I Only Needed Your Money

For three days, I hadn't submitted a single expense request through the corporate system to Grant.
He must have assumed I was finally learning how to be a proper high-society wife, because he sent a text message, a condescending gesture of reward.
Ive resumed your mothers treatment. Learn your lesson nowstop lying and padding your requests for extra cash.
"I know its hard for people from your background, but my money isnt that easy to steal."
What he didnt know was that by the time I received that text, I had already finalized the divorce papers.
The only thing I could take with me was the white T-shirt and worn jeans Id been wearing the day I moved in.
No one would believe that Eleanor Stone, the glamorous wife of Grant Harrington, didn't own four respectable pieces of clothing after three years of marriage.
Every private expenditure had to be filed through the corporate expense system. All my clothes and jewelry were kept under lock and key in a walk-in safe, and I had to apply to his secretary, Serena Wu, just to access them.
It was because he despised my humble origins. He was convinced I would acquire the "bad habit" of reckless spending, common among the newly rich.
Three days ago, my adoptive mothers condition worsened critically. I filed an urgent request for twenty thousand dollars for surgery.
Serena, however, deliberately stalled the expense approval, a delay that cost my mother her life. She died in that hospital bed.
Grant never understood. The only reason I endured him for so long was for the exclusive medical resources his company controlledthe only resources that could have saved her.
Now that she was gone, there was nothing left to stay for.
1
I told Grant I wanted a divorce, but he refused.
His response was a cold, three-word text: Stop the drama.
When he finally spoke to me, his eyes never left the glow of his laptop screen. It was as if the dry electronic data held more interest for him than the conversation with his wife.
I lowered my gaze, my voice steady. "I'm serious, Grant. I want a divorce."
He stood up, inhaling deeply, his expression chillingly detached. "The pause in your mother's treatment? I authorized it. It had nothing to do with Serena; she was just following orders."
"If you hadn't barged into my office and made a scene, I wouldn't have felt the need to teach you a lesson."
"I had the treatment reinstated yesterday. My time is precious. I don't have time for your temper tantrums."
He turned and walked away before I could reply, convinced that it wouldn't be long before I came crawling back, head bowed.
He was sure Id swallow my pride and start trying to please him again, just like before. Even when hed told me to my face, "Don't be so desperate for my attention, its frankly disgusting."
I would just smile and silently return to being the dutiful, long-suffering housekeeper.
But whether the treatment was reinstated now or not no longer mattered.
If Grant had just taken my call three days ago, I might still be here, flattering him, bending over backward for him.
But he was always too impatient to talk to me.
I begged him not to hang up that day, pleaded for him to hear me out. But my desperate cries were instantly drowned out by Serena's smooth, poisonous voice.
"Is Eleanor upset because I reminded her to follow proper protocol, Grant?"
She sounded delicate, wounded. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just don't want her to keep those messy, unplanned habits from her old life. If I stick strictly to the rules, shell learn discipline."
Hearing that, Grants impatience with my call sharpened. Ignoring my pleas, he delivered a cold, final command:
"Do exactly what Serena says."
It was always the same whenever I needed him.
"Im busy. Talk to the secretary."
"Listen to Serena."
"Do whatever Serena tells you to do."
I was his wife, yet I had no dignity.
Forget having a normal life. Even for the necessary social functions of a Grant Harrington wifethe ones I was required to attendI had to submit an application for approval from his secretary.
Every time, Serena would smile brightly and casually reject the ridiculous request.
"Ellie, the description isnt detailed enough. Rewrite it, please."
"The gala ends at 10 PM. Why did you write 12 AM? Thats not acceptable."
"Ellie, why are you always like this? Didn't I tell you to review your application before submitting? Check it again."
She always ensured the approval came at the very last second, then she would watch, smiling sweetly, as I frantically scrambled to reach the venue, often late, often looking like a mess for the sake of a necklace or a dress.
When I inevitably arrived late, Grant would look at me with palpable displeasure. "Eleanor, don't you have a sense of time management?"
"You can't even handle a small task like this. Do you see now why you could never measure up to Serena?"
But I couldn't handle that small task. I was constantly late.
All because of Grant Harrington's "excellent secretary" and "virtuous assistant."
He couldn't see it, or he simply didn't care.
