The Trash Son-in-law Is A Hidden Billionaire

Chapter two

Downstairs, Mark took out his phone and dialed his subordinate’s number. After a few rings, the call connected.

"Hello, boss."

"Liam, I have some instructions for you. Firstly, I want you to take care of the officials that helped my wife's company go public. I'm sure I don't need to instruct you further on how to do it. And also, transfer my company, Willstark, to her name..."

"But boss, this..."

"No questions asked. Just do as I said." He cut him off firmly.

"Yes, boss. I will do as you instructed," Liam replied in resignation.

"Good." After the call disconnected, he quickly headed to the kitchen to prepare a huge dinner to celebrate Charlotte. His mother-in-law had left with her friends earlier, citing an urgent matter. This had given him the chance to prepare a surprise candlelight celebration dinner for his wife.

But hours later, the candlelit dinner was ready, and Charlotte still wasn’t answering her phone. What happened? Mark frowned, unable to shake his concern.

He looked at the beautifully decorated table and the dishes arranged on it. He had put in a good amount of work preparing all these. Looking determined, he decided to call her for the last time. This time, the call went through.

"Hi, love. I had been waiting for you. Where are you at and why aren't you picking my calls?" he asked calmly.

"Hello, you must be Mark, right?" A deep, amused, unfamiliar male voice replied from the other end of the phone, causing him to freeze for a moment. He quickly checked his phone’s screen to make sure he hadn't dialed the wrong number.

"And who's this?" he asked, his voice turning deep the moment he heard the unfamiliar Male voice.

The man chuckled softly, a sound that grated against Mark's ear. "Charlotte, your husband is calling you again." His voice sounded intimate and muffled. He had probably turned away from the receiver.

Shortly, Charlotte’s voice could be heard, and she sounded very annoyed.

"Mark, why are you calling me during work hours? Do you have any idea how busy I am right now?"

Mark blinked twice. He was momentarily thrown off.

"Work hours? Charlotte, it's almost 9 p.m.!"

"That doesn't matter," she snapped. "I'm with important people right now. Don't bother me again unless it's urgent."

Mark hesitated before replying. "It's not something that urgent. I set up something — a candlelight dinner. Mother is not home, so I was hoping we would have a good time together, celebrating your success."

There was a brief silence, followed by a sigh.

"Mark," Charlotte said, "I don't have time for this. I have an important banquet to attend. I won't be coming back tonight. See you tomorrow morning."

"Charlotte, wait, I..."

Mark looked at his phone speechlessly. Why was she in so much haste to get rid of him? Her behavior was very unusual. Could it be that she was truly so busy? Did this mean they were going to have less and less time together from now on?

He was getting worried.

***

Half an hour later, Mark was sitting in the dining room alone.

Ding!

His phone’s notification sound rang, startling him a bit. He checked his phone and saw a video notification. Someone had sent him a video, and the contact wasn't saved on his phone. He hesitated a bit before clicking the video.

The screen came alive with sounds of cheers, music, and glass clinking. The camera showed a lavish ballroom before focusing on a figure dressed in a stunning sapphire evening gown. He quickly recognized the figure — Charlotte!

She had a faint smile on her lips. A man held her in his arms, his face dangerously close to hers.

Before Mark could process what he was seeing, the man leaned in and kissed her.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Then the man pulled out a velvet box and kneeled down on one knee. "Charlotte," his voice rang out, "I have loved you for a long time now. Will you marry me?"

Mark’s breath caught.

Charlotte extended her fingers with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes!" she cried out happily. The man slipped a diamond ring on her finger.

The cheers grew louder.

Mark trembled. He was in disbelief at what he was seeing. But he managed to compose himself, searched for her contact, and dialed it.

The call went straight to voicemail.

After a few tries, finally, the automated message came:

"The number you are trying to call is currently switched off."

He lowered his phone slowly, his heart heavy with sorrow and disbelief.

***

Two figures were cuddling on a bed. From the way the bedsheet was scattered, it was clear that they had just fought a love battle on it.

If Mark were here, he would have recognized that one of the figures was his wife, Charlotte, and the other was the same guy who proposed to her in the video.

"Babe," he called, patting her head gently and playing with her hair. "Why is it that you're not wearing our engagement ring? You accepted the ring, right? Aren't you proud of me, or are you regretting your actions now?"

Charlotte smiled. "I will never regret my decision today, Daniel. Not after waiting for you for two years. I already gave up on our relationship and thought you weren’t coming back. You don't know how happy you really made me today. It's just that I think it's a bit inappropriate now, especially since I'm yet to divorce."

"Urgh, this." Daniel guffawed. "When are you going to finalize the divorce, then?"

Charlotte paused.

"What, babe? You haven't made up your mind?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, it's not that," she quickly denied. "I have already prepared the divorce papers. I will present them to him when the time is appropriate. Thank you for today. I knew it was because of you that my company got this far." She kissed him passionately.

“Baby, don’t be like that. I’d do anything for you.” Daniel pressed a kiss to her forehead, while a sly, contemptuous smile flickered where she couldn’t see. 

Pathetic woman—she didn’t even know who had truly helped her. 

But he didn’t mind claiming the credit. If no one else would, why shouldn’t he use it to his advantage?