Just Chris Winchester

Chapter 5

"I have a delivery for Mrs. Vera Winchester."

Vera looked up from her laptop, surprised. She wasn't expecting any packages. The delivery man stood in the doorway of her parents' house, where she had stopped by after work to drop off some documents her father needed.

"That's me," she said, signing for the package.

The box was large and beautifully wrapped in silver paper with an elegant black ribbon. There was no return address, no card, nothing to indicate who had sent it.

Vera's mother, Margaret, appeared in the hallway. "What's that?"

"I don't know. Someone sent me a package."

"Well, open it," Margaret said impatiently.

Vera carefully removed the wrapping paper and opened the box. Her breath caught in her throat. Inside was a Birkin bag, the kind that had a waiting list years long and cost more than most people's cars. Nestled beside it was an iPhone 16 Pro Max still in its sealed box. There were also expensive heels from a designer brand she recognized from fashion magazines, the Graff Diamond Hallucination watch that she had once seen in a celebrity photo, and several dresses that looked like they came from a haute couture collection.

"Oh my God," Margaret breathed, reaching into the box with trembling hands. "Vera, do you know what these are? This Birkin bag alone is worth over a hundred thousand dollars."

Vera's father, Richard, and her brother, Johnson, came running when they heard Margaret's excited voice.

"What's going on?" Richard demanded.

"An extremely wealthy man finally has eyes for our daughter," Margaret said, her voice filled with awe and excitement.

Vera reached deeper into the box and found an envelope. She opened it with shaking hands and pulled out a thick, embossed invitation.

"You are cordially invited to celebrate the birthday of Mr. WR, Owner and CEO of WR Quantum Corp. A masked gala will be held at the Quantum Grand Ballroom on Saturday evening. Formal attire required. Please present this invitation at the door."

Margaret gasped so loudly that Vera jumped. "The Quantum Corp? Vera, do you understand what this means?"

"Who is Mr. WR?" Vera asked, confused.

"He's the new owner of Quantum Corp," Richard said, his eyes wide with shock. "No one knows his real identity. He took over the company earlier this year, but he's kept himself completely hidden from the public. Some people say he's young, others say he's a mysterious billionaire from overseas. The company is worth trillions, Vera. Trillions."

"And he sent gifts to our daughter," Margaret said, clutching the Birkin bag to her chest like it was made of gold. "This is incredible. Vera, you have to go to this party. You have to meet him."

"Mom, I don't even know this person. Why would he send me gifts?"

"Who cares why?" Johnson said, examining the watch. "This is our chance to connect with the most powerful company in the country. Vera, if you play this right, you could secure a business deal that would change our family forever."

"We've never even been invited to a Quantum Corp event before," Richard added, pacing excitedly. "They've always considered us beneath their notice. But if the owner himself is interested in Vera, this could open doors we never dreamed of."

"Everyone, family meeting in the living room," Margaret announced. "Right now. This is too important."

They all moved to the living room, and Vera found herself holding the expensive gifts, feeling overwhelmed and confused. Why would someone she had never met send her such extravagant presents and invite her to his birthday party?

Chris appeared in the doorway, having heard the commotion from the bedroom where he had been resting after work. He was still wearing his warehouse uniform, and he looked tired.

"Oh Chris," Johnson said with exaggerated disgust. "You always show your pathetic face at important family meetings."

"He's family too," Vera said firmly, gesturing for Chris to come sit beside her.

Chris walked over and sat down, taking in the expensive items spread across the coffee table. His expression remained neutral, but Vera noticed something flicker in his eyes. Recognition, maybe? But that didn't make sense.

"As I was saying," Margaret continued, "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Vera, you must attend this party. The owner of Quantum Corp is obviously interested in you, and this could lead to incredible business opportunities for our family."

"But Mom," Vera protested, "I don't know anything about this man. And besides, the party is on Saturday. That's Chris's birthday too."

The room fell silent. Margaret's face twisted with annoyance.

