Filed to story: Billionaire Bride’s Revenge (Vera & Howard)
Vera Montgomery pushed the door open and walked briskly into the villa.
Today was her special day with Howard Shaw, and he had already planned the celebration.
“Howard? Are you home?” she called out.
Vera looked around but found no one in the large house.
Puzzled, she went upstairs to the second floor and was met with the unmistakable sounds of intimacy coming from the master bedroom.
A woman’s voice moaned loudly, trying to stifle her pleasure.
“Stop it, Howard. This isn’t fair to Vera.”
Hearing the soft moan was enough to drain all the color from Vera’s face, and it certainly didn’t help when she recognized the voice. It was Lily Johnson.
She was Howard’s ex-girlfriend-Vera had never expected her to return.
Yet there they were, in the master bedroom, engaged in an affair.
“Why is it unfair? Our families are joined by marriage for mutual benefits. Vera is just my wife in name. I don’t care for her at all. I’m not even interested in her body, and I’ve never touched her since we got married.”
“I pity her. Three years of marriage, and she hasn’t won her husband’s heart,” Lily commented.
Vera began to tremble. Those words pierced her heart like invisible daggers.
Her marriage to Howard had always been one of convenience, not love.
For the past three years, Vera had devoted herself entirely to her family. She did the laundry, cooked meals, and did her best to be a good housewife. Despite her efforts, Howard had never shared a bed with her. Vera had believed she wasn’t meeting his expectations and had failed to earn his approval. But now, she realized he had never cared for her at all.
The ongoing sounds of sex from the room made Vera’s heart ache.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, the door flew open.
The two people on the bed froze, and Howard quickly grabbed a blanket to cover both himself and Lily. When he saw Vera, he froze for a moment before his expression turned cold.
With disdain, he barked, “Get the f*ck out!”
Even though he had been caught in the act of adultery, he still carried himself with an air of arrogance.
Vera felt a sharp pain in her chest. Staring at her husband, who showed no remorse, she asked in disbelief, “Howard Shaw, why are you doing this to me?”
Lily leaned forward and deliberately pulled down the blanket a little bit, revealing the kiss marks on her collarbones.
With a soft sigh, she said, “Vera, you should understand that a mature man has physical needs. Howard doesn’t love you, so he doesn’t want to sleep with you. I’m the only one he loves, which is why he can only be intimate with me. I’m sure you can understand our situation, right?”
Lily smiled. She had deliberately chosen to seduce Howard, relishing the thought of Vera being overwhelmed.
Vera clenched her fists tightly and glared at Lily with bloodshot eyes. “You’re proud of being a home-wrecking b*tch, aren’t you?”
Lily’s eyes turned red as she replied, “How could you say that? Would I have broken up with Howard if your parents hadn’t threatened my family’s safety? Vera, forcing love only leads to suffering. And remember, in any relationship, the one who isn’t loved is the real outsider.”
Vera stared at her in shock. So this was the story Lily had told Howard. It was now clear to her how Howard couldn’t seem to move on from Lily.
The truth was that neither Vera nor her family had forced Lily and Howard apart.
That was Vera’s chance to defend herself, but before she could speak, Howard cut her off.
“Vera, if it weren’t for you, Lily wouldn’t have suffered so much these past few years. How dare you and your parents treat her that way? I will never forgive the Montgomery family.”
Howard had already stood up and dressed, his gaze toward Vera as cold as ice.
Vera’s heart continued to ache.
In that moment, she abandoned any attempt to explain and smiled bitterly.
She realized how blind she had been to love a man who cheated on her and felt no remorse.
A flash of satisfaction crossed Lily’s eyes, but she sighed with a guilty tone. “Howard, don’t be so hard on Vera. She overheard us at the door earlier. You haven’t slept with her in three years, so it’s understandable she’s feeling unbalanced.”
Vera trembled with rage. She stormed over to the bed and snapped, “You shameless slut! How dare you spew such nonsense? Didn’t anyone in your family teach you any manners? I’ll be happy to give you a lesson, then.” She raised her hand and slapped Lily across the face.
“Smack!”
“Eek!” Lily cried out in pain.
Her head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.
“Vera, you bitch!”
Howard’s eyes narrowed. Without a second thought, he rushed to defend Lily and slapped Vera back.
“Smack!”
Caught off guard, Vera was struck and staggered back. A burning pain spread across her right cheek, and her ears buzzed as she struggled to regain her balance. Anger flared in Howard’s eyes as he growled, “Who do you think you are? How dare you hit Lily! Marrying you is my biggest mistake in life.”
He turned abruptly, yanked open the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out a divorce agreement. He threw it at Vera and shouted, “Sign it. I never want to see your face again!”
The divorce agreement had already been prepared and signed by Howard.
Vera fought back a bitter smile. The pain in her cheek was sharp, but it couldn’t compare to the deep ache in her heart.
However, she knew it was time to let go of her marriage.
He didn’t love her and had even betrayed her. There was nothing left for her to hold onto.
Without hesitation, Vera picked up the agreement, quickly signed it, and threw it at Howard’s face. “Howard, I’m done. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”
As soon as she spoke, her phone rang. Vera froze when she saw the caller ID. Ignoring Howard’s reaction, she swiped to answer the call.
The voice on the other end sounded urgent. “Iris, when are you coming back to work? The orders at the studio are piling up. Someone has even offered a hundred million dollars for the chance to work with you.”
“I’m back now. I’ll be there in a second.”
Since Vera no longer needed to focus on Howard or play the docile and devoted wife, she was determined to return to her work immediately. She resolved never to fall in love again.