My Wife Hates Me Until I Become A Billionaire

Chapter 3 One Billion Dollars

"A hundred-million-dollar business?"

While he put on a good face, Gabe was cursing deep inside.

Would anyone come looking for him to join in a hundred-million-dollar business proposal?

At least Gabe knew what he was capable of, or rather, what he was not.

Dawnherald was a big business conglomerate and he himself had taken part in several projects before.

Dawnherald had had numerous projects, but none of them over a hundred million dollars in USD.

Gabe could count with one hand the number of projects in the city that had ever reached that amount of budget.

And he could well swear that he had never seen this stranger before in his life.

"Is this i***t trying to make a fool of me?!" he thought, wondering about his luck that he should encounter a snake-oil salesman.

Gabe got to his feet and sauntered away brusquely, leaving the stranger at where he was standing. He had had enough of salt rubbing on his wound for one night.

Any other day, he would have already given the man a punch to the face. Fortunately for the bloke, he was hardly in the mood today.

Gabe was just at the door when a sudden burst of light blinded his eyes.

When his eyes finally got used to the light, he saw a brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantom limousine parked just in front of him.

The entire length of the absurdly-luxurious vehicle reminded him of the flank of a handsome stallion. Strong and sinewy and yet sleek and elegant. On its hood was a platinum Spirit of Ecstasy ornament, unlike the usual gold ones that most other Rolls-Royces sported.

The platinum ornament easily cost at least three hundred thousand dollars, and the owner's name printed at the rear of the bespoke luxury limousine made it a very, very unique vehicle.

He had seen enough of luxury cars since his marriage to Lisa.

Yet, he had never seen one such car before: a bespoke luxury limousine of the highest order. One could argue that the country, never mind the province, could hardly boast more of its like.

Gabe could almost guess its price and he was sure the real value would be one that he would be astounded to hear.

The man walked after him and smiled at him, saying, "Well, get in. What are you waiting for?"

If Gabe had doubts about the hundred-million-dollar business proposal, what apprehensions he once had immediately evaporated after he saw the car. He could well believe it now.

Even if the budget of the business proposal needed one more zero at the back, surely the owner of this car could afford it.

Even so, Gabe could not help wondering: who is this stranger, why did he find him, and what is his purpose?

Gabe had completely sobered up by now.

The man gave Gabe a little encouraging push on the back, leading him towards the car.

Gabe hesitated for one split-second, but he did not resist. He was curious about who this stranger really was.

Something strange and inexplicable was hooking its finger at him and he could find himself unable to shake off its charm to find out the truth.

Inside the car, Gabe could not have been anymore awed by the lavish interior.

The ceiling constructed using sophisticated materials was a star-studded canopy of black, designed to mimic the enchanting view of a starry night sky.

The entire inside was a congruous blend of classical and modern features. The back seats were furnished with dedicated power seating handles and pedals for passengers to adjust their seats to their comfort - showing how attentive Rolls-Royce was to the details of this state-of-the-art luxury vehicle.

Everything about the car screamed lots and lots of money. The car itself was a veritable mansion on wheels that even Gabe can hardly guess its value.

Along the way, hundreds of questions loomed in Gabe's mind. It was all he could do to keep himself still despite the many times of nearly losing control.

Then he heard the man instructing the driver to head for Grandcourt Tower. That made his heart skip.

Grandcourt Tower was one of Splendorforge's many building projects. "Is this another joke by Francis?" he wondered.

"Is he trying to get back at me for losing face in front of the family just now?" 

Gabe stirred in his seat as he braced for whatever might come. If this really was a joke by Francis, Gabe would make sure that he would receive a good walloping!

If it were the Gabe Wolken of the past, he would still have much to worry about. But now, things had changed that he had decided to leave the Eisenhardts.

The man noticed how tense Gabe had become, but he merely gave him a warm smile, motioning for him to relax and calm down.

But that little to quell the jitters that tormented Gabe. He could hardly believe a word the man was saying.

The car soon arrived at the Grandcourt Tower and it stopped at the entrance.

