Fake Wife, Real Heiress: My Billion-Dollar Revenge

After three years of marriage, Natalie Stephens discovered that her marriage certificate was missing.

She hurried to the city hall for a replacement. The staff member there searched the records repeatedly before saying, "I can't find any marriage registered under your name."

Natalie's brow furrowed. "That can't be right. Maybe you should search again. My husband's name is Waylon Ashton."

The staff member ran another search. "Mr. Ashton does have a wife, but the woman on record isn't you."

Natalie was still struggling to process what she had discovered when she got into a cab back to the office.

She rushed upstairs as soon as she arrived at the company. Before she reached the CEO's office, she heard muffled voices and intimate noises coming from the lounge nearby.

"I've already waited for three years! How much longer are you going to keep that woman around? I'm your real wife!"

Natalie recognized the voice immediately.

It was Vera Curtis, Waylon's childhood friend. The two had grown up together, then fallen out of touch when the Curtis family went bankrupt.

They had crossed paths again two years ago. Because of their shared history, Waylon had given Vera a job as a marketing manager in his company.

Natalie had taken his willingness to help an old friend as proof that he was a good man.

It hadn't occurred to her that he had staged the whole thing to deceive her.

All along, Vera had been his legal wife, not her!

Waylon was breathing harder now. "Give me a little more time... I can dump her as soon as I close the RL International deal. That contract could bring in billions in profit and keep the company funded for years. After that, I'll have no use for her."

"Fine, you get another month," Vera replied in a sweet voice. "But you'd better keep your word this time. If you don't, I can't guarantee what I'll do."

"You and that jealous streak." Waylon chuckled fondly. "Trust me, I know what you're capable of. Last time, I only spent her birthday with her, and you went and hit her with your car. You think I'd dare make you mad again after that?"

"Good. Keep that in mind. Mmm... be gentle..."

Soon, they were doing more than murmuring between breaths.

The noises from the lounge became more intimate.

Natalie sucked in a sharp breath and quickly stepped back from the door.

Vera was the one who had hit her with the car last time?

That explained why Waylon had offered to take care of everything after the accident. He rarely took anything seriously, but he had told her to leave it all to him and concentrate on getting better.

Was that what he had meant by taking care of it? Letting Vera get away with everything when she had almost bled to death because of her?

Natalie made as little noise as she could as she slipped into the CEO's office. She took an easily overlooked document from the pile on his desk that was waiting for approval.

Once she was out of the office, she finally breathed easier. Then, she casually slipped the document into a shredder.

It was the divorce agreement she had prepared. No one would ever read the words on it again.

Natalie smiled a little.

She had spent so much time trying to work out how to divorce Waylon without letting him catch on.

And now, it turned out they hadn't even been legally married.

Well, that made things a lot easier for her.

***

Six months ago, Natalie opened her eyes in a hospital bed and felt an odd emptiness inside.

She had come close to dying, but there was no sign of her husband by her side now.

When she checked her phone, she found a photo Vera had shared on social media only minutes ago. In the photo, Waylon was holding a controller and playing a video game, completely focused on it.

The caption was, "As long as I've got you beside me, I can make it through anything."

Natalie had thought that would leave her heartbroken.

But she didn't feel a thing. She even hit Like on Vera's post.

Waylon and Vera had overstepped plenty of times before.

For their wedding anniversary, Natalie and Waylon had gone to a romantic restaurant. But then, Vera had suddenly called about a stomachache, and Waylon had left her there alone.

She had once worked herself to the bone to land a deal, only to find Vera's name on the contract. According to Waylon, Vera needed some achievements to her name so she could find her footing at the company.

When the orphanage that had raised her faced money problems, she wanted to put money into it to keep it running. But Waylon had spent those funds on a limited-edition designer bag for Vera...

They had dated for four years, then spent three more in what she had believed was a marriage. She had put up with a lot because she wanted their relationship to last.

But he had left her fighting for her life so he could play video games with Vera...

Natalie suddenly felt that the relationship wasn't worth holding on to anymore.

She had waited far too long to leave.

At that moment, someone knocked on her hospital room door, and a man in a well-tailored suit walked in.

"You're Ms. Natalie Stephens, correct? We've verified that you're Gerald Campbell's only daughter. He was the former chairman of the Campbell Group. His will entitles you to everything he left behind."

