My Arrogant Cousin Boasted About Her Rich Husband—Until He Bowed To Mine
Previously: When my arrogant cousin Victoria tried to humiliate me at an upscale wedding by boasting about her wealthy husband, she had no idea who my quiet partner actually was.
The Mask Falls Away
The silence that fell over our corner of the garden was absolute. Nearby guests paused mid-conversation, their eyes darting between the deeply bowing Charles and my quiet, unbothered husband. Victoria’s face twisted in a mixture of confusion and intense embarrassment. She grabbed her husband’s arm, trying to force him back upright.
"Charles, what on earth are you doing?" she hissed, her voice cracking under the strain of her fading composure. "Stand up! Why are you bowing to Clara’s husband? He’s just an ordinary nobody!"
Charles whipped his head around, his eyes wide with desperate panic. "Shut up, Victoria!" he whispered harshly, shoving her hand away. He turned back to Arthur, his hands shaking as he kept his posture low. "Sir, please forgive my wife. She has no idea... she doesn't know who you are."
Arthur calmly adjusted his cufflinks, his sharp features completely relaxed. He looked down at Charles with an icy, calculating gaze. "It seems your wife has a lot to say about your wealth, Charles," Arthur said, his voice smooth and quiet, yet carrying an undeniable authority. "She claims you are the richest man in the city."
"No, sir! It’s a misunderstanding!" Charles pleaded, wiping a thick layer of sweat from his forehead. "I am just an employee. Please, I beg you not to take her words seriously."
Arthur took a slow step forward, the atmosphere growing heavier with every second. "I wouldn't mind the boasting, Charles. But as the CEO of the conglomerate, I spent this morning reviewing our quarterly financial audits. Specifically, the luxury acquisitions budget." Arthur’s eyes drifted slowly down to the sparkling diamond necklace clutching Victoria’s throat. "And I couldn't help but notice a missing sum of three hundred thousand dollars. A sum that seems to have materialized right around your wife's neck."
Victoria froze, her fingers tightening around the cold diamonds. The realization hit her like a physical blow, and she stared at her husband in sudden, sickening realization.
”The realization hit her like a physical blow, and she stared at her husband in sudden, sickening realization.