Accomplishments

One of the reasons Daphne had been so successful with her company; later conglomerate; was because she had a wide range of representatives and she, as the owner and founder was anonymous.

Daphne was willing to bet nobody thought the owner of the Vermillion Conglomerate was a woman.

Another reason for her success was the existence of the internet and capitalism. Since she knew the game, she could exploit it. She also had many "friends" in high society to which she would subtly publicize whatever her company was trying to achieve.

Just the name being tossed around in those circles was a boost in reputation and reliability. Daphne found it ridiculous now, how sneaky she had been, how entertained she was by the whole ordeal. How fun it seemed to manipulate, move around and succeed in a male dominated field.

At this point though, where business was stable and the input she was required to give, minimal; Daphne had more money than she could spend in ten lifetimes. The fun of being accomplished had grown old, she had recognized that she was not as mischievous as she thought she was. Everybody wore a mask, just like her. The friendships were not genuine and it hurt to realize that people who sweet-talked you to your face, would bash you just as much behind closed doors.

Daphne's marriage to Ezra, she had done it in the end because he looked good and seemed perfect. She did not want to admit it, but just as much as he might have used her for her prestigious name, she used him for his money, looks and capabilities. But her naïve brain had not even contemplated how much jealousy and envy such a man would send her way.

Ezra was of mixed descent, he had some Asian blood, some American, some German and who knew what else. He had been raised with high expectations placed on his shoulders and he always met them. He was called a business prodigy, as once he took charge of his father's assets, he raised the value of the combined assets by at least thirty times in just five years. Those five years included the first four years of their marriage.

Many people theorized that in a few years, his group of companies would be worth trillions. In American dollars.

'Money isn't all it's cracked up to be.' Daphne thought as she turned over to lay on her back. Her eyes looked empty and crystal tears started to fall from them. Despite the tears, her face looked neutral.

Images shifted trough Daphne's brain. She was jealous of poorer married couples that struggled together. She struggled as well, but she had no one to share her struggles with.

Her marriage had started on the wrong foot and it had been in limbo ever since. It was sickening to realize how fast time had passed. Despite it being an almost decade long ordeal, there had been no improvement; no change.

Ezra was probably sleeping with his secretary. He had around five assistants, but this one was his private secretary, which is why, although he and Daphne barely had any interactions, Daphne had met the woman a few times. That woman had too much courage in the way she looked at Daphne for there to be no reason behind it. There was no cordiality coming from her, she did not even try when Ezra was present, and the fact that he never said anything spoke volumes to Daphne.

Theresa was a beautiful, well-educated woman, how else could she get a secretarial position with Ezra if she had no capabilities? As such, it was highly unlikely such a woman would treat the wife of her boss with disregard unless something was happening behind closed doors.