My Billionaire Cheated And I Chose Better – “I’m sorry, ma’am.” On the other end of the line, the insurance customer service rep said coolly, “After checking our records, the car owner, Mr. Woodard, is indeed married, but the spouse listed here isn’t you.” Stella Daniels had gotten into a car accident on her way to the Woodard Group headquarters. She couldn’t get through to Bradly Woodard on his phone, so she had no choice but to call the insurance company. The car was registered in Bradly’s name, but as his wife, she should be able to process the claim too. “When Mr. Woodard picked up the car, he came with his wife and provided the original marriage license. Her last name is Erickson, and her full name is Shanna Erickson,” the rep said. It hit Stella like a slap in the face. Dizziness washed over her in waves, leaving her whole body shaking uncontrollably. She and Bradly had been childhood sweethearts.
Their families were old friends, and everyone in Ostralver’s high society knew how clingy he was with her. Bradly couldn’t stand being apart from her even for a single day. Three years ago, when Stella headed abroad for her studies, Bradly had the plane stopped just for her. During her three years in Ensland, he expanded his business overseas to make it easier to look after her. Sixteen thousand miles apart, he’d still fly across the ocean every week to see her. The year she came down with a severe lung illness and nearly didn’t pull through, she spent a week in intensive care. Bradly ignored the infection risks and stayed right by her side, sliding a ring onto her finger. He said, “If anything happens to you, I’ll go with you. We’ll be husband and wife in the next life too.” For Bradly’s sake, she turned down her mentor’s offer to stay on in the lab and headed back home. Brimming with excitement, she went to find him, planning to surprise him. But when she pushed open the door to the CEO’s office, she saw a slender, pretty woman straddling his lap. The woman’s innocent face tilted upward, her voice whiny and aggrieved. “Mr. Woodard, what happens to me now that Stella is back?” Bradly sat in his executive chair, his tall frame looming over her. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his stern features. “You? You’re just her stand-in.
Don’t forget your place.” He lifted his hand, pinching her delicate chin with a sneer. “Barely a three-out-of-ten resemblance, and you think you can compare to her?” Stella was still clutching the gift she’d prepared for him. With a loud “bang,” it dropped to the floor, finally breaking the scene in the office. Bradly’s face drained of color as he shoved the woman off and jumped to his feet. That woman was Shanna. After Stella caught them in the act, Bradly fired Shanna on the spot and pulled out all the stops to win her back. Bradly, the arrogant prince of Ostralver’s elite circles, humbled himself to the dust before her, begging her to give him another chance. Any project she set her sights on, he’d drop without a second thought. He stood in the pouring rain outside her building for over a week, just for a glimpse of her. He said, “Stella, I’m not asking you to forgive me. At least let me explain. “I only ever saw Shanna as your replacement. You’ve been gone abroad for so long; I missed you terribly. I swear, I just kept her around. Nothing more ever happened between us. “That time you walked in, I’d had too much to drink, and she deliberately tempted me.
I lost control for a moment… “I’ve already let her go, and she won’t show up in our lives again. Stella, please, come back to me.” Back then, Stella couldn’t stand even the slightest betrayal. She insisted on breaking off the engagement. Until that one incident. She was kidnapped by a business rival. The kidnappers reneged on the deal, tied her up in an abandoned factory, and set the place ablaze. Bradly charged into the flames without a second thought to rescue her, shielding her from a collapsing steel beam. He ended up gravely injured, confined to bed for nearly six months. By risking his life, Bradly finally melted her resolve. Once he was out of the hospital, she accepted his proposal, and they threw a lavish wedding. In the two years since they tied the knot, he’d treated her just as devotedly as ever, with zero scandals. He even imposed a strict curfew on himself, heading home right on time every day. Even on out-of-town business trips, he’d video call her constantly. His partners would tease him about being henpecked. He never denied it. Instead, he’d grin proudly and say, “A real man takes care of his family.” Memories rushed through Stella’s mind like a whirlwind, every past moment flashing by in a blur. Her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands.
