Unwanted Wife, Hidden Genius: Her Rise As A Tech Queen

"The recipient of this year's Young Researcher Award is Melany Cooper, recognized for Quantum Glue! Congratulations!"

Without warning, the spotlight shifted across the stage, and Jillian Bailey's smile stiffened in place.

Quantum Glue had always been her proudest achievement. How did it end up credited to Melany?

As her hands began to shake, she quickly grabbed her phone and signed into the patent registry. When the page finally appeared, she could not move. The registration clearly listed Melany as the rightful owner of her work.

Growing up, Melany had been Dennis's first love, and that history never seemed to fade. Earlier that day, Dennis urged Jillian to withdraw and let Melany take the award instead. She stood her ground and argued with him until he stopped insisting. At that point, she assumed the issue had finally been put to rest.

In her mind, he had already let it go. She never imagined he would go as far as claiming her patent and giving it to the woman he cherished from the past.

A piercing ring echoed in Jillian's ears, and the sharp sound made her head ache.

On stage, her husband, Dennis Miller, stepped forward and placed the trophy into Melany's hands.

Why would he do this? That recognition was the last thing she could still call her own. Why did they have to take even this away from her?

A surge of nausea rose in her throat, yet she forced herself upright and said above the applause, "Hold on, that belongs to—"

Her protest never reached the crowd because two bodyguards suddenly appeared at her sides. One locked her arms in place, and the other pressed a firm hand over her mouth.

One of them muttered, "We're sorry, ma'am. Mr. Miller gave strict instructions. You're not allowed to disrupt the event."

Without ceremony, they hauled Jillian out of the auditorium. A deep ache spread through her chest, and it felt as though something inside her had been painfully torn away.

What Dennis had done became undeniable in that moment. He sided with Melany, helped her claim the work, and then silenced Jillian to keep everything hidden.

Meanwhile, Melany remained on stage, basking in cheers that did not belong to her, while Jillian was discarded as if she meant nothing. In the end, she was left with nothing at all.

**

After some time had passed, the faint noise of the ceremony ending carried into the parking lot. Inside a black car, Jillian sat in the back seat while bodyguards stood on either side, and the sound of her pulse filled her ears.

Without warning, the car door opened, and Dennis climbed in beside her. With a sharp motion, he pulled off his tie, his irritation plain to see.

Fixing her gaze on him, Jillian could no longer hold back the storm she had kept buried for years, and her restraint finally gave way.

"My patent," she said, her tone cutting through the silence. "Tell me why it ended up