The car accident had left Natalie in need of a blood transfusion. Because her blood type was rare, representatives of a trust company had been able to locate her.

The story they told her was almost impossible to believe. An heir from a wealthy family had fallen in love with a woman, but the two had been forced apart. He had never married after that. As he grew older, he had begun searching for his biological child so he could leave her a fortune of more than a hundred billion dollars.

But instead of getting caught up in the excitement of such an enormous inheritance... Natalie thought of one thing first: that bastard Waylon wasn't getting a cent.

She stopped herself from confronting him and breaking things off right now.

She spent the rest of her hospital stay quietly recovering, then went back to the Ashton family's residence as if nothing had happened. She continued to work as Waylon's personal secretary.

All the while, she looked everywhere for their marriage certificate without his knowledge. Her plan was to tuck a divorce agreement among the papers awaiting his signature.

But she had searched the entire estate without finding the certificate.

That left her with no choice but to visit the city hall.

She hadn't expected that single trip to reveal the truth. Her marriage to Waylon had been a lie from the start.

Now, she could hardly believe how well things had turned out.

Without Vera hitting her with her car, the Campbell family, the richest family in the country, would've never tracked her down.

And if Waylon hadn't passed off a fake marriage certificate as real, he might've had a claim to half the vast fortune she stood to inherit.

How had she managed to get this lucky?

***

Natalie went back to the villa.

Waylon was still fooling around with Vera at the office, so she used the chance to pack.

She wasn't his wife. So why waste another minute in a home where everything was a lie?

She only needed to leave, and she could start a wonderful new life.

Natalie was already imagining sunshine, sandy beaches, and handsome young guys with sculpted eight-pack abs...

She was humming cheerfully as she dragged her suitcase downstairs and pulled open the front door.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Natalie gave the screen a casual glance and went still.

Her lawyer had sent her a message.

"We've hit a snag with the paperwork for your inheritance."

Natalie's heart sank, and she quickly asked for more details.

"What happened?"

The lawyer responded within moments, "Several distant members of the Campbell family have been delaying the certification of the overseas assets and disputing the valuation of the family trust. At this rate, the entire process may take another two or three months."

Natalie's shoulders sagged slightly.

She should have known that this was never going to be so simple.

Families with that much money were full of hidden agendas and internal battles. Joining one of them was never going to come without resistance.

She was Gerald's biological daughter, and his will had explicitly named her as the rightful heir. Legally, there was nothing anyone could do to challenge her claim.

Still, the distant relatives who had controlled the Campbell Group for years and held shares on behalf of the family were hardly going to surrender that kind of wealth without putting up a fight.

Perhaps realizing how frustrated Natalie was, the lawyer quickly followed up with another message.

"I've heard from someone on the inside that the Campbell family already looked into your past. They think you've spent years centering your entire life around Waylon and that you have no career ambitions of your own. Because of that, they don't consider you much of a threat right now. If you continue acting like a lovesick fool and let them believe you're easy to control, they'll probably assume a few yearly dividends will be enough to keep you satisfied. That should make them less likely to interfere in the matter. You'll need to maintain the act a little longer. Once the inheritance is fully transferred, you'll finally be free to do whatever you want."

A trace of bitterness crossed Natalie's face. She stared at the message for a while before finally replying, "Alright."

Since leaving the Ashton family wasn't an option yet...

She could at least make good use of the remaining time and teach the shameless pair a lesson they wouldn't forget.

Once the Campbell family stopped seeing her as a threat and the inheritance was safely in her hands, she could walk away from the Ashton family and leave the mess behind.

Before she could think any further, her phone suddenly rang with a call from Waylon.

"Be ready tonight. There's a major business gala, and I've heard the president of RL International's eastern region will be attending. We can't waste this chance. We need to get that contract signed."

He ended the call immediately after saying that.

Natalie barely reacted. Waylon had always spoken to her as though she were someone expected to follow his orders without question.

There had been a time when she convinced herself that he was that controlling only because he didn't understand how to express love properly.

Now, she understood the truth. He had simply never respected her in the first place.

Since she was stuck with the Ashton family for a little while longer, she might as well continue playing the role they expected from her.

Natalie unpacked her things, picked an appropriate evening gown, and kept her makeup light and elegant. By the time she was ready, Waylon's car had already pulled up outside.

When she opened the rear door of the luxury car, she discovered that the backseat was already occupied.

