My Husband Called Me A “Stupid Wife” While Spending Millions On His Mistress. Then Her Billionaire Husband Showed Up At My Door With A $150 Million Offer. Should I Take The Money Or Go For Total Destruction?

I sat beside her, holding her wrinkled hand. “What’s wrong, Mom? You look sad.”

My mother sighed heavily. “Your father… The people from the bank came again this morning. They gave us a final warning. If we don’t pay the principal next month, they’ll seize this house. Your father is in his room now. His blood pressure is up again. I don’t know what to do, Eleanor. I don’t want to ask Mark for help. I know his business is struggling too, right?”

To this day, my parents still thought Mark was a good, hardworking son-in-law. They didn’t know he was squandering money on another woman.

I said firmly, pulling a thick envelope from my purse. “Don’t worry, Mom.”

Inside wasn’t cash, but proof of payment I had just completed an hour ago. I had transferred the funds to a special account to pay off the debt without their knowledge.

My mother asked, confused. “What is this?”

I whispered. “Dad’s debt is paid off, Mom. The house is safe.”

My mother stared at the paper, then at me with wide eyes. “Eleanor, where did you get this much money? Was it Mark?”

I cut in quickly. I didn’t want Mark getting credit for this. “No, Mom. It’s my own savings. An old investment that just matured. Please don’t ask for details. The important thing is that you and Dad can rest easy now. And one more thing: please don’t tell Mark about this. Let it be our secret. I want to surprise Mark with it when the time is right.”

My mother burst into tears and hugged me tightly. “Thank you, my child. Thank you. You’re our family’s savior.”

My mother’s embrace gave me strength. The guilt from accepting Julian’s offer eased slightly.

At least this dirty money from selling out my husband could save my parents. That night, the charade continued.

Mark came home early, carrying a bouquet of roses that I suspected he bought from a street vendor as they were already wilting. He seemed restless, constantly checking his phone.

We ate dinner in an awkward silence, punctuated only by the clinking of our silverware. I said, breaking the silence. “Mark, next week is our fifth wedding anniversary. Do you remember?”

Mark choked on his drink. He quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Oh, right! Of course I remember, honey. 5 years. Wow, time flies.”

I probed, wanting to see his reaction. “I was thinking, what if we have a small celebration? Just invite a few close friends.”

Mark’s face turned pale. “Uh, let’s not do that just yet. Business is really hectic right now, honey. I’d feel bad partying when I have so much work. Let’s just have a quiet dinner, the two of us. Romantic, right?”

I knew the real reason: he was afraid Chloe would be angry if she saw posts about our party. Or maybe he already had plans with Chloe for that day.

I replied with a painfully obedient smile. “Oh, okay. If that’s what you want, I’ll go along with it.”

Suddenly, Mark’s phone vibrated on the table. The screen lit up, showing the name “Johnson Logistics.”

But I caught a glimpse of the message before the screen went dark: “Babe are we still on for checking into our usual hotel tomorrow? I already told my husband I’m going to Boston.”

My blood boiled. Johnson Logistics—how creative.

Mark quickly snatched his phone. “Uh, another issue with the warehouse, honey. I need to take this in my study.”

He left without waiting for my response. I sat alone at the large, cold dining table, staring at the untouched food.

My eyes fixed on my husband’s retreating back. “Enjoy your lies while you can, Mark. Because with every passing second, I’m sharpening the knife Julian gave me to cut your happiness to shreds.”

Lessons in Power and the Napa Trip

One month had passed. My life was split into two starkly contrasting worlds.

By day, I was Eleanor, the beautiful wife who spent her time at home or shopping for groceries. But in between, I entered the world of Julian Croft.

Today, Julian had arranged our meeting at a contemporary art gallery in Chelsea. The gallery was owned by one of his cousins and had been closed to the public for the day under the guise of a private curation.

It was the perfect venue—quiet, artistic, and far from the prying eyes of Mark or Chloe, who preferred to spend their time at malls or nightclubs. I arrived wearing a simple navy sheath dress and large sunglasses.

Julian was already waiting in front of a giant abstract painting dominated by blood-red colors. He stood tall with both hands in the pockets of his gray slacks, looking like a work of art himself: beautiful, but untouchable.

He greeted me without turning as he heard the click of my heels. “You’re 5 minutes late.”

I said defensively, standing beside him. “The traffic on the FDR was insane. There was a protest.”

He quipped, though his tone wasn’t as sharp as our first meeting. “A queen should be able to predict the chaos in her kingdom.”

He turned to me, his eyes scanning my appearance from head to toe. “You look more alive. Seems $150 million is an effective cure for a dull complexion.”

I asked impatiently. “Don’t mock me, Julian. What’s the agenda today?”

Julian walked over to a long bench in the middle of the gallery. A tablet and several stacks of documents were laid out on it.

He said, sitting down and crossing his legs. “Business 101. Know your enemy better than he knows himself.”

He handed me the tablet. The screen displayed the financial data of Mark’s company, Peterson Industries.

Charts dominated by sharp red downward trends filled the screen. Julian stated coldly. “Your husband isn’t just a cheater, Eleanor. He’s also a terrible businessman. Look at this. He forged financial reports to secure bank loans to fund his and Chloe’s lifestyle. He’s using company assets as personal collateral. Legally, this is embezzlement.”

My eyes widened as I read the figures. Julian added casually. “He used the office building and your Tribeca apartment as collateral.”

I gasped. “That apartment is in my name. It was an inheritance from my grandmother.”

Julian revealed. “He forged your signature 3 months ago. The notary was bribed. Chloe found the notary for him.”

That fact hit me like a sledgehammer. Mark was a true bastard.

He hadn’t just betrayed me emotionally; he was actively planning to rob me blind. My hands clenched into fists so tight my knuckles turned white. “I’m going to have him arrested.”

Julian gently took my hand. “Patience.”

The cool touch of his skin surprisingly calmed my explosive anger. He replied, his eyes turning predatory. “If you go to the police now, the process will be long and Mark could find a way out. We’ll use a more elegant method, which is acquisition.”

He continued. “I’ve been quietly buying up Mark’s bank debts through a shell company. In two more months, I will be his single largest creditor. When that happens, I’ll have the full right to seize all his assets, including the company he’s so proud of.”

Julian looked at me intently. “And you will be the one to press the execution button.”

A sense of admiration crept into my heart as I witnessed the workings of Julian’s mind. He didn’t play with emotions; he played the system.