Bankrupt, but I Got Everything Back

Trenton Nelson and I had been together for three years. For those three years, I did everything he asked. Whatever he wanted, I gave him. Even when he went out with other women, I just laughed it off. He knew I was head over heels for him, and so did everyone around us. So after I begged and begged, Trenton finally accepted my proposal. The night before the wedding, I got a video from Trenton's childhood sweetheart, Gwen Roberts. In it, Trenton had his arm around Gwen, his voice dripping with contempt, "Jennifer is so useless. At least she's fairly obedient, though. Rather than finding someone who'll give me trouble, I might as well marry her." "Getting to be with Trenton is the best thing that'll ever happen to Jennifer," one of his friends chimed in. "Her face is decent enough, but her figure's way too plain. She's nothing compared to Gwen," another added. The video was long. The rest of it was just his friends putting me down and Trenton sneering at me. Then Gwen sent a message. Gwen: [Don't think you've won just because you get to marry Trenton. He doesn't love you at all!] Gwen thought the video would leave me heartbroken, but I burst out laughing instead. Who needed Trenton's love? I'd gotten close to Trenton for one reason only: to take back everything that belonged to the McQuay family! Trenton's father had used underhanded tactics to steal my father's business. Now, I was simply giving the Nelsons a taste of their own medicine. As for Trenton, once I'd taken the company, whether he lived or died would be none of my concern. Chapter 1 Naturally, I didn't bother responding to Gwen Roberts's provocation. She might be into a playboy like Trenton Nelson, but I certainly wasn't. I switched off my phone, washed up, and went straight to bed. If nothing unexpected happened, Trenton would spend tonight with Gwen, and first thing tomorrow morning, he'd call me to come pick him up. Sure enough, my phone rang at seven a.m. sharp. It was Trenton. "I'm at the Rowe Hotel, room 2110. Come get me." He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. He didn't even wait for me to agree before hanging up. After all, I'd never once refused him. I freshened up quickly and headed over. Trenton often took women to the Rowe Hotel for the night, and I was often the one who came to collect him. Over time, the whole front desk staff got to know me. The moment they saw me, they'd hand over Trenton's key card without a word. "Jennifer McQuay must really love Mr. Nelson. How can she put up with this?" "Rich-family marriages are just business deals. If she can't put up with this, how's she supposed to work her way up?" The staff whispered behind my back. I'd long since grown used to people talking about me. Sympathy or mockery, it didn't matter. As long as I achieved my ultimate goal, I could endure anything. I soon reached the door of room 2110. Intermittent, suggestive sounds drifted out from inside. They'd probably decided on a whim to squeeze in one more round before getting up. I was in no rush to go in. I stood outside and played on my phone until everything went completely quiet, then swiped the key card and pushed the door open. It was over sooner than I'd expected. Trenton's body really was getting weaker and weaker. The room was a mess, with clothes tossed carelessly across the floor. Trenton and Gwen lay naked in each other's arms. Gwen was covered in red marks, and Trenton had a few scratches of his own. They all looked fresh. Seeing them like that, you'd think they were a pair of lovers in the first flush of romance, and I was merely their audience. What a shame, though. That man was Trenton, the same Trenton who didn't take women seriously at all. When Gwen saw me come in, she shot me a provocative look and planted a kiss on Trenton's cheek. Chapter 2 Gwen wanted to see me get jealous and lose my mind. But I only gave a slight nod by way of greeting. "Trenton and I had a bit too much to drink last night. I'm sure you don't mind, do you, Jennifer?" I shook my head gently and forced a smile, sounding completely sincere. "I don't mind. Do you want a ride too when we leave?" Seeing that I genuinely didn't care in the slightest, Gwen's face instantly darkened. She glared at me through gritted teeth. "So what if you're Trenton's fiancée? You still sleep alone every night." I suspected Gwen had rotted her brain watching too many TV dramas. How else could she say something so mindless? But I didn't want to argue with her, so I just put on a polite smile. To Gwen, my politeness looked like provocation. She glared at me, seething, but couldn't come up with a single word. Trenton couldn't be bothered with the undercurrents between