Married to the secret Billionaire Beauty

The door creaked open as Marie, her hands still stained with the colors of her latest customer, stepped into her home. The scent of lavender and vanilla hung heavy in the air, a familiar perfume that belonged to someone else. She followed the trail of discarded clothes up the stairs, her heart pounding like a hummingbird trapped in her ribcage.

"Please, no," she whispered as she pushed the bedroom door open.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her: Alejandro, her husband, tangled in their sheets with Jessica, her best friend. The betrayal burned like acid in her chest, reducing her world to rubble.

"Marie!" Alejandro scrambled out of bed, desperately clutching the sheet around his waist. "It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

"Save it!" Marie choked back a sob and rushed out of the room.

"Wait! Let me explain!" he called, following her down the stairs.

But Marie was already out the door, leaving only the echo of her pain behind her as she fished out her cellphone to call a number she hasn't in ages.

"Miss Marie, it is such a pleasant surprise hearing from you, is there something I can help you with?" The male voice came from the opposite side of the cell.

"Roger?" she sniffed, alerting the older man

"Marie, what is the problem?" Roger had always taken Marie like she was his own, hearing her break down over the phone makes him want to kill someone, and it wouldn't be hard for someone of his past. "You only need to give me a name." he demanded.

"No Roger, I just need you to prepare the jet, we're going home." She couldn't contain her tears anymore.

"Say no more." And home, they went.

Marie burst through the front door of her parent's mansion, mascara streaking down her cheeks. Her private pilot lugged in her Louis Vuitton suitcases behind her.

"Mom! Dad!" Marie cried out.

Her mother came rushing into the foyer, immediately embracing Marie in a tight hug.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

Marie could hardly get the words out between sobs. "I...I caught Alejandro in bed with Jessica!"

Her mother gasped, shooting an 'I told you so' look at Marie's father as he entered the room.

"That no-good son of a--" Marie's father grumbled under his breath.

Marie's mother shushed him, guiding a distraught Marie over to the sofa. "Now, now, let's not say anything we might regret."

Marie collapsed onto the couch, her body shaking. "I just...I don't understand. How could he do this to me?"

Her father sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We warned you when you married him that he was no good. We knew he didn't deserve our little girl."

Marie's mother nodded in agreement. "But the important thing is you're home now. We'll take care of everything, don't you worry."

She sobbed like a child in her mother's arms, "He is not like that, Mum, I just don't know why he would allow something like that to happen."

Marie's mother stroked her hair gently. "Oh honey, men like Alejandro don't need a reason to stray. He never appreciated what he had in you."

"Your mother's right," her father chimed in. "That man was out kicking up dust from day one. This was inevitable."

Marie shook her head, tears still flowing. "But I thought he loved me. I thought we had something special."

Her parents shared a knowing look. Her father squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You did have something special, sweet pea. But Alejandro was too foolish to see that. His loss is someone else's gain."

Marie looked up at her parents through blurry, mascara-streaked eyes. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew they were right. "What do I do now?" she whimpered.

Her mother tilted her chin up. "You hold your head high. You remember who you are - a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves the world. You get everything in order, talk to your lawyer, and you move forward."

"Lawyer? That would mean divorce Mom." Marie countered, but before her mother could reply, the father interrupted.

"You should let the poor girl get some rest after that long hours of flight, Valerie." He said in a gentle tone, looking deeply into the weary soul of his daughter.

"Okay fine, but get ready for what I said, someone has to teach the young man a lesson about taking things for granted," Valerie said through gritted teeth as she led Marie to her room.

"I will take the bags, thank you, Roger." Reese addressed the private pilot who looked concerned as his client was being guided upstairs by her mother. "What is it?" the father asked.

"She cried sir, but she wouldn't give me a name," Roger grunted, making Reese chuckle as he took the bags from him, nodding in gratitude that such a man was around to care for his daughter.

The next few days were literal hell for Marie and everything she came across, even the housekeepers were tired of having her around, but no one dared speak, after all, she was their boss.

