Public Enemy Number One
But when treating him to a fancy lunch, the card declined. I later found it had a $500,000 limit. Assuming he’d forgotten his own spending, I waited for next month’s reset.
Instead, he confronted me at work, waving statements and calling me a gold digger for "maxing out half a million in three days." He demanded the engagement broken and his money back.
I handed him a hundred-dollar bill. "Keep the change. Buy yourself a nice coffin."
He threatened his attorney, but left green-faced after we settled.
1
“Willow Reed! What is the meaning of this? You run up a bill and now you won’t own up to it? You’re cursing me to die?”
Adrian didn’t take the hundred-dollar bill. His face was flushed with rage.
I shrugged and pulled out another one. “In total, I used your card for two meals. The grand total was $29.99. You march in here demanding half a million dollars, and I haven’t called the cops on you for extortion. I’d say that’s generous.”
“What, is this not enough?” I added, holding out the second bill. “Take this, and please, get out of my sight.”
He was too furious to believe I’d spent less than thirty dollars.
He slapped the credit card statement onto my desk. “Stop playing dumb! Do you think the bank makes mistakes? Look at what you bought! I have never met a woman so fake and materialistic in my life!”
The long receipt fluttered to the floor. I didn’t even bother to glance at it.
A particularly nosy coworker picked it up. Her eyes went wide, and she shot me a look of disbelief. “Willow, you spend money like you’re eating it!”
The statement was passed around, and I heard the items being read aloud.
Luxury boutiques, jewelry stores, five-star hotels…
Over a dozen transactions in three days. The $500,000 limit had been wiped clean.
I snatched the statement back, my eyes scanning the page until they landed on the last two items. “These two charges for takeout are mine,” I said, pointing. “The rest has nothing to do with me.”
Adrian laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. “Willow, I never took you for this kind of person! The card was in your possession, the signature on the receipts is yours, and you’re telling me it wasn’t you? Who was it then, me?”
“I’m a CEO. I sign deals worth more than that every day. Why would I need to scam you out of your pocket money?”
That was a question I wanted to ask him, too. So I did.
My question pushed him over the edge. He yanked at his tie and raised his voice, addressing the gawking crowd of employees.
“I know you shouldn’t air your dirty laundry in public, but some people just don’t know when to quit! So I’ll ask all of you to be the judge!”
“As you know, Willow and I have been betrothed since we were kids, a pact made by our grandfathers. When she graduated, I honored that promise. I threw her a grand engagement party, and to show my love, I gave her a supplementary card to use as she pleased. At first, she refused to spend a single penny, manipulating me into begging her to use it. And then—”
He waved the statement, his voice dripping with ice. “—as you can see, she blew through $500,000 in three days. All on luxury goods!”
“I could own a mountain of gold, and she’d still manage to spend it all!”
Adrian was the boss—handsome, wealthy, and universally adored by his staff. In a situation like this, they were naturally on his side.
The same colleagues who had been fawning over me minutes before, the CEO’s fiancée, were now looking at me with undisguised contempt.
“Mr. Hayes, she’s just putting on a pure and innocent act. Refusing your money was just a tactic to make you beg her. That way, when she got caught, she’d have an excuse to blame you!”
“Exactly! That has to be it!”
“I couldn’t spend half a million in three years, and she did it in three days! And she’s not even officially Mrs. Hayes yet. Imagine what she’d do after the wedding!”
“Poor Mr. Hayes, stuck with a fiancée like that…”
“Honestly, just call off the engagement! These old-fashioned pacts are ridiculous anyway!”
Adrian’s assistant, Isabelle, shot me a disdainful look and clung to his arm. “Mr. Hayes, some people just can’t handle temptation. Think of it as spending $500,000 to see her true colors. If you’d actually married her, you might have lost the whole company. We’d all be out of a job…”
Spoken like a true loyal employee. The backhanded compliments and sharp insults slithered into my ears like venom.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the pen in my hand.
Adrian, pleased with the outpouring of support, wrapped an arm around Isabelle’s shoulders. “Willow, if you needed money, you could have just asked. Why sneak around and max out my card? Now, you have two choices. Pay the money back immediately…”
He paused, his eyes glinting with scorn.
“Or we break off the engagement, and you pack your things and get the hell out of my company.”
The office was silent. Everyone was waiting for my response.
I met his gaze and smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. The engagement is off. But as for the money… I won’t be paying you a single cent.”
2
A collective gasp went through the room at my audacity.
Isabelle’s eyes lit up with excitement as she added fuel to the fire. “Oh my god, how can anyone be so shameless? Thank goodness Mr. Hayes’s little test exposed you for what you really are!”
