The Slumdog Billionaire

Chapter One

“Divorce your wife.”

Henry blinked, certain he had heard wrong. He looked at Grandmother Woods, her words dripping with venom. He felt a chill run down his spine. Did she really just say that?

“Grandma, I don’t understand what you mean. You know how much I love Jasmine!” Henry’s voice trembled, the pain and confusion clear in his eyes. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Grandma Woods didn’t flinch. She folded her arms, eyes narrowing as if she were looking at something beneath her.

“If you truly loved my granddaughter, you’d be more than just a failure. You wouldn’t be standing here like a pathetic beggar….

You’ve been nothing but a burden to this family. A useless, lazy son-in-law who hasn’t added a single dollar to our empire. And now, you dare ask for one million dollars? Have you completely lost your mind?”

The room grew tense. Henry could feel several eyes boring into him, but none felt as sharp as Grandma Woods’ words. He glanced at Jasmine, standing beside him, but she was silent, her head hung low.

Stella, Jasmine’s younger sister who was wearing expensive designer clothes , shoes and a 30,000 dollars Birkin bag, stepped forward, her red painted lips curled in disgust.

“Henry, are you serious right now? You’re nothing but a joke. A crazy, delusional idiot.” She spat the words like poison, her eyes flashing with contempt.

“You’re standing here, at our family’s celebration, asking for money? After all you’ve done—no, after all you *haven’t* done?”

Jasmine's hands trembled by her sides. She glanced at Henry, her eyes pleading, but she still said nothing.

Stella wasn’t done. “Jasmine, you’re just as pathetic. Can’t you see how much of a disgrace you are to this family? Look at Stefan.”

She turned to her fiancé, who stood by her side, arms crossed and smirking.

“He’s not even married to me yet, but he’s already used his family’s electronics company to bring value to our prestigious family’s empire. And what does your husband do? Nothing but freeload, eating our food like a slumdog. It’s disgusting.”

Stefan laughed softly under his breath, shaking his head.

“It’s embarrassing, honestly,” he said.

“I mean, you’ve been married for how long? And you still can’t contribute anything to this family. You’re a waste of space, Henry. A useless dog.”

Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears, her face pale. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, unable to find the words.

She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, judging her for Henry’s failures, for standing beside a man they saw as worthless.

Henry, desperate to save face, turned to Grandmother Woods once more.

“Grandma, please,” he pleaded, his voice cracking. “I know I’ve made mistakes, but this isn’t about me. It’s about the woman who raised me. The reverend sister who took care of me when I had no one. She’s dying.

She has chronic deadly cancer, and if we don’t do something, she won’t survive the next few days. I’m begging you, please. Even if it’s not the full amount, just $500,000. That’s all I’m asking.”

Grandmother Woods sneered, her eyes cold and unforgiving.

“So now you want to play the sympathy card? How typical, thinking you can stand there, after being an absolute failure, and tug on my heartstrings? You think I’ll give you money out of pity? You must really be out of your mind, Henry.”

Henry’s heart sank deeper. He felt like the walls were closing in on him, the weight of everyone’s disdain crushing him from all sides.

“I told you before, and I’ll say it again,” Grandmother Woods said, her voice sharp & final.

“I will give you the money if you divorce my daughter. That is my condition. If you can’t do that, then don’t say another word. You have no place here.”

Stefan, still smirking, took a step closer to Henry, his voice dripping with mockery.

“You didn’t even bring a gift to this party and you know how much it means to Grandma after seeing us giving her gifts which cost millions of dollars from around the world.

You came here empty-handed, and yet you have the nerve—the absolute audacity—to beg for money? You’re really something, Henry. No wonder everyone thinks you’re a joke. A worthless piece of trash.”

Henry’s fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. He could feel the anger bubbling up inside him, but he knew better than to react.

What could he do? He was standing there, exposed, humiliated in front of the people he had once hoped would be his family.

Stella shouted.

“Do you know what’s even more pathetic? The fact that you still think you have a place here. You’ve been nothing but a parasite, Henry.

You’re a leech, sucking the life out of this family while contributing absolutely nothing. And now you want our help? For what? To save some nameless nun who raised you? That’s not our problem. You are the problem.”

Stefan laughed again, louder this time, as if Henry’s silence was the funniest thing he’d ever witnessed. “Look at him. Can’t even defend himself. You’re a joke, Henry. A worthless, pitiful excuse for a man.”

Henry’s breath hitched in his throat as he decided to turn and leave.

Henry stopped at the door, his heart pounding. He turned back to face Grandmother Woods, his voice steady but full of emotion.

“I will never divorce Jasmine,” he said firmly. “I didn’t marry her for money. I married her because I love her, with all my heart. You can insult me, but I’ll never walk away from her.”