Chapter 1Penniless in a Penthouse: My Billionaire Husband's Three Million Dollar Lie

In my third month of pregnancy, I took a part-time job at a local bar.

That very same night, I bumped into my husband and his buddies hanging out in a VIP booth.

Carter Sterling leaned back against the plush leather sofa, raising his hand to light a cigarette.

"Is a five-hundred-thousand-dollar monthly allowance too little for a wife?"

His best friend nearly jumped off the couch in shock. "Five hundred grand is too little? Your wife must blow through cash like crazy."

"Are you sure she’s not keeping a sugar boy on the side?"

The booth instantly fell dead silent. Carter’s expression turned grim.

"Last night she said she was strapped for cash, so I wired her another hundred and fifty grand."

"But this morning she asked for a divorce. She told me if I couldn't afford to provide for her, I should let her go."

Standing outside the door, I trembled with absolute rage.

Looking down at my slightly rounded stomach, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I shoved the door open and stormed in.

Before he could even process what was happening, I slapped him hard across the face.

"Tell me the truth. How many wives do you actually have?"

His eyes were bloodshot. He practically gritted his teeth as he spoke, "Only you..."

I froze. "Then why do I only get one hundred and fifty dollars a month?"

After my period was late for a whole month, I had gritted my teeth and bought the cheapest pregnancy test at the pharmacy.

When I saw the two pink lines, my vision went completely dark.

I quickly took a picture and sent it to my best friend, Mia.

"What do I do, Mia? I'm pregnant, and I'm at the brokest point of my entire life."

She replied instantly. "Carter is a dog. It's bad enough he doesn't give you any money, but he gives you something nobody wants."

After cursing Carter out, she turned her wrath on me.

"Didn't you have your own birth control? Are you an idiot? Why didn't you use it?"

Even through the screen, I could feel her fury.

It wasn't that I didn't want to use it. It was because I couldn't afford to buy any...

With the $150 deposited into my account every month, I barely had enough to eat. Buying birth control wasn't even on my radar.

And as fate would have it, Carter had always dreamed of having a kid. When I didn't buy any protection, he was thrilled.

I never expected to get knocked up on the first try.

The loud growling of my stomach pulled me back to reality.

Holding the thirty dollars Mia had lent me, I went downstairs to buy a loaf of bread and a carton of milk that were about to expire.

For no other reason than they were half-price.

I leaned against the wall, taking a bite of dry bread and chasing it with a sip of milk.

Suddenly, I felt entirely ridiculous.

I was the dignified wife of the Sterling Group’s CEO, living in a fifteen-million-dollar penthouse, yet I was so broke I had to stake out the grocery store for discounted food.

Swallowing the last bite of bread, I finally called Carter.

Unsurprisingly, his secretary, Bella Vance, answered the phone.

She was Carter’s executive assistant and also the one in charge of distributing my living expenses.

"Mrs. Sterling, if I recall correctly, your allowance for this month has already been transferred."

I forced myself to stay calm, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"I'm pregnant. Please send a little more this month."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a scoff of pure disdain.

"Last time you claimed you had low blood sugar, and I made an exception and transferred an extra twenty dollars. Now you've made up a lie about being pregnant?"

"Mr. Sterling’s money doesn't grow on trees. I suggest you learn some self-control."

Before I could even explain, she hung up.

When we first got married, Carter had promised to provide for me, telling me to relax and enjoy the life of a wealthy socialite.

But $150 a month was simply not enough to survive.

Later, I tried to get a part-time job at a local coffee shop to earn some pocket money.

When Carter found out, he bought the entire franchise.

"Do I look like a man strapped for cash? Why the hell is my wife working a minimum wage job?"

He wasn't strapped for cash, but he still didn't give me a single dime more.

I thought back to Mia's question: "Are you going to keep the baby?"

To be honest, I didn't know.

Maybe once Carter found out, for the sake of his child, he would finally give me a little more money.

I made an appointment at the hospital. The doctor said the baby was over two months along and developing normally.