All Chapters of Ridiculed into Wealth: Chapter 81
- Chapter 90
136 chapters
Chapter 20: The Engagement
The morning sun glinted off the polished glass of Hawthorne Tower, illuminating a city already buzzing with rumors. Bella’s phone vibrated incessantly, but she barely registered the messages. Her mind was consumed with one thought: she had lost him. The man she had underestimated, humiliated, and assumed she controlled had quietly reclaimed his life, his inheritance, and his dignity—and now he had moved into a future that no longer included her.She had tried every tactic, every plea, and every subtle attempt to win him back. And yet, Asher had remained calm, composed, and utterly unshakable. Each encounter, each refusal, had reinforced the reality she had been avoiding: she could not reclaim him.That afternoon, a formal announcement arrived from Hawthorne Enterprises. Asher Hawthorne and Charlotte Lavenza were engaged. The public release was precise, elegant, and unyielding in its certainty. Bella read the words over and over, her chest tightening with a combination of disbelief, fr
Chapter 21: A Life Reclaimed
The city skyline shimmered under the evening sun, casting a golden glow over Hawthorne Tower. From his office on the top floor, Asher Hawthorne watched the bustling streets below, a sense of calm and fulfillment settling over him. For years, he had been underestimated, humiliated, and dismissed, but those days were long behind him. He had reclaimed not only his inheritance but also his dignity, his authority, and his life on his own terms.Charlotte stood beside him, her hand lightly brushing his as they reviewed the final plans for Hawthorne Enterprises’ latest expansion. Her presence was grounding, comforting, and invigorating—a perfect balance to his deliberate, calculated nature. Together, they had built a partnership rooted in equality, respect, and shared vision.Asher’s thoughts drifted briefly to the past, to Bella, to the three years of humiliation, misunderstanding, and underestimation. He had once loved her, yes—but that love had been tempered by patience, endurance, and ul
Chapter 22: The Return of the Heir
The city below Hawthorne Tower had never looked more alive. Lights shimmered across the skyline as traffic streamed along avenues like liquid gold. From the office at the top of the tower, Asher Hawthorne stood in quiet contemplation, the weight of power and authority settling comfortably over him.It had been nearly a year since the divorce finalized, since Bella had signed away every claim to the life and empire he had quietly, deliberately reclaimed. Every step he had taken since then had been measured, purposeful, and decisive. He had spent the months not only strengthening Hawthorne Enterprises but also refining himself, his vision, and his alliances. Every decision, every move, had been part of a larger, carefully crafted strategy to ensure that the empire—and his life—remained untouchable.And now, the time had come for the next phase. Charlotte stood beside him, reviewing the final layout for the international expansion project. Her presence was grounding, confident, and stea
Chapter 23: Shadows of the Past
The city never truly slept, and neither did Bella’s obsession. From her apartment overlooking the glowing skyline, she poured over the latest reports her private investigator had sent. Every photograph of Asher Hawthorne moving through the world, every detail of his meetings, every subtle nuance of his interactions with Charlotte was meticulously documented. She had begun to believe, against her better judgment, that she might find some fragment of the man she had once known—a glimpse of the Asher who had loved her, before her arrogance and disregard had cost her everything.But every update confirmed the truth: he was no longer that man. He was deliberate, composed, and fully aligned with Charlotte in both vision and purpose. The empire he had rebuilt was untouchable, and so was he. Every glance she had once believed held hesitation or doubt now radiated certainty, command, and control.Her fingers trembled as she set the reports aside. A part of her screamed that she should give up,
Chapter 24: The Confrontation
The air in the upscale lounge was thick with anticipation, though only one person truly felt it. Bella Hawthorne sat in a corner booth, her fingers drumming nervously against the polished surface of the table. The room was crowded with the city’s elite—celebrities, executives, and high-society figures milling about, clinking glasses, and exchanging polite laughter—but her focus was entirely on the entrance.She had tracked Asher’s itinerary with precision, every detail meticulously verified by her private investigator. Tonight, he would attend this charity gala, and she would finally see him face-to-face. It wasn’t enough to observe from a distance; she needed to confront him, to test whether the man she had once underestimated was still the same—or if he had truly become untouchable.As she sipped her wine, her heart raced, but not in the way it used to when they were together. There was no excitement, no warmth—only a cold, consuming determination. She had been humiliated, she had u
