The Secret of First Love
Chapter One
The startup competition was a big deal,
especially since Sarah, my so–called bestie,
wanted to be team leader so she could get
into grad school.
I told her no way because it was best for the
whole team. She threw a fit, dropped out, and
her folks dragged her back to the boonies to
get married off.
And guess what? My team won, becoming the
hottest thing in the business world, and we all
got into grad school.
Years later, I married Mark, a total jerk. We
were celebrating our company going public
く
on his yacht when he decided to toss my six-
month–pregnant self overboard to drown.
“Why?” I screamed, choking on seawater.
He just glared at me. “If you hadn’t been so
selfish, hogging the team leader spot, Sarah
wouldn’t have ended up married to some
abusive hillbilly!”
Then I woke up.
I was back at the moment when Sarah, the
poor scholarship student, asked to be the
team leader.
“Lindsay, I need this. I’m one step away from
going to grad school. Extra points for being
the team leader, you know?”
<
My head spun. I glanced at the clock. It was
really happening. I was reliving that day.
Last time, I was “understanding.” I told her,
“Sarah, you’re not a finance major, and
besides, my parents are investing in our
group. They’re even getting business experts
to guide us.” That went over like a lead
balloon. She thought I was deliberately
putting her down, so she dropped out, went
back to her mountain town, and got married.
Then I used my family’s connections to rake
in resources for our team, and we killed it.
Grad school for everyone! Total success,
right?
Wrong.
Three years later. I was Mrs. Mark Thompson.
When Mark took over my family’s company,
our startup went public. He was Mr. Golden
Boy, living the dream.
To celebrate, he lured me onto his yacht and
kicked my pregnant self into the ocean. My
kid’s blood turned the sea red.
I begged him to save our baby, but he just
laughed and chucked a rock at my head.
“If you hadn’t pushed Sarah out, she wouldn’t
have been stuck with that loser, getting
beaten up while pregnant! You owe her this!”
That’s when it hit me: Mark had hated me all
this time because of Sarah.
He snapped his fingers. “Lindsay? Hello? Are
you even listening? Sarah needs this
<
leadership role more than you do. Just let her
have it. It’s not like it’s that important to you.”
I smirked at him, and then turned to Sarah, all
big, teary eyes.
“When we picked a leader, didn’t you guys
say whoever brought in the most investment,
whoever contributed the most, would get the
job? How come now that I’ve got the funding,
you wanna pull a fast one?”
Her face crumbled. “Lindsay, it’s not like that!
I just wanna go to school! I’m from the sticks.
If I don’t get into grad school, I’ll be forced to
go back home and marry some old geezer!
Please, have a heart!”
And then she knelt. Right there in front of
everyone.
<
Cue the drama. The whole class came
running, and she started sobbing even harder.
“Lindsay, I don’t wanna go back to the
mountains and marry some redneck! Please
don’t make me drop out!”
