Chapter 5 - THE SECRET BEHIND MY NAME
“What did she tell you?”
I asked Dominic.
He looked at me.
Then away.
That hurt more than I expected.
Because even now…
even after everything…
he was still hiding something.
My father noticed.
“Dominic.”
His voice was firm.
“What did your mother say?”
The room became tense.
Eleanor immediately stepped forward.
“This is a family matter.”
My father smiled slightly.
“No.”
He looked around the ballroom.
“This stopped being a family matter when your daughter publicly accused my pregnant daughter of theft.”
Nobody spoke.
Dominic looked trapped.
Finally, he whispered:
“She said…”
He stopped.
I waited.
“She said if I turn against them, she’ll reveal everything.”
My eyebrows lowered.
“Reveal what?”
Dominic looked at me.
And the pain in his eyes told me something was wrong.
“I don’t know.”
My father’s expression changed.
Because he did.
Three years ago, when Dominic and I met, I never told him everything about my family.
Not because I was ashamed.
Because I wanted someone to love me without knowing my last name.
My father was Alexander Carter.
Founder of Carter Global Holdings.
One of the largest private investment companies in the country.
The man whose name appeared on buildings, hospitals, and universities.
But to me, he was simply Dad.
The man who taught me how to ride a bike.
The man who stayed up all night when I was sick.
The man who told me:
“Never measure yourself by what people think you own.”
So when I met Dominic, I kept my identity private.
I wanted a normal relationship.
A normal marriage.
A normal life.
But I underestimated one thing.
People who judge you by your appearance will always believe they know your worth.
Chloe suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at her.
“You think you’ve won?”
My father turned.
“What?”
She smiled.
“You all think Vivienne is some innocent victim.”
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?”
Chloe looked at Dominic.
“Tell them.”
His face went pale.
My heartbeat slowed.
“Tell them what?”
Dominic didn’t answer.
And that silence scared me.
More than Chloe’s accusation.
More than Eleanor’s cruelty.
Because Dominic knew something.
Something about me.
Something he had never told me.
My father stepped closer.
“Dominic.”
His voice became colder.
“You have one chance.”
Dominic swallowed.
Then he looked at me.
“I found out something months ago.”
My chest tightened.
“What?”
He looked ashamed.
“Your father contacted me.”
The room went silent.
I stared.
“My father?”
He nodded.
“He asked me questions.”
“About what?”
Dominic looked down.
Then whispered:
“About whether I truly loved you.”
I felt confused.
“Why?”
Nobody answered.
Then my father spoke.
“Because I was investigating his family.”
Everyone turned.
Eleanor’s face changed.
My father continued.
“The Whitmore family has been hiding financial problems for years.”
Chloe stepped back.
“No.”
“Yes.”
My father looked directly at her.
“Your wedding was not just a celebration.”
He paused.
“It was a desperate attempt to protect your family’s image.”
The room erupted in whispers.
And then my father dropped the final truth.
“They were planning to use Dominic’s marriage to my daughter as their financial rescue.”
I looked at Dominic.
My husband.
My heart felt heavy.
“Did you know?”
He looked devastated.
“No.”
But before I could respond…
my father’s assistant rushed into the ballroom.
He handed him a folder.
My father opened it.
Read the first page.
Then his expression changed.
Not anger.
Not disappointment.
Something worse.
Shock.
He looked at me.
“Vivienne…”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
May you like
He slowly closed the folder.
“There’s something else.”
