Novels by Desmond Benson

Author's NoteHi everyone!First of all, thank you so much for making it through the first nine chapters of The Billionaire Husband They Humiliated. Whether you've been following Isaac's journey from the beginning or just discovered this story, I'm really glad you're here.Nine chapters in, and things are finally starting to get interesting.For two and a half years, Isaac Thornton was treated like he didn't matter. His wife looked down on him, her family humiliated him at every opportunity, and even strangers felt entitled to laugh at him. To everyone around him, he was nothing more than a poor, useless husband who should be grateful for having a roof over his head.But as you've probably figured out by now, appearances can be dangerously misleading.What I find most interesting about Isaac isn't simply that he's become wealthy. It's that the people who treated him so terribly are now desperately trying to impress someone they don't even realize is standing right in front of them.An

Christopher Hartnett still had no idea what he'd done wrong.One day, his money and business interests had been taken away. Someone in the Thornton family had told him he'd offended a person he couldn't afford to cross, but nobody would say who.He'd gone over every conversation he could remember. He had never dared to pick a fight with the company's senior executives. Who could he possibly have upset?Now Ruby Pugh was calling him in front of a roomful of people.“Christopher,” she said gently, “do you remember the Elysian Slingback heels you gave me? Do you think you could get another pair?”Christopher closed his eyes. Shoes were the last thing he wanted to discuss. Since losing his fortune, he'd barely been able to cover his own expenses.“Ruby,” he said, “you mean the fake pair I gave you?”“Fake?”Ruby and Vicky Ritchson looked down at the shoes on Ruby's feet.There was nothing fake about them. Anyone familiar with the design could see they were genuine.Ruby ended the call, be

The front door opened just as Alex finished speaking.Isaac stepped inside, soaked to the skin. Rain had started on his way home, and with his scooter wrecked outside Aether Group, he had been forced to push it through the streets. His shoes were muddy, and water dripped from his clothes onto the floor.“Well, speak of the devil,” Alex said. “There's your useless husband now.”Ruby's mother came out of the bedroom and stopped dead.“You've got some nerve showing your face!” she shouted. “Get out! If you hadn't caused that scene at the family banquet, Ruby wouldn't have been stuck going to Aether Group tomorrow.”She looked him up and down, growing angrier.“You used to know your place. You cleaned, you kept your mouth shut, and you did what you were told. Now you talk back to Jordan like you're somebody important. And look at the mess you're bringing into my house!”Isaac glanced at the wet footprints behind him.“Sorry about the floor,” he said. “But I've spent years doing everything

Isaac looked at the woman standing before him. She was poised, well dressed, and clearly nervous. This had to be the secretary Uncle Jake had mentioned.“Mr. Thornton, I'm terribly sorry,” Quinn Bateman said. “There was a crowd of photographers blocking the road. I should have left earlier. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”She kept her voice low, afraid her new boss might already be angry with her.River Davis stared at them.“Quinn! What are you doing?” she shouted. “Why are you bowing to this loser? He's just some nobody trying to get a security job!”Quinn blinked. “I'm sorry. Have I—?”She took out her phone and opened the photograph Jake Thornton had sent her. She compared it with the man standing in front of her.No mistake.“Ms. Davis,” she said carefully, “this is Mr. Thornton. He's Aether Group's new president.”Silence fell over the entrance.Sara Davis let out a disbelieving laugh. “You must have the wrong guy. Isaac's always been broke. There's no way he's president o

Isaac wasn't finished with Jordan's outfit.“That designer created the original collection while dealing with his wife's illness,” he explained. “The distorted stripe pattern was supposed to reflect what he was going through. You don't even know the story behind the clothes you're showing off.”He glanced at Jordan. “So what exactly are you trying to say by wearing it? That you want this family to fall apart?”His voice carried across the banquet hall.For a moment, everyone was speechless. Nobody had expected Isaac Thornton—the family's favorite punching bag—to know anything about high fashion.“Jordan,” Isaac continued, “my wife doesn't care much about clothes. But the shoes she's wearing? I doubt you've ever seen anything like them.”He gestured toward Ruby's feet.“Those are the Elysian Slingback heels. Look them up if you don't believe me. Just try not to faint when you see the price.”A murmur rolled through the crowd.“No way. Those are real?”“They're beautiful!”“Wait, aren't

“Why?” Isaac asked, genuinely confused.Sara Davis looked at him as though the answer ought to be obvious.“Because someone like you doesn't deserve a seat next to me.”Isaac glanced down at his clothes. They weren't expensive, but he had washed them the night before. What exactly was so offensive about them?He was about to answer when someone caught his arm.“Come on, man. Let it go.”It was Andy Howell, the classmate who had sat beside him all through high school. Back then, the two of them had been inseparable. Tonight, Andy seemed to be the only person at the reunion who still wanted to talk to him.Andy led him into a quieter corner.“Look around,” he said in a low voice. “These people have money, connections, and egos to match. They already think they're better than us. There's no point giving them another chance to put us down.”Isaac shrugged and helped himself to some food.Later, after a few drinks, Sara took the microphone and began singing. Colored lights swept across the