The man got off the car with Gabe before he ordered the chauffeur to drive the Rolls-Royce down to an executive basement garage.

They watched the car leave, and then the man invited Gabe to his office. They had much to discuss.

Gabe had had enough. Not wanting to beat around the bush, he elaborated to the stranger about his apprehensions.

The man smiled and spoke gently to Gabe.

"My bad. I forgot to tell you that Grandcourt Tower no longer belongs to the Connors. We have just bought it – every bit of it."

Another bolt from the sky.

Gabe knew very well how much was Grandcourt Tower's value – two billion. Splendorforge had never ceased to rally buyers to this particular landmark, hoping that they would find buyers for this office tower but to no avail. The price was just too expensive.

And this stranger from nowhere had purchased the province's most expensive Class AAAAA office tower with cash without even batting an eye. Gabe could think of no one in all of this region in the country who could afford such profligacy.

"Just who the hell has such an enormous trove of money to buy something as expensive as this building?"

Gabe's curiosity once again reared its head. "Just who the hell is behind all this?!"

But since this had nothing to do with Francis Connor and he had nothing left to lose, Gabe followed the man into the building.

The man led Gabe all the way up to the18th floor of the Tower, which might have been finished constructed four to five years ago but its office floors were barely filled with tenants; that was why the building looked rather empty.

But when Gabe looked around, he could see that the entire Tower was undergoing major renovation works.

The entire 18th floor was converted into one office with a golden plaque inscribed with the words: President's Office.

"What ungodly extravagance is this?! That a man can have an entire floor for himself?!"

He stepped into the office to find the furnishing extremely meticulous. A reception room, a lounge, an entertainment room, and even a private indoor golf room. If this was not reckless lavishness, he didn't know what was.

"Hello, Mr. Wolken!"

A melodious voice greeting him reached his ears. He looked at where it came from and saw a bookshelf trembling before it swiveled to reveal a hidden doorway.

A young lady with the grace and charm of a fairy stepped into view, cradling a wine glass in her hand as she gazed at him with misty eyes.

Gabe found himself instantly captivated by her divine grace. Even the simple and lean office suit failed to keep her unique feminine charms swaddled. With her skin as smooth and fair as cream and her face like a blooming flower and her lips as inviting as a rose, he could feel himself enchanted.

It had been so long since he met any girl so sassy and yet so elegant.

"Uh, hi... And you are..."

Gabe stammered as his face slowly burned a bright shade of pink.

The man immediately bowed and greeted her when he saw the young lady, addressing her as "Miss" and the young lass nodded acknowledgingly.

The man ushered Gabe to a chair, and then he gave him a name card, formally introducing himself at last.

"My apologies for the late introductions, Mr. Wolken. I've forgotten about it. The name's Peter Madison and this is my card."

Gabe took the card and peered at it. A Chinese-American. That would explain his Asian descent but a Western name.

But when his gaze panned to the name of the company the man represented, he was shocked so much that he sprang to his feet.

"ATG Consolidated?!"

"That ATG?! One of the world's top ten strongest business conglomerates ATG?!"

Gabe could feel his hands trembling. He could not believe that the simple-looking middle-aged man was none other than ATG Consolidated's President for the Chieiro!

And if someone with his power and influence spoke to this young lady with such deference and respect, then whoever this little lass was, she must be extraordinary.

Peter gestured to the beautiful young lady, introducing her.

"This is Ms—"

"Allow me, Uncle Peter. I can speak for myself."

The girl gave Gabe a sweet smile. She had never taken her eyes off him since they met.

Gabe could have sworn that he had never seen this beautiful girl before, but her gaze told him that they knew each other like old friends. He could feel a warm and inexplicable familiarity emanating from her.

"Don't you remember me, Gabe?"

"Recognize her?!"

Gabe was confused. Since when did he know her?

"I'm Eileen! Eileen Wellesley!"

Eileen looked so excited that she rose from her chair when she introduced herself, her eyes blazing with spirited fervor as she stared into his eyes.

"Eileen Wellesley?!"

He vaguely remembered the name, although he could not recall her no matter how hard he tried.

