She Blew Our Lifeline on Her True Love

When Luca Blair, Daphne Barron's childhood friend, goes bankrupt, she takes the 100,000 dollars meant to save my life and our child's just to help him. I beg her to return the money, but she snaps. "Luca will make it back. Think long-term for once instead of hoarding cash like an idiot." When I demand a promissory note from him, she calls me cold-blooded. Later, Luca breaks down crying, saying he lost everything and is going to starve. Daphne holds him close, promising she will take care of him for the rest of his life. I quietly pack my bags and call Dad. "Dad, you were right. Daphne really is trash. I'm coming home to take over the family business." Chapter 1 Right after I hung up the phone, my wife, Daphne Barron, stepped out of the room and said, "Vance, go make some food for Luca. He'll be hungry when he wakes up." I couldn't be bothered to answer and headed toward the bedroom. Her expression darkened, and she stepped into my path, blocking me. "Vance Gardner, it's just 100,000 dollars. Are you really going to keep throwing a tantrum over this? Have some compassion. If you can't even do that, get out." Her voice was so loud that Daphne's childhood friend, Luca Blair, who was sleeping inside, woke up. Looking thoroughly annoyed, he walked out and draped an arm over Daphne's shoulder before glaring at me with pure disdain. "Honestly, Daphne, you were the campus belle all through college and grad school, and your family is well-off. How did you end up with such a petty guy?" Daphne sighed and looked at Luca. "Not everyone is as easygoing and generous as you." As she spoke, she glanced at our son Elliot Gardner, who was standing behind me. "But we have Elliot now. There's no point in regrets." Clutching my aching stomach, I met Daphne's impatient gaze. Lately, Elliot had been terribly ill. The doctor said we needed to take him to a major hospital and that it would cost a fortune. It wouldn't cure him completely, but the medication would keep him alive. Between juggling everything, I had developed a stomach ulcer myself. But the medicine was incredibly expensive, and Daphne had taken all my money. I spent every day exhausted and in pain. Seeing Elliot suffer just like me only broke my heart further. But until that 100,000 dollars was returned, we still couldn't afford the medication. My father, Evan Merritt, told me that if I divorced Daphne and came home alone, he would give me money again. But I couldn't just abandon Daphne and Elliot. Back when I insisted on marrying Daphne against his wishes, he warned me never to mention our family's background. If I did, he'd make sure Daphne lost her job and ended up with nothing. Elliot wasn't even three yet, and he had to endure the same agonizing pain I did every single day. What hurt the most was that Daphne knew that 100,000 dollars was meant to save my life and Elliot's. Yet, she hadn't hesitated for a second to give it to Luca. Since Daphne clearly valued Luca more than our lives, there was no reason for Elliot and me to stay. I turned around, went into the bedroom, and grabbed our bags, intending to head to the hospital and beg Dad. Once he saw how sick Elliot and I were, he wouldn't actually turn us away. Just then, Luca yanked my suitcase back and snapped aggressively, "Alright, Vance, cut the running-away act. Stop making things hard for Daphne. I'm going out to drink with a client tonight. Even if I drink myself into a stomach bleed and end up in her bed, I'll get the money to pay you back, okay?" Daphne, who had never set foot in the kitchen, rushed out when she heard the commotion. By then, Luca had already changed into a tailored suit. He patted Daphne on the shoulder and headed for the door. Chapter 2 Luca said, "Daphne, I won't put you in a tough spot. I'm going to make that money right now. You just worry about calming your husband down." Alarmed, Daphne immediately ran to lock the door. For a split second, a spark of hope flared in my chest. Was she doing this because she was afraid of losing me? She walked quickly toward me. Despite everything, a part of me still hoped she was going to apologize. But her cold voice cut through the air. "Vance, you're the most malicious, petty man I've ever met. You've been groped by clients before because of your looks. You know what it's like. Are you seriously forcing Luca to go drink with that psycho woman and sell himself just to pay you back?" Before I could even speak, Daphne ripped the bag right off my shoulder and hurled it into the charcoal grill. Then, she glared at me with an icy gaze. "Let's see how far you get without your ID." When she turned to Luca, her expression