Waylon was dressed in a custom dark-gray suit, while Vera sat beside him in a gown that matched him almost perfectly. Even the pleated detail near her neckline echoed the design of his pocket square.

Both of them turned to Natalie at the same time, resembling an affectionate couple whose private moment had just been interrupted.

Waylon spoke before Natalie could question the arrangement. "Vera is the marketing manager. Once the contract is finalized, she'll be responsible for communicating with RL International, so she's accompanying me as my plus-one tonight. I need to introduce her to their team. You're attending as my secretary."

Natalie didn't respond. She simply shut the rear door, walked around the vehicle, and slipped into the front passenger seat.

She didn't even care enough to ask why Waylon needed her there at all if Vera was the one he intended to parade around as his plus-one.

Every early discussion and negotiation with RL International had been handled by her. She had spent months going back and forth with their team, sacrificing countless nights to revise one proposal after another until both sides were finally close to an agreement.

Even so, the final partnership terms and implementation strategy still needed formal approval from RL International's headquarters.

That made tonight's banquet especially important. Waylon and Vera both knew that without her present, they would have a much harder time pushing the deal forward.

Natalie also understood exactly what would happen if the partnership succeeded. Waylon and Vera would happily step forward and claim the achievement as their own.

It didn't matter, though. She had already made preparations of her own...

The luxury car gradually disappeared into the night traffic.

From the back seat, Waylon watched Natalie in silence as an uneasy feeling slowly crept over him.

He knew perfectly well that what he was asking of her tonight was unfair, which was why he had prepared several excuses in case she protested.

But she hadn't argued at all. She had accepted his arrangement with almost unsettling calm.

Her reaction bothered him for reasons he couldn't quite understand.

Why did something suddenly feel so off?

***

At the banquet, nearly every major figure in Sainkiat had gathered at the venue.

Vera walked into the hall with her arm looped through Waylon's, leaving Natalie to trail a few steps behind them.

Because Ashton Group's agreement with RL International was nearly finalized and everyone expected the company's market value to skyrocket afterward, several influential guests quickly approached to greet them.

"Mr. Ashton, you brought your wife with you tonight?"

"Your wife is stunning. You're one lucky man!"

"The two of you look perfect together. I'm getting envious..."

Every compliment was directed at Waylon and Vera. Hardly anyone spared Natalie a second glance, assuming the woman following behind them was nothing more than a secretary.

Technically, that assumption wasn't entirely wrong.

Waylon smiled through the misunderstanding without correcting anyone. After a moment, however, he quietly slipped his arm free from Vera's, slowed down, and waited until Natalie caught up so that she could walk beside him.

His intentions couldn't have been more obvious. He was trying to soothe Natalie without correcting what he had just allowed everyone to believe.

In his mind, Natalie was supposed to convince herself that all those praises for Mrs. Ashton had actually been meant for her.

Natalie had known Waylon far too long to miss what he was trying to do.

Still, confronting him in front of everyone wouldn't benefit her right now.

His halfhearted show of consideration made her feel disgusted, but she kept her composure.

Natalie's eyes moved across the ballroom until she spotted the president of RL International's Eastern Region. Keeping her voice low, she said, "Mr. Mitchell is standing near the piano."

Waylon immediately headed in that direction.

He straightened his tie as he approached and greeted the man with an eager smile. "Mr. Mitchell, I didn't expect to run into you here tonight..."

Natalie had just started after him when someone suddenly pushed her away.

She stumbled several steps before barely managing to regain her balance.

When Natalie turned around, Vera was staring at her with open contempt. "Just because we're here to discuss business doesn't mean you get to stick to Waylon's side. Remember who's actually here as his plus-one tonight."

Natalie nearly laughed at how ridiculous the words sounded.

As though she had any interest in fighting Vera over Waylon.

If Vera wanted him that badly, she would've happily wished them a lifetime together, provided they both stayed far away from her.

With her chin raised smugly, Vera brushed past Natalie and headed straight for Waylon, smoothly hooking her arm through his again.

But Waylon immediately pulled away from her, turned, and gestured toward Natalie. "Natalie, come here."

Vera's face tightened, and the glare she sent Natalie was full of resentment.

She was supposed to be the true Mrs. Ashton.

So why, even when she was attending the banquet as his plus-one, did she still have to step aside for Natalie?

