Devoted Myself To Him, Gained Everything

When Vincent brought his ultimate high school crush, Audrey, back to our shared penthouse, I greeted them at the door with a perfectly pleasant smile and a premium condom.

Hubby, I know it is technically your safe week, but better safe than sorry.

Vincent stared at me, his eyes swirling with a complicated mix of shock and irritation.

"Mindy, you actually keep track of things like that?"

Now that felt like an insult to my professionalism. I was playing the role of the devoted, brainless trophy wife, and he was questioning my dedication.

Clearly, he needed a reminder of my top-tier services.

I launched into a bright, non-stop monologue about my own cycle, our anniversaries, his gym schedule, and his exact grooming routine.

Vincent finally groaned, rubbing his temples, and waved me off with a look of utter exhaustion.

"Enough. Just go to sleep."

He brushed past me, walking straight into the master suite and slamming the door heavy enough to rattle the wall sconces.

I stood in the hallway, twirling the little foil packet in my fingers, before letting out a soft sigh and dragging my feet toward the guest bedroom.

The next morning, I was carrying a plate of freshly toasted bagels and eggs out of the kitchen when Audrey floated down the grand staircase. She looked radiant, practically glowing with the triumph of a woman marking her territory.

Seeing me, her lips curled into a sneer of pure disdain. "Mindy, you really have no spine, do you? Letting another woman sleep under your roof. You are practically a doormat with a welcome sign painted on your forehead."

Oh, hell no. Did this entitled little princess just call me a doormat in my own workspace?

Without missing a beat, I flicked my wrist. The steaming, sunny-side-up egg flew off my spatula and slapped right onto her perfectly contoured cheek.

"And what kind of swamp rat are you, hopping into my house with breath that smells like absolute garbage?"

Audrey screamed, frantically wiping the hot yolk off her face. "Are you crazy?"

"Keep yapping, and you will find out exactly how crazy I can get."

She had never been spoken to like that in her privileged little life. All the color drained from her face, and she stumbled backward.

Just as I took a step forward to finish the job, the master bedroom door clicked open. Vincent stepped out, stretching his broad shoulders in a lazy yawn.

Audrey saw her cue. Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp, aiming for a delicate, dramatic faint.

I was faster. I dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks, beating her to the expensive Persian rug.

Before Audrey could even figure out how to land gracefully, I reached up and grabbed her by the collar of her silk pajamas, yanking her down with me.

From Vincent's vantage point at the top of the stairs, it looked exactly like Audrey had tackled me to the ground.

He let out a sharp shout. "Audrey, what are you doing?"

Audrey opened her mouth to defend herself, but I tightened my grip on her collar, twisting the fabric just enough to cut off her air.

She panicked, her hands flailing wildly as she slapped at my arms, desperately trying to pry my fingers loose. To anyone watching, she was straddling me and throwing punches.

Vincent sprinted down the stairs, grabbing Audrey by the waist and shoving her off me.

I released my grip at the exact perfect second. Audrey lost her balance and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Vincent did not even spare her a second glance. He dropped to his knees, his hands hovering over me with genuine panic. "Mindy, are you okay? Talk to me, please."

I kept my eyes squeezed shut, putting on my best fragile damsel routine.

Audrey rubbed her throat, coughing violently until she finally found her voice. "Vincent, you have to listen to me. It was her."

I did not let her finish. I fluttered my eyelashes open, making sure a single, perfectly timed tear spilled down my cheek.

"Hubby, please do not be mad at Audrey. She did not hit me. I just felt dizzy and fell on my own."

Vincent gently pulled me into his chest, shooting a lethal glare at Audrey.

Tears were streaming down Audrey's face now, completely unscripted. "Vincent, she is lying. She hit me first."

He was not buying a single word of it. His voice was absolute ice. "Audrey, I am not blind."

The look on her face was priceless. She looked like she had just swallowed a lemon whole.

