Chapter 3Penniless in a Penthouse: My Billionaire Husband's Three Million Dollar Lie

Bella stood at the doorway, holding a clipboard and logging every single item the movers carried out.

"Check everything carefully. Don't miss a thing. Otherwise, Mr. Sterling won't even know his house was emptied and sold off."

I stood awkwardly to the side, possessing absolutely no authority to stop her.

Once they left, I looked at the empty, echoing penthouse and let out a bitter laugh.

A year ago, when I first moved in here, Carter had personally picked out and bought all of this for me.

At the time, he had just rescued me from the clutches of my gambling-addict father.

He had said, "From now on, you are my woman. You will never have to live in fear over money again."

His vow was sincere and passionate, and so I believed him.

But now, I had no idea if I had chosen the wrong path.

A local notification popped up on my phone.

It was a late-night part-time gig at a bar, paying sixty dollars a shift.

If I worked quietly for a month, I would have enough for the abortion.

When I went for the interview, the bar manager saw my earnest attitude and hired me on the spot, telling me to start in three days.

Walking out of the bar, I pulled out my phone to text Mia.

Before I could even finish typing, a violent wave of nausea hit my stomach. My vision went black, and I collapsed onto the pavement.

When I woke up, I was already in the hospital.

A young nurse noticed I was awake and began injecting something into my IV bag.

"You're suffering from long-term, severe malnutrition. This is a nutrient drip."

"This is my first time seeing a pregnant woman actually pass out from starvation. Where is your husband? This is incredibly irresponsible."

I gripped the edge of the blanket, my tone flat. "I don't have a husband."

Hearing that, a look of deep sympathy crossed her eyes.

"The baby is innocent. You can't keep torturing yourself like this."

I nodded. I used to think that having a child meant I would, at the very least, be allowed to eat a full meal.

But on the day I was discharged, I called Carter three times in a row. Every single call was declined.

Left with no choice, I borrowed money from Mia to pay the hospital bill.

She transferred the money without a second thought.

"You literally passed out, and Carter still ignores you and the baby?! Is he not afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"I'm going to go tear him apart."

I quickly stopped her. "Mia, please. Let me handle this myself."

"I've made up my mind about the baby. I'll contact him tonight."

To my surprise, when I got home, Carter was there.

He was wearing an apron, carrying a dish out of the kitchen.

Seeing me return, he didn't look particularly thrilled.

"Why is there absolutely no food in this house? Is this how you usually live?"

Before he could finish, the heavy smell of cooking oil assaulted my senses. I sprinted to the bathroom and dry-heaved over the sink.

Carter frowned and followed me in.

"What's wrong? You look awful."

He handed me a glass of water. "When did you get so fragile?"

I took the glass, rinsed my mouth, and finally felt a little better.

"Give me some money."

The air froze for a few seconds before Carter let out a dark scoff.

"So after all this drama, you're just asking for money?"

"Those three phone calls today—were they just for money, too?"

I leaned against the wall to support myself.

"Yes."

Carter looked at me, his eyes terrifyingly cold.

"You really never change, do you? You’ll do absolutely anything for cash."

He grabbed his coat and stormed toward the front door. Before stepping out, he paused.

"I'll have Secretary Vance transfer it to you."

Then, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang.

I don't know how much time passed before I finally dragged myself to the dining table.

On the table was a plate of glazed ribs—my absolute favorite dish.

But looking at it now, it only made my stomach churn with nausea.

Early the next morning, I received a text from Bella.

"Mrs. Sterling, human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Your endless, uncontrolled demands will only make Mr. Sterling despise you more."