"Who made this trash coffee?" Marie asked in an uninterested tone as the kitchen personnel squeezed herself into a corner to avoid the wrath of her. "No one, really?" she asked again, this time louder.

"It was me." Came the timid response making Marie turn in the direction of the voice.

"It was you? If I fired you now, do you think I would be prosecuted or killed for it?" the woman shook her head as her heart beat in her chest so loud she could feel it on her feet.

"No ma'am."

"Then why do you think you should not be killed for making this ridiculous coffee?"

"I am sorry ma'am, would you like me to make you another one?" she quickly asked, but Marie had other plans entirely in mind, one that she wasn't able to execute as her mother came running, knowing her daughter was already raining terror down on her staffs.

"And what do you think you are doing?" Valerie walked in with raised brows, looking suspiciously at Marie who was holding a knife with her hand as white as a sheet.

"Just teaching her a lesson that she will never forget." She replied without taking her eyes off of the woman for a second.

Valerie chuckled nervously, "What has this man done to my daughter?" she asked herself before speaking loudly, "Leave us Elizabeth, I'd like to talk to my daughter alone." The woman scurried away with her tails between her legs, thanking whatever stars were above for saving her.

"Mom, I know what you are about to say, I am fine, I just wanted her to know the differences between her coffee and the one I love to drink." She shrugged her shoulders, playing with the hem of her sweater.

Valerie hummed and walked closer to her, "I know you are hurting, baby, but there are sometimes you should just let go of the hurt and live a little. You should go out more, into town, your favorite spots." Her mother suggested, holding her close as a lone tear escaped.

"You know what? You're right, Mom."

Marie dashed outside and for once since her betrayal, she felt alive again.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled Marie's nose as she hurried down the busy sidewalk, lost in thought. She was still reeling from the discovery of her husband's affair just a few days prior. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of how her perfect life had shattered so suddenly.

She was so distracted that she didn't see the man in front of her until they collided. "Oh!" Marie cried out as the hot coffee in her hand splashed out onto his suit.

"I'm so sorry!" she said.

The man looked at his stained shirt and jacket and then up at her. To her surprise, he smiled kindly. "No worries at all," he said. Though she was frazzled, Marie couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, with warm brown eyes and a chiseled jawline.

"Here, let me buy you another coffee to replace the one I just spilled," the man offered.

Marie hesitated. She knew she should keep going; she had errands to run for her mother. But something about this stranger's gentle smile made her want to stay.

"Ok, sure. I'm Marie," she said, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Marie, I'm Xavier," he replied, shaking her hand. His touch was comforting and Marie felt herself relaxing slightly for the first time in days.

Maybe her mother was right - she just needed some fresh air and a change of scenery from the family estate. As she and Robert walked into the bustling coffee shop together, Marie pushed Alejandro and his betrayal from her mind, if only for a moment.

"I know exactly what to do." She thought to herself and took out her cell phone, this time to do what she had been pushing off. Her divorce process.

Marie took a deep breath as she stood outside the front door of the home she had shared with Alejandro. Though she knew she needed to move her belongings out, being back stirred up a storm of emotions.

She steeled herself and unlocked the door, hoping to slip in quickly and leave the divorce papers on the kitchen counter for him to find. But the moment she stepped inside, the overhead light clicked on.

"Marie? What are you doing here?" Alejandro asked in surprise.

Marie jumped, her heart pounding. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid.

"I'm just dropping these off," she said sharply, holding up the envelope containing the divorce petition.

Alejandro's face fell. "So that's it? You won't even try counseling? Give me another chance?" he pleaded.

Anger flared up in Marie. How dare he act heartbroken when he was the one who had betrayed their marriage?

"You didn't think about me or our marriage when you slept with my best friend," she spat. "We're done, Alejandro."

She turned and marched out, slamming the door behind her.

"Come back here Marie! You cannot walk out on me, I won't allow it." Alejandro shouted after her, knowing fully well that Marie disliked the attention on her.

"Stop following me Al, go back inside." She whispered but didn't stop walking for once, not even to look back.