“If you’d actually gotten married, you would have bled him dry, you materialistic leech!”
I ignored her and pulled up the order confirmations for the takeout on my phone. “I’ll say it again,” I stated calmly. “I spent $29.99 of your money. If you think you can use this to extort me, you’re dreaming.”
“As for this pathetic job, I’m not interested.”
“Adrian, you’re fired. By me. And my last two weeks of salary? Keep it. You’ll need it for takeout when your company goes under.”
I took a screenshot of the orders, dropped it in the company group chat, promptly left the chat, and grabbed my bag.
Adrian’s face darkened as I turned to leave. He grabbed my wrist. “Willow! Don’t think you can just walk away from this! This isn’t over until you pay me back!”
I pulled my hand free. “Mr. Hayes, I’ve sent you the proof. Take a good look at it before you come looking for me again.”
Then, I walked out without a backward glance.
I thought that would be the end of it. But I was wrong. Adrian took the story public.
He connected my name to my university, turning it into a full-blown witch hunt.
Soon, the scandal was trending online.
#HonorStudentExposedAsShamelessGoldDigger
#WhoWouldMarryThe500KIn3DaysGoldDigger
#HandsomeCEOUsedAsATMByChildhoodFiancée
The comments were a deluge of hate. As my personal information was leaked, my phone exploded with vitriolic messages.
“How could your parents raise someone like you? You’re a disgrace! Just die already and stop tarnishing your school’s reputation!”
“Proof that a degree has nothing to do with character. A woman like you isn’t worth a damn thing!”
Someone even dug up my student ID and my thesis advisor’s information, demanding the university expel me to “cleanse its ranks.”
The next day, my academic advisor called.
“Willow, the university administration is taking this very seriously. Your honorary title of ‘Outstanding Graduate’… they might have to revoke it.”
My hand tightened around the phone, my throat suddenly dry. “Professor, I didn’t make those purchases…”
He sighed. “I know, but the public outcry is too much. The school’s reputation is on the line, and there’s pressure from… other parties.”
I understood immediately.
Adrian’s company was about to partner with the university’s research lab, creating a direct pipeline for graduates.
This was a crucial time for job seekers. My personal scandal couldn’t be allowed to jeopardize everyone else’s future.
I accepted the outcome calmly.
The title didn’t matter much to me. At least the university wasn’t crazy enough to revoke my actual degree.
But Adrian wasn’t finished.
He used his industry connections to blacklist me. Every resume I sent out vanished into a black hole. I couldn’t even get an interview.
Meanwhile, Adrian was making public appearances with Isabelle on his arm at every major industry event.
On social media, Isabelle posted a photo of a limited-edition Hermès bag with the caption:
So grateful for the boss’s generosity~
The location tag was a top-tier private club.
Adrian liked it and commented:
You deserve the best.
That night, I received a text from him:
“Willow, if you still want to be a CEO’s wife, here’s the deal. Pay back the $500k, sign a prenup, and promise me three kids in five years after we’re married.”
“Be a good girl, and I’ll make sure you’re set for life, dripping in luxury for all to see.”
“Otherwise, you’ll never find a job in this city again.”
I stared at the screen and started to laugh.
Adrian clearly had no idea that marrying me would have been the biggest upgrade of his life.
Even if I never worked a day, I could live a life of carefree luxury he could only dream of.
I didn’t bother with a lengthy reply. I just sent him a single word:
Pathetic.
I never imagined he would show up at my apartment that night with four bodyguards in tow.
3
The doorbell was being mashed with frantic energy. I opened the door slowly to find Adrian standing there, his face a thundercloud, flanked by four menacing bodyguards.
“Willow Reed, you think you can just hide in here and it’ll all go away?”
He sneered, pushing past me and barging into my apartment.
I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and watched him case the joint like a common burglar.
His eyes swept over the jade carvings, the antique porcelain, and the classical calligraphy hanging on the walls. His expression grew uglier by the second.
“Hah. Now I see how you had the guts to max out my card. You’ve had plenty of practice with your other sugar daddies!”
He gestured at the priceless artifacts. “How many men did you have to swindle to fill this place up?”
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
He walked over to the coffee table, picked up a blue-and-white porcelain cup, and scoffed. “So this is your game. You fill your apartment with fakes to look the part.”
“I’ll give you this, the replicas are pretty convincing. But the glaze is too new. A dead giveaway.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “You have a keen eye, Mr. Hayes.”
It was, in fact, the only replica set in the entire apartment.