Chapter 25: The Price of Obsession
Bella sat in her apartment, the city lights flickering through the large windows like tiny constellations mocking her. Her mind raced, replaying the confrontation at the gala over and over. Every word Asher had said, every look he had given her, cut deeper than she had expected. She had always believed she could bend him, manipulate him, regain the control she had lost over three long years. But the man she had once humiliated had become untouchable, deliberate, and unwavering.Her fingers shook as she poured herself another glass of wine. The alcohol did little to calm her nerves; it only heightened the sharp edge of frustration and obsession. She couldn’t just let it go. She wouldn’t. She had invested years in a marriage built on illusions of control, and she refused to accept that the illusion had finally shattered.Her private investigator had been relentless, providing her with the details of Asher’s life since their divorce. Every meeting, every travel itinerary, every public ap
Chapter 26: Public Reckoning
The grand ballroom of the city’s most prestigious hotel buzzed with conversation, laughter, and the subtle clinking of crystal glasses. The evening was a charity gala, an event so meticulously curated that even the faintest misstep would not go unnoticed. The chandeliers sparkled, casting prismatic reflections across the polished marble floors. Guests, dressed in designer gowns and tailored suits, moved with grace, exchanging polite smiles and calculated gestures of influence.But Bella’s attention was fixed entirely on one person.Asher Hawthorne entered the ballroom with Charlotte at his side, and the atmosphere seemed to shift imperceptibly. Not because of his fame, or the wealth that radiated from him, but because of the sheer authority and presence he carried. Every movement was deliberate, every glance measured. He did not speak loudly, nor did he command attention with theatrics; his control was quiet, absolute, and unmistakable.Charlotte mirrored him perfectly, walking with h
Chapter 27: The Spiral of Desperation
Bella’s apartment was dark, save for the pale glow of her laptop screen. The city stretched endlessly below, its lights reflecting a life she could observe but no longer influence. For three years, she had believed she held power over Asher, that her marriage—however dysfunctional—placed her at the center of his universe. She had been wrong. And tonight, after the public humiliation at the gala, that realization had crystallized into something darker, sharper, and far more dangerous: obsession.She sank into her chair, fingers trembling as she scrolled through every image, every report, every scrap of information her private investigator had sent her. Asher was untouchable—deliberate, precise, and aligned with Charlotte in ways Bella could not compete with. Every plan she had meticulously crafted to regain influence, every “coincidental” encounter she had engineered, had been anticipated and neutralized.And yet, she could not stop.Bella poured herself another glass of wine, the liqu
Chapter 28: The Edge of Obsession
The night was heavy with tension. Bella stood outside the entrance of the exclusive rooftop lounge, her heels clicking sharply against the polished marble. The skyline stretched above her like a glittering reminder of the life she could observe but not touch. Every breath she took was laced with desperation and frustration, a combination that had been growing steadily over the past weeks. She had underestimated Asher, humiliated him, and now watched, powerless, as he flourished in ways she could not challenge.Her plan tonight was audacious. She had spent days coordinating it—her arrival, her positioning, even the timing of a “chance encounter” with him. But unlike previous attempts, this one had stakes she could not ignore: she would force a confrontation, make him acknowledge her, and remind him, if only for a fleeting moment, that she had once mattered.Inside, the lounge pulsed with low music and soft laughter, the scent of expensive perfumes mingling with the faint aroma of smoke
Chapter 29: Desperation Unleashed
Bella sat in the quiet of her apartment, the city lights reflecting in her dark eyes like shards of her fractured pride. The last public confrontation had left her shaken, humiliated, and yet, perversely, more determined than ever. She had underestimated Asher Hawthorne, and the weight of that mistake was a fire that consumed every rational thought. Three years of manipulation, humiliation, and assumed control had left her with only one thing she could cling to: obsession.Her fingers flew across her laptop, drafting messages she would never send, reviewing every photograph, every report her private investigator had collected over the past months. She had learned his schedule, his habits, even the subtle interactions that revealed his preferences and priorities. Every detail was fuel for her obsession, yet even as she meticulously planned, she knew that everything she tried before had failed. Every attempt to provoke him, every orchestrated encounter, had been anticipated, neutralized