I traded three hundred million in investments for a night of passion with Darrick Calderon.?
Two months into my pregnancy, Calderon Family finally agreed to give me a wedding. ?
At the reception, Darrick received an urgent call from the hospital—his former love had overdosed on sleeping pills after a failed investment.
He rushed to leave, but I stopped him by saying, “I have invested three hundred million to have you, Darrick.”?
“If you dare leave, I guarantee the Calderon Family will be expelled from Bridgit’s elite circles tomorrow!”
He was forced to stay and marry me, but his heart was filled with resentment.
Immediately after the ceremony, Darrick packed his bags and moved to the hospital. He missed every single one of my seven prenatal checkups.
On the day I went into labor, my water broke as I collapsed in a downpour. But Darrick cruelly hung up all 99 of my calls.
As I bled profusely on the operating table, he posted this on his social media, [Thank God, you’re okay. I’ll never let go of your hand again.]
I died on the operating table, filled with resentment.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on our wedding day.
——
At the wedding banquet, the vibration of my phone pulled me back to reality.
Looking down, I saw a message from an unknown number.?
[Whether you paid three hundred million or three billion, with just one word from me, Darrick will abandon you and come back to me. Just wait and see!]
The next second, Darrick’s phone rang, Myra Shields’s weak voice reached his ears, “Darrick… I’m sorry.”?
“If I hadn’t misjudged the situation, your family wouldn’t be on the brink of bankruptcy and you wouldn’t have had to marry a woman you don’t love for three hundred million. It’s all my fault.”
“In our next life, we must meet sooner…”
The voice abruptly cut off, making Darrick’s face instantly drained of color.
Just as he was about to redial to check on her, the hospital emergency room called, “Mr. Calderon, Miss Shields swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. She arrived too late and her condition is critical.”?
“You’re the only contact listed on her phone. Please come immediately. Don’t leave any regrets.”
The phone slipped from his palm and crashed heavily onto the floor.
Darrick sprang to his feet, ready to dash out.
This time, I didn’t stop him, but asked softly, “Darrick, where are you going? The wedding is about to begin.”
Without looking back, he hastily stripped off his tuxedo jacket and tossed it to the floor as he explained, “My friend’s in trouble. She has no family here. I need to go check on her.”
My expression remained calm as I pulled out my phone and opened the message.?
“A friend? Is it Myra Shields?” I asked, sounding annoyed. “She just messaged me, betting that you’d leave today.”
“If she’s a friend, just send the butler to check on her. You should stay.”
The moment the words left my mouth, the room erupted.
“Myra Shields is Mr. Calderon’s secretary, right? I’ve heard she wields power in the company rivaling President Darrick himself. If it weren’t for her embezzling company funds, the Calderon Family wouldn’t have nearly gone bankrupt.”
“The Graham Family is the wealthiest in Bridgit’s elite circles and Miss Graham offered three hundred million to salvage the situation—how could he be so ungrateful? What could an outside woman possibly offer that’s better than Miss Graham?”
“If Darrick leaves, how will the Graham Family ever hold their heads high in this circle? Isn’t this an insult to Miss Graham? Having her husband snatched away at her own wedding—who knows what trouble she’ll stir up next!”
“Secretary? More like a mistress! Haven’t you forgotten? Darrick’s college girlfriend was also surnamed Shields…”
The murmurs grew louder and Darrick’s expression darkened.
“Stop being unreasonable. This concerns life. I’ll explain everything when I return.”
He grabbed the keys to his Maybach and turned to leave.
I suddenly smiled.
“Life-and-death matters are for doctors to handle. You’re neither a doctor nor a God—will your presence make her illness disappear?”
?
?
“Darrick, I spent three hundred million to bail out the Calderon Family. Now you want to leave? Are you trying to insult me in front of everyone?”
I smiled faintly and turned to sit down. “You can leave if you wish, but consider the consequences.”
“How the Calderon Family will conduct its business going forward… It’s truly a headache to contemplate.”
I pretended to be troubled, rubbing my temples, though my words carried no hint of difficulty.
The guests present felt even more sympathy for me upon hearing this.
“Miss Graham hasn’t made any unreasonable demands. The wedding won’t take much longer. Mr. Calderon, please don’t rush off.”
“Exactly! I’d kill for a chance to work with the Graham Family.”?