I laughed inwardly. Did she really think I had not studied every single soap opera trope in existence? To defeat a manipulative mean girl, you have to outplay her at her own game.

Since Vincent was currently drowning in guilt and sympathy, I decided to twist the knife.

"I just wanted to make a nice breakfast to welcome her. But Audrey said the eggs were undercooked and threw one right at my face."

I pointed to the greasy yellow stain on the collar of my shirt, collateral damage from the egg I had slapped onto her.

Vincent's jaw tightened. He murmured soft apologies into my hair, rubbing my back.

I was just gearing up to deliver the final blow to Audrey's ego when the idiot suddenly clutched her neck, hacking and wheezing like she was dying.

For a split second, I panicked. Did I actually crush her windpipe?

Vincent froze, his protective instinct overriding his anger. He gently set me down and rushed over to Audrey.

"Audrey, what is wrong? Hold on, I am taking you to the ER." He wrapped an arm around her waist, practically carrying her toward the front door.

Just before they stepped out, Audrey peeked over his shoulder and shot me a triumphant, wicked smirk.

Well played. I had to hand it to her. I guess I still had a lot to learn in the art of playing the victim.

That evening, just as I finished setting the dining table, Vincent guided Audrey back into the house.

"Mindy, Audrey is still feeling a bit weak. Do you mind if she stays with us for a while to recover?"

He asked the question with extreme caution, his dark eyes scanning my face for any sign of a meltdown.

I honestly did not know why he bothered asking. My opinion meant absolutely nothing in this arrangement. But since he gave me the floor, I played my part beautifully.

"Of course not. Why would I mind?"

"Her family is not in the city. If we do not look after her, who will?"

I waved my hand with effortless grace, playing the forgiving saint.

Audrey scoffed softly, crossing her arms. "Vincent, why are you asking for her permission? She relies on your credit cards. Do you really think she would dare say no?"

Vincent looked at me, a complex, unreadable shadow crossing his features.

"Dinner is getting cold," I said brightly, shattering the awkward silence.

I pulled out two chairs right next to each other for them, then took my seat on the opposite side of the long marble table.

The meal was eaten in total silence.

After Vincent escorted Audrey to her temporary bedroom, I heard a soft knock on my door.

I pulled it open and blinked in surprise. Vincent was standing there in his silk bathrobe, smelling of expensive body wash.

He tried to push past me into the room, but I immediately planted my hand on his chest to stop him.

"Hubby, wait. Are you and Audrey having performance issues? If that is the case, you should have just told me."

Vincent went totally rigid. He stared at me like I had just grown a second head.

I stared right back, my eyes wide and entirely sincere.

For the past five years of our marriage, I had taken flawless care of this man and never once pried into his personal affairs. As far as fake wives went, I was the undisputed champion. He could not find a single flaw in my service.

Realizing I was not going to move an inch, Vincent let out a heavy, defeated sigh.

"Mindy, how are the medical bills for your brother? Do you have enough?"

I nodded, then hesitated and shook my head.

"The standard treatments are covered. But he has been in so much pain lately. There is a specialized neuro-stimulation device that could help him, but I am a little short."

Vincent did not say another word. He turned on his heel and walked back to the master suite. Less than a minute later, my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

I checked the screen. A deposit notification for one million dollars. The corners of my mouth curled up into a massive grin. Tonight was going to be a very good night.

I woke up at dawn, prepped a flawless breakfast spread, and drove straight to the private hospital facility.

My younger brother, Hans, looked up at me with glassy, exhausted eyes.

"Mindy. It hurts."

Seeing his body growing frailer by the day twisted my heart into brutal knots.

"Do not be scared, kiddo. The pain is going to stop today."

Hans's eyes widened in sheer panic. He gripped the edge of his bedsheets.

"Mindy, are you going to euthanize me? Please tell me you are not pulling the plug. I swear it does not hurt anymore."

I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck in my head, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Before the car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down, Hans had been the brightest, funniest, most chaotic kid in the world. Now, his body constantly misfired pain signals from nerve damage, even though his actual limbs could not feel a thing.