Just as he knew my mothers illness couldn't tolerate delay or a break in medication. Yet, he still snapped at me irritably over the phone. "How many times do I have to tell you? If you need money urgently, go to Serena. Do you think she wouldn't give it to you?"
Getting money from Serena was, as always, an ordeal.
"What kind of emergency needs twenty thousand dollars upfront? Ellie, are you just inventing excuses to get cash?"
"Twenty thousand isn't a small amount. I need an itemized receipt before I can approve it, darling. Application denied for now."
I explained it was an estimated pre-payment, and the final receipt would only be issued upon discharge.
Serena curved her lips into a smirk. She feigned realization. "Oh, is that how it works? I wouldn't know; everyone in my family is perfectly healthy."
"But expense approvals are very strict. We can't let violations slide. How about you get a formal policy document from the hospital and attach it? Then Ill approve it. Denied for now."
Later, she tried another tactic. "Hospitals sometimes fake documents, don't they? I'm not saying you would, Ellie, but the possibility exists."
"Why don't you attach the industry regulations instead?"
And just like that, the critical time for emergency treatment was pushed back and back by Serena.
By the time I finally received the money, even the most exceptional medical team was powerless to reverse the outcome.
A continuous knot of hatred and anguish tightened around my heart. A suffocating feeling, beyond description, filled my chest.
This marriage was a cage that restrained me. I had to escape.
The moment I clearly understood my next steps, I suddenly felt light. It was as if the invisible shackles Id carried for years had abruptly vanished.
So when I received Serenas defiant social media posta picture clearly meant to provoke meI felt absolutely nothing. I was calm enough to screenshot it and even click the like button.
Whenever Serena was involved, Grant's messages always came quickly.
"Serena has done great work lately. Im simply taking my employee out to dinner. Don't start any ridiculous rumors, Eleanor, and don't make people misunderstand the situation."
I don't know what Serena had told him this time, but he followed up with a self-righteous demand.
"You already liked the post. If you take it back, people will get the wrong idea about Serena."
"Leave a comment, praising her work. Consider it encouragement from both of us, as a couple."
I didn't intend to respond.
But I thought about it, and the bitterness in my stomach was too much to swallow.
So I complied with Grants demand.
I commented on Serenas post: "Serena, your dedication is admirable. Your impartial application of the corporate expense policy to both your boss's wife and your co-workers, and your use of a simple system to wield the maximum amount of petty tyranny, is exemplary. Keep up the good work and the excellent wickedness."
"Every penny you save for the corporation now is a potential increase in your future alimony, should you succeed. Thumbs up."
I tossed my phone aside after replying.
I began to calmly pack my things.
My phone kept buzzing the entire time, but I ignored it.
Packing didnt take long. After all, every single valuable item supposedly belonging to me was locked securely behind a password-protected closet door and a triple-locked safe.
For years, I had been a temporary guest in this house. Even my presence left only the shallowest trace.
Now that my eyes were open, I finally understood the truth.
2
Grant arrived home fast. I had to admit it again: when it came to Serena, he was always prompt, never dragging his feet.
He didn't seem to notice the small suitcase by my feet, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Did you not hear me calling you?"
I was indifferent. "I heard it. I chose not to answer."
Grant looked at me as if Id spoken an utterly ridiculous line, genuinely unable to comprehend my refusal.
"I told you! Serena's work has been excellent lately. I simply took her out for dinner."
"Do you have any idea how many people in the company already misunderstand her? How is she supposed to maintain her reputation after you post something like that?"
I couldn't stop myself from letting out a cold laugh. "Well, it seems not everyone is blind, then. Turns out, some people know exactly what she's been up to."
I looked at Grant. "Besides, Im not her mother. Why should I worry about whether her life at the company is easy or not?"
Grant's face darkened instantly.
"Eleanor, when did you become one of those vulgar people who listen to every baseless rumor?"
"You know how difficult it is for a young woman to achieve a high-ranking position in the corporate world. Why are you spreading slander and insulting another excellent woman? If you hadn't thrown that fit at the office last time, would Serena have had to endure this?"
His eyes were full of exhaustion and accusation. "You want to be an unproductive socialite? I won't fault you for that. Im happy to keep you in luxury. But not all women are as short-sighted and useless as you are."
