Brian secretly used our wedding fund to buy stocks in Titan Corporation, riding the wave as the market soared, doubling Titan's value.
I urged him to cash out while we were ahead and settle down.
But Brian jerked his hand away, eyes blazing with defiance.
"Let's call it quits. I've doubled my worth; you don't measure up anymore."
Little did he know, I was the elusive heiress of Titan Corporation.
——
"Miss Green, if you're keen on this house, you could put down a $10,000 deposit now. It's refundable within a week if you change your mind," the real estate agent offered.
Hoping to consult him, I called Brian, but his secretary told me he was tied up in a meeting.
Watching the hustle and bustle outside the window, I recalled that this was my second visit to this house. Last time, Brian liked it too.
We had discussed where to place the master bedroom and how to set up the nursery...
"I'll go ahead with the deposit," I decided, cheerfully whipping out my credit card.
"Beep, insufficient funds. Please check your balance."
How could this be? This account holds our five-year savings for marriage.
"Miss Green, would you like to try another card?" the agent asked, eyeing me doubtfully.
"No, all my funds are tied up in this one," I replied, my smile faltering, my voice barely a whisper.
That evening, Brian returned from work as usual, casually asking about dinner and ranting about his day as if nothing was amiss.
I finally blurted out, "Brian, what happened to the two million in our joint account?"
His brow furrowed at my question, and he put down his fork, a mix of discomfort and irritation in his gaze.
"Didn't we agree that I'd manage our finances? Why this interrogation all of a sudden?" he stammered.
"Today, I revisited that house we liked. I tried to put down a deposit, but there wasn't enough money in the account," I explained, gazing at him and seeking an explanation or at least a proper reaction from him.
"You didn't think to discuss this with me first?" Brian rose, his stare intensifying as if I had committed a great wrong.
"Most of that two million was my contribution; you haven't added anything for a while, Brian."
"So you're blaming me now, Olivia? It was your idea to pool your savings quickly for the wedding!" he retorted.
"I saved two million, and you're saying I can't even use $10,000 of it?" I inhaled deeply, striving to stay calm.
"Shouldn't you have discussed it with me first?"
Brian threw his fork into the meal I had prepared, turning our quiet dinner instantly into a battleground.
"Your secretary, Janet, keeps saying how busy you are, and you never answer my calls, right?"
I lost it, standing up and confronting Brian.
"I'm the marketing director at Malone Group, busy day in and day out. Janet gets it. Unlike you, who turns every little thing into an end-of-the-world scenario," he shot back.
"Enough diversions. Just tell me where the money went!" I steered us back to the core issue.
Suddenly sheepish, Brian then struck a pose, smirking confidently.
"I invested it in the stock market. You have no idea how booming the market is! It's like nothing we've seen since 2008!"
This wasn't his first stock market rodeo. With his salary, we could have easily saved enough within a year.
When the market was down, he'd always talk about "buying the dip," but it only sank further, plunging us into debt by one million, which took two years to clear. He had promised to quit trading then.
"You went back to stocks? Haven't you learned anything from your past mistakes? It's your trading that's kept us from saving! And now you gamble with our wedding funds?"
"You just don't see the big picture, Olivia! The greater the storm, the bigger the catch. That two million? It's now five million! I bought into Titan Corporation, and insider tips say it's only going up," Brian declared, sure he had the market in his grasp.
Hearing "Titan Corporation" made my head spin.
"This is madness. You need to pull out now. We're not getting any younger; it's time to think about our wedding. You've doubled your investment—let's cash out and live securely," I pleaded, holding back my anger.
Brian played with his utensils, sighing deeply as he met my gaze across the table.
"Settle for a secure life? You're just too shortsighted, Olivia. We're just not on the same wavelength anymore. It's over," he concluded.
"Shortsighted? I was there for you in your leanest times, Brian. I spent hours commuting to save up for a car for you, and now you think I'm not visionary enough?"
"I'll return that old car to you. As for the two million, I'll pay it back next week. I can't access it right now," he said dismissively.
Brian was clueless that I was the heiress to Titan Corp, having left my family just to be with him.
Chapter 2"We're about to tie the knot, and you're just now realizing we're not on the same wavelength?" I looked at Brian, heart sinking, yet hoping he'd pull through.
"Yeah, my mom's been on about it—you tearing away from your family isn't a good look." Brian's tone was icy as if he was talking about someone else's problems.
Shocked, I just stared at him, seeing him as if for the first time in a harsh new light.
I'd abandoned a fortune at Titan Corp for him, but ironically, it was Titan Corp that showed me his true colors.
"Alright, let's end this. I wouldn't want to drag down your bright future!"