She couldn’t figure out which Bradly was the real one anymore. A bitter, mocking gleam sparked in her eyes. She thought, ‘How absurd.’ She’d been his wife for two years, and only now was she learning that even their marriage license had been a sham. Stella scrubbed her face hard, her bangs already soaked with cold sweat. She ignored the other driver’s furious yelling and calmly dialed the police. They showed up fast. After finishing her statement, Stella left the station under a sky that had gone completely dark. Her phone lit up with several missed calls from Bradly. When she hadn’t answered, he’d sent texts instead. Bradly: [Babe, I was tied up in a key meeting this afternoon. Signal jammers were on, so I missed your call. You okay?] Bradly: [I’ve got a client dinner tonight, so I’ll be late getting home. I double-checked: no women involved, so no need to worry.] Bradly: [Head to bed early. Don’t wait up. Love you.] Stella stared at the screen, a sharp wave of irony twisting in her gut. Bradly didn’t stagger in until the wee hours. He reeked of alcohol, which almost, but not quite, masked the subtle whiff of perfume on him. “Honey…” He could barely keep his balance, stumbling over to wrap his arms around her through the blanket. “I missed you so damn much…” Stella didn’t say a word. Only once he was dead to the world did she sit up quietly and unlock his phone with his fingerprint. The thing was squeaky clean, no suspicious traces at all.
His contacts were mostly buddies and business folks, with hers pinned at the top as “Darling Wife.” Flawlessly tidy, just like their sham of a marriage. Stella hooked the phone up to her computer, and it didn’t take long to uncover his second WhatsApp account. She signed in, and right away, messages popped up from a profile with a cute pink kitten avatar, labeled “Baby.” Shanna: [Bradly, thanks for tonight. Without you, I wouldn’t have known what to do.] Shanna: [I’ve always thought meeting you was the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me. I won’t intrude on your life. As long as you swing by to see me once in a while, that’s enough to make me happy.] Stella scrolled back through the history. She’d suspected as much, but seeing it all laid out still hit her like a punch to the chest, leaving her breathless. They chatted nearly every day. Shanna never missed a good morning message, and Bradly’s replies had shifted over time, from total silence at first, to sporadic responses, and now to answering every single one. A chill spread through her. Stella clutched the phone tighter, knowing she should quit while she was ahead but unable to stop herself from digging deeper. Shanna: [Bradly, sorry, I had a few drinks and lost it for a bit. Doc says I’m okay now, so don’t stress.] Shanna: [Mrs. Woodard’s birthday bash is important.
Go enjoy it with her. I’ll be fine.] Stella squeezed her eyes shut as the memory came rushing back. Her birthday. Bradly had spent over a month planning it down to the last detail, but that day, he was totally distracted. Hell, he almost cut his own hand while slicing the cake. When she’d asked what was up, he’d brushed it off as work drama, told her not to worry, then pulled her into a soft embrace and encouraged her to blow out the candles and make a wish. It all made sense now, as she stared at this chat log. That same day, Shanna had tried to kill herself by slashing her wrists and ended up in the ER. A sour bitterness flooded her chest like a rising tide. In those brief seconds when she’d closed her eyes to wish, she wondered, ‘Was he agonizing over Shanna in the hospital, or picturing endless years together with her?’ Stella knew she didn’t need an answer to that anymore. She gently placed the phone back and looked down at Bradly, fast asleep beside her. She’d known him since she was four, and for the twenty years that followed, she’d truly believed his love was hers alone, irreplaceable. But now she saw it for what it was: just cheap free samples at a store, handed out to anyone who walked by. If that was all it amounted to, she was done with it. Chapter 2 Bid Against Her The next day, Stella woke to find Bradly busy in the kitchen, his broad shoulders narrowing to a slim waist, his tall, lean build moving with purpose.