"If you continue to be malicious and slanderous toward Serena, don't test me. Think about your mother."
I finally burst out laughing.
My voice was raw with grief and pain.
Right in front of Grant, I opened my suitcase.
"Luxury? Take a look at the life of luxury I lead in your house."
"Im leaving, and I can't pack four decent items of clothing. I have to file an expense report just to get a haircut, asking your esteemed secretary for permission. The nannys monthly salary is higher than mine, the wife of Grant Harrington!"
I grabbed Grants arm and forcefully dragged him to the walk-in closet, pointing at the combination lock on the door. "Do you even know how to open this lock? It requires a code and a fingerprint scan. Even your companys confidential files arent secured this tightly!"
"What kind of wife living in 'luxury' has to beg for her daily necessities like a mistress living off scraps from her husbands secretary?"
Incredulity was etched all over Grant's face. He looked bewildered.
"Is this why?"
"Is this why you're jealous of Serena? Why you ran to the office to ruin her reputation?"
Hearing his question, my heart sank completely.
Everything Id just said was utterly wasted on him. If Grant had believed for one second that this was wrong, that it was insulting and degrading to me, he would have stopped it years ago.
For all these years, he had indulged every ridiculous suggestion Serena made, putting my basic necessities under the corporate expense system.
I lowered my eyes. "Fine. Think whatever you want."
"We're getting a divorce."
Hearing my absolute certainty, Grant actually smiled. His expression was one of knowing condescension.
"That's enough, Eleanor. I don't have time to coddle you."
"Your drama is just a cheap stunt to compete with my secretary. Don't assume all women are petty and small-minded like you."
He slowly smoothed the wrinkles I'd created when I grabbed his shirt, sounding as if he were making a massive concession.
"Tomorrow, I'll arrange for the best medical team from overseas to treat your mother. Ill also have Serena give you the codes for the closet and the safe, and change the fingerprint access to yours."
"From now on, the finance department will wire you ten thousand dollars a month. No more expense forms."
After all our years together, I knew Grant well. For him, this was the ultimate compromise.
Logically, I should have accepted the truce.
But I was truly sick of this three-person relationship.
Noperhaps I had never been truly involved in the first place.
Even now, he made all these promises, yet he didn't say a single word about Serenas actions. We both knew the ridiculous expense protocol was her sick joke.
The man in front of me casually agreed to change the system.
It meant he simply didn't care.
If I accepted his arrangement now and returned to being Mrs. Harrington, Serena would still be a permanent fixture in our lives.
"I don't want any of it. I just want a divorce."
Grant finally realized I wasn't just throwing a tantrum. Not only was I rejecting his peace offering, but I was determined to leave. His impatience instantly curdled into rage.
"Eleanor, don't forget the prenuptial agreement! You won't get a dime if you divorce me!"
"And what about your family business, and your mothers illness? Do you really think your stepfatherthe one with the new familywill take care of her without me?"
Of course, he wouldn't.
I was painfully aware that if that ungrateful man hadn't abandoned my mother and forced me into a corner, I never would have agreed to this absurd marriage in the first place.
Grant and I were parallel lines that were momentarily forced to intersect.
Now, all I was doing was letting things return to their proper course.
I zipped up my suitcase again, my voice neutral. "I don't care."
Grant froze, confused as to why his historically foolproof methods no longer worked.
But his ego wouldn't allow him to beg.
So he simply watched, silent, as I walked to the door.
Right as I pulled the door open, Grant almost gave in to the sudden terror and called out my name.
But then he remembered what Serena had told him.
"The wife is just bored at home, Grant. She wants to play out a scene from a bad soap opera."
"I've seen plenty of women spoiled by the good life. Just ignore her, let her stew, and she'll come running back soon enough, apologizing to you."
She will be back, Grant thought, fighting his rising anxiety.
He reached into his pocket but pulled out only a piece of handmade pear candy.
He often coughed after smoking, especially when the weather was dry, so I had found many small ways to help him feel better.
She isn't completely useless, Grant conceded to himself. When she comes back, Ill make sure she apologizes properly, sincerely regrets this, and never threatens me with divorce again.
He quickly convinced himself.
3
After leaving Grant, I hesitated for a long time before going to see my old professor.
