Dumped by the Billionaire Joke's On You, I'm A Billionaire Too

Five years into my marriage with billionaire Ethan Carter, we still didn't have a marriage license.

He told me it was a strict rule in his familyno signing the marriage license until we had a baby to secure the family trust.

Five years had passed, and I still hadn't gotten pregnant. I always thought it was my fault.

But a sudden, random check by our insurance clerk shattered my entire world. Ethan had already signed a marriage licensewith Serena Miller, his first love.

I drove to his office, my heart in my throat, desperate for an explanation. But through the cracked door of his office, I heard him talking to his friend:

"I'm never having a baby with Vivian. And I'm definitely not signing a marriage license with her. I had a vasectomy years ago."

"Everyone in high society knows Vivian as my wife. I've given her the social status of Mrs. Carter. That's enough. The only thing I can give Serena is this marriage license. It's what I owe her."

What Ethan didn't know was that five years ago, I made a promise to his mother.

If I couldn't produce an heir within five years, I would leave him.

And now, there were only three days left.

"What do you mean, my husband is already legally married?"

"We've been married for five years. We just... haven't finalized the legal paperwork yet. You must have made a mistake."

I looked at the insurance clerk standing in my living room, her face solemn. I was still desperately trying to convince myself this was a ridiculous error.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Carteror rather, Ms. Sterling. We checked the public registry for your joint spousal policy. Mr. Ethan Carter is legally married to a woman named Serena Miller. Do you know her?"

The polite smile on my face instantly froze.

How could I not know that name?

Serena Miller was the girl Ethan could never get over.

Years ago, Serena left the country to pursue her dreams in Europe. Under pressure from Ethan's mother, they were forced to break up.

That was how I got the chance to stand by Ethan's side.

I knew Serena had returned to New York a few weeks ago, but I hadn't thought much of it.

On the day she landed, Ethan had confessed to me.

"Vivian, I failed Serena back then. It was because of my family that she ended up marrying a toxic guy abroad and got abused. Now she's back, and I just want to help her out, like family. Please don't overthink it."

At the time, I was touched by his honesty. I generously told him I didn't mind.

But the moment the clerk left my house, I lost my mind. I grabbed my car keys and drove straight to the Carter Group headquarters.

I needed to hear the truth.

The employees all recognized me, so I walked straight to the executive floor without any interruption.

Just as I reached the door of Ethan's private office, I heard voices coming from inside.

"Ethan, what the hell are you playing at?" It was his best friend, Marcus. "Five years ago, you threw a multi-million dollar commitment ceremony with Vivian but refused to sign the marriage license, claiming you needed a baby first. And now, you secretly went to City Hall and married Serena?"

There was a long silence before Ethan's cold, smooth voice echoed through the door.

"I'm never having a baby with Vivian, Marcus. And I'm definitely not signing a marriage license with her. I had a vasectomy years ago."

"For five years, I've been waiting for Serena to come back."

"Everyone knows Vivian is my wife. I've given her the lifestyle, the title of Mrs. Carter. But the only thing I can give Serena is this piece of paper. It's what I owe her."

Hearing those words, my chest tightened so hard it felt like my heart was being ripped out. I couldn't even breathe.

So, it was all a setup from the very beginning.

Five years ago, right after Serena left, Ethan came to me and proposed.

He said we could have a lavish wedding, but we couldn't register the marriage license yet.

He claimed the Carter family had a strict rule: an heir must be born before the wife is legally registered into the family lineage.

Ethan knew how madly in love with him I was. He knew I wouldn't say no.

On our wedding day, I thought I was the happiest woman alive.

I wore a custom white gown, standing next to the man I had adored for years.

In the five years that followed, I never got pregnant.

But I didn't think it mattered because to the rest of the world, I was the undisputed Mrs. Carter.

Still, I wanted to make it official.

For five years, I went to countless fertility clinics. I endured endless rounds of IVF, took heavy hormone pills, and stabbed my stomach with painful needles every single day, vomiting until I was empty. But nothing worked.

I thought my body was broken. I blamed myself constantly, remembering how fragile my health was as a child.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Ethan had gotten a vasectomy before we even stood at the altar.

No matter how many needles I took, no matter how much pain I endured, it was all a joke.

"Ethan, you're playing with fire here," Marcus warned.

"I'm not," Ethan replied with absolute confidence. "Even if Vivian finds out, I'll just buy her some jewelry and sweet-talk her. She's too obsessed with me to leave. Besides, she already has the title she wants."

My hands shook violently outside the door.

But what Ethan didn't know was that five years ago, his mother made me sign an agreement.

If I couldn't produce an heir within five years, I had to pack my bags and walk away.

And there were only three days left.

Five years ago, when Ethan first proposed to me, his mother, Helen Carter, paid me a private visit.

"I don't particularly like you, Vivian, but you're at least from a decent background, unlike that gold-digger Serena. I stopped Ethan once, but I can't stop him a second time," Helen had said, her voice dripping with aristocratic disdain.

