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Husband Left Me for a Hundred Million That Never Existed
At the company’s year-end party, joke scratch cards were handed out to everyone, each showing a fake win of one hundred million. Finding it pointless, I didn’t even scratch mine and simply brought...
Chương (4)
第1章
At the company’s year-end party, joke scratch cards were handed out to everyone, each showing a fake win of one hundred million.
Finding it pointless, I didn’t even scratch mine and simply brought it home.
After finishing my shower, I came out and noticed the card was gone, my husband’s face glowing with excitement.
I was just about to explain that the scratch card wasn’t real.
The next moment, my mother-in-law barged in. “Son, divorce her right now! I’ve told you plenty of times this worthless woman isn’t good enough for you!”
“Now that you’re a billionaire, there are plenty of amazing women waiting for you. Choose anyone you want!”
Eagerly, my husband nodded without a second thought. “Alright, Mom. I already set a time; we’ll go tomorrow!”
Then, pretending to be innocent, he looked at me. “You’re not seriously going to claim that scratch card was yours, are you?”
“I already checked, it doesn’t have a name. Whoever has it owns it.”
“Margaret Callahan, my mom’s right. You’re a useless woman. You’re no match for me anymore.”
My chest went cold in an instant.
Turning away, I put aside the present I had bought for him with my million-dollar year-end bonus.
Since he believed I wasn’t worthy of him, he didn’t deserve to have any of it.
——
“Didn’t you hear me? Go pack your things and get out right now!”
“You shameless woman! Don’t tell me you’re planning to stay in this house even after the divorce?”
Tabitha Hoover, my mother-in-law, pointed at me with pride. “Even if my son’s wealthy now, he’s not foolish.”
“After taking care of you all these years, asking for a little emotional payment is completely fair!”
I stood frozen, staring at my husband, Bryce Hoover, and after a long pause, finally muttered, “You really plan to divorce me?”
Coldly, he looked at me, his eyes showing nothing but open disgust. “That’s right.”
“I’ve been married to you for years, always the one giving. What have you ever done for me?”
“You never even brought me a Rolex!”
“You’ve given me no emotional return, so now that I’ve got money and want to end this marriage, you’ve only got yourself to blame.”
I suddenly realized just how absurd I was.
For five years of marriage, I had handed over my fifty-thousand-a-month salary every single month.
Even the house and car we bought after getting married were both in his name.
The watches I gave him weren’t Rolex. True, but their value was several times higher.
Still, he claimed I never gave him emotional worth.
When I stayed quiet, Tabitha assumed I was unwilling and instantly blew up. “You’re not planning to take my son’s scratch card, are you?”
“That belongs to my son! It has nothing to do with you!”
“You never work hard to earn money, and now you’re after my son’s money! Shameless!”
“Everyone outside says Bryce married a useless woman!”
“And I completely agree with them!”
Bryce glanced aside. “Mom, stop talking. You’re making me lose face.”
They didn’t know the company had already decided to make me the general manager and give me 5% of the shares.
If this hadn’t happened, Bryce would have been driving the ten-million-dollar Maserati sports car I bought for him. But now, he’d lost it all.
Staring at them mockingly, I coldly countered, “That scratch card was handed to me by the company during the annual party. My colleagues can back me up.”
Guarding his pocket quickly, Bryce kicked me hard. “Are you so desperate for money or what?”
“Margaret, have a little decency! The scratch card isn’t marked! Whoever holds it owns it!”
Just then, someone suddenly dashed in through the doorway.
Overcome with joy, she threw herself into Bryce’s embrace. “Bryce, how true is it?!”
第2章
“You actually won a hundred million?”
The one who rushed in was my best friend, Edith Meyers. When I had been chasing after Bryce, she was the one who helped me think of all sorts of plans.
But never had I imagined that now, right before my eyes, she would throw herself into Bryce’s arms.
And after hearing about the win, the very first person Bryce shared the news with was her.
Anyone could instantly see what kind of relationship they had.
At this time, Bryce didn’t even try to hide anything. With his arm wrapped affectionately around Edith’s shoulders, he said, “It’s true, Edith. From now on, I’ll look after you, alright?”
“Edith, I think it’s you who brought me this luck!”
“It must’ve been that kiss you gave me today, that’s why I won!”
“So, it’s only right that this prize money includes a share for you!”
My mind went blank.
The scratch card had been taken from me, yet the prize had nothing to do with me at all.
And she, just because she cheated with him and kissed him, got a part of it?
Watching that scene, I felt only disgust and sickness.
Thinking back to the first time I met him, he was feeding a stray cat. That simple kindness and innocence had drawn me in completely.
So after pursuing him for three years, I valued him even more deeply.
I recalled a few years ago, when the company’s business had been struggling, I’d even felt guilty for not being able to buy him a present with my year-end bonus.