I carefully sponge-bathed him, chatting with the specialists, and finally paid for the imported device to be fitted to his head and spine.

It cost nearly a million dollars. I had been saving every penny, but I was always just short. Thanks to my generous employer, Hans finally had relief.

Once the machine was calibrated, the tight lines of agony on Hans's face smoothed out. He looked more like himself than he had in months.

"So, big sis. I saw the tabloids. The billionaire's golden girl is back in town. Are you about to get fired?"

Of course. The second he stops hurting, he starts roasting me.

I raised my hands, pretending I was about to yank the expensive helmet right off his skull. Hans jerked his head from side to side, dodging my hands with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, violence is never the answer."

I shot him a dirty look.

"If I get fired, you are the one who suffers. I will dump you on the sidewalk with a tin cup and a sad sign."

Hans immediately plastered on a cartoonish, exaggerated look of total devotion. We both burst out laughing.

"Relax," I told him, tapping his nose. "Your sister is irreplaceable."

I stuck my tongue out at him, wiggling it like a snake.

He stared at me, totally lost. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means nobody on this planet can kiss ass quite like I can. My survival skills are legendary."

Hans turned his head away in deep disgust. "Put that thing away. You are getting spit on the sterile blankets."

I pulled my tongue back in, deeply satisfied. He spent half his life annoying me, so it was only fair I returned the favor.

I stayed by his side, feeding him dinner and watching movies, until the visiting hours finally ended.

When I unlocked the front door, Vincent and Audrey were curled up together on the plush living room sofa, watching a movie.

I treated them like expensive pieces of furniture and walked right past.

When Vincent and I first signed our marriage contract, clause number four explicitly stated that I was not to interfere with his private life. I am a woman who respects a legal binding document.

Seeing me walk in, Vincent practically shoved Audrey aside and stood up.

"Mindy, you are home."

I looked at him in mild shock. In five years, he had never once gotten up to greet me. Was he actually waiting for me?

Audrey's face darkened like a thundercloud.

I ignored her entirely and looked at Vincent. "Did you eat?"

He nodded quickly. "Audrey and I grabbed something in the city."

I let out a silent breath of relief. Thank God I did not have to cook for these two clowns tonight.

I was just about to escape to my room when Audrey decided to be a nuisance.

"Vincent, I barely touched my food at the restaurant. Could you ask her to whip me up a midnight snack?"

She used this sickeningly sweet, high-pitched baby voice that genuinely made my stomach churn.

Vincent frowned, looking at me with absolute dread.

I did not say a word. I just turned around and walked straight into the kitchen.

When a client pays well, you provide the service. Simple economics.

Half an hour later, I carried out four plates and a bowl of soup, setting them out like a five-star chef.

Audrey shot me a smug, victorious look and picked up her fork, stabbing a piece of seared pork belly.

The moment she bit down, her face twisted in horror. "Why is this meat sweet?"

No kidding, Sherlock. I dumped half a cup of granulated sugar in the pan.

She quickly reached for the honey-glazed chicken, shoving a piece into her mouth before immediately spitting it out into her napkin.

"It is like pure salt."

I did not have any vinegar left, so I had emptied half a bottle of dark soy sauce into the glaze. She wanted a midnight snack. I was going to give her a culinary nightmare.

Realizing I had played her, Audrey absolutely lost her mind.

"Vincent, you always bragged about what a great cook she is. Taste this poison yourself."

Vincent looked at me, utterly confused.

Seeing my calm, serene expression, he found his confidence.

"Stop being so picky, Audrey. Mindy's cooking is incredible. I have been eating it for five years, do you think I would not know?"

Audrey's face turned ash gray. "Taste it. Just taste it and see."

She picked up a piece of the salty chicken and held it out, trying to feed it to him.

Vincent leaned back, his lips pressed in a tight, stubborn line, refusing to take the bite.

Watching them locked in this bizarre standoff, I finally chimed in.

