Book 1 The Useless Housewife
Is The Hidden Financial Tycoon
When I pushed open the door to the CEO’s office, the world seemed to freeze in that moment.
By the window, the figure I knew so well was holding a woman in his arms.
The sunlight filtered through, casting a warm glow over her blue dress- the same one I had picked out last month when I accompanied Errol to the mall.
He had said it was too expensive, and, in the end, didn’t buy it for me.
I clearly remembered his words that day: “Dear, we need to be more careful with our spending, don’t go overboard.”
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Book 1 The Useless Housewife Is The…
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Barbara elegantly rose from his lap, her red lips curling into a sly smile.
It was only then I noticed the lipstick she was wearing–the limited edition one I had been longing to buy, the shade he had called “too gaudy” and never allowed me to use.
It turned out, it wasn’t about the shade–it was about the person.
“You… you two…” My hand was still frozen in the motion of pushing the door, and a few sheets of paper fell from my folder, scattering across the floor.
It was the quarterly report he had asked me to help him with the night before. I had stayed up all night, gripped by the fear of making even the smallest mistake.
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“Dear, what are you doing here?” Errol frowned, his tone carrying a frustration I had never heard before.
He didn’t bother to stand up, simply loosening his tie, his impatience palpable- as if I were the uninvited guest.
I bent down to pick up the papers, suddenly remembering five years ago, right here in this office, when he had knelt and proposed to
- me.
He had said, “Amy, the greatest luck of my life was meeting you.”
And it was also here, three years ago, when he had asked me to give up my career and stay home to take care of the family.
He had said, “With me, you won’t have to worry about anything.”
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“I heard you were once a financial expert?” Barbara clicked her heels as she sauntered over to stand in front of me. “How come now you’re nothing but a housekeeper?”
Her voice was clear and melodious, but each word felt like a dagger to my heart.
Outside, I could hear stifled giggles, as if someone was peeking through the door crack.
The employees who used to treat me with the utmost respect were now enjoying my humiliation. I thought back to last year’s annual meeting, when they’d still called me “Mrs. Gilbert.”
“What do you know now, other than how to buy groceries and cook?” Errol stood up and straightened his suit, his tone dripping with
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impatience.
“Stop embarrassing yourself. Go home and do what you’re supposed to do.”
Embarrassing myself?
I suddenly laughed.
Yes, I really didn’t know anything anymore.
I didn’t understand why I had given up my million–dollar salary as a financial director.
I didn’t understand why the man who once said he loved me could be so cruel.
And I didn’t understand why I had been naive enough to fall into his trap of trying to be the “perfect wife and mother.”
I straightened up and glanced at the
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wedding photo on the desk:
In the photo, I was wearing a white wedding gown, smiling with pure happiness. But now, that smile was so blinding it made me want to vomit.
I watched as Barbara walked over to the photo and casually flipped it face down on the desk.
Errol didn’t stop her. Instead, he gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
That gesture had once been for me alone.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said, turning to leave, my heels clicking slowly on the carpet with each step.
I was waiting, waiting for him to come after me and explain everything, waiting for him to
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say it was all just a misunderstanding.
But all I heard behind me was Barbara’s sweet, playful voice: “Darling, I have a meeting later, should we get back to it?”
And Errol’s laughing reply: “Baby, go ahead and get ready, I’ll be right there.”
“Baby“-that term of endearment had once been mine alone.
As the elevator doors slowly closed, I caught sight of my reflection.
Unknowingly, tears had already soaked my entire face.
But it didn’t matter. This was the last time I’d ever cry for him.
I pressed the button for the garage, my mind
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drifting back to that afternoon three years ago when I decided to give up my career. He had said, “With me, you’ll never have to worry about the future.”
Now, I finally understood: The one thing I should never have given up was myself.
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