After He Shamed Me, I Married a Billionaire

My son and I had just finished setting up our trinket stall when two uninvited guests showed up. What bad luck. Jason Payne is my ex-husband. Emily Smith used to be his secretary, but I guess she's successfully stepped into my place as his wife now. With my savvy little boy right beside me, I didn't want to get tangled up with them. I was just about to pretend I didn't know them when Emily stepped forward and deliberately provoked me. "Vanessa, it really is you! It's only been a few years. How have you aged so much? And you're dressed so shabbily. You've even resorted to selling antique trinkets on the street to get by. What a pity. Without Jason, you really only deserve to rot in the gutter." Jason made no effort to hide the disdain in his eyes. "If you're short on money, just come beg me for it. What's the point of setting up a pathetic stall like this? You're embarrassing me. "Besides, how could you never tell me you were pregnant with my child back then? How could you let him live such a hard life with you?" I glanced at my son and myself—we were both wearing fully custom handmade clothes from Britain. Where was this "shabbiness" they were going on about? "You're still the same as ever, too stubborn to admit defeat. If you can't raise him, just come back to me. I'm his father. Would I really abandon my own child?" Emily heard him humiliate me and immediately started adding her two cents. "Vanessa, do you know why Jason never liked you? You're always trying to prove how tough you are. No man wants an overly domineering woman. If you really can't afford to raise the child, you can just send him back to us." I could tolerate all the garbage they were saying about me, but bringing my son into this stepped straight onto a landmine. "Jason, take your slut and get out of my sight right now. My child is here, so I won't say anything more vulgar." But then Emily suddenly burst out cackling. "Vanessa, you're such a joke. Do you know what day it is today? Today is our wedding day. You stayed by his side for eight years, and he never gave you a proper wedding. I've only been officially with him for less than two months, and he already proposed to me." After Emily finished speaking, Jason offered a guilty explanation. "Emily has always had such a gentle temperament, and she's not as capable as you. If I don't give her a proper title quickly, all the gossip will destroy her." I sneered to myself. Gentle temperament? I really hadn't seen that side of her. But Emily was right. He did treat her far better than he ever treated me. He always used to say he was a lifelong bachelor. I proposed to him six times before he reluctantly agreed. Now I see that when you're with someone you truly love, you throw all your principles out the window. "This has nothing to do with me. Jason, you don't owe me any explanation. We're already divorced." Perhaps my coldness stung him, because he gripped Emily's shoulder even tighter. "My apologies. I just forgot for a moment. "But let me tell you something, Vanessa. When you were young and beautiful, I only barely bothered with you. Look at you now, even if you stripped naked and climbed into my bed, I wouldn't give you a second glance. Marrying you was the biggest disgrace of my entire life." When Emily heard his words, her smile grew even more triumphant. "Vanessa, as a fellow woman, I really feel sorry for you. If I were in your shoes, I'd have killed myself by now. But you've always been too shameless to care. "Oh, by the way, we're having our wedding at Hilton Hotel. You're welcome to come and witness our happiness. It's probably been ages since you've had a meal at a five-star hotel, right? Bring your kid along and treat yourselves to a good meal. There's nothing to be ashamed of. "If anyone stops you at the door, just tell them you're my country cousin." With that, she proudly took Jason's hand and left. My son tugged on my sleeve and asked, "Mommy, what nonsense were they talking about? Isn't Daddy on a business trip in France? Why did that man say I'm his son? And isn't Hilton the restaurant we go to all the time? That lady is so weird." I stroked my son's smooth little cheek and comforted him. "Ignore those lunatics. They're just irrelevant people." I was just about to say more when my assistant's message came through. Assistant: Ma'am, come back quickly! Mr. Cornell brought an antique over and insists that you look at it in person. I can't handle this!