"Oh, do not try to feed him now. You know Vincent follows a strict intermittent fasting schedule. He never eats after dinner."

Audrey froze, her hand hovering in the air before she awkwardly lowered the fork.

Vincent looked up at me. His eyes were swimming with gratitude, guilt, and something else heavy and unreadable.

Seeing the silent communication passing between us, Audrey let out a loud, fake cough.

"Oh, sorry, Vincent. I totally forgot."

Vincent did not respond. He just stood up and headed straight for the master bedroom without a backward glance.

Audrey immediately pushed her chair back to follow him, but I slammed my hand down on her shoulder, forcing her back into her seat.

"We have a very strict rule in this house. No wasting food. Every grain of rice takes hard work. Eat it. All of it."

Audrey panicked, shouting Vincent's name, but he did not even pause.

"Mindy is right, Audrey. Finish your plate. No wasting." His bedroom door clicked shut.

Audrey's face crumbled into pure despair. I pulled out a chair, crossed my legs, and sat directly across from her, settling in for the show.

"Listen closely, Audrey. If you spit a single bite out, I will force-feed it right back to you."

Having already experienced my brand of crazy, she knew I was not bluffing. She choked down a bite, violently swallowing it back when her gag reflex kicked in.

She looked like a dying goldfish, gulping and heaving, tears streaming down her perfectly powdered face.

It was honestly repulsive to watch, but wildly entertaining.

The second her plate was clear, she bolted from the table, sprinting for the guest bathroom.

I considered following her to see if she threw up. If she did, I was fully prepared to make her lick the porcelain clean. But she slammed and locked the door before I could catch her.

I wandered back to my guest bedroom in a great mood, only to stop dead in my tracks.

Vincent was lounging on my bed, propped up against the pillows.

"Uh... should you not be in the master suite?" I asked.

"Audrey ran off crying. Are you not going to go check on her? What if something happens to her?"

Vincent's eyes softened, entirely focused on me. "She is a grown woman. What could possibly happen?"

He patted the mattress beside him. "Mindy, it has been a really long time for us."

I scratched my nose, doing the mental math. "Yeah, exactly one year. Not since Audrey moved back to town."

Vincent frowned, clearly annoyed that I ruined the mood. "Why do you always have to bring her up?"

"Come here," he ordered softly. "I really need you tonight."

In the past, he treated intimacy with me like he was handing out a gold medal. Like allowing me to touch him was the ultimate blessing.

What he did not know was that I had to mentally replay scenes from my favorite spicy romance movies just to get through it.

It was not that Vincent was unattractive. The man was built like a Greek god. It was just that I firmly believed in keeping my professional relationship with my employer strictly business.

Seeing me standing frozen in the doorway, his patience snapped. "You do not want to?"

I ran a hand through my hair, laughing awkwardly. "Look, boss, if you and Audrey are really having bedroom issues, you should just see a doctor."

Vincent stared at me, halfway between fury and disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about? Nothing is wrong with me and Audrey."

I sighed deeply. "Look, I am not greedy. Just wire me three hundred bucks for the overtime."

Vincent's face went completely dark. The romantic reward he thought he was offering was being treated like a cheap transaction.

"Mindy, what exactly does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like. If you want a service, I expect compensation. You are not getting a free ride on my time."

"We are legally married."

"So what? Marital rape is a felony, Vincent. Do not push your luck."

Vincent threw the blankets off, stormed past me, and slammed the door so hard the floorboards vibrated.

I exhaled a massive breath of relief, laughing at how totally oblivious the man was.

Did he seriously think sleeping with him was a privilege? Sharing a bed with a man who was emotionally obsessed with another woman was repulsive. Even a toilet made of solid gold is still just a toilet.

Three hundred was a bargain. If I was not terrified of losing my medical funding, I would have charged him a thousand.

My rejection completely shattered his ego.

The very next day, he paraded Audrey around the house, wrapping his arm around her waist right in front of me, making sure I saw every touch.

