Chapter 1
My billionaire husband always thought I married him for his money, so I had to account for every penny I spent.
The day his mother was critically ill, I asked him for 2 thousand for her surgery.
He snapped, "How dare you use my mother as an excuse to get money? Why don't you say it's your own mother who's dying?"
Left with no choice, I sold my jewelry to cover the surgery costs.
But when I went to pay, I found all the money in my card had been transferred.
Just as I was about to call the police, my husband called.
He said, "Did you steal luxury items from the house to cash in? I've already reported it.
"How many times do I have to say it? My money isn't for you to squander. From now on, your allowance is cut in half."
Due to the delayed surgery, his mother passed away.
While I was arranging her funeral, my husband's first love posted a picture of a luxury supercar worth 30 million.
She posted: [The one who loves me remains as devoted as in our youth.]
I liked the post and commented: [Yeah, back when he still had a mother.]
*****
Alexander Stone called me, "Emma, what the hell was that comment you left on Sophie's post?
"You're just acting all jealous for no reason, and now she thinks she did something wrong. Delete it and apologize, right now!"
I gripped my phone so hard my knuckles turned white, my voice hoarse from all the crying.
I replied, "Did I say anything wrong, Alexander? If you hadn't held back that $5000, your mom could've survived."
Alexander shouted, "Emma!
"I already told you, stop using my mom as your excuse to milk me for cash.
"What, you don't even bother coming up with decent lies anymore?
"I set up a separate account for her; she gets at least $60,000 every month. What makes you think she ever needed you running to me for money?
"I'll let it go this time, but if you ever use my mom as an excuse to squeeze money out of me again, I'll make sure we're done for good, even if my mom's against it."
With that, he hung up.
When I tried calling back, I got the message that I was blocked.
This was his usual trick.
Every time we fought, Alexander would block me for a while, and he'd only unblock me when I was sobbing and pleading for him to take me back.
Right now, I was sitting in a taxi, holding the urn in my lap, and there wasn't a single tear left in me.
In the end, all I could do was let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
He really did set up a special bank account for Tracy, and if Tracy ever said it wasn't enough, he'd top it up.
But what he didn't realize was that the $300 allowance he gave me every month couldn't even cover the basics for me and our son.
It was always Tracy who ended up transferring money from her account to mine.
Because Alexander never trusted me, not even a little.
To him, I was nothing more than a gold-digger chasing his status and wealth.
Not a single cent of that ever made its way to me.
Suddenly, the big tower downtown lit up.
The cab driver said in surprise, "Wow, what a gorgeous beauty!"
I froze.
On the huge digital billboard, a stunning glamour shot of Sophie appeared.
"Hey, isn't that the famous star?" the driver asked me.
I just nodded, expressionless.
Sophie wasn't just some celebrity; Alexander funded every bit of her fame.
I got nothing. Sophie got everything.
Outside, the crowd was going wild with excitement.
"It's Sophie. My girl!"
"I tried to book the big screen for Sophie's birthday a whole month early, but someone beat me to it. I was so salty. But hey, looks like we're all true fans here."
"Please, this is Arlington's richest guy, Sophie's goofy childhood friend. If he's throwing her a birthday bash, who are you to compete?"
"The dominant CEO and his cherished wife trope is cliché, but if it's Sophie and Mr. Stone, then I'm all in."
Helicopters flew overhead in perfect formation, unleashing a rain of rose petals that turned the whole scene into something straight out of a fairy tale.
The air was thick with the scent of roses and the crowd's excited cheers, sending Sophie their loudest, most heartfelt wishes.
"People keep saying Mr. Stone's got a secret marriage, but how is this supposed to be a secret? Throwing a birthday bash like this for his wife, who can even handle this level of sweetness?"
"Come on, maybe Mr. Stone didn't actually marry Sophie."
"Are you out of your mind? If Sophie weren't Mrs. Stone, would he go all out for her birthday like this? And seriously, if Mrs. Stone isn't Sophie, who else could measure up to him?"
They cheered for that picture-perfect couple, never realizing that the woman sitting all alone in the back of a taxi, holding an urn close to her chest, was the true Mrs. Stone.
I held a rose petal between my fingers, listening to their mocking laughter, a bitter smile on my face.
I gently placed the rose petal on Tracy's urn, my voice breaking with grief.
"Mom, if only I hadn't married him," I said.
Maybe then, neither of us would've ended up like this.