Like a lunatic, without slippers on his feet, he chased, "No, I will not go, you have to come back with me and listen to what I have to say." He argued and eventually caught up with her.

"Let me go." She fought for him to release her arm, but he was stronger. So, she gave in, deciding to give him an audience.

"I don't think I can do this right now, do you think you can come by my office tomorrow? Please, Marie, I will have my lawyer with me too, how does that sound?"

She sighed, "I should have known this was a waste of time." She hissed and walked out.

"Should I expect you?" he called after her, but she only waved in response.

"What does the wave mean?"

The next day, Alejandro paced across the polished hardwood floors, glancing impatiently at the antique grandfather clock. He had been waiting for Marie for over an hour now. Finally, the front door creaked open and Marie rushed in, face flushed.

"Where have you been?" Alejandro snapped. "I told you to be here by five."

Marie set her purse down on the entry table, shaking her head. "Don't start with me, Alejandro. I got held up by something important, not that you would know, you know, being a dishonest man and all."

"You were never around anymore!" Alejandro shouted, throwing his arms up. "It's no wonder I ended up in Jessica's bed. You practically pushed me there."

Marie recoiled as if struck. "How dare you blame me for your infidelity? I won't stand here and listen to this." She stormed over to the desk and grabbed a manila envelope. "I'm leaving and I'll be back tomorrow for the divorce papers."

"It's a good thing the lawyers didn't have your time today." She added as an afterthought.

Alejandro's face contorted in anger as the door slammed shut behind her. He snatched up a pen and scrawled his signature across the documents inside the envelope. "Fine, leave then. See if I care," he muttered under his breath. He didn't need her anyway. He had his business. Marie could rot on the streets for all he cared.

Meanwhile, as Alejandro was distracted by the problems of his family collapse, someone took that as an opportunity to exploit his weakness and steal right from under his nose. Alejandro's fingers flew across the keyboard as he made the final edits to his groundbreaking business proposal. The sun cast long shadows across his office.

He paused, looking up and savoring the satisfaction of a job well done when suddenly, the door burst open, shattering the calm.

"Sir!" His secretary, Thomas, gasped, clutching a stack of papers. "You need to see this."

"Thomas?" Alejandro raised an eyebrow, surprise and annoyance flickering through him. "What's wrong?"

"Someone is stealing our resources and selling them for cheaper on some black market website," Thomas blurted out, breathless from running. "I just found it during my routine online searches."

"Are you certain?" Alejandro questioned, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Absolutely. See for yourself." Thomas handed over the papers with trembling hands.

Alejandro scanned the documents, feeling a mixture of disbelief and anger boiling within him. This could not be happening, not now. With a sigh, he handed the papers back to Thomas. "Dig deeper. Find out who's behind this. I won't tolerate theft within my company."

"Right away, sir," Thomas replied before scurrying out of the room.

"Damn it," Alejandro muttered under his breath. He couldn't let this setback derail his plans. He had been working on a new business model for months, and he was eager to share it with his partners. Shaking off his frustration, he picked up the phone and dialed their numbers one by one, inviting them to his office for a pitch meeting. Their excitement echoed his own, and he felt energized by their enthusiasm.

The week passed in a blur of presentations and strategy sessions. Alejandro was confident that his new business model would revolutionize the industry. But as the last of his partners left his office on Friday evening, a chill ran down his spine.

"Sir," Thomas approached hesitantly, holding out his phone. "I think you should see this."

Alejandro took the device and stared at the screen in disbelief. His rival company had just launched a business using his exact model. His mind raced, trying to comprehend how this could have happened. Had someone been spying on him? Was there a mole within his own ranks?

"Thank you, Thomas," Alejandro said quietly, handing the phone back. "Keep looking into it. We need to know who's behind this."

"Of course, sir," Thomas replied, his expression grim.

Alejandro stood in the empty office, feeling a torrent of emotions swirling inside him: anger, betrayal, and determination. He would not let this setback define him. First, his marriage, now his business, whatever was wrong, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

He would find the person responsible and make them pay. In the meantime, he needed to regroup and strategize. It was time to remind his competitors why they should never underestimate Alejandro.

