Twenty-five Thousand Five Hundred

When I was five, Mom and Dad took my little brother to the city for kindergarten and left me in a mountain village with my grandfather, who had dementia. Before they left, Dad told me to take care of Grandpa, watch the house, and protect the yard. Mom said I was the older brother, so I had to be sensible. They said that once they made enough money, they'd bring me to the city too. I didn't want to let go. I clung to Mom's leg and begged through tears, "Mom, please. I don't want to be separated from you." My tears and snot smeared across her expensive dress. She scolded me for being difficult, slapped my bottom until it swelled, and struck my face hard enough to break the skin. In the end, they didn't soften. They left and never came back. Three months later, when I was close to starving, I called Mom and begged her to send me something to eat. She snapped, irritated, "A boy who talks about being hungry every day? Why don't you just starve, then? How can there be nothing to eat in the countryside? "Your father and I are under so much pressure in the city. Can't you be sensible for once?" Her words came true. That winter, I starved to death. Five years later, Mom pushed open the rotten door. "Miles," she called. "Mom's back."

For eight years in a marriage devoid of light, I had abortions five times. Every time, Sam would grip my hand when I woke up, his eyes red, and promise to find the best doctors to help me recover. After the third miscarriage, he finally hired a team of top-tier nutritionists, ensuring that every single meal was planned perfectly. He always comforted me, "Don't worry, Penny. We're still young, so we can have another baby!" When I found out I was pregnant again, snowflakes were dancing outside my window. I wrapped my fur coat tightly around my body and rushed to the company, only to hear Wren's furious voice outside the VIP suite, "Are you insane? Those five babies were your own flesh and blood!" Sam replied coldly, "Nicole needs specimen for her experiments. All I'm doing is providing her with the materials she needs." His words dug into my heart like icy spikes, and I could even hear my own bones cracking. "As for Penelope…" He chuckled. "Do you think that our marriage certificate is the real deal?" Snowflakes stung my face like needles, and I finally found out the truth about our marriage. From the very beginning, I was nothing more than a living test subject for the woman he truly loved. Sam was right. Those unborn children never even had legal identities, and were worth less than a piece of paper, just like my so-called marriage. Glass shattered from inside the room, and I could hear Wren cursing, but I turned and walked towards the elevator. Since Sam's priority was Nicole and nothing else, I was hell-bent on making him pay the price.

After nearly four years they finally found her and he couldn't be more happier but he was in for a shock of his life. David was a man who pride himself for being a the most handsome and hottest playboy who's flings never lasted more than a week and a self made billionaire even though he came from old money. But his encounter with HER changed his life and he was willing to give up on his playboy lifestyle and riches just for her but when he was ready to marry her and make her his, she vanished into thin air leaving him behind with a broken heart. ............................................................ David's eyes widened in shock as he read the report, the report on his love, but he was in for a shock he would never forget and he didn't know whether to be happy or furious. He closed the file and picked up his phone on the desk and called a number. "Get my jet ready........ We are leaving for New York. " He immediately ended he call and looked at the picture frame on his desk and run his hand over it. "You have a lot to answer Maya Morganza" Maya Morganza was an orphan who grew up in a foster home and believed in fairy tales of her prince Charming coming to sweep her off her feet and she did get it in the form of billionaire business man and playboy David Gandy but I all came crashing down one particular day. Will she get a fairy tale ending or will it be just a dream?

I had been the biggest pushover in our circle. In the years I had worked as a wedding planner, I had dipped into my own pocket every time a friend got married to make sure she received the very best of everything. A newcomer named Sloane Halliday arrived one day. "30,000 dollars for one wedding? Laurel, that markup is outrageous." A friend tried to smooth things over. "That was already the friends-and-family rate. Venue rental alone cost that much anywhere else." Sloane rolled her eyes. "Friends-and-family rate? Give me a break. "My family ran a wedding supply chain. I knew exactly how this racket worked. "Tell you what. From now on, all of you bring your weddings to me. "I will get you the same specs, real wholesale pricing. Only 500 dollars, all in." The room erupted. "500 dollars? That saved tens of thousands. "We were giving all our weddings to Sloane from now on. "And Laurel, do not take it personally. We go way back. You really should not be pocketing the difference." Pocketing the difference? For every friend whose wedding I had planned, I had pulled every favor I had to make her the most beautiful bride in the room. The top-tier teams I brought in did not even take outside clients. Sure. That was fine with me. If 500 dollars was all it took for a complete wedding, then they were welcome to find out exactly what a 500-dollar wedding looked like.

How rich can a person be? My wife is incredibly rich. People call her "The Queen of Cloudridge" because nearly half the city's properties are owned by her. We've been married for five years, and every time she goes out to meet her first love, she transfers a property to my name. By the time I have 99 homes in my name, she suddenly notices that something has changed. I no longer cry, beg, or ask her to stay. I simply choose the finest mansion in all of Cloudridge, bring the property deed with me, and wait for her to sign it. She signs the papers, and for the first time, she softens. "When I get back, let's go watch the fireworks together." I quietly tuck the agreement away and hum in response. But I never tell her what she's really signed this time. It's not a property deed. It's our divorce agreement.

The fifth time we went to the courthouse, James Ceasar and I still weren’t officially married. We had picked a good day for it, but right before it was our turn, he got a call and rushed off in a hurry. With my eyes turning red, I pointed at the screen showing the waiting numbers, trying to stop him. “We're next. It won't take more than ten minutes. We can get it done fast. Once we’re officially married, you can go and deal with whatever’s so urgent. It won’t take long.” James was the CEO of his company, so he had full control over his schedule. That was why I said it like that, not thinking it would be a big deal. However, he just glanced at the screen, handed me the ticket with our number on it, and looked annoyed. “I can marry you anytime,” he said. “But right now, I’ve got something I need to take care of. Don’t make a fuss.”