"Who are you calling a husband?" Margaret snapped. "That thing sitting next to you? Is he even worth a thousand dollars, much less the millions this mysterious Mr. WR is clearly worth? Vera, stop being ridiculous."

"Mom, that's cruel," Vera said, her voice tight with anger. "Chris is my husband, and I'm not going to abandon him on his birthday to meet some stranger, no matter how rich he is."

"Don't be stupid, girl," Richard added. "This is about the family business, about our future. Your loyalty to Chris is misplaced. He's done nothing for this family except drag us down."

"I agree with Vera," Chris said quietly.

Everyone turned to stare at him. It was rare for Chris to speak at family gatherings, usually just sitting silently while they insulted him.

"Excuse me?" Margaret said icily.

"She should go," Chris continued, looking directly at Vera. "She should go to the party and try to make that business connection."

"Chris, no," Vera said, touching his arm. "I'm not leaving you alone on your birthday."

"I'll be fine, Vera. I'll just go to work like any other day. But this opportunity is important for you and your family. You should take it."

"Did you steal money to buy audacity?" Richard said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Since when do you make decisions in this family?"

"The cops must still be looking for him for those drugs," Johnson laughed. "He's getting bold because he knows he's going to prison soon anyway."

"I'm not making decisions," Chris said calmly. "I'm just saying that Vera should be useful to her family. According to all of you, since she married me, she's become useless just like me. This is her chance to prove otherwise."

"You have some nerve," Margaret hissed, standing up. "You rubbed off your pathetic loser identity on our daughter, and now you have the audacity to speak in this house? To tell us what Vera should do?"

"Mom, please," Vera said, also standing. "Chris is my husband, and I demand you treat him with at least a basic level of respect."

"I'll consider respecting him when you start doing what's best for this family instead of wasting your time with that garbage."

"She will do exactly what you want, Mom," Chris said, his voice firm. "Vera will go to the party, and she will try to secure a business deal with Mr. WR. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Margaret looked suspicious, like she was waiting for a trap. "And you're okay with this?"

"It's not about me being okay with it. It's about what's best for Vera and her family."

Vera looked at Chris, confused and hurt. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you," Chris said simply. "And I want you to have every opportunity, even if it means spending my birthday alone. This is important. You should go."

Later that evening, Chris suggested they go to a coffee shop to talk. Vera agreed, needing to get away from her family's excited planning. They went to a small cafe owned by Vera's best friend, Siri.

Siri took one look at Vera's face and immediately came over with coffee. "What happened? You look stressed."

"Vera got invited to the Quantum Corp owner's birthday party," Chris explained.

Siri's eyes went wide. "The mysterious Mr. WR? Are you serious?"

"Chris wants me to go," Vera said miserably. "Even though it's his birthday too."

"Chris, are you out of your mind?" Siri blurted, setting the coffee cups down hard enough to slosh the liquid. "The new owner of Quantum Corp? Vera has no chance with that man. He's ruthless. He just cut off the Kane family business for no apparent reason. Victor Kane was bragging all week about his big meeting there, and then suddenly he was banned from the building. No explanation, nothing."

Chris sipped his coffee, hiding his smile. "I think Vera can handle herself."

"But what about the business deal my family wants?" Vera asked. "What if I mess it up? What if this Mr. WR expects something from me that I can't give?"

"You won't mess it up," Chris said with confidence. "Trust me. Just be yourself, be honest, and everything will work out exactly as it should."

"How can you be so sure?" Vera asked.

Chris reached across the table and took her hand. "Because I know you, Vera. You're smart, capable, and genuine. Anyone would be lucky to do business with you."

Siri watched them with narrowed eyes, like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. "There's something you're not telling us, Chris. You're acting weird. What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Chris said innocently. "I just want my wife to succeed."

But as Vera and Siri continued talking about the party, Chris's mind was already planning the next steps. Saturday night would be interesting. Very interesting indeed.

His phone buzzed with a text from William. "All preparations for Saturday are complete. The gifts were delivered successfully."

Chris typed back a single word. "Perfect."