He Thought I Was Poor,But I Am a Billionaire

Chapter 4

Mabel took the car over to Top Bridal to try on wedding gowns.

The store manager greeted her warmly and said, "Ms. Sanchez, these are all the latest seasonal pieces Mr. Nash has handpicked for you. Professional models will showcase each one. You can take home whichever one catches your eye."

Mabel nodded and said, "Sure."

The gowns the models wore were all so breathtakingly beautiful that she could hardly tear her gaze away, so she snapped photos of every single one and posted them on social media with a caption.

Mabel: I honestly love all of them. Too bad my closet is too small to fit them all.

Almost immediately, the comments started flooding in.

Herman: [If you love them, just buy them all. I'll clear out an entire room for you, just for your dresses.]

A close friend chimed in: [Congratulations! Well, well—look who's finally tying the knot.]

A colleague wrote: [Desperate much? You don't even need to steal photos. Everyone knows you can't afford Top Bridal anyway.]

Right around then, Jayden's message popped up.

Jayden: Delete that post.

Mabel glanced at it and chose not to reply.

One single post, and two completely opposite responses. She was wondering what exactly Jayden was so afraid of.

After she'd picked out her gown, she stepped out of the store and headed back to the Sandalwood Estate.

Jayden didn't come home that night, and Mabel didn't ask where he'd been. She simply pulled out her suitcase and started packing her things.

For the entire week that followed, Jayden never once set foot back at the Sandalwood Estate, and Mabel knew without being told that he'd been with Riley the whole time, posting photos from their travels on social media every single day—the northern lights over Stormhaven, the Rainbow Reef off Coral Bay, the salt flats of Silvermoor, every last one of them places she'd once told him she wanted to see with him, places he'd gone to, just not with her.

*****

It wasn't until the seventh night that he finally showed up again, dragging his roll-aboard behind him through the door.

He took a shower, came out in his silk robe, and walked into the master bedroom where Mabel had just finished hers, then said, "Come here."

For years, that was how it went. He'd call, and she'd come. He'd wave her off, and she'd go. Like she was just something that lived in his bed, always there, no matter how little he ever gave back.

What he never once stopped to consider was that Mabel had needed things too, all seven of those years. She'd wanted a real connection. She'd wanted someone who actually showed up for her. But she didn't need any of that anymore. And she was completely fine with it.

When she didn't move, he crossed the room, pulled her down onto his lap, and ran his thumb across her cheek. "So," he said. "You learn your lesson this week?"

Mabel didn't answer. She just turned her face away, pulling free of his touch.

Jayden brushed it off like it was nothing, leaning down and pinning her beneath him, and pressing his mouth to her neck.

But she held a hand flat against his chest and said, "Jayden, I don't want to do this."

He paused.

She looked up into that handsome face of his and asked, "Do you remember what tomorrow is—September 22nd?"

He said he didn't, and she told him, "It's our seven-year anniversary."

He sat up, met her eyes, and let out a quiet laugh. "So?"

She pushed him off, moved to sit beside him, and said, "In all these seven years we've been together, you've never once really given me any kind of gift, so I was wondering if this time, just this once, you could get me something."

She'd been the one doing all the giving throughout their relationship, and before she left, it seemed only fair that he gave something back.

At that, Jayden straightened his robe and said, "Fine. I'll get you something," then turned and walked away.

Mabel watched his back disappear through the door, and a bitter, ironic smile curved at the corner of her lips.

Tomorrow wasn't their anniversary at all. It was just another ordinary day, nothing special about it.

The next morning, Mabel had barely rolled out of bed and stepped into the hallway when she spotted Riley already seated in the sitting room on the second floor.

Riley rose with a bright smile, walked over, and said, "Jayden mentioned today's your seven-year anniversary, so he and I stayed up last night picking out something special for you."

She then led Mabel into the walk-in closet, where rows and rows of clothes and jewelry were neatly arranged—Valentino's 2024 fall-winter collection, all in that sleek, understated aesthetic that screamed Riley and had nothing to do with Mabel, with several of the couture pieces even tailored to Riley's own measurements.

Mabel stood there taking it all in without a word.

Riley gave a small, pleased smile as she said, "Ms. Sanchez, Jayden tells me you're a tour guide. I imagine you'd never be able to afford any of these in your lifetime. But you did spend seven years with him without ever being officially acknowledged, so I suppose he does owe you some kind of compensation. Tell me, do any of these catch your eye?"

Jayden and Riley really did tell each other everything.

Mabel let her gaze drift away from the racks and said, "Sorry, but I don't like a single one of them. You can have them all. Oh, and Jayden? You can have him too."