"But let me make one thing clear. If you don't have a baby within five years, and Ethan still refuses to sign your marriage license, you will pack your bags and leave him on your own. Deal?"

Without hesitation, I had agreed.

For me, just being able to stand beside Ethan was a dream come true.

Every girl has a secret crush, and Ethan was mine.

I had quietly chased after him for years, even when I knew his heart belonged to Serena.

"Mrs. Carter? What are you doing here?"

Ethan's secretary suddenly walked up behind me, her voice breaking my trance.

The movement outside caught the attention of the people inside. The office door swung open instantly.

I looked up and met Ethan's furrowed brows.

A minute later, the office was cleared. It was just the two of us.

"How much did you hear?" Ethan asked, his voice guarded.

"Everything," I said, my voice surprisingly flat. "I know you legally married Serena."

I didn't bother playing dumb.

"Since you know, I'm asking you to keep Serena out of this. It was my decision, not hers," Ethan said, stepping closer, his tone turning into one of arrogant reassurance. "Don't worry. To the public, you will always be Mrs. Carter."

I stood there, feeling a profound, chilling sadness wash over me.

"Didn't you tell me last week she was like family to you?"

Faced with my question, Ethan remained silent.

"So, tell me, Ethan. Between Serena and me... who is the actual mistress here?"

"Serena is not a mistress!" Ethan snapped defensively.

If Serena wasn't the mistress, then who was? Me? The woman who had lived with him as his wife for five years?

Ethan looked into my eyes, but he couldn't hold my gaze. He looked away, his guilt quickly morphing into anger.

"Enough, Vivian! I told you, you keep the title of Mrs. Carter. Isn't that enough for you? Stop being so dramatic!"

"Ethan, do you have any idea..."

Just as I was about to tell him about the agreement I made with his mother, his phone rang.

It was a custom ringtone. One he only used for her.

He picked it up, and a sweet, whiny voice echoed through the speaker.

"Babe! When are you coming home? I really want those cupcakes from the bakery near our old college campus. Can you go buy some for me now?"

"Of course, sweetie. I'm leaving right now," Ethan's voice softened instantly into a tone he had never used with me.

"Will this affect your work? I don't want to get in the way."

"Never. Nothing is more important than my wife."

He hung up and grabbed his coat. As he walked past me, he seemed to finally remember I was still in the room.

"Vivian, drop the attitude. I promise you, the title of Mrs. Carter will always be yours."

With that, Ethan turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. I was left standing in the empty office.

A bitter wave of tears finally spilled over, and I couldn't stop them.

I didn't even remember how I walked out of that building. My body felt like an empty shell, hollowed out of all life.

Five years of self-deception. Five years of agonizing fertility treatments. Countless needles that left my stomach bruised, and hormone pills that made me vomit daily.

All of it became a hilarious joke in the face of Ethan's words: "I had a vasectomy years ago."

I didn't go back to the penthouse we shared. Instead, I drove straight to the Carter Estate.

Helen Carter was sitting in the grand living room, elegantly trimming imported roses. When she saw me walk in alone, her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Why are you here at this hour? Where is Ethan?"

"He went to be with his legal wife," I said, my voice dead calm.

Helen's hand slipped. A sharp rose thorn pricked her finger, but she didn't even flinch. She looked up at me, eyes wide with shock.

"What did you say?"

I took a printed document from my bag and tossed it onto the glass coffee table. It was the registry search result showing Ethan's active, legal marriage to Serena Miller.

"Mrs. Carter. Or maybe I should just call you Helen," I said, a faint smile playing on my lips.

"Five years ago, I promised you that if I couldn't have a baby in five years and Ethan refused to sign our marriage license, I would leave. Well... time is up."

Helen's face flushed with a mixture of emotions. Although she had always looked down on my lack of an elite family pedigree, she couldn't deny that I had taken flawless care of her son for five years.

More than that, she never expected the submissive, quiet Vivian to speak to her with such cold defiance.

"Vivian, you..."

Helen opened her mouth, a brief flicker of guilt crossing her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the cold calculation of a high-society matriarch.

"Since you brought up our agreement, the Carter family won't send you away empty-handed. However... my father-in-law's 80th Birthday Gala is in three days. The entire New York elite will be there."

Helen sighed, her tone softening into a manipulative plea.

"Grandpa Charles's health is failing. He cannot handle any shocks. For his sake, and for the reputation of the Carter family, you must attend this gala as Ethan's wife."

"Once the gala is over, you can leave. I won't stop you."

I looked at the calculating woman in front of me, the last spark of warmth in my heart completely dying out.

To the very end, all they cared about was their precious reputation.

"Fine. I'll play along for one last show," I agreed instantly.

Helen let out a massive sigh of relief. She immediately gestured to her assistant, who handed me a pre-written check. The amount was staggeringa multi-million dollar payoff.