"My grandpa's Arthur Wellesley, your grandfather's brother-in-arms during the war! Grandpa left the country some time after that. Then when I was six, Grandpa came back here once. That was when you and I first met."

Her reminiscing of how they met helped Gabe to remember who she was.

His grandfather's comrade in arms. They had fought together and shed both blood and tears together, and after his grandfather had saved Arthur Wellesley, they became sworn brothers.

But after Arthur went abroad, they lost contact with each other.

After the reformation, the brothers resumed contact and Arthur came back to visit him, bringing Eileen with him where they stayed for a while at Gabe's home.

That filled Gabe with joy. He did not expect that he would once again meet Eileen, whom he had not seen for so many years.

"Eileen! I remember you now! I remember everything!" he exclaimed, "So how's Grandpa Arthur now?"

A tinge of sorrow flashed within her eyes before she finally sighed and revealed that Arthur's health hadn't been well lately and he was still abroad, undergoing intensive care.

His health had been deteriorating as he got older, apparently. Gabe could only tell Eileen to take care and take things easy.

"ATG Consolidated was founded by Old Mr. Wellesley. When he heard about your grandfather's death, he grew very sad. But his health restricts him from coming here to pay your grandfather his final respects... I'm afraid this could very well be Old Mr. Wellesley's biggest regret."

Peter Madison's voice broke. He looked terribly bereft as if he was going through the same anguished suffering as his boss was, showing how loyal he was to Arthur.

"I thank Grandpa Arthur for his kindness. I'm sure my grandfather would be most comforted if he knows about this...Wait a minute. You said Grandpa Arthur's the founder of ATG?! Then Eileen's..."

"Ms. Eileen is the only legal heir to ATG Consolidated, and is a sitting member of the board."

Gabe could not have been any more flabbergasted. The sworn brother of his grandfather was one of the richest men in the world and his long-lost childhood friend was his heir!

Gabe struggled to keep his excitement bridled. Doing best to look calm, he asked, "So why have you called me here?"

"Actually, Grandpa wants—" Eileen nearly blurted out loud what sounded like the truth, then she realized how she nearly did.

"Ah! What Ms. Eileen means is that we wish to hire you to work for us. In addition, Old Mr. Arthur has another wish: he wishes to give you one billion US dollars as a token of repayment to your family for Old Mr. Wolken's saving his life during the war. We only ask that you won't refuse this gift."

Peter interjected quickly and deliberately built a lie around what Eileen had just said.

"Wait. What did you say?! O-one... billion?!"

Gabe could have sworn that his ears were deceiving him.

"One billion US dollars, sir, and we hope you won't refuse this offer. Consider this as a token of appreciation from Old Mr. Wellesley to your family. "

A one-billion-dollar reward that had just fallen into his lap!

Gabe could hardly believe it. Before he even knew what he was doing, he said no. The amount was just too big.

"Please, Gabe. If Grandpa hears this, he would be so sad. So please, consider my grandpa's health and do this for him."

Gabe was just too astonished to speak. Even with a tiny little voice in his mind prodding him to say yes, he could still hardly bring himself to utter the words through his lips.

Noticing his opportunity, Peter took out the check and the contract and handed them to Gabe.

"So this is the initial payment: a Suisse Bank check for one hundred million US dollars. Due to foreign exchange control, the rest of the nine hundred million dollars would come in installments. Meanwhile, this is the contract. Sign this and you shall be legally entitled to the full sum of one billion dollars."

Gabe picked up a pen and after a moment of hesitation, he signed the contract, albeit with hands trembling.

He needed the money. With the money, no one could dare to shout at him anymore. With the money, no one could well say that he relied on his wife. No one would look down on him anymore.

With the means to better himself, nothing would stop him from pursuing his ambition!

Gabe could hardly remember how he left Grandcourt Tower. Everything felt like a dream – a ludicrous and outlandish dream that he could never believe!

Peter Madison watched Gabe leave, and after that, he showed the contract to Eileen.