Now I had finally succeeded; this year, the company awarded me a ten-million-dollar year-end bonus.
But who would have imagined that a fake scratch card would make me realize how absurd all my affection had been.
I took a deep breath. “We can divorce, but what about the baby I’m carrying?”
Tabitha froze for a second, as though she had just remembered that I was pregnant.
But soon she laughed coldly. “You’re always traveling for work and staying out for days. How do I even know that child belongs to my son?”
My eyes instinctively went to Bryce.
Growing even more furious, Tabitha pushed me hard. “What are you staring at?! No matter how much you look, a bastard will never be my son’s child!”
When he heard that, Bryce threw a few disgusted looks my way. “I don’t want this baby.”
Hearing him mention that, I actually felt a strange sense of relief.
Though it hurt to think of the child, knowing that after the divorce, I’d never have to deal with him again still made me smile.
While talking, he pulled out his phone and started booking an appointment for the procedure. “Even if it’s already three months, we’re getting rid of it!”
“I’m a billionaire now. Why should my kid have such a useless mother?”
Tabitha quickly chimed in. “Exactly! It should be aborted!”
“Now that we’re rich, we can have all the kids we want later!”
“If the divorce happens now and there’s no baby, Margaret will get even less money!”
Acting like I was furious, I said, “You cheated with Edith while we were married. Shouldn’t you be the one leaving with nothing?”
He lost it right away. “Margaret! How could you say that to me?!”
“It’s because you didn’t satisfy me in this marriage that I fell for Edith!”
“You’re the one who’s wrong, so you’re the one who should walk away with nothing!”
When she heard that, Edith softly wrapped her arms around his waist. “Bryce, that baby she’s carrying might not even belong to you. We don’t even know who the real cheater is here!”
“Did you forget? The month before Margaret said she was pregnant, you were with me every single night. How could you have had the strength to get her pregnant?”
Last month?
Suddenly, I remembered the night I had video-called Bryce; he’d been sweating and breathing hard.
He told me he was working out.
Now I finally understood what kind of ‘exercise’ he had really been doing.
That was when it hit me, my so-called best friend had been sleeping with my husband behind my back the whole time.
第3章
Noticing I stayed quiet, Bryce, worried I might refuse, quickly added, “Margaret! You don’t get a choice in this!”
“If you agree to the divorce and abort the child, I can be generous. I'll give you the house!”
Hearing that, I pretended to look crushed and nodded. “Alright, I’ll take the house. Let’s get the divorce and end the pregnancy right now.”
As soon as I said that, Bryce moved fast, afraid I’d suddenly change my mind.
When we got to City Hall, the clerk handed us a pile of documents. “Have you settled how to divide the assets?”
Snatching up the pen, Bryce immediately signed. “The house goes to Margaret, and there’s no need to split the savings anyway; she’s broke and barely has any money.”
Standing beside him, Tabitha nodded and said coldly, “Getting a house for nothing just by divorcing, Margaret, you’ve got some nerve.”
I kept silent and signed my name with no expression.
As soon as both of us finished signing, Bryce let out a breath of relief. Then he rushed me straight to the hospital.
Suddenly, Tabitha turned to me. “If the doctor asks anything, you have to say you’re aborting the baby by choice!”
“Otherwise, my son can take back that house anytime he wants!”
Swallowing my disgust, I nodded in agreement. After all, I had no intention of keeping the baby.
Looking over the ultrasound report, the doctor pushed his glasses up and said, “You’re three months along. The baby’s growing well, and it’s the one you’ve been trying to have for years.”
“Are you absolutely sure you want an abortion?”
“Of course!” Bryce blurted out. “As long as the abortion can be done right away, I’ll pay whatever it costs!”
“This way, she can’t use the baby as a reason to ask me for money later!”
“Abortion?” A voice called out from the hallway.
My mother came rushing in, gripping her test results, out of breath. “Bryce, what did you just say about ending the pregnancy?!”
That’s when I recalled she was here for a check-up today. I hadn’t expected we’d run into each other.
Bryce laughed coldly. “Your daughter and I are already divorced. We can do whatever we want with the baby; it’s got nothing to do with you!”
Rushing forward, Mom grabbed Bryce’s hand. “No, abortion will hurt Margaret badly. And this baby, isn’t it the one you both wanted so much?”
“If you’re just arguing, you can tell Mom…”
Bryce pushed her away. “What Mom!? You’re no mother to me! Disgusting!”
“Now that I’ve got money, you’re acting again, huh? None of you in your family will see a single penny from me!”
Backing away several steps, Mom suddenly clutched her head, her face going pale.
“Mom!” I quickly caught her. “It’s okay. If he wants to abort it, let him. I can deal with it.”