“Taking their money and then turning your back? That’s like freeloading! Who’d dare partner with the Calderon Family after this?”
“I’m putting it out there, anyone who crosses Miss Graham crosses me. I won’t take any more contracts from the Calderon Family!”
With that, he began contacting his assistant to cancel the partnership, making the Calderon Family elders instantly grow frantic.
“Stop everyone, don’t act impulsively! Darrick meant well. After all, we can’t just ignore human life, can we?”
Darrick’s father stepped forward and slapped Darrick across the face. “You ungrateful son! If you dare leave today, don’t ever think you’ll set foot in the Calderon Family anymore.”
Darrick’s mother’s eyes reddened with disappointment as she said, “What good is Myra? If not for her, would our Calderon Family have ended up like this?”?
“Last month, you begged everyone for partnerships—did anyone pay you any attention? It was Miss Graham who saved us!”
“How could I have given birth to a son who can’t tell right from wrong? This must be because I don’t teach you right!”
The pain etched on their faces pierced Darrick’s heart.
His back straightened, his voice growing resolute. “Did I ever say I wouldn’t marry her? What difference does it make if it’s sooner or later?”
“I’m your son, but you sided with Marylin to against me just because she gave you three hundred million. Now you’re all Graham Family lackeys!”
Darrick was panting, his eyes fixed on me as he added, “Marylin, I’m grateful you saved the Calderon Family with your money, but don’t expect me to obey you for the rest of my life just because I married you.”?
“I won’t be anyone’s dog—I am Darrick Calderon and that’s all!”
“What’s more, Myra and I are completely innocent. If you keep slandering her, don’t blame me for turning against you!”
I slammed my hand on the table, stood up and challenged him furiously, “Do you think I paid to buy your obedience?”
He sneered coldly, “Wasn’t it?”
“You handed me a three hundred million check along with a room key. What was your goal? Anyone could see it clearly!”
“That night you deliberately got me drunk, preventing me from taking any precautions. After you got pregnant, you naturally forced me into marriage. Every step went exactly as you planned.”
“Now I’m merely asking to postpone the wedding to see Myra—can’t you even grant this small request?
“The Graham Family’s granddaughter is afraid that an ordinary woman might steal your husband? That’s laughable to anyone who hears it!”
Seeing his earnest expression, I burst out laughing in anger. “Fine! Since Mr. Calderon desires me so much, it would be utterly shameless of me to stand in your way any longer.”
“Go ahead. You don’t need to concern yourself with the wedding arrangements either.”
Upon hearing the answer he wanted, Darrick suddenly grew cold and wary. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. I’m letting you go. Why aren’t you leaving?”
I raised my hand, watching the hands of my wristwatch tick slowly and added, “I wonder if you can still see Miss Shields one last time if you go now?”
“Shall I send a driver to escort you? Have the motorcade clear the way for you?”
As I spoke, another voice message popped up on Darrick’s phone.
It was Myra’s final message.
?
?
[Darrick, don’t come see me. I don’t want you to see me at my lowest. I want you to remember me as the beautiful eighteen-year-old I once was.]
Seeing the message, Darrick completely panicked. He snatched the keys and rushed out.
His brother turned pale with fear and hurried after him.
They tugged at each other outside the hotel entrance and quarreled, “Darrick, have you lost your mind? Can’t you tell Miss Graham was speaking sarcastically?”
“If you dare leave today, the Calderon Family will be disgraced in Bridgit’s elite circles tomorrow. Is it worth it for a Myra?”
Darrick shook off his brother’s hand, getting into the car as he casually remarked, “What’s there to fear? Marylin is carrying my child. If she doesn’t wait for me to come back, does she think she can marry someone else?”
“Besides, Myra isn’t an outsider. She’s… the one I love in my heart.”
With that, he slammed his foot on the accelerator and the Maybach sped off into the rain.
No sooner had Darrick departed than my parents arrived.
Scanning the lobby and finding no sign of Darrick, their expressions darkened slightly.
“Marylin, what’s going on? Where’s Darrick?” my father asked confusingly.
I just answered calmly, “He left, went to find his mistress.”
My father’s face twisted with fury and he immediately tried to take me away. “The Calderon Family certainly has the nerve to do this after taking three hundred million in benefits and then turning their backs on us.”