He took my comment as sarcasm, and his gaze turned colder. “Willow, I don’t have time for your games. Today, you’re either paying back the $500,000 and signing these agreements, or our engagement is officially over.”
“When your dream of marrying into wealth is shattered, don’t come crying to me!”
“And don’t forget, your parents don’t have pensions. I won’t be taking care of them when they’re old…”
Before he could finish, one of his bodyguards spoke up in a low voice. “Sir, does that look like the centerpiece from the Sotheby’s auction last week?”
Adrian followed his gaze to the porcelain vase on the mantelpiece.
It was a Song dynasty Guan ware vase. My father bought it for me at auction because he knew I’d think it was pretty.
Adrian stared at it for a few seconds, his expression shifting, before letting out a dismissive laugh. “Willow, you certainly know how to pick your fakes. You even have the nerve to replicate the hottest item from a recent auction?”
Looking at this man, a whole five years my senior, I felt a wave of profound relief that I wasn’t yet of legal age to marry. According to our grandfathers’ pact, I would have been his wife by now.
To be tied to such a petty, conniving, and clueless man would have been the stain of a lifetime.
I sighed and decided to show him the door. “Adrian, I can forgive your ignorance, but I won’t stand here and let you embarrass yourself in my home. It’s time for you to leave.”
His face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean? Do you really think I’m desperate to marry you?”
“Let me tell you something. I built my success with my own two hands. I despise women like you who get by on their looks and their bodies instead of honest work!”
“Your reputation is in the gutter. Besides me, who else would have you? If it weren’t for the promise between our grandfathers, I wouldn’t be wasting my breath on you!”
I was done explaining. I walked over to the vase, picked it up, and turned it over to show him the bottom.
“Look closely. This is the Sotheby’s authentication number. It’s one of a kind. The final price was eighteen million dollars.”
“Do you really think I need your half a million?”
“Out of respect for our grandparents, I could have just given you the money. But as it happens, I have a thing against moochers who expect handouts.”
“So here’s the deal. You and your goons get out of my sight right now and never show your faces again, and I’ll consider dropping the matter of you slandering and harassing me online.”
Adrian’s face froze.
One of the bodyguards sucked in a breath. “Sir, she sounds very confident. Could there be a misunderstanding? And that vase… I think it might be real.”
Adrian’s face was ashen. He snatched the vase from me, turning it over and over, his expression growing more panicked the longer he looked.
He pulled out his phone and called Isabelle.
“Izzy, doesn’t your brother work at Sotheby’s? Have him check who bought that centerpiece from the last auction, the one that caused that huge bidding war!”
“And on your way over, bring my lawyer. The best one I have on retainer!”
“She’s still denying she spent the money. I’m going to make her admit it today! If I don’t put her in her place now, what’s to stop her from walking all over me after we’re married?”
If Adrian was that determined to be humiliated, I was more than happy to wait.
Ten minutes later, Isabelle arrived with the lawyer and the information he’d requested.
4
“Mr. Hayes, I asked. That vase was bought by the richest man in the country. He gave it to his daughter to use as a flower vase.”
Adrian’s face relaxed into an I-told-you-so smirk.
Isabelle picked up the vase, examining it with a critical eye before sneering at me. “Willow, you really spare no expense to keep up appearances, do you? This is a very convincing replica.”
The lawyer, however, took one look at the vase and his whole demeanor changed.
He rushed forward, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses for a closer look.
But before he could, Isabelle raised her hand—
CRASH!
The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the living room.
The eighteen-million-dollar Song dynasty vase lay in a thousand pieces on the floor.
I was stunned.
Adrian, after a moment of shock, shot Isabelle a disapproving look. “Izzy, what are you doing? Even as a replica, that was worth a lot of money!”
Isabelle’s lip trembled, tears welling in her eyes. “Mr. Hayes, it’s obvious Willow is never going to pay you back. I was just smashing one of her fakes to stand up for you. Why are you blaming me?”
In front of me, Adrian’s tone softened as he gently wiped her tears away. “I’m not blaming you. I was just hoping we could get that money back so I could buy you a little condo to call your own.”
“My most valuable employee deserves nothing but the best.”
He shot a pointed look in my direction. “I hope some people understand the difference between them and you, and just sign the agreements. The line of women waiting to be my wife wraps around the city, you know.”
I rolled my eyes, looking at him as if he were an idiot. “Adrian, maybe you should figure out who actually spent that $500,000 before you start making promises. Because the line of people trying to empty your bank account might be just as long.”
A flicker of guilt crossed Isabelle’s face, and the tears started flowing freely again, sending Adrian into a fluster.