softened completely. "Luca, we've known each other for so many years. You're closer to me than my own brother. You don't have to pay back a dime. "Worst-case scenario, we sell the house and car. Go change your clothes. I'll take you out for a nice dinner. The fumes from that burning bag are toxic. We can't eat here." I rushed over to the grill, trying to fish my bag out, but a massive hole had already burned through it. My ID and the last few hundred dollars in cash I had left were all gone. Even my phone screen was cracked. Terrified that the battery might explode, I hurried to the kitchen to grab a pair of tongs and fished the phone out. Luckily, the SIM card was still intact. As Daphne and Luca left, she made a point of turning the deadbolt three times, locking me in. I couldn't open the door, and my phone was dead. Daphne did this on purpose. But had she forgotten that I hadn't eaten either? I had been throwing up all day from being sick, unable to keep anything down. There wasn't a single snack left in the house because I had been too weak to go grocery shopping lately. All I could do was lie in bed. My stomach growled with hunger, but I kept throwing up. I didn't even have the strength to make myself a bowl of soup. Suddenly, the metallic scent of blood hit the air. Realizing something was wrong, I forced myself up with every ounce of strength I had left, only to see Elliot violently vomiting blood. The doctor's warning flashed through my mind. If he started throwing up blood, he needed emergency resuscitation immediately to survive. I looked frantically out the window. The lights downstairs were on. Grabbing a clothesline pole, I hammered desperately against the neighbor's window and screamed for help. The woman downstairs knew me well and knew I was sick. She yelled back at the top of her lungs, "Vance! Don't panic! I'm calling an ambulance right now, and I'll get management to open your door!" About ten minutes later, the property management team and the paramedics arrived. The door was finally opened. I desperately borrowed my neighbor's phone to call Daphne. I didn't have a penny on me, and she had just received an 18,000-dollar bonus. The call went through quickly, and I gasped out, "Daphne, you need to come back right now. Elliot is throwing up blood. The paramedics say he might need to go straight to the ICU." On the other end, Luca let out a soft sneer. "Vance, you're playing mind games straight out of a soap opera. Using your son as a pawn just to keep your wife around? And are you seriously lying about your son being sick? Aren't you afraid that'll actually come true?" Perhaps it was the bond between father and son, but a sharp pain suddenly gripped my throat. I spat out a mouthful of blood, but it actually eased the weight on my chest. Unable to hold back any longer, I roared into the phone, "Have you no shame? You're hanging around a married woman in the dead of night!" Chapter 3 Luca didn't bother to reply. He tossed the phone aside without hanging up. Through the line, the sound of singing filled the speakers. They were clearly at a karaoke bar. Daphne and Luca were singing a duet of "True Friend", right at the chorus. "A true friend. You're here 'till the end." No matter how loudly I screamed Daphne's name into the phone, she couldn't hear me. When they belted out, "You're a true friend", at the top of their lungs, I hung up. I should have known better than to hold onto any hope with Daphne. Loyalty to her friends was everything to her, even if it meant sacrificing her husband and son. But were they really just friends? I broke down completely, sobbing as I called Dad. He told me he would immediately contact some friends in Hardwick to wire me money. He even promised that he would have all my new identification documents processed within a single day. Only then did I feel safe enough to get into the ambulance. The surgery required general anesthesia, yet I could still feel an agonizing ache in my chest. Daphne used to love Elliot so much. Outside of work, she used to dedicate every spare second to him. She also knew perfectly well that Elliot and I had been in critical condition lately. We could need an ambulance at any given moment. Yet the second Luca needed something, she forgot everything else. I had always thought that once Elliot and I got better, we could take a trip, leave this place, and go somewhere Luca could never find us. I thought that with enough time, Daphne would realize how warm our home was and how deeply I loved her. I thought she would eventually care more about Elliot and me than she did about Luca. Looking back, it was nothing but a delusion. … When I finally woke up, Daphne