Chapter 2
631 Words
"One bottle cancels ten thousand in debt. If you finish all these today, you'll clear two hundred thousand," one of them said.
"At this rate, you'll repay everything in just a year. Our boss is really generous!" said one of the lackeys.
The raucous laughter cut through the night.
I found it grating, so I stepped in and paid over thirty million to settle his debts.
Later, I kept Nathan by my side, investing tens of millions to support his ambitions. I leveraged every connection my family had accumulated over generations and poured endless resources into him, transforming him into a prominent figure in Belrun. I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that he would betray me.
I called my assistant: "Check Nathan's financial transactions and marital status. Also, be prepared to sever all business ties with his company and cut off his funding immediately. If he doesn't give me a reasonable explanation, I'll ensure his company's stock crashes instantly."
I hung up, still struggling to steady my emotions.
Soon my assistant’s reply came: "Ms. Chapman, you're currently single. However, Mr. Leeds is shown to be married. Records show he registered his marriage with Rachel Sutton in Hanbir City six years ago, and the union remains valid."
Six years ago, in Hanbir...
The words hit me like a truck. My assistant then sent Nathan's transaction records from the past five years.
My eyes immediately caught the down payment he had made two weeks ago. It was for a luxury villa across from our home.
So Nathan had been planning their reunion all along.
And what was I? For years, Nathan had deceived me with a fake marriage certificate, swindling me out of money and affection.
Tears streamed down as I furiously tore the counterfeit document to shreds, then fed it into the shredder, watching it be shredded.
Before I could confront him, a message arrived: Honey, are you checking my transactions? After eight years of marriage, I've always been open and caring. Don't you trust me now? What else is there to investigate?
With twelve years of love, eight as husband and wife, Nathan had provided me with ample emotional support.
When I longed for the rice cakes made by the vendor in my childhood alley, he traveled hundreds of miles to learn the craft from the old master and made them for me himself.
When I was infected with a virus and hospitalized with a persistent high fever, my blood oxygen levels repeatedly dropped below 90%. He kept vigil by my bedside, checking my temperature and administering medication every twenty minutes. For three full days and nights, he didn’t sleep a wink until I was out of danger.
I always believed he loved me, so I never doubted him. But now I see that love can be faked. Every gesture of his was a calculated act.
I sent him the family photo from Rachel's account: Nathan, stop pretending. All these years, it’s been nothing but your lies.
Messages and calls flooded in like a storm. I shut off my phone, collected Nathan Group’s financial reports, and convened an emergency board meeting.
The meeting dragged on for six grueling hours. By the time it ended, rain was falling outside. Nathan had somehow returned to Belrun unnoticed. Umbrella in hand, he approached me, but I deliberately sidestepped him. "I have a car and a driver."
Without a word, he forcibly hauled me over his shoulder and threw me into the car.
As the door slammed shut, he finally spoke: "Honey, I know you’ve been secretly manipulating my company, trying to ruin me. Is that really what this is about?"
He turned his face toward me, his demeanor now exuding elegant sophistication, nothing like the man he was over a decade ago...
- Writer