Natalie ignored her entirely and stepped forward, offering her hand to Dominick Mitchell, president of RL International's Eastern Region. "Mr. Mitchell, it has been a while."

Dominick smiled as he shook her hand. "It has. Mr. Ashton was just telling me that you've finished preparing the contract?"

"I have." Natalie pulled out the project contract she had brought with her. "I'd be grateful if you could review it when you have a moment, Mr. Mitchell."

Dominick waved the document away with an easy gesture. "That won't be necessary. We've already gone over the terms more times than I can count. I trust your professional judgment completely."

Waylon's expression immediately brightened at that. "Then does that mean we can sign the contract tonight-"

"Did Natalie not explain it to you, Mr. Ashton?" Dominick interrupted with a raised hand. "We've agreed on most of the terms, but this project will affect the group's Eastern Region strategy for the next five years. Headquarters still requires the CEO's approval before anything can be signed. Fortunately for you, our CEO, Mr. Damien Elliott, happens to be here tonight. If you can secure his approval, then I'd say this partnership is a done deal."

The conversation around them noticeably quieted as soon as those words left his mouth.

RL International ranked among the most powerful conglomerates in the world, with major interests in energy, technology, finance, and advanced manufacturing. Its influence extended across more than seventy percent of the world's critical supply-chain hubs.

Even Dominick, merely the president of the Eastern Region, carried enough influence to make nearly every important guest at the banquet eager to stay on his good side.

And now, he was saying the CEO of the entire corporation was standing somewhere in this very room?

Natalie was equally surprised.

She knew the project still needed final approval from headquarters, but no one had told her the CEO would personally attend the banquet.

Her gaze followed Dominick as he carried the contract toward a sofa tucked into the far corner of the hall and presented it to the young man sitting there.

Instead of taking the document right away, the man raised his eyes and scanned the crowded room until his gaze landed directly on her.

Natalie's heartbeat suddenly stumbled.

The man's features were sharp and striking, his eyes unreadable. More than that, he carried a quiet authority that made people instinctively take him seriously.

Natalie had noticed him earlier. Sitting alone in the corner, he was so ridiculously handsome that everyone around him seemed almost forgettable.

At the time, she had assumed he was a rising actor brought along by wealthy sponsors to make connections with investors.

She never would've guessed that he was actually the CEO of RL International.

So that was what a truly powerful CEO looked like.

Beside him, the other important guests at the banquet suddenly seemed like ordinary businessmen.

Damien finally took the contract and skimmed through it briefly. Then, he lifted his eyes and said something with a faint, knowing smile. A moment later, Dominick returned and said, "Mr. Elliott wants to speak with you."

Waylon swallowed hard as excitement surged through him.

This was the CEO of RL International, the very man nearly every powerful businessman in the room wanted to impress.

If he could establish a partnership with him, the Ashton family's business would rise to an entirely different level.

Wouldn't even Sainkiat's most influential figures have to treat him carefully once that happened?

Just imagining that made Waylon's pulse race.

Having grown so used to Natalie accompanying him everywhere, he started forward and said to her without even thinking, "Come with me."

Natalie's brows drew together slightly, but she followed anyway.

The moment they reached Damien, Waylon immediately put on his most flattering smile. "Mr. Elliott, I've heard so much about you. I've personally overseen this partnership from the beginning and made sure every detail was handled properly. It's a real honor that our proposal has earned your attention-"

Damien dropped the contract onto the floor before Waylon could continue. "Did you even read this?"

Waylon's expression stiffened. "Of... of course."

"And after reading it, you still thought this was acceptable?" Damien glanced at him coldly. "Is this the standard the Ashton Group considers professional?"

Panic flashed across Waylon's face as he hurriedly bent down and picked up the contract.

Sweat gathered along his forehead, but he didn't even bother wiping it away. Instead, he began flipping through the pages as fast as he could.

What exactly was wrong with the contract?

Hadn't everything been prepared according to what they had agreed on?

Damien lifted his glass and took a slow sip before speaking. "The financial projections in Appendix Three are seven percentage points different from the figures in your original proposal."

Waylon nearly lost his balance. He whipped around toward Natalie, anger and accusation blazing in his eyes. "How did that happen?"

Natalie blinked at him with innocent confusion. "I... I have no idea. Weren't you the one who personally finalized everything?"

