HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE

THE HUSBAND THEY MOCKED

“You’re one of the best engineers in this company, Brandon,” his supervisor had once told him. “Why do you keep holding yourself back?”

Brandon remembered smiling faintly back then.

“Because my daughter needs me more.”

Over the five years Brandon had given up three major promotion opportunities at his own engineering firm choosing lower-paying stable hours so he could take full responsibility for raising their daughter. He cooked every meal, washed every load of laundry and comforted Maggie through every midnight nightmare.

He did all of this for Maggie and for Lyra.

More than that, when Lyra's company was on the verge of bankruptcy two years ago Brandon did not hesitate. Brandon emptied his personal savings account hundreds of thousands of dollars left to him by his late father to keep Lyra's business afloat. He had sacrificed his career, his financial security and his own dreams for Lyra and for Maggie.

What did Brandon get in return? 

Lyra had gradually come to treat Brandon's sacrifices as something Brandon "should" do by default. 

To Lyra, Brandon was the convenient housekeeper who kept the home running while she conquered the business world. 

Brandon's kindness was treated as weakness. His devotion was treated as a given.

He pulled the car into the driveway of their quiet house before turning off the engine. The headlights cut out plunging them into darkness.

For the first time in his life, he felt a cold hard resolve settle deep into his bones. The sadness was gone, replaced by a freezing, unyielding clarity. 

He had spent years falling back… years apologizing, years keeping the peace for the sake of a woman who would not even step away from a cocktail party to hear if Maggie was dying.

‘No more,’ he thought, staring at the steering wheel. He was done retreating.

He helped Maggie inside, carried her up the stairs and tucked her into bed. 

He stayed by her side until she fell into a deep sleep.

Once she was asleep he walked down to the garage. 

He knew where Lyra was and he was going to confront her.

Enough was enough.

***

The neon signs of the hotel were a blur as Brandon drove through the rain. He had left Maggie safe in bed with his kind neighbor watching over her. He had called the old lady to come over just before driving off.

He soon got to the venue and parked the car as he got out to see so many people easily lounging around and talking to each other.

He stomped to the door to be stopped by a bouncer just as he looked through the glass doors to see Lyra on a stage holding a golden glass of champagne. She looked beautiful and happy like nothing was wrong.

“My wife is in there,” he said as the bouncer nodded.

“No invitation, no entry. I’m sorry sir.”

“But…”

“Sir… look behind you. More than a hundred people were outside because they didn’t have entry. The least I can do is give you a glass of champagne but inside is reserved for invited guests.”

"To the future of our company,” Lyra shouted into a microphone as Brandon looked through the glass of the door to see what was going on. "We did it."

The crowd cheered, shouting, "To Lyra! To the boss."

When the noise died down a senior manager stood up waving his glass. "Let’s not forget the man of the hour we need to give a shout-out to. Jake, am I right?"

The crowd clapped loudly, "Yes to Jake."

The manager kept talking and laughing. "Seriously Jake brought Lyra luck. Ever since Jake came back to the city half a year ago our company has been doing great. We have signed big contracts, one after another our business has been thriving."

A tall man in an expensive black suit stood up from the front table. It was Jake. He fixed his watch and smiled at Lyra.

"Please you are making me feel embarrassed," Jake said, acting like he was humble. He looked at Lyra and smiled. "I did not do much. But I will always support Lyra, whatever she needs I am here for her."

Brandon felt like the air was freezing his lungs. The moment he heard Jake's name everything made sense.

Jake, Lyra's college ex-boyfriend, the man Lyra always said was an old friend.

A bad feeling washed over him. Every strange thing that had happened in the past six months made sense now. Lyra comes home late at night almost every night. Lyra is not spending time with the family on weekends. Lyra missed school plays and family dinners. Even when Maggie was in the hospital, with a fever two months ago Lyra always had an excuse saying she had urgent work meetings.

For the first time, Brandon realized none of it had ever been about work.

Inside the room a young female secretary took a sip of her drink and giggled. "You know Jake is so amazing. If only Lyra's husband could help her career the way Jake does."

An investor sitting next to her snorted loudly. "Please. Her husband? He’s a useless househusband. He stays at home all day cooking and cleaning. It’s already a miracle if he doesn’t drag her down."

The entire private room burst into cruel laughter.

Jake chuckled softly. Then he deliberately shook his head pretending to show deep concern. He looked up at Lyra on the stage. "Hey, let's be polite guys. Lyra, what about that phone call from your husband? Was it something important? He sounded really upset. Is everything okay with your daughter?"

Brandon held his breath outside, his eyes fixed on his wife’s face. He waited for Lyra to defend him. He waited for Lyra to say that their daughter's life mattered.

But Lyra casually swirled the wine in her glass as she let out an amused sigh.

"Oh please. It was nothing,” she said loudly, her voice dripping with annoyance. "He just wanted to trick me into coming home again. He always uses our daughter to play his emotional games."

"Really? He does that often?" the secretary asked, shaking her head.

"All the time,” Lyra sneered, taking a sip of her wine. "I already know all his tricks. He never understands business priorities. He always causes problems. Throws tantrums at the worst possible moments especially when he knows I have a big event."

The crowd laughed harder.

"Sounds like you have two kids at home Lyra!" someone shouted from the back.

"Tell him to act like a grown up!" another voice called out.

The manager who spoke earlier stood up again, his face red from drinking. He raised his glass high. "Who cares about the househusband at home! Let's celebrate the power couple of the night! Lyra, Jake come on! “Come on! A cross-cup toast to celebrate this massive fifty-million-dollar victory!”

The people in the room laughed and started cheering for Lyra and Jake.

"Yes! Cross-cup toast! Cross-cup toast!" the crowd began to chant rhythmically banging their silverware against the tables.

On stage Lyra smiled and looked at Jake who was already walking toward her with a confident grin holding his glass out. 

She did not refuse. She smiled, lifting her arm to intertwine it with Jake's arm as they readied to drink.

Outside the door, the last remaining light in Brandon's world went dark. 

Their six-year-old daughter was lying in a bed, fragile and scared with less than a single month left to live and here in this bright and expensive room, his wife was standing on a stage laughing at his pain and mocking his devotion and preparing to drink a romantic cross-cup toast with another man.

At that moment the very last thread holding back his fury finally snapped.

Using his full strength, he shoved the bouncer out of the way and kicked the heavy wooden doors open.

The doors slammed against the walls with a sound like a thunderclap as everyone turned to the door to see him standing there.

Lyra gasped. “Brandon?”