“How dare they try to intimidate my daughter on her wedding day? Do they think the Graham Family has no one to stand up for us?”
“This marriage is off. I’m taking my daughter away right now!”
“Mark my words, after today, anyone who dares to do business with the Calderon Family is declaring war on me!”
His words echoed through the hall, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.
Mr. Calderon’s face drained of color as he rushed forward to restrain my father. “No, Mr. Graham, please don’t act rashly! My son acted out of line today. I’ll discipline him properly once he returns!”
“Myra was nothing more than a mistress. I’ve already expelled her from the company. Who knew she wouldn’t give up?”
“Rest assured, this will never happen again. Today is a special occasion—please do me the favor of not making such a scene…”
My mother grabbed my hand with one arm while shoving Mr. Calderon away with the other. “Give you face? Who will restore the face lost by the Graham Family then?”
“Now that he’s gone, you suddenly know how to apologize? Were you all dead just now?”
“Before marriage, you openly tried to steal my daughter away. What do you take the Graham Family for? My daughter doesn’t need scum like you!”
“Marylin, let’s go home!”
She tugged at my arm, ready to leave, but I stood rooted to the spot, a faint smile spreading across my face.
“Dad, Mom, Darrick has issues, but his parents indeed stopped him. You can’t blame them.”
“Besides, the partnership between our two families is already underway. If we call off the engagement now, won’t those three hundred million just go down the drain without a trace?”
Darrick’s father was visibly moved, repeatedly praising my maturity.
‘Marylin, thank you for your understanding. When Darrick returns, I’ll make sure he marries you. There won’t be any more mishaps this time!”
Facing their earnest gazes, I slowly shook my head. “One embarrassing incident is enough. Choosing Darrick again would make me the laughingstock of Bridgit society.”
“Besides, the Calderón Family has more than one unmarried man, doesn’t it?”
A smile curved my lips as my gaze swept around the hall.
It finally settled on Jayson Calderon’s face in the corner and I tapped my finger in his direction. “I think Uncle Jayson is quite suitable.”
“I hear he’s a sworn brother you made years ago, only eight years older than Darrick. I doubt there’d be much of a generation gap between us.”
Darrick’s father’s eyes widened, he and Darrick’s mother spoke in unison, “Absolutely not!”
“Jayson is merely my younger brother—not truly part of the Calderon Family. He knows nothing about company affairs. Miss Graham, please don’t joke about this.”
?
?
“Yeah, Marylin, Jayson is just a manager at a subsidiary company. You’d be settling for less by marrying him. He’s got no ambition and no business sense…”
I ignored their words, but I couldn’t help feeling a faint urge to laugh.?
Jayson had kept it hidden from the Calderon Family all these years.
His overseas business was thriving—how could that be called lacking ambition? How could he be considered lacking in business sense?
Compared to Darrick, who could be dismissed with a single phone call, Jayson was the true schemer of the Calderon Family.
More importantly, he loved me.
In my past life, as I nearly bled to death on the operating table, Jayson rushed in recklessly, demanding to donate blood to save my life.
But our blood types didn’t match. In the end, I still passed away.
After my death, he used his overseas connections to oust the Calderon Family from their circle, bankrupting them.
All three family members ended up homeless, beaten and cursed by creditors with nowhere to hide.
At my grave, Jayson poured out his heart to me.?
He said he had seen me long ago and fallen in love at first sight.?
The reason Jayson joined the Calderon Family solely to be near me.
Little did he know I would fall for Darrick.
Jayson avenged me, yet took his own life at my grave.
In his final moments, he revealed a truth that stunned me, that if the child in my womb was his.
That night at the hotel, it was Jayson who went to the rendezvous in Darrick’s place.
The figure beneath my fingertips gradually emerged from the crowd.
Jayson, clad in a bespoke suit, wore a faint smile as his gaze settled on my face. “Miss Graham, I am not a member of the Calderon Family. I cannot give you the life you desire.”
“If you follow me, you’ll suffer hardship.”
I returned his words with an even brighter smile. “What could be harder than having a husband who cheats?”
“You’re poor and I’m rich — this is a match made in heaven!”
Mr. Calderon, seeing this, tried urgently to intervene, but my father’s icy glare forced him back.
“What? The fact that my daughter likes your younger brother is his good fortune. Do you expect me to let her marry your good-for-nothing son and foot the bill?”