Shaking in my arms, Mom’s lips turned purple. “Don’t… don’t…”
“You awful old lady!” Tabitha pointed at Mom and cursed, “Even if you drop dead right here, my son will never be with your useless daughter again!”
“Besides, who even knows if the baby in your daughter’s belly belongs to my son!”
Hearing that, Mom’s face tightened in even greater pain. Suddenly, I understood, these were the symptoms of a stroke!
I immediately called for the doctor. “My mom’s having a stroke! Somebody, please come now!”
Yet Edith coldly smirked. “Bryce, don’t believe a word they say.”
“They just found out you’re rich and want to trick you out of money before the divorce goes through.”
“What a cheap act. How low can they sink?”
Right after saying that, Bryce glanced at me, clearly mocking. “Your mom’s just faking it!”
“And besides, I didn’t even shove her that hard. Even if she actually dies, it’s not my problem.”
I was surprised. My mother had always treated him better than she ever treated her own daughter.
第4章
Not only did she cook every meal for him three times a day, but she also used her own pension money to send him on vacations.
When she learned I was pregnant, she worried he might feel too much pressure and even talked with me about putting the old family home under his name.
And now he could actually say something so ridiculous?
Before I could even respond, he rushed off with Edith and Tabitha. Ignoring him completely, I sent my mother straight to the emergency room.
After that, without turning around once, I walked into the abortion room.
Thirty minutes later, I came across Edith’s latest post.
In the video, she and Bryce were kissing wildly in the city’s most expensive bar, yelling, “Everyone’s drinks are on me!”
Everyone was on him? That bar costs at least twenty thousand dollars per person.
I let out a cold laugh and right away canceled every card and credit limit I had opened for Bryce.
Sure enough, a few hours later, Bryce called, shouting angrily. “Margaret! Who said you could freeze my cards?!”
“Get over here right now and pay the bill!”
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh and asked, “We’re already divorced, and you still expect me to cover your bill?”
“Bryce, do you honestly think I’ve lost my mind?”
He paused for a second before saying, “Once I claim the prize tomorrow, I’ll give it back to you!”
“It’s just five million, are you really going to be that stingy?”
Saying nothing, I ended the call and blocked his number.
Did he actually believe I’d keep spoiling him like before? Did he really think that money was his to spend?
After cutting the line, I called another number. “Hello, Detective Wagner? I’ve got something that needs your help.”
The next morning, I stayed beside my mother’s hospital bed. Her face was pale, and she was still unconscious and weak.
The doctor explained that she had suffered both psychological trauma and physical injury and would need long-term rest to recover.
I gave a nod and went out to get some breakfast. But just outside, I ran into Bryce and the others.
At that moment, I recalled that the hospital was near the prize claim center.
As soon as they noticed me, their steps halted.
Bryce glanced at me furiously. “You blocked me over five million! You’re too much!”
“Because of you, I had to sign a guarantee letter in front of everyone at the bar, saying I’d pay it back today!”
“Once I cash in the prize, I’ll make you pay for this!”
Standing beside him were a few troublemakers with dyed yellow hair.
I had told Bryce many times to keep away from them, yet he’d been pretending to listen while doing the opposite behind my back.
Those guys gave me cruel smirks.
“I heard your mom had a stroke and’s lying in the hospital, huh? Costs thousands a day to keep her there. If you’ve got no money, why don’t you just take her home and wait for her to die?”
“Check out that expression, she’s probably here to beg Bryce for pity, hoping he’ll feel sorry for her and hand over some cash to save that old woman.”
“Bryce, don’t soften up. Garbage like her family deserves to vanish completely.”
Edith hooked her arms around his. “Bryce, let’s go redeem the prize.”
“When the money’s in hand, we can take our time getting back at this useless woman.”
At hearing about claiming the prize, Bryce’s eyes brightened with excitement, and he gave a cold smile. “Margaret, without me, you’re nothing!”
“Today, I’ll show you what a hundred million really looks like!”
“Just wait until you choke on envy.” Tabitha strutted beside him, proud and delighted.
While they were talking, a van stopped in front of us, and several big men stepped out.
The tattooed man in front glared hard. “The bar bill from last night was five million. You promised yourself you’d pay it today.”
Startled, Bryce muttered impatiently, “What are you rushing for? You’ll get your money soon enough!”
Instantly, Edith stepped in front of Bryce. “Why rush it? It’s only five million, isn't it?”
“When we’re done here, we’ll pay you right away!”
“Listen up! From now on, we’re going to be top VIPs at your bar! If anyone dares to treat us badly again, I’ll have you all fired!”
With an eye roll, they turned and headed into the prize center together.
Confidently, Bryce handed the scratch card to the employee. “Hi, I’m here to claim the prize, one hundred million.”
The employee picked up the scratch card, checked it several times, then ran it through the scanner.
Beep. After the sound, the machine said, “Scratch card invalid.”