was sitting by my hospital bed. Luca, however, was lying at the foot of it. No wonder my lower back felt freezing. His ice-cold feet were pressed right against me. The doctor had explicitly said I needed to stay warm to recover, so I shoved Luca's feet away. Luca snapped his eyes open, glared at me, and kicked me hard through the blanket with his other foot. Then, he intentionally let himself slide off the bed and crash onto the floor. Panicked, Daphne rushed forward to catch him. Luca feigned drowsiness, grumbling, "Who kicked me? Gosh, what a jerk." Daphne helped him up and glared at me. "Vance, you have never respected my friends, have you? The moment Luca heard you and Elliot were in trouble, he hurried over to be here for you, even though he's feeling terrible himself. I saw him shivering and tucked him into your bed to warm up a bit." Upon hearing that, I was so furious I nearly coughed up blood again. When the doctor gave the post-op instructions about keeping me strictly warm, Daphne had been standing right there. She knew I was the patient, yet she couldn't bear to see a perfectly healthy Luca catch a slight chill. "Get out, Daphne!" I screamed, rage consuming me. "I want a divorce! Do you even know that Elliot didn't make it?" Luca immediately stepped in front of Daphne to shield her. He pointed an accusing finger at me and yelled, "Vance, I'm letting it slide that you kicked me out of bed. But if you talk to Daphne like that again, don't blame me for being ruthless! "Take a look at yourself. You're just a broke worker from out of town. Daphne married you and takes care of you, and what do you do? Elliot was her son too. She's the one who gave birth to him! You think she isn't hurting? She's been standing here half the night, and this is how you treat her?" Luca's eyes darted around for a second before shifting back to Daphne. "Besides, who was that woman who paid for your surgery? Have you been seeing someone else behind Daphne's back this whole time? Did you think a sick kid was just a liability, so you let Elliot die on purpose?" Chapter 4 Trembling with rage, I propped myself up and hurled a bunch of bananas straight at Luca. Daphne stepped in front of him, catching the fruit. Instead of showing any grief over losing Elliot, she just looked at me with an expression of profound disappointment. "Vance, are you lashing out because Luca hit the nail on the head? Have I not been good to you? You're the only man I've ever loved and the only one I ever wanted to marry. Why would you betray me?" The moment she said that, the other two patients in the same ward shot me looks of utter disdain. Luca gave me a triumphant smirk and tugged at Daphne's arm. "Come on, Daphne. Let's go grab some breakfast. My treat, to thank you for saving me just now. Let Vance sit here and think about what he's done." Daphne sighed and patted him on the back. "Friends really are the best. You care about me so much more than my husband ever could." Beneath the blanket, my hands curled into tight fists. Had Daphne completely forgotten? She had a terrible stomach. In our three years of marriage, I had prepared nutritious meals for her every single day just to keep her chronic diarrhea under control. Meanwhile, this friend of hers did nothing but drag her out for heavy drinking and barbecue. One time, after a particularly bad night of drinking and barbecue, her stomach actually perforated. I was the one who took care of her until the day she was discharged. And yet, she remembered none of it. Weighed down by the past, I drifted off to sleep. But less than an hour later, I was roughly shaken awake. Daphne stood over me with a cold expression. "Get up. I processed your discharge. We need to clear the bed for someone else." I clutched my aching chest as I sat up. "Why did you discharge me? I'm not recovered yet." Daphne snapped impatiently, "You only coughed up a little blood. What do you need to be hospitalized for? I refunded the hospital fees. I have to go with Luca to negotiate with a major client. If we land this deal, his company's crisis will be solved." I stared at her, utterly bewildered. "What does that have to do with me?" Luca strolled into the room, casually swinging a vintage bag. "We were short 5,000 dollars to buy this vintage bag for the client, so we had to use your hospital refund. And don't look at me like that. Even if that hospital money came from your mistress, I'll pay both of you back once I make it big. "Honestly, your money feels dirty to me, but I have no choice. Daphne spent her entire 18,000-dollar bonus just to cheer me up last night. I can't let her down or give her a reason to look down on me. I have to pull