The Man She Called A Nobody

Chapter 9: No Amount Of Tears

The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush the lungs.

Lisa stood frozen, her eyes wide as she tried to reconcile the man in front of her with the man who had lived in her house for four years. This wasn't the "house-husband" who quietly cleaned the floors and made her tea. This was a titan. The way he held himself, the cold sharpness in his eyes —he looked like a stranger wearing her husband's face.

“So,” Nelson said. His voice was deep, smooth, and utterly devoid of the warmth he used to reserve for her. “What was so urgent that you had to hunt me down in my own office?”

Lisa’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Her mind was a chaotic mess of memories and realization. Nelson was the heir. Nelson was the power behind Reeds. Every deal she’d ever closed, every "lucky break" her company had ever had... it hadn't been her talent. It had been him.

The weight of her own arrogance hit her like a physical blow.

Nelson didn't offer her a seat. He didn't move from behind his massive mahogany desk. He just watched her struggle, his expression as cold as the glass windows behind him.

Suddenly, the strength left Lisa’s legs. She didn't just sit; she collapsed onto her knees on the expensive plush carpet.

“Nelson… please,” she sobbed, the sound echoing in the cavernous office. “If this is about the divorce… if it’s about the way I treated you… please. Find it in your heart to forgive me. Don't throw away everything I've worked for because of a personal mistake.”

Nelson’s expression didn't soften. If anything, it turned darker. He stood up, the chair sliding back with a harsh scrape, and slammed his hand against the desk.

“Mistake?” he hissed. The calm mask finally slipped, revealing a raw, jagged fury. “You think four years of being treated like a servant was a mistake? You think the way you and your mother looked at me—like I was a parasite—was just a misunderstanding?”

He stepped around the desk, his presence looming over her as she knelt on the floor.

“I loved you, Lisa,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, vibrating whisper. “I gave you everything. I used my family’s influence to clear every obstacle in your path, and I did it all while letting you believe you were doing it on your own. I wanted you to feel powerful. I wanted you to be happy.”

He laughed, a bitter, hollow sound that made her flinch.

“And the moment you got a taste of that power, the very first thing you did was use it to kick me out like a stray dog. You told me I wasn't on your level. Well, look at us now, Lisa. Tell me... who exactly is on whose level?”

Lisa reached out, her fingers trembling as she tried to grab the hem of his trousers, but Nelson stepped back instantly, as if her touch were toxic.

“Nelson, please! I didn't know! I worked so hard for that Kingston deal. It’s my dream! You’re taking away my entire life!”

“No,” Nelson corrected her, his voice turning ice-cold again. “I am taking back what was mine to begin with. That deal was a gift from the Reeds family. You didn't earn it. You were given it because of the man you called a nobody.”

He walked back to his desk and picked up his coat, his movements precise and dismissive.

“You and your family didn't just want a divorce, Lisa. You wanted to break me. You wanted to make sure I knew I was worthless. Well, mission accomplished. I am broken—at least, the part of me that cared about you is.”

Lisa looked up at him through a blur of tears. For the first time in her life, the pride was gone. There was no arrogance left, only the crushing weight of regret. She realized that she hadn't just lost a contract; she had lost the only person who had ever truly, selflessly supported her.

“Please, Nelson…” she whispered. “Don’t do this. Give me one more chance. Just one.”

Nelson paused at the door, his hand on the handle. He didn't look back.

“The divorce is final, Lisa. And so is this. You wanted a world without me in it? You’ve got it. I hope it’s everything you imagined.”

The door opened and closed with a soft, final click.

Lisa remained on the floor, the silence of the massive office wrapping around her like a shroud. She had come here to save her company, but as she sat in the empty room, she realized she had lost something far more valuable.

The man she had stepped on to reach the top was the only one who had been holding the ladder. And now, she was falling.