She Forced Me Out Penniless—Then Discovered I'm a BillionaireChapter 1

My brother-in-law racked up $50 million in online gambling debts and left my contact information with the creditors.

By the time the interest compounded to $100 million, a pack of thugs showed up at my front door demanding payment.

After I talked them into leaving, my wife and mother-in-law finally crept out of the bedroom, trembling.

Adeline Harding's face was chalk white. "Let's get a divorce. I'd rather leave this marriage with nothing than stay. Your debts are your problem. Don't even think about dragging me down with you."

No matter how many times I explained that her brother owed the money, she refused to believe me.

Peggy Chavez, my mother-in-law, slapped me across the face. "You're trying to frame my son just so you can trick my daughter into paying off your debts! Divorce. Now!"

"And since we're being honest," she added, "Adeline's pregnant. It's your good buddy's baby. So get that through your head and sign the papers."

Wait. I had a hundred million. I'd been about to ask if they needed help covering the debt. How did this turn into a divorce ambush?

Fine. If that's how it was going to be, they could deal with Tim Harding's mountain of debt on their own.

——

My voice came out dry and cracked. "You're... you're carrying Alex Swanson's child? Since when?"

Adeline turned her head and looked at me with open contempt. "Ronald Mason, so what if I am? What are you going to do about it?"

"Don't bother trying to make me stay. I don't want a deadbeat husband who racks up debts and doesn't have the guts to own up to them."

I stood frozen. Not a single word came out.

Peggy saw me standing there like a statue and kicked me. "Did you hear her? Tomorrow. County clerk's office. Divorce."

She turned to Adeline with a sly grin. "Good thing you took birth control every time before sleeping with this loser."

"Otherwise he'd use a kid to chain you down and make you help pay off his debts. I was planning to let him raise the baby, but now there's clearly no need."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Every time... you took the pill beforehand?"

Three years of marriage, and Adeline had never gotten pregnant.

Peggy had mocked me in front of relatives and friends more than once, calling me a useless man who couldn't even father a child. She'd even pressured me into getting tested at the hospital.