Valerie's Vow

The next morning, Eugene arrived to pick Valerie up for her medical check-up. They did not even try to hide it, walking out hand in hand before getting into his car. Watching them together, I realized just how laughably naive I had been.

Back in high school, Valerie used to spend a lot of time at Susan's house for tutoring. Over time, she and Eugene got together, and their relationship lasted all the way through college.

However, when they started talking about marriage, Valerie's mother, Gloria Keller, stepped in. She could not accept the idea of her daughter marrying a guy from a single-parent household with no house or car in the city, so she broke them up.

Later, I fell for Valerie at first sight. I spent six months pursuing her before I finally met her family. Given my wealthy background, Gloria wasted no time pushing us into marriage.

In my past life, I had foolishly believed Valerie had cut ties with Eugene long ago. I assumed she only found out about Susan's illness through a class group chat. It was not until I stumbled upon several gigabytes of messages on Valerie's phone that I realized the truth that they had never truly ended things.

Eugene texted her every day, and their conversations had long crossed the line of mere friendship.

Once their car disappeared down the street, I called my lawyer and asked him to draft the divorce papers. Just as I hung up, Caleb Larson's car pulled up to my house.

Caleb was Valerie's younger brother. He had a reputation for being carefree and reckless—the kind of guy who could stir up trouble anywhere he went.

Valerie and I had been married for five years, and every year, she would take money from our joint account to give to Caleb. The latter could easily burn through hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

In my past life, I had once loved Valerie so much that I convinced myself her family was my family, that a little money here and there would not hurt. Because of this, Caleb had gotten used to showing up at my doorstep with his hand out.

If memory served right, he came today to pitch me on an investment idea. He and a friend wanted to start a small factory, promising quick returns with a modest upfront investment. However, I had seen the proposal before. It was a financial trap, a slow-bleeding scam that would leave anyone involved bankrupt.

In my past life, I had firmly rejected this scheme. This time, I took the papers he handed me, glanced through them, and said, "Sure, it seems like a decent investment."

Caleb's eyes lit up. "Really, Austin? Alright, just give me fifty grand. We'll split the profits seventy-thirty."

I closed the document, pretending to be regretful. "Ah, I just put a lot of money into a new batch of equipment. I can't free up that kind of cash right now. But this does seem promising.

"You still have that house, right? Sell it. Once I have more funds next month, I'll buy you an even better one."

Caleb, who had grown used to my generosity, did not even hesitate. All his money came from me anyway, and I even paid for the house. By that afternoon, he had sold his place and dumped the entire sum into his shady business venture.

I was satisfied with how this played out. I knew I would never see a return on the money I had spent on him, and since I could not have it back, I sure as hell would not let the Larsons keep it either.

Later that evening, my private investigator called. He informed me that Valerie and Eugene had not even gone to the hospital that morning. I just grunted in response.

Over the next few days, Eugene picked Valerie up every morning, and I made a point of asking them how their 'preparations' were going, acting every bit the supportive husband.

Two weeks later, Valerie walked up to me, clutching a positive pregnancy test. She announced, "I'm pregnant."

"That's wonderful," I replied, glancing at the two solid lines as a strange feeling crept into my chest.

I had already looked into this. For IVF, the initial preparations alone would take at least two months, and successful implantation would not happen overnight. The fact that she managed to get pregnant in just two weeks made it clear enough what had really happened.

Valerie was relieved that I did not question her. Then, she seemed to suddenly remember her own health concerns.

She asked, "Austin, you know I have a heart condition. Now that I'm pregnant, I want to stay home and rest. Also, Mrs. Dyer's condition has worsened, and she really wants to see Eugene get married before it's too late. I want to fulfill that wish. Would that be alright?"

I nodded. "Of course."

Valerie threw her arms around me. "You're the best, Austin! But weddings are expensive, and you know Eugene's situation... Maybe we could cover the costs?"

I could not believe Valerie's audacity. It was bad enough that she cheated on me, but she even wanted me to pay for their wedding.

Did she really take me for a fool?

I forced a troubled expression and let out a weary sigh. "I understand why you'd ask, but the company's finances are tight right now. The shareholders are watching every penny, and with you being pregnant, I had to set aside funds for your medical care. I even hired a private medical team for you, considering your heart condition. I just can't afford to move money around right now."

Valerie's expression fell, clearly disappointed at the thought of not having a proper wedding. "But what should we do? Eugene really can't afford it."

I leaned in, my tone gentle and supportive. "Why don't you have him borrow the money for now? Once we go through with the divorce, I'll make sure you get a generous share of the assets, enough to cover the wedding. That way, the shareholders won't suspect anything."

Valerie hesitated, then slowly nodded. "Alright."

A few days later, Eugene scraped together a loan, and the two of them quickly threw together a small, private wedding. Valerie was terrified of her parents finding out, so they only invited Eugene's side of the family, keeping the entire affair a secret from her own.

By that afternoon, I received the wedding video in my inbox, courtesy of the event company they had hired.

I genuinely spared no expense on Valerie's care, providing her with a medical team that monitored her daily. I made sure she had the best nutrition and the most expensive prenatal supplements.

I cared about the baby as if it were my own child.

Alas, Valerie rarely stayed home. She frequently snuck out to be with Eugene at the hospital, but I pretended not to notice.

Given my efforts, Valerie's baby was growing healthy and larger than average. Pregnancy was already taxing on a woman's body, and for someone with a congenital heart condition like Valerie, it was especially dangerous.

By the fourth month, her heart started struggling to keep up. Some of her test results were already showing troubling signs. Still, with the medical team constantly adjusting her care, Valerie remained blissfully unaware of just how fragile her condition had become.

Meanwhile, Susan's health took a surprising turn for the better. Word had it that a suitable kidney match had finally been found. All they needed was for the donor to pass away, and she would be eligible for a transplant.

However, surgeries like that did not come cheap. When Valerie came to me for money again, I used my same excuse about tight finances.

With no other options, Eugene turned to a loan shark, betting on the substantial divorce settlement to cover the costs once Valerie and I officially split.

Then, one day, the lead doctor on Valerie's team pulled me aside. He informed me that her pregnancy had reached the four-month mark, and by this point, terminating it would be as risky as carrying it to full term.

I was relieved. Finally, the net I had cast started to tighten, and it was time to settle the score.

I called Valerie. "Valerie, it's time for us to finalize the divorce. Otherwise, your child with Eugene won't have a proper legal status."

Valerie and Eugene rushed over to my office without hesitation. I had already arranged for my lawyer to be present. Valerie had brought up divorce countless times, but I always found a reason to delay.

She glanced over the agreement before signing. Her eyes quickly landed on the section about asset division. When she realized it stipulated that she would walk away with nothing, she froze.

She pointed at the lines in question and asked, "What does this mean? A divorce means splitting everything in half. Why aren't you giving me a single cent?"

I shrugged, feigning innocence. "Isn't this just a fake divorce? We're only doing this for the kid's paperwork. Why bother dividing the assets? Unless, of course, you plan on running off with my money."

Her face flushed with guilt. She shot a quick, nervous glance at Eugene, insisting, "It's just better to be clear about these things. You never know what might happen."

I knew exactly what might happen. They were hoping to cash out and ride off into the sunset together, living off my hard-earned fortune.

"Alright," I said, pulling a few glossy photographs from the folder. "Let's be clear, then. You cheated during our marriage, so walking away without a cent sounds fair, doesn't it?"