Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

Though posed as a question, her words had an undeniable certainty about them. Everett froze, a swirl of emotions flickering through his dark eyes before vanishing entirely. He met Selena's fiery gaze, his lips pressed into a firm, icy line, remaining silent. Because, in truth, he had thought exactly that. The Bennett family wasn't a stranger to arranged marriages. His own parents were part of one. In his generation, he was accomplished and powerful enough not to need such ties to elevate his status. He could have chosen his partner freely.

However, his naturally aloof nature, coupled with witnessing his parents' unhappy union, left him with little appetite for emotional ties. Instead, his ambitions were laser-focused on his career. Marriage was never a priority until three years ago when Josh's declining health pushed him into marrying Selena.

This marriage threw a wrench into his international market expansion plans, and Selena's clingy nature only intensified his annoyance. In his ideal world, his wife wouldn't be a young girl like Selena. He didn't care about her background, but he hoped for someone independent, with her own thoughts and perspectives-not someone whose life revolved solely around her husband.

Ideally, she'd be well-read, able to hold meaningful conversations, and have an appreciation for the arts, as she would represent the Bennett family's image. But Selena didn't fit any of these ideals.

Still, she had her charms: young, beautiful, with flawless skin. She would blush and whimper in bed and only scratch him lightly in protest when pushed-exactly the kind of delicate beauty many men dreamt of. She seemed more suited to be a treasured mistress than a wife.

In reflection, hadn't he treated her more like a mistress anyway? Apart from their disagreements over having children, he satisfied all her needs, fulfilling his own desires in the process. He didn't care that she didn't meet his initial wife criteria or that she was a trophy wife without ambitions of her own. In fact, he found this setup quite to his liking.

Just as he was settling into this arrangement, she changed unexpectedly-perhaps aThis text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

late-blooming rebellion-and it left him baffled and frustrated. He liked having control and disliked anything off course, so he was keen to correct Selena's position

To his surprise, Selena seemed to read him like a book. Was she truly insightful, or was it a stroke of luck?

Selena had stopped caring about what Everett thought. She wouldn't let him dictate her life anymore. "Everett, you mocked me for being lazy and useless without a job. Now that I'm working, you're unhappy again. Do you think you can have it both ways?"

"I'm not giving up my career for anyone, not even you. I don't need your spare credit card. Let's stick to the contract: you pay me, and I work for you After the divorce, I'll take

what's mine and not a penny more!"

How naive she had been, thinking love could sustain her. After the harsh realities of marriage, she realized the only reliable support was oneself.

"Everett, do you really think women don't need careers? You've pulled so many strings to boost Margot's career, even at my expense..."

She cut herself off, not wanting to revisit that sore topic, but her frustration was clear. "You just look down on me, believe I'm less than other women, and not deserving of a career." Everett listened to her strong-willed speech, and the unexpected mention of Margot reignited his anger.