Chapter 8
Seeing my unwavering stance, my former classmates finally cracked.[]
No longer daring to confront me, they turned their collective fury on Victoria.
“This is all your fault, you delusional psychol You jumped to conclusions and dragged us into this!”
“Really! You’re the actual homewrecker here, yet you had the nerve to accuse her and get us involved!“]
“Pretending to be the CEO’s fiancée of Global Prime? How pathetic can you get?“]
“We only kissed up to you because we thought you had connections! Now you expect us to pay for your delusions? No way in hellr
“Exactly! You should be responsible for that $790 million! Don’t try dragging us down with you!“]
Faced with their accusations, Victoria snapped.[]
She fired back instantly, “You spineless social climbers dare blame me?
“Since Dalton, you’ve all been encouraging me to put others down!]
“If it weren’t for your desperate networking attempts, I wouldn’t be in this mess!
“You treated me like Upper East Side royalty when you thought I was marrying a CEO, but now you’re throwing me to the wolves!
“Look at yourselves–born to be brown–nosers! None of you are walking away from this!“]
Victoria and her former minions went at each other’s throats. If the NYPD hadn’t stepped in, they might have recreated a Real Housewives fight scene.
After the screaming match, the classmates tried claiming innocence, saying they hadn’t damaged anything personally.]
But when the cops pulled up the security footage, their false bravado evaporated.]
Each person faced their individual charges.
Some, desperate to avoid Rikers Island, liquidated their assets and begged their networks for loans, only to crawl away broken after settling.
Others received divorce papers from their spouses and found themselves cut off from their social circles.
With no one willing to touch their GoFundMe campaigns, they were left to face justice in detention.
As for Victoria, she’d been the ringleader of the destruction.
Naturally, her portion of the debt was the largest.]
Faced with this crushing financial burden, she turned to Nathan in desperation.]
“Nathan, after everything we’ve shared, can’t you help me? I couldn’t pay this off even if I sold my organs!” Victoria
I
sobbed, mascara running, voice breaking.
Nathan, feeling a flicker of gullt, hesitated before giving me a pleading look.
“Darling, maybe we don’t need to go nuclear. Could you show some mercy? Just this once, for old times‘ sake?”
I shot him an arctic glare. “Show mercy?]
Nathan, have you lost your last shred of dignity? You think you have any say with me right now?]
“Every time I think about how you played me with your fake devotion all these years, I feel nauseous.]
“The divorce papers are ready. As of today, we’re done.”
I walked away without looking back.
Victoria and the classmates who couldn’t pay were taken into custody, facing criminal charges.
Even Mrs. Reynolds found herself under investigation for her role.
As for Nathan, he left with nothing but his Tom Ford suit, as per our prenup.]
I transitioned from being someone’s wife to being gloriously single.
While it took adjustment, I discovered an unexpected freedom in it
Then one morning, during my usual Central Park run, I spotted Nathan lurking on my regular path.
His designer stubble had grown into an unkempt beard, and his eyes held a wild gleam. When he saw me, his face contorted as he lunged forward, pulling out a knife.
“You bitch! Finally found you!” Nathan snarled, voice raw with rage.
I frowned slightly, maintaining composure. “Nathan, what do you think you’re doing?”
He glared at me, eyes burning. “What am I doing? You heartless witch! You turned me from a Wall Street CEO into a homeless man digging through dumpsters! And you have the audacity to ask what I’m doing?
“So what if I married you for money? What’s wrong with that? Every guy’s got his hustle. Just because I got ahead doesn’t mean I can’t find real love too! What gives you the right to destroy my life over this?“”
Seeing Nathan unravel like this made me sigh, and I spoke firmly, “Nathan, you’re still young. Drop the knife. You can still turn your life around.”
“Turn around? What the hell are you talking about?” Nathan shouted, advancing with clenched fists.
He continued, “You took everything from me. If I can’t have peace, neither will you! Dier“]
He slashed the knife at me.]
In that instant, my concealed security detall sprang into action, delivering a precise strike that sent Nathan flying.
