After I moved out, Christopher couldn’t find me. He called me every day, but I blocked him.

I stopped going to the company and focused solely on my art exhibition.

This exhibition was something I had been planning for a long time, and I wasn’t going to let scum like Christopher and Jasmine ruin it.

Fortunately, I had a little lackey who was always at my beck and call.

Jasmine wasn’t foolish enough to tell Asher about what was going on between us.

So, Asher was still running around like a fool, helping me with everything. He saw me as his greatest dream, the muse of his life.

What he didn’t know was that, at this exhibition, I was going to shatter that dream completely.

"Just give in, and I'll let your exhibition proceed as planned," Christopher said on the phone.

I looked at the rejected paperwork on my desk. Christopher would use any means to make me yield.

And he succeeded.

"Okay, I agree. But I have one condition," I said.

"Name it."

"You must come on the opening day of the exhibition."

"Deal."

Christopher kept his word. On the opening day, he arrived with a large group of people.

I was in the gallery introducing the exhibits, standing in front of the portrait Asher had painted.

Christopher approached me with his entourage, took my hand affectionately, and said, "Grace, I've come to congratulate you on your successful exhibition."

Suppressing my discomfort, I introduced him to everyone as my husband. I had never disclosed my marital status before.

Through the crowd, I glimpsed Asher standing at the edge, looking confused and hurt.

He must have been feeling a mix of emotions - confusion, anger, disappointment.

After a while, Asher, with tears in his eyes, made his way through the crowd towards me.

I knew Christopher was intentionally asserting his claim in front of Asher, but I played along.

Before Asher could reach us, Jasmine rushed forward and confronted me angrily.

"How could you?" she exclaimed.

I stood there, stunned, as Christopher stepped in front of me protectively.

"What are you doing? Leave!" Christopher demanded of her.

Jasmine, visibly upset, hadn't expected Christopher to defend me instead of her.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, another group of people entered the gallery.