TRASH HUSBAND TO TRILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND

Chapter six: The confrontation

Let her go,” Benjamin's voice was calm and conversational. "I'll pay.

 Margaret turned, tossing her hair behind her back to look at the intruder. Her expression paused, surprise flickering in her eyes.

 "Benjamin?" 

 "Hannah's useless husband?" Her lips twisted in mock amusement. "What are you doing in this place?" 

Benjamin was also slightly surprised to see her but his expression stayed calm. Margaret is one of Hannah's friends in the industry who detested him like everyone else.

 "It's Benjamin. Preferably Mr. Hayes." He corrected with a firm voice. 

Cassandra stood at the side, quietly staring between Benjamin and Margaret.

 Margaret blurted out a laughter that sounded like glass breaking.

 "Mr. Hayes, huh?....what are you doing in a place like this?" Her voice dripped with mock sarcasm. "Hannah sent you on an errand? Because that is the only thing you're ever useful for. She really deserves better than an errand boy but she's not listening. She deserves a man like Richard Carlson, global star, and not some piece of..." She suddenly stopped, her expression twisting with pain.

 "Ouch.." 

 Aria had kicked her with her small heels, glaring up at her.

 "Don't insult my Daddy." 

 "You small piece of.." 

 "Don't you dare call her that." Benjamin's voice dropped to a menacing edge. "Tell me— How much is the champagne? I will pay for it right away so stop embarrassing yourself." 

 Margaret's laughter was a hysterical thing like she'd just heard a joke. She looked Benjamin up and down in mock amusement.

 "You'll pay? You— a delivery guy? Do you know how much a bottle of Champagne costs?" She gestured to the ruin. "You couldn't even afford Hannah's manicure. You're going to pay for another woman's damage?"

 "How much?" Benjamin persisted, his voice firmer.

 "You're going to embarrass yourself, Ben." 

 "No, you will embarrass yourself." Benjamin snapped back at her, his voice calm and firm engaging Margaret with conversational tone. "You should be ashamed, Margaret. You were going to lock your fellow woman in prison because of a shattered bottle of champagne? What exactly are you trying to display?"

 Margaret's finger curled at the side, shaking with anger.

 "Are you trying to lecture me, now? How dare you Ben!"

 The hall buzzed with whispering comments from patrons, each one against Margaret's outrageous display. Her expression turned grim with anger.

 "She's so rude." One man whispered.

 "Heartless woman," one old woman in a resplendent gown said offensively. "so much noise over a broken bottle of champagne."

 Cassandra stood at the side, watching everything without knowing how to intervene anymore. Relief crossed her expression as Benjamin stepped in to defend her.

 "Have you seen what you caused?!" Margaret's voice rose, trembling with unrestrained anger. " Hannah is going to hear about this— that you humiliated her friend because of another woman, cheater and pathetic ingrate! She'll cut your allowance."

 Benjamin turned away from the screaming woman to the front desk clerk, pulling out a black card that made the hall gasp in shock.

 "Isn't that the black card?"

 "There are only two people in this city who own it." A man in black suit who knew what he was saying said in surprise because he is a banker.  "Anyone with that card must have nothing less than $100 million in their account."

 Margaret's eyes widened as the last comment struck her like thunderbolt. "$100 million? Benjamin? Impossible!" Her voice was on tremor. "H— how did you get that card?"

 "It's none of your business." Benjamin didn't look at her.

Margaret's body was heating with anger. She spun to the hall, her voice carrying across.

 "Listen everyone," She started, "don't be fooled by this man here." Her finger snapped at Benjamin. "I know him. My friend's charity case husband who gets weekly allowance for nothing. There is no possible way in this world he owns that card except it's fake or he stole it!" 

 "And what if it's not fake?" Benjamin calmly turned to her.

 "Then you stole it!" She fired.  "Prove it. Prove it you trash and embarrass yourself."

 Securities were always moving from their post seeing the growing scene.

 Benjamin let out a  soft mocking chuckle and turned to the cashier. "Run the payment. Two bottles of champagne." He handed over the card to the cashier and inputted the pin which was his grandfather's birthday. 

While the cashier was running the payment, Benjamin turned to Margaret, his lips faintly curled in mock amusement.

 "You'll need a lot of saliva to tell Hannah everything that happened here that's why I'm getting two champagne. My pleasure."

Margaret was shaking with anger.

"You'll need it more, sweetheart," her voice was a sweet cruel thing. "because you have a serious explanation to make to the cops about where you get that card."

Benjamin simply smirked.

 

 The hall leaned in, their eyes focused on the cashier. 

 Beep.

 The payment machine flashed a green light.

 Payment successful. $2000

Margaret gasped. Colour drained from her eyes in shock and disbelief.

 "How did you..No, it's impossible..it's impossible."

 Benjamin simply collected his card and pocket it. He turned to Margaret with a satisfactory smile.

 "Dad kicked her ass!" Aria rejoiced, punching the air.

 Two bottles of champagne arrived in front of Margaret, further highlighting the humiliation that felt like a physical blow from a man she'd looked down upon, the man she knew was just a trash husband of her friend.

 "You...you must have done something! You couldn't afford it...you shouldn't be able to afford it..." Her voice cracked.

 "But I did." Benjamin said and turned away from her. But Margaret wasn't done. Her hand shot out to grab his collar but two Securities materialized in her front, grabbed her wrists firmly 

 "You'll have to excuse the restaurant, Ma." The taller security stare her hard.

 "Do you have an idea who I am?" Margaret snapped, sweats glistening on her face, her make-up slipping. "I come here every day. I am a regular customer. You have no right to throw me out!"

 The guards exchanged an understanding glance that suggested they had a good reason to remove a crazy woman. 

 The security gripped her wrist roughly, dragging her out of the hall.

 "Let go of me! Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea who I am?! You're touching me with your stinking hands!" Her scream echoed off the high roofing hall, gradually fading to the entrance where securities dragged her to. She struggled against their firm grip with strength born of anger and bitterness that surprised the securities. In the struggle, the slit of her gown tore even further.

The securities threw her out.

 "Benjamin this is not over! This is not over.'