Chapter 4 · Useless Housewife Secretly Became a Billionaire

When Lily turned five, she moved up to the senior class in kindergarten.

I officially rented a small office.

It was a modest 600-square-foot space, tucked away in an unremarkable office building on the east side of town.

Grace Shaw came in from Sondinore and took over as my operations director.

Our team expanded to fifteen people.

Every morning after dropping Lily off at her senior kindergarten class, I'd clock in at the office by nine. By three-thirty, I'd head out to pick her up.

No one in the family had any idea where I was going.

David figured I was at home cleaning.

Margaret assumed that I was glued to the TV all day.

That year, PureGlow Group's sales hit 4 million dollars in a single day during the shopping festival.

I sat in the office, watching the numbers skyrocket on the screen.

Grace smacked the desk in excitement. "Emma, we broke into the top ten in the beauty category online."

I nodded. "Are we keeping up with stock?"

"Yep, all three production lines are firing on all cylinders."

"Good."

At three twenty-five, I stood up and grabbed my bag. "I'm heading out to pick up Lily."

Grace looked at me and hesitated. "Boss, why not hire someone to—"

"No," I said. I never let anyone else pick Lily up except for myself.

*****

On the way home after picking up Lily, we drove past a Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Lily pressed her face against the window, gazing at the shiny cars outside. "Mommy, that car is so big."

"Yeah," I replied.

"Our car is so tiny," she said.

Our car was a used Volkswagen that David bought before we got married. It had 50,000 miles on it, and the AC worked on a coin flip.

"One day, Mommy will buy you a big car," I said.

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," I assured her.

She broke into a huge smile.

*****

Lily was five and a half now.

One weekend afternoon, David suddenly walked over with his phone in hand. "Do you know someone named Grace Shaw?"

My heart skipped a beat. But I didn't let it show on my face. "No, why?"

"Someone called my number by mistake, asking for Ms. Sullivan and telling Grace to prepare some documents," he said.

"Probably a wrong number."

He stared at me for a couple of seconds. "Oh."

Then he turned around and went back to his game.

I slipped into the bathroom and texted Grace. [From now on, use my backup number for all work calls. Keep my main line for family.]

Grace replied instantly. [Got it.]

After Lily fell asleep that night, I sat out on the balcony, lost in thought for a long time.

Should I tell him? No. It was not that I didn't trust him. It was because I knew his family way too well.

Once they found out I had money, everyone's attitude would flip.

Margaret would boldly reach out for cash.

Jessica would try every trick in the book to get her share.

Brian would borrow and never return a dime.

David would feel like he lost face.

If a man realized his wife was filthy rich compared to him, he'd either get insecure or turn greedy.

I wasn't about to bet on which side he'd pick.

*****

The next day, I went to see my lawyer.

I did three things. I ring-fenced the company shares, clearly distinguished my assets acquired before and after marriage, and set up a dedicated account for Lily's education fund.

The lawyer looked over the documents I handed him and pushed up his glasses. "Ms. Sullivan, the current valuation of your company—"

"It doesn't matter. I need to make sure that no matter what happens, none of this gets mixed up with my marriage," I said.

"Understood," he replied.

*****

Lily was six years old.

She was starting elementary school.

I picked the best private school in the city. The tuition was 40,000 dollars a year.

David nearly dropped his phone when he saw the bill. "Are you out of your mind? 40,000 dollars? I don't make that much in a year."

"I'll cover it," I said.

He was stunned. "Where did you get the money?"

"I saved up from my online business, and my parents chipped in a bit."

"Online business? Since when—"

"After Lily started kindergarten, I began selling stuff online."

He looked doubtful. "What did you sell?"

"Skincare products."

"You made that much from it?"

"I've been scrimping and saving for years. I won't compromise on Lily's education."

He started to say something, but ended up mumbling, "Whatever, do what you want."

That was the end of it.

He never bothered to ask more.

He didn't care about my life.

*****

On Lily's first day of school, I took a half-day off work to walk her in.

Standing at the school gate, I watched her march in with her brand-new backpack.

She turned back to wave at me. "Bye, Mommy."

I replied, "Bye, sweetie."

I stood there for a long time, watching until her tiny silhouette disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

Then I got into my car.

