Chapter 1

After I found out I was pregnant, I immediately bought abortion pills.

I was just about to swallow them when a boy's voice spoke inside my head.

'Mom, don't get rid of me. I can help you get rich.

'My dad is a billionaire. A hopeless romantic, too.

'He's obsessed with women who remind him of his first love, the stubborn, sharp-tongued kind, and he keeps showering them with expensive gifts that they all end up tossing straight into the trash.

'And I know exactly where those trash cans are.'

I thought I was hallucinating and hurried to take the pills.

He continued, 'Those gifts include priceless antiques, the latest phones, jewelry worth tens of millions, and—'

Hearing that, I made myself throw up and got the pills out.

"Where did they dump the gifts?" I demanded. "Tell me. Now."

"Wait." I suddenly realized something. "If your dad is that rich, why don't I just tell him I'm pregnant with his child? Wouldn't that be the easiest way to cash in?"

My son Simon snickered at my cluelessness. 'Dad is filthy rich. Do you think he needs a wife? Stop watching those unrealistic romance dramas.

'Yeah, you can tell him that you're pregnant, but how do you prove the child is his? He can easily make me disappear. He might label you a gold digger and quietly get rid of you.

'We just take what we can and stay alive. Mom, don't get greedy. High society isn't easy to survive in.'

I nodded without hesitation.

Maybe Simon had been around before. This felt like a new run, just here to warn me.

Even if I did get into the rich crowd, what good was money if I wasn't alive to spend it?

"Alright, I'll follow your lead," I said, rubbing my hands in excitement.

I was ready to hit the jackpot just by scoring big from trash.

To prove he wasn't lying, Simon gave me a specific location.

I biked for a full hour before reaching the trash can outside a mansion.

The moment I lifted the lid, my eyes lit up.

I muttered, "No wonder they're loaded. Even his trash smells expensive."

There wasn't much actual trash inside, mostly just boxes from various gifts.

I pulled out my sack and filled two bags fast.

I tied the sacks onto my bike, struggling to pedal out of the mansion area. Once I was clear, I finally managed to grab a cab and drag everything home.

The moment I got home, I couldn't wait to start opening the gift boxes.

There were Hermès ties, designer suits, Chanel watches, and Dior items.

Once I finished unpacking, I realized everything was men's stuff.

"Hold up, Simon. Is your dad's true love actually a guy?" I asked, a little confused.

Simon burst out laughing. 'Mom, relax. He's straight. These are gifts from rich businessmen trying to get close to him. He just threw them away.

'He's absurdly rich. Anything money can buy means nothing to him. Plenty of women tried to pursue him, sending gifts as if they were already his wife. He'd toss them into the trash outside every so often.

'You can come collect trash regularly.'

I couldn't stop grinning. "Simon, this is amazing."

Once I had everything sorted, I fired up a resale app and listed everything at half price.

Brand new stuff, almost untouched, and the prices were a steal. In less than twenty minutes, everything was gone.

My bank account had only had one hundred dollars in it before, but now it was suddenly loaded with 3 million.

I shook my head, amazed. "Man, these luxury stuff really sells, even used. And honestly, the quality is solid."

Simon sounded totally chill. 'Of course. That's my dad. Gifts start in the millions. If people like them send something too cheap, that's a total disgrace. All they care about is their reputation.'

I packed everything up and shipped it out. Just to be safe, I set up a fake address for shipping, just like Simon suggested.

I recorded the whole process to prove everything was legit, and told the buyers they could check the goods however they wanted when they arrived.

Once everything was done, I finally treated myself to that expensive laptop I'd been drooling over for ages.

When I swiped my card at the register, my ego shot straight through the roof.

I went from broke to baller in a flash.

Back home, I hugged my new laptop and bawled my eyes out. "Simon, do you have any idea how I've survived all these years of being broke? Why didn't you come sooner?"

I sobbed for over half an hour, until Simon stopped me with a single sentence. 'Alright, stop. Keep crying, and you're done. No more trash runs.'

No way. Dumpster diving was my life mission now.

I wiped my tears and started digging online for any dirt on the billionaire dad.

There was very little, almost nothing useful at all.

That made sense. People who were rich tend to stay hidden.

"Simon, any idea what your dad looks like? Is he hot?" I asked.

'No clue, but I bet he's good-looking. Didn't you sleep with him? Shouldn't you know?' Simon shot back.

I scratched my head, a little embarrassed. "I was drunk back then. I woke up naked, with a man next to me.

"I was scared out of my mind. I wasn't exactly checking his face, but his body was nice."

'Mom, you're drooling,' Simon teased.

I grabbed a tissue and wiped my mouth, feeling tempted. "Is it really impossible—"

What if I could become a billionaire's wife? With a body like that, he couldn't be unattractive.

Carrying his baby gave me a leg up over all those other women, right?

However, Simon snapped me back to reality with one line. 'Drop the vanity, unless you want to die.'

"Fine," I muttered, reluctantly shelving my silly billionaire wife fantasy.