Fredrick's Betrayal

Chapter Two: The Forsaken Husband

The morning sun crept reluctantly through the broken blinds of Frederick’s tiny apartment, painting stripes across the peeling wallpaper. The room smelled faintly of damp wood and instant noodles, the scent of survival.

Frederick sat at the edge of his bed, still dressed in last night’s wrinkled suit. His phone lay on the nightstand, its black screen reflecting his hollow eyes.

Had it all been a dream? Harold Whitmore. Corbin Holdings. Inheritance. President. The words replayed in his mind, battling against the echoes of Sonia’s laughter and Leonel’s smirk.

The buzzing of his phone shattered the silence. He grabbed it instantly. The same unknown number flashed. Frederick answered with a hoarse voice. “Hello?”

“Mr. Corbin,” Harold’s calm voice replied. “I trust you’ve had time to process the news. I’ll be sending a car to your location in exactly one hour. You will be escorted to the Corbin Holdings headquarters to assume your rightful position. Be prepared. Today, everything changes.”

Frederick swallowed hard. “Wait, Mr. Whitmore. Are you certain? Why me? My grandfather never”

“Your grandfather trusted you more than anyone else. He left behind a letter for you. You’ll understand when you read it. But listen carefully, Frederick, Corbin Holdings is not just wealth. It is power. And power attracts enemies. You must be ready.”

The call ended. Frederick sat frozen. His pulse pounded with both fear and anticipation. The door creaked open, breaking his thoughts. Sonia stepped in without knocking.

Her perfume filled the shabby room, expensive and suffocating against the musty air. She looked out of place here, a queen in a kingdom of dust. “So you did come home,” she said flatly.

Frederick’s jaw tightened. “Why are you here?”

She dropped her designer purse on the table. “To talk. About last night.”

He laughed bitterly. “Last night? When you humiliated me in front of half the city? When you made me feel like less than dirt?”

Sonia crossed her arms. “Don’t twist this. You humiliate yourself every day by being… this. A man without ambition. A man who can’t provide. Do you think I enjoy living in this dump?”

Frederick stood slowly, his height casting a shadow across her. “Do you think I enjoy watching the woman I love throw herself at another man?”

Her lips curled. “Leonel is everything you’re not. Successful. Respected. Wanted. Do you know how many women dream of being in my position last night? Beside him, not you.”

Frederick’s chest tightened, but he held her gaze. “And yet, you’re still here.”

Sonia flinched, then looked away. “Because I haven’t completely given up on you. Not yet. But you’re on the edge, Frederick. If you can’t change, if you can’t prove yourself, then maybe my mother is right. Maybe we don’t belong together.”

He stared at her, words stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell her everything, the call, the inheritance, the empire waiting for him. But something inside him whispered caution.

Not yet. Let her reveal her true heart first. “So what are you saying?” he asked instead.

She sighed dramatically. “I’m saying you have one last chance to show me you’re not a mistake. Do something, anything, to prove you’re worth being with. Otherwise… don’t blame me if I choose better.”

Frederick’s fists clenched at his sides. “Better? Or richer?”

Her silence was answer enough. A car horn blared outside. Sonia frowned and glanced out the window. A sleek black limousine waited at the curb, its polished surface gleaming in the morning light.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Frederick grabbed his coat. “Nothing you need to know about.”

Suspicion flared in her eyes. “Frederick, don’t lie to me. Who comes to pick you up in a limousine?”

He opened the door, his expression unreadable. “Maybe someday, you’ll find out.”

“Frederick!” she called after him, but he was already gone.

Inside the limousine, leather seats cradled Frederick in unfamiliar comfort. Across from him sat Harold Whitmore, a man in his sixties with silver hair, sharp eyes, and the kind of tailored suit that spoke of old money.

“Mr. Corbin,” Harold greeted warmly. “You look pale. Nerves?”

Frederick exhaled. “I don’t understand any of this. Yesterday, I was nothing. Today, you’re telling me I own one of the world’s biggest empires.”

Harold nodded. “That is precisely why your grandfather chose you. He knew hunger breeds strength. You’ve lived as the forgotten son, the humiliated husband. Now, you will rise not just with power, but with perspective. But beware, those who mocked you will not clap when you ascend. They will plot.”

Frederick’s eyes hardened. “Let them. I’ve endured worse.”

Harold studied him for a moment before sliding a thick envelope across the seat. “Your grandfather’s final letter.”

Frederick’s hands shook as he opened it. The handwriting was bold, familiar from childhood birthday cards long forgotten.

“To my grandson, Frederick: I know life has been cruel to you. I know you were cast aside, abandoned, ridiculed. But remember, greatness is born in the fire of humiliation.

I entrust you with everything I built, not because of your name, but because of your heart. Guard this empire, and never forget who you are. Those who scorned you will return. Choose wisely whom to forgive. And never let love blind you to betrayal.”

Frederick’s vision blurred. He folded the letter carefully, determination hardening his spine.

“I won’t fail him.”

Harold smiled faintly. “Good. Then prepare yourself. Today, you walk into Corbin Holdings as its President.”

Back at the apartment, Sonia paced the room, her mind racing. Why had a limousine come for Frederick? Who had called him this morning? And why hadn’t he told her?

Her phone buzzed. Leonel’s name flashed across the screen. She answered quickly. “Leonel?”

“Sonia,” his smooth voice purred, “I was thinking about you all night. You looked stunning yesterday. I can’t stop picturing you beside me. A woman like you deserves the world.”

Her lips curved into a smile. “And what about your fans? Your image?”

“What’s image compared to desire? Leave that nobody husband of yours. Be mine, and I’ll make sure your name shines brighter than any star in this city.”

Sonia hesitated, biting her lip. “It’s not that simple. He’s still my husband.”

Leonel chuckled. “For now. But how long can you chain yourself to a man with nothing? One day soon, you’ll see he can’t give you what I can. When that day comes, Sonia, you’ll know where to find me.”

The call ended, leaving her heart racing. Her eyes narrowed on the door where Frederick had left. “What are you hiding from me?” she whispered.

The limousine pulled up before the towering glass headquarters of Corbin Holdings. Reporters swarmed the entrance, cameras flashing, microphones waving.

“Mr. Frederick Corbin! Is it true you’re the new President?”

“How does it feel to suddenly inherit billions?”

“What will your first move be?”

Frederick froze, the weight of their questions crashing over him. Harold leaned in. “Head high, Mr. Corbin. Today, the world sees not the forsaken husband, but the heir of an empire.”

Frederick stepped out. The cameras exploded with light. Somewhere across the city, Sonia scrolled through her phone, her eyes widening as headlines appeared: “Frederick Corbin Named President of Corbin Holdings.”

“From Nobody to Billionaire: The Rise of the Humiliated Son-in-law.”

Her phone slipped from her fingers. “Frederick…?” she whispered, shock twisting her features.