It was not the used Volkswagen.

It was my own ride, a black Porsche Cayenne, parked three blocks away.

After getting in, I checked my phone and saw a message.

Leonard Lewis from Summit Capital texted: [Ms. Sullivan, our team has finished evaluating the Series B funding. We're offering 25 million dollars for a 12% stake. When would be a good time to meet?]

I texted back: [Next Monday.]

PureGlow Group was worth over 200 million by then.

I hit the start button, and the car slid out quietly.

In this big city, nobody knew a "stay-at-home mom" was cruising around in a 600-thousand-dollar ride.

*****

It was another big gathering of the Carter family on Thanksgiving.

Over twenty people crowded around a big round table.

I sat in my usual spot, with Lily quietly eating beside me.

Jessica had gotten a new perm and was flashing a Cartier watch. "Emma, your outfit is pretty cute. Where'd you get it?"

She sounded casual but gave my clothes a quick once-over.

I was wearing a plain black knit sweater with no logo or anything. "I bought it online."

"Oh," she drawled. "Guess you can find nice stuff online, too."

Margaret called out from across the table, "Jessica, come try this crab."

Jessica grinned and walked over.

David was off to the side, drinking with the relatives, not glancing our way.

Lily tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, why does that lady keep looking at you?"

I said, "She's not. She's making small talk."

Lily tilted her head, thinking. "But the way she looks at you feels kinda weird."

I stroked her hair. "Eat, okay?"

*****

After dinner, Margaret called me into the kitchen. "Emma, Brian's shop is up and running again. This time, he's selling coffee."

"Alright," I said.

"He needs someone to watch the shop. You're sitting around at home anyway—"

"Margaret, I'm not sitting around. Lily started elementary school, and I have to pick her up and drop her off every day."

"How long could that possibly take? Drop her off in the morning, help out at the shop for a few hours, and then head back before you pick her up in the afternoon. It's perfect."

I set the plate down. "Margaret, I'm not doing it."

Her expression darkened. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm not going. I have my own things to take care of."

"What things? What could a stay-at-home mom like you possibly have to do?"

Chapter 4

When Lily turned five, she moved up to the senior class in kindergarten.

I officially rented a small office.

It was a modest 600-square-foot space, tucked away in an unremarkable office building on the east side of town.

Grace Shaw came in from Sondinore and took over as my operations director.

Our team expanded to fifteen people.

Every morning after dropping Lily off at her senior kindergarten class, I'd clock in at the office by nine. By three-thirty, I'd head out to pick her up.

No one in the family had any idea where I was going.

David figured I was at home cleaning.

Margaret assumed that I was glued to the TV all day.

That year, PureGlow Group's sales hit 4 million dollars in a single day during the shopping festival.

I sat in the office, watching the numbers skyrocket on the screen.

Grace smacked the desk in excitement. "Emma, we broke into the top ten in the beauty category online."

I nodded. "Are we keeping up with stock?"

"Yep, all three production lines are firing on all cylinders."

"Good."

At three twenty-five, I stood up and grabbed my bag. "I'm heading out to pick up Lily."

Grace looked at me and hesitated. "Boss, why not hire someone to—"

"No," I said. I never let anyone else pick Lily up except for myself.

*****

On the way home after picking up Lily, we drove past a Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Lily pressed her face against the window, gazing at the shiny cars outside. "Mommy, that car is so big."

"Yeah," I replied.

"Our car is so tiny," she said.

Our car was a used Volkswagen that David bought before we got married. It had 50,000 miles on it, and the AC worked on a coin flip.

"One day, Mommy will buy you a big car," I said.

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," I assured her.

She broke into a huge smile.

*****

Lily was five and a half now.

One weekend afternoon, David suddenly walked over with his phone in hand. "Do you know someone named Grace Shaw?"

My heart skipped a beat. But I didn't let it show on my face. "No, why?"

"Someone called my number by mistake, asking for Ms. Sullivan and telling Grace to prepare some documents," he said.

"Probably a wrong number."

He stared at me for a couple of seconds. "Oh."

Then he turned around and went back to his game.

I slipped into the bathroom and texted Grace. [From now on, use my backup number for all work calls. Keep my main line for family.]