I had no interest in watching their little soap opera. “Mr. Hayes,” I interrupted coldly, “since you’re so concerned with her feelings, I assume you’ll be covering the eighteen-million-dollar cost of that vase?”
Adrian scoffed and moved to stomp on the shards. “Pay for a fake? Why would I? What’s the matter, you upset? I thought you said it was real. I thought you said you were rich. Why don’t you just go buy another one?”
Isabelle’s tears vanished, replaced by a triumphant smirk.
The lawyer suddenly dropped to his knees, just barely managing to block Adrian’s foot.
“Mr. Hayes, if I’m not mistaken… I believe this vase… is real.”
Adrian and Isabelle froze.
I had to admit, the lawyer Adrian had hired actually had a decent eye.
But a second later, Adrian shoved him aside and ground the porcelain fragments under his heel. “Mr. Zhang, you’re a high-powered attorney, not an art appraiser. You heard her brother—the real one was bought by the richest man in New York for his daughter. How could it possibly end up here?”
Isabelle gasped dramatically. “Unless… Willow was bold enough to steal it from his mansion?”
“Or maybe,” she added with a sly look, “she’s sleeping with him, too?”
Their ignorance was almost funny.
“Alright, fine, I’ll come clean,” I said with a sigh. “The richest man in New York… he’s my dad.”
Adrian and Isabelle exchanged a look and then burst out laughing.
“Oh, god, Willow, I know exactly what your family is. ‘The richest man is your dad’? You mean your sugar daddy, right?”
“But you know what? Since you’ve managed to snag a whale like that, I’ll be generous. We don’t have to call off the engagement. And you can forget about the $500,000.”
“All you have to do is sign these agreements, and make sure your ‘dad’ sends some business my family’s way every year. I’ll be more than happy to help you keep up the charade.”
I couldn’t believe his audacity.
What did he take me for? A bargaining chip?
If it hadn’t been for this whole credit card fiasco, I might have actually been fooled by his charming facade.
Adrian took out the prenuptial agreement and scribbled his new conditions onto the page.
“Willow, sign it.”
Isabelle immediately protested. “Mr. Hayes, how can a promiscuous woman like her be your wife?”
“Besides, if she really had a connection to someone that wealthy, do you honestly think she’d be eating cheap takeout? No way!”
“I’m telling you, she’s just using his name to intimidate you, to trick you into marrying her! Don’t fall for it!”
Adrian hesitated.
He sighed, a look of profound resignation on his face. “Izzy, whether she’s a gold digger or not, once she signs this, she’ll be under my thumb.”
“Besides, you know my father. If I don’t marry her, he’ll never give me control of the company.”
So that was it. His willingness to marry me was just another business transaction.
And Isabelle’s desperate attempts to stop the marriage… I was starting to suspect that supplementary card had something to do with her.
How else could a junior assistant afford to be decked out in the latest designer collections?
There was a good chance she was the one who had maxed out the card.
I took the agreement from Adrian’s hand. “I’ll sign it,” I said slowly. “But first, let’s get to the bottom of that $500,000 bill.”
The lawyer, Mr. Zhang, had used the time to discreetly survey the other treasures in my apartment. The look in his eyes had shifted from contempt to something bordering on fear.
He knew. He had figured it out. He probably even believed me now.
Good. Then he could be the one to deliver the final blow.
I glanced at him, and he immediately cleared his throat. “Mr. Hayes, you hired me today to verify this statement. I will not be involved in any other matters.”
A flicker of unease crossed Adrian’s face, but he waved a hand dismissively, giving Zhang the go-ahead.
As Zhang began to cross-reference the items on the statement, Adrian’s bodyguards started searching my apartment for the purchased goods. And to their credit, they actually found two of the items from the list.
Zhang’s expression shifted again, and Isabelle looked smug.
“Adrian,” I said suddenly. “How many supplementary cards do you have?”
He answered immediately, without hesitation. “Just the one I gave you.”
But I saw the flicker of panic in Isabelle’s eyes. I knew she had one, too.
In a flash, I snatched her purse and dumped its contents onto the floor.
And there it was. A credit card, identical to the one Adrian had given me.
Isabelle panicked and lunged for it.
I slapped her across the face, hard, and handed the card to Zhang.
“Check this one,” I said, my voice cold and clear. “I have a feeling the truth is about to come out.”
“As long as you maintain your professional integrity, Mr. Zhang, I can guarantee your career will go much, much further.”
First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "257968" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
Bookworm« Previous Post
This Marriage Is Not Worth It
Next Post »
The Haunting of Three Years