Chapter 1

My CEO wife, fearing I'll lack ambition after marriage, puts a price tag on every date.

Calling me "honey" costs ten grand, holding hands is thirty grand, and going public with our relationship comes with a hefty price of ten million.

To speed up our official announcement, I work overtime and schmooze like crazy. Meanwhile, my mom, worried sick about me, has a heart attack and urgently needs surgery. However, without a word, she transfers the few hundred grand I've saved up to her male assistant, claiming it's a year-end bonus.

I beg her to return the money, but she calls me a cheapskate who's not fit for high society, complaining that I've embarrassed her in front of the staff. Then she freezes all my accounts.

Later, when my mom passes away because of this, I decide to file for divorce. My wife sneers, thinking I'm playing hard to get:

"Fine, I won't charge you this time. We'll make it official when we go back for New Year's. You and your mom can finally have your moment of glory in the village!"

What she doesn't know is that from the day my mother died, I've been planning to study abroad and never speak to her again.

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As the lights in the living room suddenly flickered on, I found myself caught in the act of packing my bags.

In the next moment, my wife Elowen appeared behind me, attempting to wrap her arms around my waist.

"Gunner, you've been like a ghost these past few days. What are you up to, sneaking around?"

But as her gaze fell upon the suitcase at my feet, her hands froze mid-air.

"Why are you packing your things?"

Quickly, as if realizing something, her tone took on a hint of exasperation.

"Didn't I already unfreeze your account and explain everything in my messages?"

"It's the end of the year, and the company needs to set an example to boost morale."

"I only transferred that money to him for show, to make an impression on the staff. It's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of."

In the past, on a cold winter night like this, I would have rushed to warm her hands, listening patiently to her explanations.

But now, I simply continued packing, lost in my own world.

Elowen's brow furrowed as she let out a resigned sigh.

"Gunner, are you even listening to me? We've been together for so long, we're not kids anymore."

"Can't you think about my position for a moment? So many employees were watching at the time."

“If I, the CEO, renege on year-end bonuses and this reaches the board, we’ll lose more than mere millions.”

“Wasn't I strategizing for our future?”

She kept monologuing, crafting grandiose excuses with clinical precision.

She's always like this, using some vague future as a shield.

"If she really cared about me, why has she refused to make our relationship public all these years?"

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Elowen held out a check in front of me.

"Come on, it's just a few hundred grand. Look how upset you are."

"I was just worried you wouldn't strive to improve yourself before. I want what's best for you, don't I?"

"Here, fill in whatever amount you want. Let yourself splurge this time. Not angry anymore, right?"

But as I looked at the check, I didn't take it.

Every time we argue, Elowen tries to placate me with money, as if she's certain I'm someone who only cares about cash.

In the past, considering our history, I always chose to compromise.

But this time, it's no longer just about money.

My mom needs urgent heart surgery, yet Elowen transferred all my savings without a word, deciding at the last minute to give it as a year-end bonus to her newly hired male assistant, Rylan. On a snowy day, I knelt in front of the company, desperately begging Elowen to transfer money for my mother's treatment.

But she pointed at my nose and berated me, saying I was too stingy and only knew how to embarrass her in front of the employees.

Then, she blocked me and froze all my cards.

And I could only watch helplessly as my mother couldn't have the surgery and died painfully in her hospital bed.

Those hundreds of thousands could have saved her life.

Now, she casually hands me a check, thinking it can erase everything?

I shook my head and pushed the check back.

"I don't need it."

Elowen let out a sound, snatching the suitcase from my hand, and said impatiently:

"Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh?"

"Fine, I'll just officially announce our relationship when we go back for New Year's. That's worth ten million dollars, you know!"

"You're quite greedy, aren't you? Letting you and our mom show off in the village early. Now you must be happy, right?"

I laughed coldly inside.

I'm greedy?

I just want a normal relationship, like all ordinary couples, where we can hold hands freely, date openly, and proudly introduce each other as lovers.

But in her eyes, these became excessive demands.

After the company grew big, she changed. She always says she's afraid I won't strive for success, so she puts a price tag on everything with me.

Calling me "honey" costs $10,000, holding hands is $30,000, and going public with our relationship comes with an outrageous demand of $10 million.

She sugarcoats it by saying this is to train me, to motivate me to work harder.

But what's the real deal?

It's just her way of draining my savings, guarding against me like I'm some thief, afraid I'll take a chunk of her wealth.

She doesn't trust me at all.

What's the point of a relationship like this?

Thinking about it, I shook my head.

"There's no need anymore. We're about to get divorced anyway."

Damn. Elowen's face darkened, her tone turning cold.

"Divorce? Gunner, you..."

She was about to blow up when a knock at the door interrupted our argument.

Seeing who it was, Elowen instantly switched to a warm, friendly smile.

"Rylan? What brings you here in this heavy snow?"

Rylan stood in the doorway, shooting me a challenging look before turning to Elowen with fake sincerity:

"Ms. Carlisle, the year-end bonus you gave me is too generous. I can't accept it in good conscience."

"So, I've made a reservation. I'd like to treat you to dinner."He only then noticed me, feigning surprise as he spoke:

"Oh, Gunner, you're here too?"

"I didn't realize you'd be here, I didn't reserve a spot for you..."

"I'm having dinner alone with Ms. Carlisle, you won't be mad, will you?"

He paused, then added:

"If it bothers you, forget it, I'll cancel right now."

His pretentious act made me sick to my stomach.

Before I could speak, Elowen casually interrupted him.

"Hey, it's totally normal for coworkers to have dinner together."

"You're already struggling working here alone, can't waste money."

With that, she was about to drive off with Rylan.

Just as they reached the door, she seemed to remember something and turned back to remind me:

"Oh, don't forget to buy your ticket home. We'll make it official over the holidays, let's make your mom happy too."

Hearing this, I simply nodded.

"Don't worry, I bought my ticket long ago."

Elowen immediately smiled with satisfaction, even blowing me a kiss before turning to leave.

As I watched her figure disappear into the distance, I slowly pulled out a plane ticket.

She had no idea that I hadn't bought a ticket home, but rather a ticket to fly abroad.