Grace replied instantly. [Got it.]

After Lily fell asleep that night, I sat out on the balcony, lost in thought for a long time.

Should I tell him? No. It was not that I didn't trust him. It was because I knew his family way too well.

Once they found out I had money, everyone's attitude would flip.

Margaret would boldly reach out for cash.

Jessica would try every trick in the book to get her share.

Brian would borrow and never return a dime.

David would feel like he lost face.

If a man realized his wife was filthy rich compared to him, he'd either get insecure or turn greedy.

I wasn't about to bet on which side he'd pick.

*****

The next day, I went to see my lawyer.

I did three things. I ring-fenced the company shares, clearly distinguished my assets acquired before and after marriage, and set up a dedicated account for Lily's education fund.

The lawyer looked over the documents I handed him and pushed up his glasses. "Ms. Sullivan, the current valuation of your company—"

"It doesn't matter. I need to make sure that no matter what happens, none of this gets mixed up with my marriage," I said.

"Understood," he replied.

*****

Lily was six years old.

She was starting elementary school.

I picked the best private school in the city. The tuition was 40,000 dollars a year.

David nearly dropped his phone when he saw the bill. "Are you out of your mind? 40,000 dollars? I don't make that much in a year."

"I'll cover it," I said.

He was stunned. "Where did you get the money?"

"I saved up from my online business, and my parents chipped in a bit."

"Online business? Since when—"

"After Lily started kindergarten, I began selling stuff online."

He looked doubtful. "What did you sell?"

"Skincare products."

"You made that much from it?"

"I've been scrimping and saving for years. I won't compromise on Lily's education."

He started to say something, but ended up mumbling, "Whatever, do what you want."

That was the end of it.

He never bothered to ask more.

He didn't care about my life.

*****

On Lily's first day of school, I took a half-day off work to walk her in.

Standing at the school gate, I watched her march in with her brand-new backpack.

She turned back to wave at me. "Bye, Mommy."

I replied, "Bye, sweetie."

I stood there for a long time, watching until her tiny silhouette disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

Then I got into my car.

It was not the used Volkswagen.

It was my own ride, a black Porsche Cayenne, parked three blocks away.

After getting in, I checked my phone and saw a message.

Leonard Lewis from Summit Capital texted: [Ms. Sullivan, our team has finished evaluating the Series B funding. We're offering 25 million dollars for a 12% stake. When would be a good time to meet?]

I texted back: [Next Monday.]

PureGlow Group was worth over 200 million by then.

I hit the start button, and the car slid out quietly.

In this big city, nobody knew a "stay-at-home mom" was cruising around in a 600-thousand-dollar ride.

*****

It was another big gathering of the Carter family on Thanksgiving.

Over twenty people crowded around a big round table.

I sat in my usual spot, with Lily quietly eating beside me.

Jessica had gotten a new perm and was flashing a Cartier watch. "Emma, your outfit is pretty cute. Where'd you get it?"

She sounded casual but gave my clothes a quick once-over.

I was wearing a plain black knit sweater with no logo or anything. "I bought it online."

"Oh," she drawled. "Guess you can find nice stuff online, too."

Margaret called out from across the table, "Jessica, come try this crab."

Jessica grinned and walked over.

David was off to the side, drinking with the relatives, not glancing our way.

Lily tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, why does that lady keep looking at you?"

I said, "She's not. She's making small talk."

Lily tilted her head, thinking. "But the way she looks at you feels kinda weird."

I stroked her hair. "Eat, okay?"

*****

After dinner, Margaret called me into the kitchen. "Emma, Brian's shop is up and running again. This time, he's selling coffee."

"Alright," I said.

"He needs someone to watch the shop. You're sitting around at home anyway—"

"Margaret, I'm not sitting around. Lily started elementary school, and I have to pick her up and drop her off every day."

"How long could that possibly take? Drop her off in the morning, help out at the shop for a few hours, and then head back before you pick her up in the afternoon. It's perfect."

I set the plate down. "Margaret, I'm not doing it."

Her expression darkened. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm not going. I have my own things to take care of."

"What things? What could a stay-at-home mom like you possibly have to do?"