myself together." Daphne pulled Luca toward the exit. "Hurry up. We're going to be late." As she reached the door, she seemed to remember something. She turned around and slapped a ten-dollar bill right across my face. "I'm going to the meeting with Luca. Find your own way home. I'll deal with you and that woman when I get back." The moment they left, Dad arrived, accompanied by one of his local friends. I threw my arms around Dad and wept uncontrollably, pouring out everything that had just happened. Furious, he immediately hired a lawyer to handle my divorce. To ensure Daphne wouldn't harass me and disrupt my recovery, Dad chartered a private jet to take me home. On the flight back, I sat in my seat, tightly cradling the urn containing Elliot's ashes. Just as the plane was preparing for takeoff, Dad's assistant, Leon Wallace, walked into the cabin holding a vintage bag. "Mr. Merritt, a local contractor sent this gift for Mr. Gardner, hoping we might grant them some contracting work this year. Mr. Gardner, would you like to see if you like this bag?" I recognized it instantly. It was the exact same bag Luca had been flaunting in my ward. As it turned out, Luca had bought the vintage bag to ask Dad for a business opportunity. Chapter 5 What a coincidence. I looked up at Leon and said, "Tell the person who sent it that the money used to buy this bag is not clean. We will never do business with them." Leon nodded understandingly and stepped away to make the call before the plane took off. … Once I got home, I turned on my newly purchased phone and saw that Daphne had left me hundreds of missed calls and countless messages on WhatsApp. "Vance, have you had enough? It was just a loan to my childhood friend. Why are you pushing for a divorce over this? "Is that woman who paid your medical bills the real reason you want a divorce? The one decked out in luxury brands? I saw her car and bracelet. They're worth millions of dollars. "Are you looking down on me for being poor? I've worked so hard. I started out making just a few thousand dollars a month, and within three years, I've built that up to 15,000 dollars. You've been living off me all these years." I shoved the old SIM card into a drawer and inserted a new one into my phone. To be fair, Daphne was incredibly hardworking. While many of her peers from her graduating class were still unemployed or hunting for jobs, she had firmly established herself in the city. Her salary had skyrocketed, and multiple companies were competing to headhunt her. Before Luca came along, I would cook after work because she hated it, and she would clean the entire house. Daphne's personal expenses were remarkably low. She didn't get her nails done, didn't dye her hair, and didn't go shopping. She spent less than 2,000 dollars a month on herself. I worked in a non-profit organization, where my salary maxed out at 3,000 dollars a month, and I only spent 300 dollars. Together, we managed to put 10,000 dollars a month into our joint account. Combining that with our bonuses, and after paying the property management fees, car maintenance, and the mortgage, it had taken us three years to save up that 100,000 dollars. Originally, I wanted to proudly tell Dad that I could build a good life without relying on the family. But the moment Luca showed up, Daphne was willing to throw everything aside and hand over every single penny we had to him. Even if nothing physical had ever happened between them, I couldn't accept it. I couldn't be with a wife who valued friendship more than her own husband. … A week later, our divorce was finalized. I didn't want the car we bought together and the apartment I had paid for using my investment earnings from insurance funds. Giving them up was the only way to fast-track the process. After all, compared to those assets, Dad's massive company was the real fortune. Dad announced he was throwing a grand homecoming party for me, where he would officially hand over 50% of the company's shares. Previously, I had taken Mom's surname, Gardner. For this party, I was going to officially legally take Dad's surname before taking over the shares. Seeing how Dad's hair had turned completely gray, I agreed. Since I was still recovering from my illness and sensitive to the cold, I wore a heavy wool overcoat over my custom-tailored suit to stay warm. I was sitting in a quiet corner, eating a piece of cake to soothe my stomach, when someone suddenly gripped my arm tightly. I turned around. To my shock, it was Daphne. She stared at me in disbelief. "Vance? Is that really you? I barely recognized you. You've gotten so handsome, and you carry yourself with this incredibly high-class vibe now."