When Professor Adler, her hair now completely white, saw me dragging my thin suitcase, she didnt say a word. She simply stepped aside, gesturing me into her home, just as she had for all my visits years ago.
My eyes instantly welled up, and tears began to fall.
She had been the fiercest opponent of my decision to quit school and marry.
Even on my wedding day, she didn't stop texting me.
"Ellie, hardship is temporary. There is no obstacle you can't overcome."
"You can find another way to solve your problem. Don't be foolish and sacrifice your entire life."
"The trophy wife life looks good on paper, but your contributions are invisible. Your degree will be a temporary halo, but you will always be a beggar, dependent on others for money. And when you beg, you always have to bow."
Time had proven Professor Adler correct in every way.
Initially, Grant was impressed by my degree.
But then Serena entered his life.
She claimed that since I had been a 'street urchin' before my adoption, a college degree couldn't erase the bad habits Id learned in my youth.
She said I needed to learn the rules of their class and develop good spending habits.
I was the one asking Grant for money. He could choose to give it to me, choose not to give it to me, or choose to give it to me in the most humiliating way possible.
I cried until I had nothing left.
Professor Adler finally spoke, her voice calm. "I hope you haven't forgotten your skills."
"I have a job here, field research that requires hiking and deep data collection. Are you in?"
I was momentarily stunned. I hadn't expected my mentor not only to welcome me but to offer the very thing I needed mostwork.
She frowned slightly. "What? Have you gotten too used to the good life of a socialite? Can you no longer handle the grind of us working stiffs?"
The tears were still on my face, but I managed a genuine smile.
"I can handle it, Professor. For myself, I'll endure any hardship."
Professor Adler smiled warmly, immediately shifting into action. "If you agree, contact the team quickly. This is work, not a TV drama. We don't have time for self-pity."
Under her arrangement, I quickly joined the research team.
At first, I struggled to adjust. But as the days passed,
the knowledge and operating procedures etched into my soul surfaced. I became increasingly adept.
The serious, unsmiling team leader gave me a thumbs-up. "I was worried you'd be too delicate. But you're proof that great teachers produce great students."
I smiled back. "Everyone is just looking out for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have adjusted so fast"
Just as we were joking around, an inappropriate call rang out. "Eleanor?"
I turned to see Serena, dressed in high fashion, clutching a brand-new designer handbag.
She looked dismissively at the people around me.
"I wondered why you suddenly started demanding a divorce from Grant. Turns out you're just slipping back to your old habits, slumming it with these sorts of low-lifes again."
She wrinkled her nose as if speaking to us was a generous gift.
My face went cold. We were measuring data like savages, and we probably looked a mess, but that wasn't an excuse for her to insult us.
"Serena Wu, are you a cockroach? Are you everywhere I go?"
Serenas face flushed. A deeply familiar man emerged from behind her.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing his question, Serenas eyes reddened, and she spoke in a soft, injured voice. "Nothing, darling. Its just that Eleanor has been gone for so long, and I saw her here, mixed up with some rough-looking people, obviously stalking us. I just tried to talk some sense into her"
"But she completely misunderstood"
Grant finally noticed me standing opposite him. He frowned slightly.
His eyes held an air of knowing dismissal. "Eleanor, are you harassing Serena again? If you're here to apologize to me, you need to apologize to Serena first!"
I rolled my eyes and, with a gesture, led my team away.
A female colleague beside me whispered, "Ellie, who was that?"
I sneered. "My blind, brainless ex-husband."
Grant's face darkened, and he demanded, "Eleanor! You followed us all the way out here. How long are you going to keep this up?"
"You've been gone for weeks, showing no concern for your mother. Where is your conscience? Are you really going to force me to cut off her medical funding?"
I looked at him with profound weariness, my voice flat. "Just do it, then. It's the thing you do best, isn't it?"
Stung by my look of utter contempt and coldness, Grant couldn't tell whether he felt more anger or the dawning fear of loss.
He immediately pulled out his phone, missing the flicker of panic on Serenas face.
"Grant, maybe we shouldn't"
Grant pushed down Serenas hand, which was clutching his arm, and spoke to her with sudden, chilling finality. "She needs a lesson. Otherwise, she'll never learn how to be Mrs. Harrington!"
The assistant on the other end of the line sounded hesitant after receiving the order.

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