Chapter 286

He was technically Kimberly Hale's husband—both in name and on paper. But truth be told, Charles Hale had already cheated on her more than twenty years ago, right when she was pregnant with the Hale family's daughter. His affair nearly cost Kimberly her life, forcing an early labor. She spiraled into a long depression after that. But instead of showing even a sliver of remorse, Charles only doubled down—he moved in with his mistress and openly called her his girlfriend. Aside from a marriage certificate, he basically handed everything else over to that woman. He spoiled Alicia Nieves like she was royalty, took her everywhere he went, never hiding her. Folks in the Haedleigh Business Association all knew the score—the so-called master and mistress of the Hale family hadn't been a real couple in forever. They kept up appearances for the sake of the family and the company, but Charles had long since made it clear he had a "second wife." And yes, Alicia was that second wife—officially reco