The Night My Wife Left, I Made $500 Trillion From Crypto

A best friend's offer

For a long moment, Ethan couldn't believe what he was seeing. His wife stood close to his best friend, her hand gently resting on Damian's arm as she laughed at something he had said.

Watching them sent a jolt of jealousy through him, yet somehow he managed to suppress it quickly.

He shook his head, forcing himself to think logically. He hadn't seen Damian in years. Last he'd heard, the man was on Forbes' list of youngest billionaires, running his own company valued in the billions.

Naturally, Lois would be excited to see him. They had all been friends back in high school. There was nothing inappropriate about it. He was just being paranoid.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan tightened his grip on the crutches and made his way across the hall towards them. He cleared his throat as he approached, forcing a warm smile onto his face.

"Damian!" he called out, waving his hand. "Is that really you?"

Lois pulled away from Damian quickly, holding her drink in one hand as she composed herself. A faint flush crept up her cheeks, but her expression remained impassive.

Damian turned around, and his face immediately lit up with recognition. His blue eyes sparkled as they landed on Ethan, and a wide, broad grin spread across his handsome face.

"Ethan!" Damian exclaimed, stepping forward with open arms. "My God, look at you!"

Before Ethan could reply, Damian pulled him into a warm, heartfelt embrace, gently patting his back. "It's been too long, brother. Way too long."

Ethan felt some of the tension drain from his shoulders. This was Damian. His best friend. The guy who'd had his back through thick and thin since freshman year. Whatever awkwardness he'd felt moments ago melted away in the face of such genuine affection.

"It's good to see you, Damian," Ethan said, meaning every word. "You look amazing. And I hear you've been doing pretty well for yourself."

Damian waved his hand dismissively, a modest smile playing on his lips. "Oh, you know. Just keeping busy. Nothing too exciting."

"Nothing too exciting?" Lois interjected, her voice brimming with barely contained excitement. "Ethan, you won't believe it. Damian's company was valued at three billion dollars just this year! Three billion! He owns his own penthouse building, and he just bought a private jet. A private jet, Ethan!"

Damian laughed, playfully punching Lois on the shoulder. "Hey, don't tell him everything! You're going to get me kidnapped or something." He winked at Ethan. "She always did have a big mouth, didn't she?"

Ethan laughed along, truly happy for his old friend. There was no jealousy in his heart, nor any bitter comparisons. If anyone truly deserved this level of success, it was Damian.

"That's amazing, man," Ethan said, shaking his head with admiration. "Seriously, I'm so proud of you. You've done exactly what you always said you would."

Damian's expression softened.

"Thanks, Ethan. That means a lot, especially coming from you." He looked down at Ethan's crutches, his brow knitting with concern. "But enough about me. What about you? What's with the crutches? Are you still playing football?"

Ethan swallowed nervously, feeling his throat go dry all of a sudden. He knew this question was coming, but it still felt like a punch to the gut.

"I'm doing all right," he said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from his failures. "Just taking things one day at a time."

Lois groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it, Damian. Honestly, it's been such a struggle."

"Lois, please—" Ethan started, but she was already running her mouth, filling Damian's ears with their brutal financial troubles.

"Ethan's ACL injury completely ruined his football career," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "He had to terminate his contract, and since then, things have been really hard. Our bills are up to our necks, and we're barely scraping by. The landlord is threatening to evict us, and we owe money to the bank. It's been a nightmare."

Damian's face fell, his expression shifting from joy to genuine concern. "Is that true, Ethan?" he asked softly.

Ethan nodded, his cheeks burning with shame. "It's true," he admitted. "But we'll see it through. I'm working on it. I've got a plan."

"You mean your stupid crypto?" Lois interjected, her tone filled with exasperation. "That's what you've been doing all these years, yet you have nothing to show for it."

Damian raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Crypto?" He let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Seriously, Ethan? Crypto? That's for losers. Who does crypto nowadays?"

"Apparently, my husband does," Lois said, shaking her head. "And I'm sick and tired of it."

She turned to Damian, her eyes growing sharper and more calculating. She leaned intimately against him again, her red lips parting into a welcoming smile. "How about you help your old pal out, Damian? You could get him a job at your company. I'm sure there's something he could do. Anything at all."

Ethan felt his stomach drop. The way she leaned into Damian, her voice softening to a sweet, pleading tone, made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't quite explain.

Damian glanced at Ethan before turning back to Lois, returning her smile. "Well, I mean, I could certainly look into it—"

"Look into what?" Ethan interrupted, his tone sharper than he meant it to be. "Damian, you don't have to do that. I'm doing fine. I've got things under control."

"Under control?" Lois turned to face him, her eyes flashing with frustration. "We're about to be evicted, Ethan! We're drowning in debt! How is that under control?"

The confrontation was drawing attention. Nearby conversations began to cease as heads turned toward the trio. Ethan sensed the heavy gaze of curious eyes upon him, and the humiliation burned through his chest like acid.

"Lois, this isn't the place—" he started quietly, but Damian placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," Damian said, his voice soothing. "Let's all just take a breath, alright? We're here to have a good time, not to argue."

Lois scoffed, looked away, and folded her hands.

Damian smiled warmly at Lois, then faced Ethan. "Look, I'm sure we can figure something out. How about I make you an offer?"

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

"Alright," he said slowly, loosening his grip on the crutches. "I'm listening."

The smile on Damian's face suddenly changed, widening into something cruel and cold that made Ethan's blood run cold.

Damian leaned in closer, speaking loud enough for Lois to hear.

"I'll give you $50 million right now," he said, each word sharp as a blade, "if you agree to divorce Lois and let me marry her."