She peered at the signature and nodded, satisfied. "Your wish has been fulfilled, Grandpa. ATG Consolidated is now the Wolkens'. Gabe has finally inked it!"

...

Gabe left Grandcourt Tower, checking his pocket every now and then, and making sure that the check was correct, before he would put it back into his pocket again.

This was a Heaven-sent opportunity for Gabe and he knew he needed to seize it.

His future and his success now hinged upon this.

Something told him that the people Peter Madison represented wanted more than just taking down Splendorforge, but he could care less. Not at this juncture when he had lost everything, especially with the rage whenever he recalled the insults and indignity that the Eisenhardts had been giving him for so many years.

"Hmph, just you wait," he thought.

Gabe hailed a cab and went straight back to the Eisenhardt family estate.

He had accepted the payment, and hence service as a form of repayment would be expected from him. Returning to the Eisenhardts would be the safest course right now.

He knew that he would surely have to endure more scorn and ridicule, but he had had enough of that in the past five years and a little longer wouldn't hurt.

At the gates of the estate, Gabe took out a set of keys which he used to let himself in.

The labrador that Lisa reared rushed up to him immediately and greeted him with a peal of raucous and ferocious barks that made Gabe boil.

"Dammit, even a dog is looking down on me!"

Gabe ignored it until he couldn't and he gave the animal a vicious kick.

That threw the dog off its feet and it fell down far away in a heavy crash.

The dog howled and retreated, limping back to its kennel where it wallowed there in pain.

"Mongrel pup, that should teach you to shuddup."

Gabe entered the big house and found the lights still on. He checked his watch. It was already one in the morning.

At most times, the Eisenhardts would all be in bed by now.

Hardly anyone should still be in the living hall by now.

Gabe removed his shoes and stepped inside. Then he found no one else but Lisa sitting alone in her nightdress, sipping at a glass of bourbon.

Lisa glanced out of the corner of her eyes and saw Gabe.

She was not in a good mood herself. What should have been a happy family dinner had ended up a mess and she could have never been any more disgraced.

"Oh, you're back? I'm surprised."

Lisa put down her glass and crossed a leg over a knee as she stared at him coldly from the other side of the living hall, her cheeks red as a wild blooming rose in the gardens.

Gabe rubbed his temples. The events today had tired him enough and he hardly relished the prospects of another internecine squabble with Lisa.

For arguing for so many years, Gabe had become tired.

He muttered a quick "I don't want to quarrel" and began moving up the stairs, thinking of going back to his room to rest the night.

Gabe and Lisa had long begun sleeping separately. They had not shared a bed for years. But Gabe made no complaints. He had been hoping for a day where the ice between him and Lisa would thaw.

Still, his hopes were not to be fulfilled. Despite his unwavering loyalty and patience, he lived a life which was worse than even a dog's.

Gabe was moving up the stairs when the lights of the landing above lit up. There he saw Regina coming out in her night coat and she shrieked at Gabe.

"STOP RIGHT THERE! I was wondering who it was at this hour, disturbing my rest! Who would have guessed that it is my good son-in-law!"

Regina emphasized on the word "good", hardly disguising her sarcasm at all.

"Just go to bed, Mum."

He did not want a quarrel with Regina either, so he just swallowed his pride and yielded quietly.

"I say! Spare me your 'Mum'! You come back, calling me that after that rude display you gave me just now. Leave this family if you dare! Go and not come back, I dare you! Hmph!"

Even as she yawned, Regina did not allow her drowsiness to come in the way of her punishing Gabe fiercely with slews of her furious insults.

Only, Gabe's mindset was completely transformed. The old him would have been thinking of ways to get back at Regina by now.

But right now, he was only thinking of how he would ride out the storm.

He could see no point in bandying words. Even if he were poised to win every argument, a simple "kept man" hurled his way could have easily toppled what house of cards he could erect with his sound points.

Therefore, the first order of business would be to remove the brand that the world had placed on him and change how the Eisenhardts looked at him so that they would feel guilty for the things they had done to him before.

Hence, Gabe would have to tolerate whatever Regina would be hurling his way – at least for now.