I was about to add more, but Brian cut in first.
"Get your stuff out by tomorrow. My mom's having guests over for dinner."
My mouth fell open, the words I'd planned choked back by tears as I retreated.
The next morning, the doorbell snapped me out of my thoughts.
Opening the door to find Linda there snapped me back to reality.
Linda, Brian's mother, had always looked down on me since I had no family backing after my fallout with my own.
Even as we planned our wedding, she suggested he date around a bit more. I knew but trusted Brian enough not to confront it.
Little did I expect that she'd set up a blind date so soon after our split.
"You're still here? Clinging to my son like some deadbeat?" Linda's glare was like she was evicting a squatter.
Brian came at the sound and quickly ushered Linda inside, ignoring my dismay.
"She'll be done packing soon. When's Rosie coming?" he asked, barely containing his excitement.
Rosie? I knew her from Brian's contacts as a distant cousin he hadn't spoken to in ages. I had never doubted his word. Turns out, she was the date Linda had arranged.
My eyes widened in shock as I looked at Brian, who initially seemed guilty but quickly adopted a smug expression as if affirming his superiority that I couldn't compare.
I wanted to fight back, to argue, but realized it was futile—better to just cut my losses.
While packing, I flipped through our travel albums. What used to be cherished memories now seemed like mere distractions during his search for something better.
"Ding-dong!"
The doorbell rang again, yanking me back to the present.
I could hear Linda's bubbly tone, realizing Rosie had just arrived. I peeked out to get a better look at her.
Well-spoken, attractive, and statuesque—no wonder Linda was fond of her.
Thinking back on the years I scrimped and saved with Brian, barely bothering with makeup, it was clear why he'd strayed.
Our eyes met just as Rosie looked around—there was no avoiding the confrontation now. I had to step out and greet her,
"Hi, Rosie. I'm Olivia Green, Brian's..."
"Brian's housekeeper!" Linda cut in before I could finish, clearly defining my role.
Chapter 3"Housekeeper?" I echoed, my voice laced with disbelief. Linda's comment left me speechless, my gaze turning to Brian for some support.
He paused, his lips quivering slightly, and managed only one word.
"Yeah."
That single, soft word felt like a boulder crushing my chest, as if it shattered something inside.
To them, after five years together, I was nothing more than a glorified housekeeper.
I'd been the carefree princess at home, never subjected to such indignity.
Remembering my father's plea five years ago to leave Brian and help with the family business at Titan Corp, I had defied them all for him.
After enduring five long years, just as Brian's career took off and I thought we'd step into marriage, he threw it all away for a new shot, allowing me to be humiliated.
I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at my own naivety.
"Sure, I've been the housekeeper for this phase. Wonder who's next?"
I headed back to my room to finish packing, leaving Linda and Brian with their scowls.
As I was packing, I heard a noise at the door—it was Rosie.
Taking advantage of Linda and Brian being preoccupied in the kitchen, Rosie quickly slipped in to exchange contact info with me.
Although puzzled, I accepted.
As I left with my suitcase, Linda and Brian were still fussing over Rosie.
It felt like clocking out of a temp job—time's up, just walk away, unnoticed.
That night, I stayed in the company dorm.
Rosie reached out to me, sensing there was more to my story than the "housekeeper" label suggested.
Wanting to save her from their influence, I laid everything out for her.
She revealed that she and Brian had met at a matchmaking event three months ago. He'd pitched himself as long-single and career-focused.
It clicked—his recent absences weren't work-related; he'd been dating. I'd been blissfully ignorant, thinking he was just busier with a promotion.
My phone displayed a photo of Brian and me, mocking my foolishness as I stared at my packed bags.
Just then, there was a frantic knock at the door.
Opening it, I was greeted by Linda's tirade.
"Shame on you! How could you interfere with Brian's relationship with Rosie? You're not worthy of him, and now she's avoiding him!
"Are you happy now?"
...
Linda stormed in, shouting and breaking things, quickly drawing the attention of my colleagues, who called the police.
When asked to call someone, I hesitated before contacting Aaron.
Aaron Green—my brother and the CEO of Titan Corp.
He arrived at the police station within half an hour, sorted everything out, and was ready to take me away when we bumped into Brian, looking disheveled in a T-shirt, boxers, and slippers—his casual home-wear.
Aaron adjusted his glasses, gave me a knowing look, and quipped, "Olivia, your taste could use some work."
He then led me to his Maybach.
As we drove off, I saw Linda still ranting and Brian just standing there, dumbfounded.
"Hold on, Aaron, you know Brian?" I asked, puzzled.
Aaron just shook his head, laughing softly. "Think that kid could have become a marketing director on his own?"