Waylon immediately snapped, "You were the one who-"

A mocking laugh from Damien cut him off. "Interesting. The second a problem appears, your first instinct is to blame someone else. What an impressive sense of responsibility."

Waylon shut his mouth at once, not daring to say anything more.

Because he had wanted all the credit for himself, he had always arranged for Natalie to negotiate with Dominick while everything officially remained under his name.

Now that the contract had a problem, there was no way he could admit he hadn't even bothered reading it. No matter how furious he was, he had to accept the blame.

"This was my mistake. I sincerely apologize." Waylon lowered his head. "I hope you'll give me a chance to correct it, Mr. Elliott."

Damien merely swirled the wine in his glass slowly.

Still, the pressure radiating from him made his attitude obvious. He wasn't about to let the matter go easily.

Waylon drew in a slow breath, visibly forcing himself to make a painful concession. "To show our sincerity, the Ashton Group is willing to give up another ten percent on the deal."

Damien let out a humorless laugh and looked at him as though he had said something ridiculous. "RL International has plenty of companies willing to work with us. Why would I choose one that slips major inconsistencies into its contracts?"

Waylon's chest tightened.

Was Damien actually planning to walk away from the partnership entirely?

He couldn't let that happen!

The Ashton Group had already scaled back several other projects months ago just to concentrate its manpower and resources on securing this deal with RL International.

If everything collapsed now, the company wouldn't merely miss out on billions in expected profits. Every cent invested in the project over the past several months would be in vain.

His father and the shareholders certainly wouldn't let him off.

After weighing his options, Waylon swallowed his pride. "Mr. Elliott, please give me one more opportunity. If you're willing to continue this partnership, I'll accept whatever condition you set."

Damien lifted one brow. "Whatever I ask, you'll agree?"

"Yes," Waylon replied without hesitation.

Tension coiled through him as he waited to hear what Damien intended to demand from him.

Damien, however, remained silent. His attention drifted toward something nearby, and faint amusement appeared in his eyes.

Waylon followed his line of sight and immediately noticed a bottle of red wine.

An idea struck him at once. "I'll finish that entire bottle as my apology."

Damien said, "Don't bother. Forcing someone to drink can end badly, and I have no interest in being blamed if something happens to you."

Waylon hurriedly said, "No one's forcing me. I'm choosing to drink it myself to prove how sorry I am."

Before anyone could stop him, he snatched up the bottle, tipped his head back, and started drinking straight from it.

Vera hurried over to Natalie, concern flashing across her face. "Why are you just standing here? You know Waylon can't hold his liquor. Go over there and drink it for him!"

Natalie turned toward her. "Did you even think before opening your mouth?"

Vera's brows drew together. "What are you talking about? I'm telling you to go and help Waylon!"

Natalie quietly sighed.

Some people apparently needed even the most obvious things explained to them.

Keeping her voice low enough that only Vera could hear, Natalie said, "He's drinking because he's the one who made the mistake. The whole point is to prove to Mr. Elliott that he's taking responsibility. If I suddenly step in and drink for him, what do you think that'll look like?"

Vera stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Natalie nearly gave up. Clearly, subtle explanations were wasted on Vera. "It'll make Mr. Elliott look like he's intentionally humiliating Waylon. You'd be putting Mr. Elliott in an awkward position, and Waylon would probably suffer even more because of it."

Concern crept across Vera's face. "But if Waylon actually finishes that whole bottle, he's going to feel sick..."

She narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Are you only saying this because you don't want to drink for him? Is this just your excuse to avoid helping him?"

Natalie sighed inwardly again.

Even a direct explanation apparently wasn't enough for Vera to grasp something this simple.

Then again, it was true that she didn't want to help Waylon.

She was the one who had deliberately altered the contract figures in the first place.

There was absolutely no chance she would let months of her own hard work become a gift to a cheating bastard and the shameless woman clinging to him.

When Natalie still didn't move, Vera pressed her again, saying, "Hurry up and do something!"

Natalie immediately shot back, "You're the one who came here as his plus-one. Why don't you drink it for him?"

Vera fell silent for a moment. Then, she muttered, "Actually... maybe you're right. If either of us interferes now, it could make things even worse for him."

Meanwhile, with nearly everyone watching, Waylon was still forcing himself through the bottle.

His throat worked with every swallow while red wine leaked from the corners of his mouth and ran down onto his tailored suit, leaving one dark stain after another.