Before this, he had always kept a respectful distance from her when I was in the room. He was clearly trying to make me jealous.

Too bad for him, I felt absolutely nothing. I just kept smiling, playing the perfect, accommodating wife whenever he was looking.

But the second Vincent left for the office, I made Audrey's life a living hell.

When she tried to fake-slap herself to frame me, I grabbed a bag of frozen peas and aggressively iced her face until she begged for mercy.

When she threatened to throw herself down the carpeted stairs to get my attention, I just happened to spill a bucket of soapy mop water all over the marble landing. She wanted an accident? I provided the stage.

If she threatened to jump off the second-floor balcony, I offered to give her a little push. It was only fifteen feet. It would break a leg, not her neck.

She loved playing the tragic victim, so I made sure she actually had something to cry about.

Over the next two weeks, Audrey called Vincent at the office constantly, sobbing about my cruelty.

At first, he rushed home. Then, he started sighing. Eventually, he stopped picking up.

He could not understand how the sweet, innocent, radiant girl from his youth had turned into this exhausting, paranoid nightmare of a woman.

Vincent was the CEO of a massive tech conglomerate. He was fighting corporate battles all day. The last thing he wanted was to come home to a screaming match about spilled mop water.

So, when Audrey finally played her ultimate trump card and threatened to move out, Vincent did not even blink.

He had his assistant lease a luxury apartment downtown, packed her bags, and had a driver take her away before lunch.

When Audrey left, her eyes were wide with dramatic betrayal. She stood in the driveway, warning Vincent that he was going to regret losing her forever.

But looking at Vincent's face, the man was fighting a massive smile. He did not look like a man dealing with regret.

Once her car disappeared down the street, Vincent let out a long, heavy exhale.

He turned to me, his eyes bright, looking exactly like a golden retriever waiting for a treat. The look clearly said, See? Look how good I am.

I just stared at him blankly.

What was I supposed to say? He just evicted my favorite source of entertainment.

He thought he was sending away his first love, but he actually just deported my only hobby.

With Audrey gone, Vincent suddenly became clingy.

He told me he wanted things to go back to how they were a year ago, before Audrey moved back to the city.

His words actually made me freeze, dragging up memories I had carefully locked away.

Vincent and I met five years ago.

I had just graduated college when Hans was hit by a drunk driver. The guy fled the scene and was never caught. Suddenly, I was staring down medical bills that could bankrupt a small country.

I worked a corporate job during the day and waitressed at a high-end VIP club at night just to keep the debt collectors away.

That was where I met Vincent, right after Audrey broke his heart and moved overseas.

He was drinking himself into a coma with his wealthy friends. One of them pointed at me, wearing a tight uniform and carrying a tray of champagne, and dared him to marry the hottest girl in the room just to make Audrey regret leaving.

Vincent walked right up to me and offered a contract marriage.

I looked at his expensive watch, did the math, and agreed on the spot. My only condition: he covered every single cent of Hans's medical care.

Vincent had more money than God. He signed the check without blinking.

We got the license the next morning.

After that, I treated him like royalty. I learned his favorite foods, massaged his shoulders after long meetings, and curated his entire life.

Vincent, who was used to chasing women who treated him like garbage, fell entirely into the trap of my perfect domestic bliss.

Slowly, the contract lines blurred. We started living like a real couple. He visited Hans in the hospital with me, cracking jokes and paying for the best doctors. I actually thought we were building a real family.

But the fantasy shattered a year ago. Audrey returned.

After four years of marriage, Vincent dropped me like a used toy and ran straight back to her.

When I finally broke down and asked him to stay, he practically threw the original contract in my face.

"Mindy, I told you from day one not to interfere with my private life. You married me to save your brother. Stop acting like you are dying of a broken heart."

Those words were like a bucket of ice water to the face.

I cursed myself for being so stupid, for letting myself believe a billionaire could actually love a desperate waitress. I was nothing but a convenient distraction.

