Chapter 2
Under the combined pressure of Brittany and me, Marcus finally signed the Share Transfer Agreement.
A pink diamond, in the end, couldn’t outweigh the lure of company equity.
The moment his signature fell, Marcus pulled me tightly into his embrace.
His guilt was palpable, and I seized the opportunity:
“Honey, you don’t have to feel so guilty. If it’s too much, just transfer your investments and properties into my name. That way, you’ll feel more at ease.”
A flicker of doubt crossed Marcus’s eyes, but I didn’t give him time to think:
“My family is in real estate anyway, so managing investments would be easy for me. I’ll just be your capable wife.”
Perhaps afraid that Marcus wouldn’t agree and I’d react drastically, Brittany quickly added:
“The real estate market isn’t great right now, these investments will only lose money if you hold onto them. It’s better to let her manage them, so you can relax.”
Marcus’s company was a leader in the tech industry. Once listed, these investments would be a drop in the ocean compared to the equity.
He had always kept me out of the company’s operations, likely to prevent me from getting too involved.
Marcus sighed, finally agreeing.
Brittany lowered her head, triumph and disdain mingling in her eyes.
I suppressed the chill in my heart. We’d see who the fool was in the end.
As night fell, Marcus prepared to take me out to celebrate our anniversary, first dismissing Brittany:
“Tonight’s Chloe and my anniversary. I’ve booked a restaurant, so you should leave now. Don’t bother me with texts tonight.”
Brittany seemed resentful about me trying to set her up with a boyfriend. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage before speaking:
“Mr. Hayes, this villa is so remote, I don’t want to take a taxi alone. You’ve had so many anniversaries, what’s one more? You’ve given her a gift; just spend tonight with me.”
A flash of anger was just starting to cross Marcus’s face when I suddenly patted my head, feigning a realization:
“Honey, I think I’ve been home too long. I completely forgot I have an appointment with my physical therapist tonight. He’s incredibly hard to book, so how about we celebrate our anniversary tomorrow instead?”
Marcus froze. Brittany pressed on:
“Didn’t you really like those new positions we tried in bed last night? Should we try them again tonight? I even bought that uniform you like.”
Hearing that, I nearly gagged.
With me, Marcus had always been polite and reserved in bed. I thought he was naturally disinterested, but it turns out he was just disinterested in me.
As expected, Marcus apologized to me:
“Alright, honey, I’ll drop you off. I also have some company matters to finish up. As long as we’re together, every day is a holiday.”
I forced out a smile, my desire to get away from this disgusting man reaching its peak.
So I excused myself, saying I didn’t want to delay him, and had the driver take me out.
Half an hour later, Marcus’s car’s dashcam showed he indeed went to the company. Immediately after, my phone buzzed with his message:
“Honey, things are a bit busy today. I’ll get everything done tonight so I can spend tomorrow with you. Get some rest, I might be back late.”
As if to cover his guilt, Marcus even sent photos of the cash and investment transfer agreements.
It seemed when I joked about it earlier, he had already taken it seriously.
I sent the transfer agreements and the earlier recording to my lawyer.
After the lawyer confirmed everything was in order, the moment Marcus signed his name, my lawyer called:
“Congratulations, Ms. Hayes. All the pieces are in place, we just need that last piece of evidence. Once you get that, you’ll have everything you want.”