He spent the weekend in his office, poring over every detail of their business model and searching for any hint of a leak. He double-checked all security protocols and analyzed the communication logs with his partners. As he reviewed the documents once more, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Thomas," he called out on Monday morning, his voice strained from lack of sleep. "I need you to gather everyone who had access to our new business model. We're going to have a meeting."

"Right away, sir," Thomas replied, concern etched on his face as he took in Alejandro's haggard appearance.

In the conference room, Alejandro stood at the head of the table, his eyes scanning the faces of his trusted employees. He noticed their unease, as they whispered amongst themselves and shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Thank you all for coming," he began, his voice firm. "As you may know, our rival company has launched a business using our new model. I have reason to believe that someone here is responsible for this leak."

Gasps and murmurs filled the room, but Alejandro held up a hand for silence. "I will not tolerate betrayal within this company. If anyone has any information regarding this matter, please come forward now."

The room remained silent. Alejandro could see the fear and confusion in his employees' eyes, but no one spoke up.

"Very well," Alejandro continued, his voice colder than before. "We will be conducting a thorough investigation to find the person responsible. If you are innocent, you have nothing to worry about. Just remember: loyalty is rewarded, but treachery will not go unpunished."

With that, Alejandro dismissed the meeting. As his employees filed out of the room, he caught sight of Thomas lingering by the door, a pensive look on his face.

"Sir," Thomas said quietly, "I've been doing some digging, and I may have found something. It's not much, but it could be a lead."

"Good work, Thomas," Alejandro replied, a flicker of hope struck within him. "Let's follow this lead and see where it takes us."

As they both worked together, thanks to Thomas being a computer genius, they were able to search places that seemed unsearchable, but as they got closer to the answer, everything shut down.

"What- What is happening?" Alejandro asked his secretary, whose mouth hung open.

"I believe we have just been overridden sir, um, this is beyond my expertise." Thomas stuttered as sweat covered Alejandro's forehead.

"Well, do something about it!" he shouted, scaring the meek guy.

"I'm sorry sir, nothing can be done," Thomas whispered and packed up his things, scurrying out of the office.

A month later, after searching and losing most of his business partners, Alejandro was forced to look into investors as that seemed like the only solution to his dying business and bankruptcy-filled company. However, no one wanted to invest in a losing game, no one except for a certain couple who decided to hear his pitch.

Alejandro loosened his tie as he sat across from the elderly couple at the upscale restaurant. He forced a smile, though his stomach churned. He needed their investment badly if he wanted to save his floundering company.

"My wife and I have looked over your proposal," the grey-haired man said, patting his wife's hand. "And we've decided to back you. We know how hard it is for some businesses these days."

Alejandro sighed in relief. "Thank you, I can't tell you how much this means." He extended his hand and the man shook it firmly. For the first time in weeks, Alejandro felt hopeful. Perhaps his luck was finally changing. The man's wife peered at Alejandro, her brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, but you look so familiar. Have we met before?"

Alejandro shook his head. "I don't believe so. I'm sure I would remember meeting someone as lovely as you."

She smiled politely at the compliment. "No, I'm certain I've seen you somewhere..." She turned to her husband. "Doesn't he look familiar?"

The old man scratched his chin, studying Alejandro's face. Then his eyes widened in recognition. "Good lord, you're Marie's ex-husband!"

Alejandro froze. Marie? How could these people possibly know Marie?

The wife clicked her tongue in disapproval. "The one who cheated on her and left her destitute. I should have known from that smarmy grin of yours." She shoved the investment contract back across the table. "Find your funding elsewhere. We want nothing to do with the likes of you."

"No," Alejandro whispered and sat there, stunned and speechless, as the couple rose from their seats and exited the restaurant. His only potential investors, and they had been Marie's parents.

What were the odds? He dropped his head into his hands. This was surely karma coming back to haunt him.

The sun was setting as Alejandro approached his front door, casting long shadows across the cobblestone path. He could hear laughter from inside and was surprised to find that Jessica had already moved in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a neutral look on his face.