Gwen and me. He got dressed, stood up, and headed for the door. "Forget about her," he said. "Drive me to the office. I've got a meeting." Gwen hadn't expected Trenton, who'd been cuddling with her just moments ago, to abandon her like this. Her eyes instantly reddened. "Trenton, are you really going to leave me here?" Gwen said it in a sugary baby voice. Forget a man; even I felt sorry for her hearing that tone. Unfortunately for her, the man she was trying to sweet-talk was Trenton, a man who treated women like playthings. He lit a cigarette and glanced back at her. The moment he started smoking, I quietly moved away. I hated the smell of smoke, and I didn't want to breathe in his secondhand smoke. "Get a cab yourself." His tone was cold, as though he were giving orders to a subordinate. Gwen's face went pale at those heartless words. But Trenton walked out without a backward glance, so naturally he didn't see her reaction. I quietly followed him out. Rather than his fiancée, I felt more like his employee. Thinking back on what Trenton had just said, I was a little speechless. So he did know taxis existed. Then why did he always have to drag me out? Was this some kind of test to see how far he could push me? Even so, I obediently drove him. After all, we weren't married yet. For now, I still had to keep up the meek, obedient act. I drove up front while Trenton smoked in the back. We had nothing in common to talk about, and I usually barely said a word while driving. Today, though, Trenton suddenly broke the silence. "Seeing me and Gwen like that, you're not angry?" Seriously? Did he want me to write him a book report on it? But I kept my face blank and answered meekly, "I promised you I wouldn't interfere in your private affairs." Trenton let out a low chuckle. "Do you love me that much? Jennifer, do you have any self-respect at all?" I didn't respond. In my head, though, I'd already started fantasizing about how I'd torment him once the company was mine. Once I'd taken back everything that belonged to me, Trenton would find out whether or not I had any self-respect. Although Trenton had already accepted my proposal, the wedding date still hadn't been set. He'd been busy fooling around with Gwen lately. On top of that, Gwen was deliberately clinging to him and keeping him from seeing me. As a result, the wedding plans kept stalling. I'd put up with Trenton for so long precisely so I could take back my family's company through legitimate means. Who he slept around with, I couldn't care less. But not marrying me? That was out of the question. I took out my phone and dialed the number of Trenton's assistant, Tommy Ferguson. Chapter 3 It took a while for the call to connect. I didn't beat around the bush. "The playboy isn't moving things forward. Figure something out." "Got it." With that, Tommy hung up. I slowly let out a long breath and took a family photo from the drawer. Everyone in the photo was smiling so happily. Back then, I'd thought our family would stay this happy forever. None of us could have known it would be the last happy time we'd ever have. A year later, my father went bankrupt and took his own life, and my mother jumped from a building. Only my younger brother and I were left, with no one to rely on but each other. When we grew up, I became Trenton's lapdog. My brother took the alias Tommy Ferguson and became Trenton's assistant. And we had only one goal: to take back everything that belonged to the McQuay family. I was still lost in thought when word came back from Tommy. "Get ready over the next few days. He's going to bring up the wedding." "Okay." Sure enough, the moment we finished talking, Trenton texted me to meet him tomorrow. I knew Tommy had gone to Trenton's grandmother, Katie Nelson. Grandma Katie was the person Trenton cared about most. He'd agreed to get married in the first place because she wanted him to settle down soon. If he was willing to move the wedding forward now, Grandma Katie must have said something. The next day, I went to the meeting place to find Trenton. But at the door, I overheard people inside talking about our wedding. "Trenton, you'd better get a prenup before the wedding, so Jennifer doesn't run off with your money." It was one of Trenton's sleazy buddies. Then Trenton's indifferent voice drifted out, "She's crazy about me. Even if I paid her, she wouldn't want to leave me. No need to bother." Honestly, I was relieved to hear Trenton turn the idea down. Thank goodness my lapdog persona was so convincing. I waited until the conversation inside died down, then pushed the door open as if I hadn't heard a thing. As soon as Trenton and his crew saw me walk in, they all fell silent, as if on cue. They traded