He Left Me for His Ex—Then Found Out I'm a Billionaire's Daughter

Chapter 3

I clenched my fists tightly, the last trace of love in my eyes extinguished completely.

"Emmett, you forced my hand," I said coldly. "Since you showed not an ounce of affection, don't blame me for being ruthless. Right now, I'm going to have my father completely withdraw all financial support and connections from you!"

No one knew that I had begged my father to bend the rules to secure all of Emmett's startup capital and connections. Back then, he had failed repeatedly, gone bankrupt over and over, and been completely at a dead end. I was nearing the end of my three-year training period in the slums.

I couldn't bear to see him sink into ruin, so I humbly begged my father to allocate top-tier resources to support him.

I single-handedly pulled him from the mud to the heavens.

Yet Emmett showed no fear. Instead, he let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Withdraw funding?" he sneered. "Do you really think your father is the richest man in the capital? Alice, don't throw around terms you picked up from running around with me on business. Do you even know what 'withdraw funding' means?"

He paused, then added, "Enough nonsense. Take off the wedding dress now, or don't make me use force."

Vera shook Emmett's arm with a coquettish pout. "Emmett, don't waste time on her," she whined. "You'll make us miss our auspicious hour. By the time the ceremony ends, we won't even have time for the wedding night."

Her honeyed words completely melted his last shred of hesitation.

Emmett spoke in a deep voice. "Guards!" he barked. "Tear it off her!"

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward to grab me.

I shoved them aside. "I dare you!" I snapped. "Emmett, if you dare touch me, you'd better figure out how to settle your outstanding wedding fees and project funds!"

Emmett scoffed, his eyes full of contempt. "No need to trouble yourself," he replied. "Once the project payments and returns come in, I won't be short of that pocket change."

He looked down at me condescendingly. "You wouldn't still be so hung up on me that you'd deliberately sabotage our wedding, would you?" he added.

I gritted my teeth. "Stop flattering yourself!" I shot back. "A piece of trash like you who crawled out of a garbage dump isn't even fit to go near the Pemberton family's trash can!"

His smile deepened, tinged with condescending pity. "Are you throwing a fit because I told you to marry someone else?" he asked. "I'm not completely heartless. You've been with me so long. If you really want to stay by my side, I could keep you around."

He beckoned a subordinate over and took an old, rusted key. "This is the place I kept for you," he said. "If you really can't bear to leave me and want to stay by my side, take off the wedding dress and wait there obediently. Once I've settled Vera down for the night, I'll swing by."

The surrounding guests, catching sight of that key, burst into roars of laughter.

"Isn't that the cheapest shack in the slums? Five dollar a month!"

"Filthy and squalid, worse than the bridge underpasses where the homeless sleep!"

"Perfect for a shameless, lovesick fool like her!"

I stared hard at that worn-out key. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, the pain so sharp I could barely breathe. It wasn't just the cheapest shack in the slums. It was a notorious brothel.

Back when he was at his most destitute, sleeping on the streets and digging through trash to eat, he never let me come within half a step of him. Now that he's made it big, he actually wants me to live in this kind of place!

Emmett looked at my deathly pale face, thinking I was caving. "Keeping this place for you is already doing you a favor," he said coolly.