From Beggars To Billionaires

Chapter 2

“Did I hear right?”

“She just mentioned divorce” people murmured.

They were like role models to others, the couple everyone wanted to be like.

They were loving, supportive and strong partners. What is happening now?

“A divorce!”

Ethan repeated, he didn’t want to believe it.

“Yes, Ethan,” Isabella said boldly.

She gave her assistant a look. The assistant understood and instantly left the room quietly.

“Why… Why, Isabella?,” he asked, then, he pointed at Damien, “Is it because of him?”

Isabella gave a cold smile. “Yes, Ethan. You’ve already seen us, so there’s no point hiding it anymore. Since the day I met him again… we’ve been together.”

Before Ethan could react, Damian walked up to Isabella and placed his arm around her waist, and kissed her. Right there. In front of him.

It felt like a dream to Ethan, how could his loving wife kissing another man right in front of him as if it was nothing?

He had trusted her completely. How could she do this to him?

He noticed something about her had changed a month ago. She wasn’t the same loving wife anymore. She felt different.

Now he knew why.

Clara Bennett returned, clutching a few sheets of paper to her chest. She stopped beside Isabella and held them out carefully.

“Miss Isabella… the documents you asked for.”

Isabella took the papers without a word. For a moment she glanced at them, then her eyes slowly lifted.

They settled on Ethan.

“I’m very close to becoming the next lady of the powerful Crane family,” she said lightly.

She smiled slowly, “Damian and I decided to make things more… serious,”

She lifted her hand just enough for the crowd to see the diamond ring.

“Damian proposed to me today and I agreed.”

“What?”

“She accepted?”

“Oh so bad for Ethan.” A murmur spread among the people in the room.

Then she slammed the documents down in front of Ethan.

The sound cracked through the silent room.

“Here is the divorce agreement,” she said calmly. “All you need to do is sign.”

Across the room, Mrs. Vivienne Lancaster’s eyes lit up.

A pleased smile slowly spread across her face.

She had been waiting for this moment.

Ever since Damian privately revealed his intention to marry Isabella, Vivienne had been urging her daughter to leave Ethan. When she discovered Damian was the son of the powerful Lord Sebastian Crane, the richest and most influential man in the country, she became even more determined.

Vivienne Lancaster stands on the side of the room and watches everything.

The more she watches, the more she smiles. She does not even try to hide it. For her, this situation is a very good thing.

But for Ethan it feels different.

It feels like the ground under his feet just disappears.

He looked down at the papers on the table for a long time. His eyes stay there like he cannot believe what he is seeing. After some seconds he slowly raises his head and looks at Isabella.

“This… this must be a joke, Isabella,” he says. His voice sounds dry and tired.

His hands were hanging beside him. His fingers slowly closed like he was trying to hold something that was already gone.

“How do you end our marriage like this?” he asked again. “After everything we pass through together?”

He shakes his head slowly.

“What about the promise we made before? All the sacrifice?”

His voice became heavier.

“How do you do this to me?” he said in a low voice. “I thought… I thought you loved me.”

For a small moment Isabella looked away.

But only a small moment.

“I don't plan to do it like this,” she says. “But things have already changed, Ethan.”

She looks at Damian standing beside her and her face becomes softer.

“The man I love now is Damian,” she says. “He is the one I want to spend my life with.”

Ethan did not say anything.

He was just standing there.

Like someone takes something important from inside his chest.

After a few seconds he looked toward Vivienne, his mother-in-law. Maybe she said something. Maybe she will stop all this madness.

But she was smiling.

“That my daughter,” Vivienne say proudly. “I'm happy you finally listened to me.”

She walks a few steps forward and looks Isabella up and down like she is very satisfied.

“You and Ethan are not on the same level anymore.”

Then she turns her eyes to Ethan.

Her face became cold.

“You are now one of the most successful women in Z City,” she says to Isabella. “You deserve a man like Mr. Damian.”

Ethan's chest feels tight.

“Madam Vivienne… you also support this?” he asked quietly.

There is bitterness inside his voice.

Vivienne crosses her arms.

“Of course I support it,” she says without thinking.

“You are nothing compared to Mr. Damian. He is the son of the noble Crane family. Richest family in this country.”

She looks at Ethan from head to toe.

“And you…”

She laughed a little.

“You are only a servant for Isabella.”

Ethan frowns.

“Servant?” he repeated slowly.

The words felt strange in his mouth.

“How do you see me?” he says. “After everything I do for your family? For the company?”

Vivienne did not even answer him.

She just turned her face away like she was tired talking with him.

That hurt Ethan more than the insult.

He swallows and looks back at Isabella.

“You're making a big mistake,” he says.

His voice is quieter now.

“Damian does not love you.”

He stops for a moment and takes a slow breath.

“You told me everything before,” he continued. “When your family goes bankrupt. When everything finishes.”

He looked straight at her.

“You say he left you.”

The whole room became quiet.

“He disappears when you need him most.”

Ethan raises his hand and points around the big house.

“And now look at everything,” he says. “You are successful now. Famous. Rich.”

He shook his head again.

“And suddenly he came back.”

His voice became harder.

“He came back because you have money now, Isabella.”

Nobody speaks for some moment.

Ethan looked at her again.

“You really haven't seen it?”

“Oh shut up you loser!” Damian said out loud. “If I didn’t love Isabella, I would never come back! I never give her expensive gifts! And also… I never propose to her!”

Isabella looked at her hand. Her ring shines very bright. She smiles a little. She stands with Damian and nods her head.

“That right, Ethan,” she says. “And also… if not for Damian, my company, Celestia Group, never can do partnership with his family corporation.”

Ethan opens his mouth. “That lie! He does nothing!” he shouted.

Vivienne laughed out loud. “Then who does all the work? You?” she says. “Haha!”

Everyone in the hall laughed together. Sound filled the whole room.

“Mr. Damian is heir of Crane Corporation,” a lady guest said. “Nobody is more responsible than him for this partnership.” Everyone nodded their heads, agreeing with her.

Ethan bites his lips and gives a bitter smile. He nodded slowly.

Damian looks at him with a smirk. “Poor soul. You are only jealous because Isabella does not want you anymore. Haha. She is mine now.”

Ethan feels fire inside chest. He wants to speak but his throat is blocked.

Then Isabella looked at him coldly. She lifted her hand. “Ethan, now talking about my company… from today, you are no longer manager of Celestia Group.”

Everyone is quiet. Ethan feels the whole world fall down. His hands shake a little. His face pale.