winks and smirks, mockery written all over their faces. They didn't even try to hide their contempt. But I'd long since grown used to looks like these. Put nicely, these people were Trenton's friends. Put bluntly, they were nothing but his dogs, sticking by his side just to get something out of him. The moment Trenton lost his power, these fair-weather friends would be the first to run. When Trenton saw me come in, he crossed his legs and said arrogantly, "We're getting married today. You finally got what you wanted." With that, he pulled Gwen in and kissed her. "But after the wedding, I'll play however I want, and you have no right to interfere. Got it? "And don't expect me to throw you a wedding. Getting into the Nelson family is honor enough for you." Gwen was draped over Trenton, looking at me smugly like a hen that had just won a fight. Trenton had deliberately called me here to humiliate me in front of this crowd. He just wanted to test my limits. He was also warning me that even after we married, he'd never settle down for my sake. How pointless. His heart would only be worth anything once someone ripped it out of his chest. I lowered my head, the picture of submission. "Got it." Seeing me like this, Trenton was very satisfied. His friends burst into roars of laughter. "You're really something, Trenton. You've got her completely whipped." "Look at Jennifer. She's as obedient as a dog." Of them all, Gwen was the smuggest. "Don't say that. At least Jennifer got the title of Mrs. Nelson." Chapter 4 "It's just a title with no real power, though!" Gwen's words dissolved into cackling laughter. I ignored all of it. Although I'd endured plenty of ridicule, at least Trenton went through with getting our marriage certificate. Looking at the marriage certificate I'd dreamed of for so long, I broke into my first genuine smile in ages. To Trenton, my happiness meant something else entirely. He sneered, "Are you really that happy to marry me?" Happy? Of course I was happy. Once we were married, I could legitimately take back the company's assets. I could also legitimately inherit my "late husband's" estate. What could be better than that? So I didn't deny it. I just nodded. Seeing me so overjoyed, Trenton's mockery only grew worse. "You're really that cheap, huh? You look like a dog right now, you know that?" After mocking me, he climbed into the car and ordered me around like it was a given, "Take me to Midnight Court." He was using me as his driver again. I rolled my eyes inwardly. But this was the last time I'd ever drive him anywhere. The thought put me in a good mood despite myself. Let him gloat one last time. As for who the real dog would be down the line, that remained to be seen. Before Trenton got out of the car, he blew a puff of smoke in my face. I frowned in annoyance. So disgusting. He knew perfectly well I hated the smell of smoke, yet he kept provoking me again and again. He was doing it on purpose just to gross me out, wasn't he? He wore a playful smirk. "If you keep being this obedient, I'll let you have my kid. That way, even if I don't love you, no one can touch your position." There was a hint of condescension in his tone, as though being allowed to bear his child were some enormous favor. Unbelievable. What kind of decent child could come from genes like his? Besides, a guy shooting blanks was handing out "permission" now? What a joke. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and answered meekly, "Understood." Trenton went upstairs to drink in high spirits, and I drove home. As soon as I got home, I spotted Tommy. "Did you get the marriage certificate?" I nodded and collapsed wearily onto the couch. "Finally. That playboy even blew smoke in my face today. And he generously offered to give me a kid. I can't wait to see him groveling at my feet like a dog, begging for mercy." At the thought, I couldn't help laughing out loud. Tommy considerately started massaging my shoulders. "You've worked so hard, Jennifer. Our plan's almost done. There's only one last step left. "Do you want to just kill him, or make his life a living hell?" Originally, I'd planned to kill Trenton so I could take back the company as quickly as possible. But that was too drastic. If Trenton died right after marrying me, people would inevitably get suspicious. Besides, letting him die so easily would be letting him off far too lightly. Everything he'd put me through, I'd make him pay back bit by bit! "Killing him outright would be too easy on him. I want him to suffer a fate worse than death. "By the way, how are things on the company side?" Tommy pushed up his glasses. "Everything's in place. We're just waiting for you." "Good. Thanks for all your hard work."