"Think of this as your severance package. Consider it my personal compensation to you."

I took the slip of paper, holding it lightly between my fingers. The smile on my face deepened.

Helen thought she was buying my silence with a few million dollars.

She had no idea that as the sole heiress of the Sterling Group, I could buy ten Carter estates with a snap of my fingers.

I took the check only because it was the perfect, ironic receipt to close out the last five years of my humiliating devotion.

I turned and walked out of the estate.

As the cool night breeze hit my face, I felt lighter than I had in years.

The night before the gala, a heavy, suffocating silence hung over our penthouse.

Ethan came home late. When he took off his shoes, his movements were unusually quiet.

My behavior over the last few days had thrown him off. I hadn't cried, I hadn't screamed, and I hadn't sent him a single angry text.

This sudden loss of control made him anxious. He was used to me worshiping the ground he walked on.

He walked over to the sofa and slid a velvet Cartier box onto the table.

"It's a limited-edition high jewelry necklace," he said, his voice carrying his usual arrogant tone of charity. "Serena's health is fragile, and she's been through a lot. I only gave her the marriage license to protect her and give her a sense of security. Just be a good girl, Vivian. To the world, you are the only Mrs. Carter."

I looked at the sparkling diamonds in the box and felt absolutely nothing.

Years ago, a single red rose from him would have made me cry with joy. Now, this multi-million dollar necklace only made me sick.

But I didn't blow up. Instead, I picked up the box with a gentle smile. I even stood up and reached out to adjust his silk tie, my fingers lightly grazing his neck.

My touch was as gentle as it had been every morning for the past five years.

Ethan relaxed, thinking I had succumbed to his wealth once again. He grabbed my hand, his grip tightening.

"I knew you'd understand. Make sure everything goes smoothly at the gala tomorrow."

I smiled softly, my voice barely a whisper.

"Don't worry, Ethan. Tomorrow, I will play the part of Mrs. Carter perfectly."

The next evening, the Carter Estate was glittering with lights. The driveway was lined with Bentleys and Lamborghinis as the city's billionaires, politicians, and socialites arrived for Grandpa Charles's 80th Birthday Gala.

Ethan, dressed in a bespoke Tom Ford tuxedo, walked in with me on his arm. I was wearing a stunning, backless crimson gown.

The moment we entered, all eyes were on us.

Ethan smirked, his ego thoroughly massaged by the envious stares of his peers.

At the peak of the night, Grandpa Charles was helped onto the stage. He took Ethan's hand and mine, smiling warmly.

"Tonight is not just my 80th birthday. It also marks the fifth anniversary of Ethan and Vivian's marriage. Vivian has been a blessing to our family. Tonight, as an anniversary gift, I am officially transferring 10% of Carter Group's core shares to her!"

The crowd erupted into applause. Helen's face went stiff, but she had to force a polite smile.

Ethan looked at me with deep, performative affection, as if we were the perfect power couple.

But just as Grandpa Charles picked up the pen to sign the transfer document, the grand double doors of the ballroom were violently slammed open!

A swarm of paparazzi and reporters rushed into the hall, their camera flashes blinding the crowd.

And leading the press pack was Serena Miller, dressed in a tragic, flowing white dress, her face pale as a ghost.

Suddenly, the giant projector screen behind the stage flickered. High-definition photos of Ethan and Serena kissing, cuddling, and entering luxury hotels filled the screen.

The reporters instantly swarmed the stage, shoving microphones into Ethan's face.

"Mr. Carter! Are you having an affair? Has your wife been kept in the dark this entire time?"

"Ms. Miller, are you trying to destroy a marriage? Are you his mistress?"

Faced with the barrage, Serena burst into tears and held up a certified document.

"I am not the mistress! I have our legal marriage certificate right here! I am Ethan Carter's legal wife! Vivian Sterling is the actual homewrecker who stole my place!"

The room fell into a dead, suffocating silence, followed by a wave of furious whispering.

Grandpa Charles shook with rage, pointing a trembling finger at Ethan.

"What... what is the meaning of this?!"

Ethan's face went completely pale under the flashing lights. He looked at Serena, then at me.

Under the immense pressure of his family's reputation and the live cameras, Ethan made a split-second decision to protect his beloved.

He took a deep breath and spoke directly into the microphones.

"Serena is telling the truth. She... is my legal wife."

With that single sentence, he officially branded me a mistress in front of the entire city.

Ethan turned to look at me, his eyes pleading, silently begging me to play along and help him clean up this mess.

But I just smiled. It was a radiant, breathtaking smile, entirely devoid of pain.

I slowly opened my luxury clutch, pulled out a thick envelope of documents, and took the microphone from the stand.

"Don't worry about signing those shares over to me, Grandpa Charles," my voice rang clear and steady through the speakers, echoing in every corner of the ballroom.

"Since the legal Mrs. Carter has come to claim her title... I think my part in this play is officially over."