Once I accepted reality, I locked my heart in a steel box and went back to being the perfect employee.

As long as he paid the hospital bills, he could do whatever he wanted. Love was a luxury I could not afford.

When Audrey came back, she realized she had competition and dropped her hard-to-get act. Vincent caught her with zero effort.

His friends warned him that Audrey's family business was under investigation and she was likely using him, but Vincent refused to listen.

He flaunted her all over town.

And now, he wanted to send her to an apartment and pretend the last year never happened?

I felt a wave of pure exhaustion. You do not invite a stray dog to pee all over the living room rug and then expect me to walk barefoot on it.

I started ghosting him.

I would cook dinner, leave it in the warmer, and escape to the hospital to sit with Hans.

One evening, I was sitting by Hans's bed, peeling an apple, when the heavy door swung open. Vincent walked in.

And right behind him was Audrey.

The moment Hans saw her, his eyes turned absolutely lethal.

I quickly placed a hand over his, squeezing gently. I do not care anymore, so you should not either.

Vincent pulled up a chair next to me, awkwardly explaining that Audrey had insisted on coming to pay her respects.

He tried to ask Hans about the new medical device, but Hans just turned his head toward the window, refusing to acknowledge him.

Vincent looked at me, thoroughly embarrassed.

I instantly scolded Hans, forcing him to mutter a half-hearted greeting.

I could not risk Hans offending the man paying the million-dollar bills.

I quickly sliced a piece of apple and held it up to Vincent's mouth.

"Here, hubby. Have a bite. It is really sweet."

Vincent took the apple, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"Mindy... Audrey has some legal issues to sort out back in Europe. I need to fly over there with her for a few weeks to help her get things settled."

Audrey stood behind him, crossing her arms with a smug, victorious grin.

"Okay. Have a safe flight." I waved my hand dismissively, not even looking up from the apple.

Vincent stared at me. His eyes were frantic, searching my face for jealousy, anger, anything.

"Mindy, do you really not have anything else to say to me?"

I finally looked up, meeting his gaze with total emptiness.

"Make sure you pack a heavy coat. It rains a lot over there."

Vincent's jaw clenched in absolute fury. He grabbed Audrey by the arm and stormed out of the hospital room.

"Mindy, are you okay?" Hans's voice was hoarse, his eyes shining with guilt.

"You idiot. I am perfectly fine."

Seeing Hans bite his lip, fighting back tears, broke something deep inside my chest.

I gave the night nurse strict instructions to watch his monitors and finally headed home.

That night, I fell into a deep sleep, only to be jolted awake by a terrifying, suffocating panic in my chest.

I sat bolt upright, gasping for air. My forehead was slick with cold sweat.

Right on cue, my phone started screaming on the nightstand. It was the hospital.

I drove through the empty city streets like a ghost. Everything felt muffled, like I was trapped underwater.

It was not until I walked into the glaring fluorescent lights of the ICU and saw the crisp white sheet pulled over Hans's face that the world slammed back into focus.

"Miss Mindy. We are so incredibly sorry. He waited until the shift change..."

The head doctor was talking, apologizing, but all I heard was white noise.

Hans had managed to reach the wires of his life-support monitors. He pulled them out, one by one, while the nurses were down the hall.

He had to have been terrified.

I stood in total silence, methodically packing his few belongings into a plastic bag.

Five years. Hans had hated being trapped in that bed for five years. His bright smiles, his sarcastic jokesit was all an act to keep me from breaking.

But I was selfish. I kept him anchored to that bed because I could not bear to lose the only family I had left in the world.

Now, he was finally free.

I buried Hans's ashes next to our parents, making sure he had the best spot under a massive oak tree so he would never be lonely.

When I got back to the empty, echoing mansion, I sat on the floor in the dark and pulled out Hans's cracked smartphone.

I traced my thumb over the screen, finally typing in the passcode. It was my birthday.

The phone unlocked. Right there on the home screen was an unsent audio memo.

I pressed play.