not stayed for Arthur's loyalty.

I was born into an old money family that believed power should pass from man to

man. A nine-figure trust had been created in my name before I could walk,

and I owned several properties by adulthood.

To outsiders, I was the daughter who had everything.

But those assets meant less than the voting power my father handed to his

illegitimate son simply because he was male. No matter how well I performed, I

was treated as a marriage asset.

My mother secretly trained me in finance and management and taught me to hide my

ambition.

Arthur was the husband she selected for me.

Powerful family, ordinary talent, easy to outmaneuver.

I played the gracious wife, used the Hastings network to enter my family's

board, and gradually took back control of Shaw Holdings. My mother had her own

motives. Her son could not compete with my father's illegitimate heir, and only

I could preserve her position.

I did not resent her for it. The resources were real, and the power was

already mine.

Jessica finally left, still looking at me with pity.

I found it almost funny.

For years, the influence and position Arthur brought me had mattered more than

a conventional marriage.

At least, they had until Chloe.

After Jessica left, I asked Chloe to come to my office.

She sat on the sofa sketching. I walked behind her and rested a hand on the side

of her neck. My thumb moved slowly over her soft skin.

Chloe looked up, and color spread across her cheeks.

I bent closer to see her drawing. Our mouths were inches apart when the office

door flew open.

Arthur stood in the doorway, staring first at my hand and then at Chloe.

The room went tense.

Chloe froze, but I did not move my hand.

Arthur shut the door and walked toward us.

What is this?

Exactly what it looks like.

And you promised fidelity.

How did that work out?

Arthur's breathing grew heavier.

I squeezed the back of Chloe's neck.

Don't be afraid.

The gesture pushed him over the edge.

She belongs to me.

Chloe went pale. I stepped in front of her.

You paid her to accompany you to events.

That doesn't mean you own her. Arthur pointed at Chloe.

What did you do to her?

You came after me and now you're after my wife?

I didn't stop shouting at her.

She's scared enough already.

I'm your husband, and you're protecting your mistress in front of me? Our

marriage was always a bargain. You changed women for years, and I never

interfered. I held his gaze.

I'm done pretending.

Me. Chloe chose me.

If you threaten her, I will fight back.

Arthur had no answer. He glared at Chloe and slammed the door behind her. The

moment the door shut, Chloe rushed into my arms.

He's so angry!

I can't fight him. I wiped away her tears.

You don't have to fight him.

I took her to the private room behind my office and stayed until she fell asleep.

Chloe slept until evening.

I drove her back to the apartment myself.

Before getting out of the car, she caught my sleeve.

I don't want to destroy your family. She spoke slowly, as if forcing herself to

accept the worst possible ending.

Whatever you decide, I'll accept it. I won't make a scene or cause trouble for

you. I studied her for a moment, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

I don't want the answer you think will please me. I want the truth.

Chloe pressed her lips together.

The world already punishes women for wanting anything.

Don't punish yourself, too.

If you want something, say it. She still could not answer.

Years of poverty and surrender had taught her to bury every desire.

One conversation would not undo that.

but her fingers remained locked around my sleeve, and I did not pull away.

Arthur was waiting in the townhouse when I returned.

He sat alone in a blue shirt with two buttons undone, a cigarette burning

between his fingers.

Explain. What exactly do you want to hear?

When did you and Chloe start?

Not long ago.

End it.

If you stop now, I'll pretend I saw nothing today.

No.

He rose and came closer.

You plan to keep seeing her?

What happens when the boards, the press, and both families find out? The women

around you never stop changing.

You never worried about anyone finding out. That's different.

How? He hesitated, then finally said what he meant.

A man's affairs become gossip and disappear.

You're the head of Shaw Holdings and my wife.

If you openly date a woman, our conservative families and boards will

turn it into a scandal.

I had heard that double standard all my life. A man's desire was treated as

proof of power.

A woman's desire had to stay hidden.

If this marriage only allows you freedom, it has no reason to continue.

Arthur went still. What are you saying?

I want a divorce.

He stared at me in disbelief. For Chloe?

For myself.

My attorney will contact you tomorrow.

I walked upstairs, packed only what I needed, and left the home we had shared

for four years. A glass shattered by me.

Arthur shouted my name with real panic for the first time.

I moved into a hotel instead of Chloe's apartment.

My divorce attorney warned that Arthur might portray our relationship as self

-dealing and use it to attack my corporate governance.

Until the case ended, Chloe and I should not share a home or bank account.

Arthur called repeatedly.

I sent every call to my attorneys.

The divorce had not come from a sudden impulse.

I had already taken everything I needed from the marriage.

Chloe merely forced me to admit I no longer wanted to play the obedient wife.

Arthur refused the proposed settlement and threatened to drag the divorce into

court. I gave my attorneys years of affair records, fraudulent expense

claims, marital fund statements, and the signed agreements governing our assets.

Dana closed the last folder.

Your marriage has been irretrievably broken for more than six months, so New

York's no-fate requirement is satisfied.

Most assets are covered by the prenup.

The real issue is his use of joint project funds.

Our chances?

Very good.

Unless you personally tear up the evidence in court.

The next night, Arthur appeared outside my hotel suite.

As soon as I let him in, he searched the room with his eyes.

Where is Chloe?

Not here.

We need to talk.

Then talk.

We can't divorce.

It will destabilize both companies and every joint project. You can keep seeing

Chloe. I won't interfere.

I laughed.

You're giving me permission to have a mistress?

If it keeps you here.

I stood and faced him. What makes you think you have the authority to approve

anything I do?

