She Wanted a $28k Dress, I Want His $800M Fortune

Chapter 4

At seven in the morning on the day of the annual party, I took Annie to my mother's house.

I watched her little bouncing back as she ran into my mother's arms. I stood there watching for a long time.

Then I turned around and got in the car.

I went to a private styling studio. The owner was an old classmate of mine.

"Helen? Is that really you?" She looked at me in surprise. "How did you..."

"How did I end up like this?" I finished her sentence with a smile. "Today, help me change back."

Three hours later, the person in the mirror felt like a stranger.

My long hair was curled into loose waves. My makeup was delicate but not heavy, the eyeliner slightly winged, creating a sharp look. My lipstick was bright red, making my skin look pale.

The black velvet gown had a bateau neckline, a perfectly cinched waist, and a side slit.

"You were always this beautiful," my old classmate said, her eyes red. "All these years... you've been wronged."

"No wrong," I said, looking at myself in the mirror. "I just slept too long. Time to wake up."

Six in the evening, Moon Hotel.

Outside Star Hall, many employees had gathered, dressed in their finest. Young girls excitedly took selfies.

"I heard the grand prize is a trip for two to Eurovelle!"

"President Allen is really generous this year..."

"Of course. This year is different."

In the murmurs, I heard that name.

"Ada will definitely be the center of attention today. That gown cost twenty-eight thousand!"

"President Allen spoils her. I heard he even changed the agenda for her..."

I pulled up the collar of my coat, adjusted the angle of the brooch, and opened my phone.

Luke: Signal connected. The picture is clear. Ready to record whenever you say.

Helen: Wait for my signal.

I took a deep breath, pushed open the heavy curtain on the side of the banquet hall, and slipped inside.

Inside was another world.

The champagne tower refracted dreamy light. Crystal chandeliers poured down like waterfalls. Luxurious clothes and fragrances mixed with lively chatter.

I hid in the shadow of the curtain, my eyes scanning the crowd.

And then, I saw them.

David stood by the stage in a silver-gray suit, his posture straight. He was talking to a woman beside him, a smile on his lips, his eyes tender.

The woman wore a champagne-colored gown, the skirt studded with crystals that shimmered like starlight. Her long hair was pinned up, revealing her neck and diamond earrings.

So this was what the twenty-eight-thousand-dollar gown looked like.

My stomach churned, but my face showed no expression.

The host's voice rang out. "Welcome to the tenth anniversary celebration of Allen Technology!"

Thunderous applause.

"The past ten years have been a journey of wind and rain. None of this would have been possible without the leadership of one man—"

A spotlight hit David.

He calmly walked onto the stage and took the microphone.

"Thank you all," he said with a smile. "Ten years is a long time—long enough for a dream to take root and sprout. And ten years are also very short—so short that it feels like yesterday we were celebrating our first order."

Laughter spread through the audience.

"And along this journey, the person I want to thank the most is the one who has always been by my side."

He paused and looked down at Ada in the audience.

The camera followed. On the large screen appeared Ada's face, shy and smiling.

"Ada," he said softly, "come up."

Applause, cheers, and whistles nearly lifted the roof.

Ada gracefully stood up, lifted her gown, and walked up the steps one by one.

David reached out, took her hand, and took her to the center of the stage.

Under the spotlight, they stood side by side, like a perfect couple.

"Many of you know that Ada is the director of administration," David said, his arm around her shoulder. "But many of you don't know that she is also the person who walked with me through the toughest years."

On the large screen, a video montage played.

Photos flashed by: a shabby office, a silhouette working late at night, toasting at a celebration party...

Ada was in every picture. And I, who should have appeared in those scenes, had been completely erased.

The voice-over said, Five years of companionship, sharing the wind and rain.

Five years.

So while I was pregnant, while I was up all night breastfeeding, the "comrade-in-arms" by his side had already been replaced.

"Today, I want to take this opportunity to say to Ada—"

David turned to her and took her hand. "Thank you. Without you, I couldn't have come this far."

Ada's eyes reddened, her voice choked. "David..."

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Kiss! Kiss!"

David smiled and shook his head, then bent down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

The crowd erupted.

Just then, Ada took the microphone, her voice sweet and trembling.

"Actually... I also have some good news to share with everyone."

She touched her lower belly, her smile blindingly happy.

"I'm pregnant. Three months."

The air was silent for a second.

Then an explosion of applause and cheers nearly lifted the dome.

David held her tightly and whispered something in her ear. She shyly buried her face in his chest.

On the large screen, the close-up was magnified.

The doting in his eyes, the blush on her face, and the diamond ring on her ring finger—identical to my wedding ring, but noticeably larger.

So this was what he meant by "come clean."

Not to me. To the whole world.

I watched that pair on stage, basking in the blessings, watching this "love epic" that had completely erased me.

The last fragments of "Helen Allen" in the depths of my heart finally fell away.

'Fine. You've built your stage and performed your prelude. Now it's my turn.'

I opened my phone and went to the company-wide chat group.

The long post with pictures and text had been prepared long ago—chat logs, transfer screenshots, hotel photos, and the suggestive posts from Ada's social media.

I selected it and pressed "send."

The progress bar reached 100%.

Sent successfully.

Almost simultaneously, phone vibration sounds rose from the audience.

People looked down, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock to embarrassment.

Murmurs spread like a plague. One by one, eyes turned to the stage.

David was still immersed in joy, unaware of the change.

I called Diana.

After three rings, she answered.

"It's done," I said. "Apply for asset preservation. Freeze all his accounts. Right now."

I hung up, took off my black coat, and handed it to a waiter.

Then I stepped onto the red carpet and made my way toward the stage in a pair of three-inch heels.

My footsteps were crisp, unusually clear in the gradually quieting hall.

People in the front row noticed me and turned in confusion.

Then a second person, a third...

The murmurs stopped. All eyes focused on me.

David finally sensed something wrong. He looked up, his gaze cutting through the crowd—And then, froze on my face.

The smile on his face instantly solidified.

His pupils contracted. His lips parted slightly. The mask of composure finally cracked.

I reached out and took the microphone from his stiff hand.

The moment our fingertips touched, he jerked his hand back as if shocked.

I turned and faced the hundreds of faces below—some shocked, some confused, some eager for drama.

I smiled.

Then, into the microphone, I spoke softly,

"Hello everyone, I am Helen Allen.

"The legal wife of Mr. David Allen. Married for ten years. We have a three-year-old daughter.

"And also the owner of this company—"

I paused, my eyes sweeping over David's pale face.

"—holding fifty-one percent of the shares."