From the moment I’d realized Nathan’s true nature, I’d stepped up my protection.
I knew someone like him wouldn’t just fade away quietly.
That’s why I’d hired ex milltary security to shadow me dally.
I hadn’t expected to need them so soon.
“Take him to the precinct,” I ordered coolly and turned away, heading back to my Upper East Side townhouse.
Later, I heard Nathan’s violent tendencies had erupted in prison, leading to a fight that left him permanently disabled with two shattered legs.]
As for me, I reclaimed my life and identity.]
I learned that depending on others for happiness was a fool’s game.
Being single felt empowering–no disappointments, no betrayals, just pure freedom and clarity.
A woman didn’t need a man to shine; she could thrive independently with grace.
Self–love was the greatest romance of all
Love Story6–Chapter 1
My husband and I have been together for six years now, just like most working
couples in New York.
We rent a small place way out in the suburbs.
To afford a house in the city and finally settle down, we’ve been working hard and
being as frugal as possible. []
When I saw a video of him in a sharp suit at a luxury auction, I thought it was just
part of his job.
But then the video blogger said,
“Only billionaires can sit in these seats, a level that ordinary people like us can only []
dream of reaching in our lifetime.” [
“You c
can’t even get into this auction without a net worth of hundreds of millions.
This is the stark contrast between the poor and the wealthy.“]
Hearing that, the first thing that flashed through my mind was what had happened a
few days ago.
My husband and I have been married for three years.
Due to financial pressures, we agreed not to have children for the time being.
To avoid any accidents, we went to the store and bought some $6 condoms. []
They were the cheapest ones we could find.
But my husband put them back, saying. I
“They’re still too expensive. We need to save every penny we can to buy a house.”
“I saw some $10 birth control pills at the pharmacy the other day.”
“Maybe you could put up with those for now, honey. Once we have money, I promise
I’ll make sure you have the best of everything.”
I was a bit upset when I heard that.
“A $10 birth control pill? Who knows what kind of damage that could do to your []
hody? Are you crazy?”
But my husband looked at me with sad eyes and said,
“Didn’t I spend all my money on your mom’s medical bills three years ago?”
“We need to save every penny we can now. We still have a house to buy.”
“Besides, those pills have government certification and are sold in pharmacies–they [
must be safe to take. Just hear with it a little longer, honey…”
I felt a pang in my heart. ||
But then I remembered how three years ago, when my mom was critically Ill and
needed $1000
for surgery. []
my husband didn’t break up with me. Instead, he handed over all his savings without []
a word, and that money saved my mom from death’s door.
Because of that, I eventually married him.
But now, I watched the video of my husband over and over again.
He looked so confident, smiling, chatting and laughing with the woman next to him,
throwing money around like it was nothing.
I began to feel confused and suspicious.
Even if it was work, would it really go this far?
My husband is just a nine–to–five programmer.
Sometimes, he even has to work overtime, squeezed by his boss. Could he really
handle such high–stakes situations with such case?
0 Come to think of it, we’ve been together for six years.
I’ve never met his family…
Once the seeds of doubt are planted, everything starts to make sense.
0
0 I went home without questioning him and waited quietly for my husband to return.
He worked late tonight, and it was already midnight when he came back, reeking of
alcohol.
“Are you okay? I made some hot tea for you. Drink it while it’s warm.”
I brought the tea over and started tidying up for him. My husband tugged at his shirt
and grumbled…]
My husband tugged at his shirt and grumbled,[]
“That stingy boss made me work late again.”
“If the job market wasn’t so tough right now, I’d have quit this lousy job a long time
ago.”
He’s
complained about his job to me many times before. [
I told him that if it’s really that bad, he should just quit and find something else.
But he always said that this company pays well, and he doesn’t want to leave,
worried that he might not find another good job.
“All this is worth it if it means we can buy a house and settle down in New York.”
for him
When he said that, I felt even more sorry for
But this time, I gently nudged him.
“I’ve already prepared a bath for you. Go wash up first.“[
He nodded and headed to the bathroom to shower.
And I, quietly, turned on his phone.
