My Husband Slapped Me To Impress His Family At Their New $10m Mansion. He Didn’t Realize I Am The Ceo Who Signed The Check For This House. Now He Has 30 Minutes To Pack. Is This Enough Revenge?

The Call from Destiny

What did they think I was going to do? Call someone to complain? An orphan like me had no one to call.

“Hey, who are you calling? Your parents in heaven to come save you?”

A mocking voice was heard, followed by some laughter. I ignored it all. My fingers slid quickly across the screen searching for a contact saved as Leo. I pressed the call button. The call connected instantly.

“Yes, Madame President. I am at your service.”

The voice on the other end of the line was exceedingly respectful. I didn’t respond. I simply spoke, my voice was cold as ice, without a hint of emotion, but loud enough for those nearby to hear.

“Leo, I’m giving you 30 minutes. Seize the estate at 27 Oak Haven Lane in Greenwich. Evict all unauthorized persons from the premises immediately.”

Having said that, I hung up, leaving behind a whirlwind of astonishment, mockery, and an arrogant family that had no idea their housewarming party was about to become an irreparable tragedy.

The luxurious ballroom fell into a strange silence after my call. A few seconds ago, the atmosphere was noisy and vibrant; now it was so quiet you could hear the clinking of ice cubes against the crystal of the glasses. Everyone looked at me with disbelief, as if I had just spoken in a language from another planet.

Then, like a chain reaction, the laughter began. At first restrained chuckles, but soon they turned into open, merciless laughter.

“The slaps must have gotten to her. She’s gone crazy.”

“Seize? Evict? What movie does she think she’s living in?”

“Poor girl, the shock must have made her delusional. It’s not easy marrying into a rich family.”

The comments and jeers echoed from all sides without any shame. My husband’s family, after a moment of bewilderment, quickly regained their air of superiority. Madeline was the first to burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Did you hear what my little country daughter-in-law said? She says she’s going to seize this very house! She must watch too much TV drama.”

She turned to me with a look full of contempt and false compassion.

“Chloe, dear, are you all right? Do you want me to call a psychiatrist to see you? A couple of slaps have driven you mad.”

Ethan, my husband, after the initial shock, quickly joined his mother. He approached me, his face no longer showing the cruelty from before, but a feigned concern. He tried to take my arm, but I took a step back with a glacial stare.

“Chloe, please don’t make any more scenes,” he said in a low voice, trying to seem understanding. “I know you’re hurt, and I’m sorry I got angry, but you can’t say these foolish things and embarrass the whole family. Everyone is looking at us. Come on, go rest in the bedroom. I’ll take care of everything.”

He was trying to play the part of a reasonable husband calming his distraught wife. They—his whole family—believed I was a simple pawn, a helpless victim they could trample and humiliate at will. They couldn’t imagine that the small-town girl they despised was actually the one holding the destiny of their entire family in her hands.

The Shadow President

I said nothing. I simply walked to an empty chair in a corner of the room and sat down. I took a handkerchief from my purse and gently dabbed the blood trickling from the corner of my lip. I was frighteningly calm.

My calmness seemed to irritate them even more, convincing them that I had truly lost my mind. The party resumed, but the atmosphere was no longer the same. People ate and drank while casting furtive glances at me, whispering. I had become the laughingstock, the topic of conversation for the evening.

But I didn’t care. In my mind at that moment, there was no pain or humiliation, but the memories of a year ago, the day that pushed me into this cruel charade.

A year ago, I was Chloe Vance, the shadow president of IV Capital, one of the largest and most mysterious private investment funds in the United States. My parents passed away early, leaving me an immense fortune and a profound life philosophy: money is a tool, darling; you can use it to build, but it can also destroy you; learn to master it, never let it master you.

Tired of the world of high society, full of fake relationships and people who only approached me for my money and status, I longed for something simple: a true love. I wanted to find a man who would love me for who I was—for the normal Chloe, not for the president of IV Capital. And so, an audacious plan was born.

I created a completely new identity: Chloe, an orphan girl from a small town in Ohio who had moved to New York City to make a life for herself. I rented a small apartment. I got an office job at a regular company. I wanted to experience the life of an ordinary person to find what I was missing most.

And then I met Ethan. He was the commercial director of a construction company, the expanding family business. He was handsome, elegant, and spoke sweetly. He courted me with persistence and passion. He said he didn’t care about my past or my family background, that he only loved my simplicity and authenticity.

By his side, I found the feeling of being loved, of being protected. I believed his words, his tender gaze. Naively, I thought I had finally found the prince of my life.

Our wedding wasn’t overly ostentatious, but it was enough for his family to show off to friends and relatives. I became his daughter-in-law and began a life in what I believed was a happy family. But the dream shattered quickly. From the first days, Madeline and the rest of the family did not hide their contempt for me.

They criticized me for my background. They mocked me, calling me the country girl. They forced me to quit my job to become a housewife serving the entire family. They controlled every penny I spent, treating me like an unpaid maid.

I endured it. I tried to do everything possible to please them, all because I loved Ethan and because he was always by my side, comforting me with sweet words.

“Honey, my parents are a bit difficult. Try to put up with it for me, okay? As long as we love each other, that’s enough.”

And I believed him. For him, I endured the humiliation. For him, I gave up my self-respect. I had no idea that all his love, this whole marriage, was just part of a larger plan—a plan calculated down to the smallest detail.