Without the Hastings family, you never would have taken control of Shaw

Holderdings. That's true.

But I don't need you anymore.

His expression slowly hardened.

You think you've prepared for everything?

Sign privately, and I'll preserve the last of our dignity.

Force a trial, and the false expenses, joint funds, affairs, and witness

testimony may enter the public record.

He clenched his fist.

Are you threatening me?

I'm explaining.

The cost.

So this marriage was a strategy from the beginning?

We were both calculating.

You chose a Shaw IRS you thought would be obedient. I chose the Hastings board

votes. The difference is that I never pretended it was love.

The negotiation ended without an agreement.

Arthur then disappeared.

He ignored his attorneys and stopped going to the office.

His mother, Helen Hastings, invited me to dinner at the family estate.

Every marriage has conflict.

Divorcing over an outsider will turn both families into a joke.

I lifted my teacup.

The divorce is between Arthur and me.

Your marriage connects trusts, board seats, and two companies. It has never

been only about the two of you.

This ends now.

You will remain Mrs.

Hastings.

I looked directly at her.

I am Victoria Shaw, and I run Shaw Holdings. I don't exist because I took

your son's last name. Helen's face changed.

She knew Arthur had never truly managed the company.

Many of Haston's capital's strongest projects depended on my relationships

and judgment.

My father was recovering from a stroke and could no longer choose my marriage

for me. I had prepared for this exit long before Arthur understood I might

leave. I placed the divorce agreement in front of Helen.

The assets are divided according to the prenup and documented investment.

I am taking nothing that isn't mine. Have Arthur sign.

And if he refuses?

Then the court will decide and the financial records may become public.

Halen pressed her hand over the agreement.

Does your mother know?

She supports me.

I rose and left before Halen could issue another command.

Helen failed to change Arthur's mind.

He began using Hastings' resources against me stealing deals.

lobbying directors, and feeding damaging stories about Shaw Holdings to the

press. I had prepared for that too. I blocked every move and took three of

Hastings Capital's most important partnerships.

The family trustees and board ordered Arthur to end the fight before he caused

more damage.

Instead of confronting me, Arthur went after Chloe.

He cornered her in the apartment lobby, accused her of destroying a marriage,

and threatened her education and career.

When my security team reported it, I expected Chloe to be in tears.

Instead, she stood behind the guards and looked Arthur directly in the eye.

If a few words from an outsider can destroy a marriage, that marriage was

already broken.

For the first time, she did not hide.

Arthur went to my mother next and accused me of dating a woman while the

marriage was still legally intact.

My mother did not flinch.

I never hid Victoria's history with women from you.

You knew and married her anyway.

Live with your choice.

I will always stand with my daughter.

With every route closed, Arthur began to collapse.

The company's performance declined, and his family blamed him for the damage.

After a business event, he stopped me in a hotel corridor. He had lost weight,

and exhaustion darkened the skin beneath his eyes.

After four years of marriage, did you ever care about me?

We evaluated each other from the day we met.

You chose me because you thought I was obedient and easy to control.

At least you were the only person who ever really took care of me.

Don't divorce me.

I'll treat you better.

I pulled free. Signing is the least damaging choice you have left.

You can't beat me. I walked past him without looking back.

Someone knocked on my hotel door that night.

Chloe stood on the security monitor.

When I opened the door, I saw that she had lost weight.

The light that used to fill her eyes had faded.

You haven't called me once.

I'm handling the divorce. Arthur is collecting evidence.

If we live together or keep transferring large sums, he'll claim I used marital

assets to support you. So you stopped seeing me but kept paying for my

mother's treatment in the apartment?

I don't break promises.

Chloe nodded as if she had expected the answer.

She sat on the sofa and remained silent for a long time.

After the divorce, what will we be?

What do you want us to be? She did not answer.

I did not put words in her mouth.

Only when I began to rise did Chloe grab my hand.

I want to be with you, not because of your money and not because you saved my

mother. I want you, Victoria.

I want a real relationship with you. I said nothing at first. I only closed my

hand tightly around hers.

The woman who had spent her life hiding every desire had finally asked for

something of her own. Arthur finally accepted the settlement and signed the

divorce agreement.

Before putting pen to paper, he looked at me.

I failed you.

I know that now.

Dana tensed, as if she feared we might reconcile at the last second. I simply

turned the agreement to the signature page. After

the attorneys left,

Arthur and I remained alone in the conference room. He laughed bitterly.

I knew guilt wouldn't change your mind.

I still wanted to try once.

He paused.

Thank you for keeping my diagnosis private.

It's your medical information.

It was never relevant to the divorce.

You and Chloe won't last.

Maybe she's a temporary obsession.

Maybe taking her was only revenge.

No. I love her because she's gentle, kind, and braver than you ever

understood. His expression darkened again. I offered to return the three

partnerships I had taken so he could answer to his board.

No.

Don't make me depend on you for the last piece of my dignity.

Arthur stared at the signed agreement as I walked away.

Several months later the court issued the final divorce judgment.

Dana handed me the certified copy.

I looked down at the judge's signature and kissed the edge of the page.

Arthur stood nearby, his expression impossible to read.

Does divorcing me really make you that happy?

It feels like getting my life back.

I put the judgment away and walked down the courthouse steps.

Chloe was waiting beside the car with a bouquet in her arms.

The moment she saw me, she hurried forward and placed the flowers in my

hands.

Congratulations on your new life.

She hesitated, then made herself finish.

Our new life.

I pulled her into my arms.

This time, we did not have to hide in an office or an unlit apartment, and no

marriage clause stood between us. I held her tighter. At last, we could stand

together in the open.