The fake wife of the ceo

Maya’s pov I accidentally tore our marriage certificate while searching the drawer for my diary. “OMG!” I panicked. My marriage was just two years old, and this just felt like a bad omen. I quickly rushed straight to the municipal office to get a replacement issue before Dominic found out, but I got the biggest shock of my life instead. The clerk behind the window frowned at his computer. "Ms. Lin, there’s no record of a marriage under your name, Maya Cross, in the system." "That’s not true. I’ve been married for two years!" I handed over the taped-together document, widening her eyes and shaking in disbelief. The clerk checked three more times, making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, before angling the screen toward me. "Look for yourself. There’s nothing and see this stamp?” She pointed at the screen, “The seal is completely crooked. This certificate is a fake." I walked out of the building on trembling legs, sweating and burning hot. My head was still spinning when my phone chimed with an unknown number. "Ms. Lin? Hello. I’m the lead attorney for the late Harrison Vance’s estate. Could you come to Vanguard Legal to review and sign your inheritance documents?" I almost ended the call, convinced it was another scam. “Please…please, can you stop already? Look for someone else to scam. I am not in the mood.” “Ma. Lin, this is serious. Please, you have to believe me,” the voice urged. “Why should I believe? Aren't you all the same?” My voice rose. I was already irritated. I couldn't let myself get scammed again after what I had just heard. "Your mother, Eleanor, left you at the gates of St. Jude's twenty years ago," the attorney continued quickly. "After thorough investigation and DNA verification, we’ve confirmed you are the sole biological child of Harrison Vance." At the mention of that name, I stopped. Harrison Vance, the energy titan, the wealthiest man in the city. Moving on complete autopilot, I caught a cab directly to the law office. What I learned inside that glass boardroom was staggering: Harrison Vance had passed away the previous month, leaving behind an empire of stocks, prime real estate, and holdings valued in the billions. And I was his only living heir. "Are you currently married? Do you have any children?" the lawyer asked, hovering his pen over the final stack of paperwork. Dominic’s face immediately flashed in my mind. My hand tightened around the forged paper in my bag. "Give me two hours," I whispered. "I need to confirm something first." I drove straight to Dominic’s corporate headquarters. Reaching his office, I noticed the door was slightly open. I reached for the handle, but stopped dead when a soft, familiar voice drifted out. "Dominic, we’ve been married for five years now. When are you finally going to tell people about us?" It was Serena Blake, our old university consultant. She was six years older than Dominic, breathtakingly gorgeous, and had been the undisputed queen of our campus during our college years. I held my breath, pressing closer to the glass. "This new project is about to go public, and I still need her to handle a few key things," Dominic replied, his voice dripping with gentle fondness. "Besides, my grandfather's will explicitly forbids you from joining the Cross family. If we go public now, my mother will target you. You are inflicting pain on me just by asking me to risk your safety like that." A loud ringing filled my ears. The man I had loved for six years, the marriage certificate I had cherished like a sacred vow, it was all a grotesque lie. I backed away silently, walked out onto the street, and dialed the lawyer back. "I’m ready to sign. Mark me down as unmarried with zero dependents. Every single asset comes to me only." My mind was so shattered on the drive back that I failed to notice the sedan stopping in front of me. The rear-end crash wasn't severe, but the impact sent my head into the steering wheel, splitting my forehead open. At the hospital, after the doctor put three stitches in my forehead, a sudden, horrifying suspicion drove me straight to the gynecology department. "Your uterus is completely healthy," the specialist told me after reviewing the ultrasounds. "Can I... get pregnant?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "Of course you can. You're in peak reproductive health." Two years ago, right before our wedding, Dominic had shown me a medical report claiming I had severe uterine damage, that I could never carry a child, and that normal intimacy could cause permanent trauma to my body. Even so, I’m marrying you, he had whispered back then, holding my hands while I wept. In this life, I choose only you. Because of that lie, he had endured two solid years of cruelty from his mother. I had been called "defective" and "a useless woman ruining our bloodline." And every time, Dominic would hold me and say, Don't listen to them. You have me, that’s all that matters. When news of my accident reached him, Dominic rushed into the ER room, tall and striking in his white shirt, his face pale with concern. Six years ago, his fierce, four-year pursuit had melted my guarded, orphaned heart. Now, seeing him reach out to comfort me, his touch made my skin crawl. I shoved his hand away and stood up. "Let's go," I warned, keeping my expression cold. In the car, he kept throwing worried glances my way. "What happened today, Maya? You’re always so careful. Are you still upset with me? Once this IPO goes through, I promise I’ll make it up to you." "I'm not angry," I said, staring at the huge diamond ring on my finger. "My life has just gotten much more interesting." When we arrived at the Cross villa, the sound of clear laughter drifted down from the second floor. A child's giggle, followed by a woman's soft voice. Serena stood at the top of the staircase, holding a five-year-old Toby’s hand. Shortly after our "wedding," Dominic had convinced me to adopt Toby from an orphanage, claiming it was the only way to shield me from his family's pressure to have children. I had spent five years raising that boy…a child who threw violent tantrums, broke my things, and frequently screamed that he wanted his "real mother." Looking at Serena, Dominic, and the five-year-old boy, the math finally clicked. Married five years. A five-year-old child. I had been raising their secret love child all along while taking the blame for being barren, serving as the perfect shield to keep Serena safe from his family's wrath. At the dinner table, Dominic set his fork down, adopting a coaxing tone. "Maya, Serena is writing a new book on child psychology and needs a quiet place to work. I was thinking she could move into the guest wing for a while. She can even help you manage Toby." I kept chewing my food in silence, acting as if he hadn't spoken. "Maya," Dominic pressed, his tone tightening with embarrassment. "I'm talking to you." Serena quickly chimed in, her voice full of sweet concern. "Oh, Dominic, don't force her. I only offered because you're working so hard, Maya. You are inflicting pain on yourself trying to manage this whole house alone." "No! I want Serena to stay here!" Toby suddenly shrieked, slamming his small fist onto the table so hard the silverware rattled. "Toby, that is enough!" I snapped, setting my bowl down with a quick clink. Before I could say another word, the boy grabbed his full glass of juice and threw it directly at my face.