“Mr. Calderon, know your place.”
Mr. Calderon slapped his forehead and changed his tone. “Oh, Mr. Graham is absolutely right. As long as Miss Graham is happy, I have no objections!”
“Jayson, come over and greet Mr. Graham.”
“After the wedding, you won’t need to go to the company anymore. Just take good care of Miss Graham every day.”
“You’re just a junior manager anyway—the company can manage perfectly well with or without you.”
He dressed Jayson in the tuxedo Darrick had taken off, growing more pleased with the result the longer he looked.
Just as they were about to push him onto the stage to begin the ceremony, I suddenly spoke up, “Wait.”
“Uncle Jayson, I, Marylin Graham, won’t marry a useless man. You stripped him of his position—how is he supposed to support me?”
Mr. Calderon froze, “The Graham Family isn’t short on money either…”
“The Graham Family is more wealthy than the Calderon Family. What does it have to do with Jayson? He’s marrying a wife, not becoming a son-in-law.”
I stepped around him and stood beside Jayson, sizing him up. “Besides, if I’m condescending myself to marry your foster brother, shouldn’t you offer me a dowry higher than what you gave Darrick?”
“Otherwise, why should I lower myself? You don’t seriously think Calderon’s surname can be used as currency, do you?”
Darrick’s father’s expression darkened, his hands rubbing anxiously at his palms. “What compensation does Miss Graham require? Name it. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”
“After marriage, Jayson will be my husband. Hand over that three hundred million project for him to manage.”
“Also, Darrick publicly humiliated me. Have him and Myra roll out of the company together—never to return.”
Before Darrick’s father could speak, Darrick’s mother protested urgently, “No, Darrick is my own flesh and blood. The entire Calderon Family legacy is meant to be passed down to him!”
?
?
“What if the Calderon Family goes bankrupt? Then he wouldn’t need to inherit anything.”
I drummed my fingers absently on the tabletop.
Seeing their hesitation, I looked at my father with a troubled expression.
“Dad, let’s withdraw our investment. I’ve done everything I can. It seems fate hasn’t meant for us to be connected to the Calderon Family.”
No sooner had the words left my mouth than Darrick’s father urgently replied, “I agree, I agree!”
“Have the lawyers draft the agreement immediately. Transfer all shares under Darrick’s name to Jayson. From now on, he will be the company president…”
Satisfied with his response, I nodded toward the distance, signaling for the wedding ceremony to begin.
After a day of hectic activity, I successfully married Jayson.
That night, news of the Calderon and Graham families’ alliance shot to the top of the trending charts, dominating the top three spots on the news rankings.
Yet Darrick remained conspicuously absent.
***
Midnight at the hospital, Myra awoke from emergency treatment and her first words were an apology.
“Darrick? Why are you here?”
“I’m sorry. Did I drag you into this?”
“It’s all my fault… Why did you save me? Just let me die. I can’t face you anymore!”
As she tried to pull back the covers and get out of bed, Darrick pressed her back down.?
“Don’t move around. You’ve only just pulled through.”
“When did I ever blame you? If something had happened to you after drinking that drugs, how could I possibly go on living alone?”
Myra wept, her voice choked with sobs, “Does Miss Graham know you came here? She doesn’t blame you, does she?”
“You two are married now. Naturally, you’ll live with her from now on. As for me, this burden… just forget about me.”
Tears fell freely onto Darrick’s hand, making his heart instantly melted.
“No need to mention that bitch’s name in front of me anymore. If she hadn’t blackmailed me with money, why would I have agreed to marry her?”
“Once you’re discharged, you can stay at my villa in the southern part of the city. When I go home, Marylin won’t let me off easy, but she’s carrying my child. I doubt she’ll dare to make things difficult.”?
“Once this is over, I’ll come back every week to see you, okay? So, please, stop crying, sweetheart…”
With that, Myra’s emotions finally settled.
Darrick pulled out his phone and called his assistant, “Clear out the villa in the southern part of the city, Myra is moving in.”
The next second, the assistant exclaimed in shock, “Young Master, what are you saying? That villa is already occupied by your uncle. The Chairman is giving it to him as a wedding home.”
“Also, you’re no longer the company president. Please contact the butler for any future matters. I have a meeting to attend.”
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