Jessica smiled and walked towards him seductively, "Oh, I thought since Marie left, you might be lonely and we can't have that, now can we?" she began to touch his chest, carefully rubbing him through his clothes.

He simply stood, his shoulders tense as he loosened his tie. He felt Jessica's fingers trace delicate patterns on his back, her breath warm and inviting against his neck.

"Long day at the office?" she murmured, pressing herself against him, her silk robe barely concealing her intentions.

"Exhausting," Alejandro sighed, rubbing his temples. "I need some sleep."

"Let me help you relax first," she purred, nipping at his earlobe. Her hands moved to unbutton his shirt, but Alejandro gently pushed her away.

"Jessica, not tonight. I'm really not in the mood."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "You're never in the mood anymore! You come home late every night and barely even look at me. What am I, invisible?"

"Jess, please," Alejandro pleaded, feeling the weight of her frustration press down on him. "She doesn't understand how much pressure I'm under at work," he whispered bitterly.

"Is it another woman? Is that why you don't want me anymore?" She shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Jessica, calm down," he said, attempting to dispel her mounting paranoia. "There's no one else, and have you forgotten you got me from someone else too?" he thought for a moment, then said, "Actually that sounded a lot better in my head."

Ignoring his comment about stealing and being stolen, "Then why won't you touch me?" Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks as she feigned vulnerability, knowing full well how he responded to her tears.

"Enough!" Alejandro snapped, unwilling to play into her manipulation. He stormed out of the room, leaving Jessica glaring on the bed.

Jessica tried everything in her capacity over the next few days to seduce Alejandro – a barely-there negligee, suggestive texts, coy glances over dinner. But each attempt only served to drive him further away, his patience wearing thin.

"I can't take this anymore," Alejandro thought, barely able to stand the sight of her. He needed space – and time to clear his head.

So when night fell, he decided to sleep in the office instead, hoping the distance would soothe the tension in him.

As Alejandro settled into his makeshift bed at the office, a mixture of relief and guilt washed over him. The room was quiet, save for the hum of the air conditioning and the distant clicking of keyboards from a few late-night workers. He knew that avoiding Jessica wasn't a long-term solution, but he needed this time to think.

Back at his home, Jessica paced the bedroom floor, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe that Alejandro had chosen work over her – their once fiery passion was now reduced to ash. Her mind raced with questions and insecurities, each one gnawing away at her resolve. "After everything I did to get him? Are we falling apart? Could Marie be behind it?"

Without thinking any second further, she picked up her phone and called the regular contact in it, "do you still do that hacking stuff?" she asked in a coolly tone.

"Yes, why?" the raspy voice replied

She grinned, "Great, I need you to look into someone for me." She gave the information and hung up. "Let's see how you defy me now after I post all the dirty things about you."

Jessica didn't bother to look for a job since she found a sugar daddy that spent on her, little did she know her sugar daddy was on the verge of breakdown, not that it concerned her. But, at that moment, she was immune to having a job, so she stayed at home all day, making it easy for Alejandro to bump into her when he came for a change of clothes.

"Hey there, Alejandro," Jessica said, a smirk on her lips as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Guess what? I did some digging on our dear friend Marie."

Alejandro's initial reaction was shock, but quickly turned to surprise as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Turns out she's from a wealthy family. Old money, too. I bet she'd be able to help you with your business venture if you played your cards right." She winked at him, proud of her discovery.

He couldn't hide his surprise, someone like Jessica had access to such information. "Really? Thanks for the information, Jessica. That might come in handy." Despite his gratitude, something felt off about it all, like a nagging itch he couldn't quite reach.

"So, can we talk now?" she asked with a pretend soft smile.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Alejandro replied, looking at the unkempt place. It was never like that when Marie was around, no matter how busy the woman was, she always found time to tidy up. That is another thing he missed about her.

"So, I know I was not reasonable when you said you were tired, I should have cared for you like a wife should." Before she could proceed, he cut her off.

He held his hands out, "Let me stop you right there, wife?" he queried with a dark chuckle, "You are not my wife."

Jessica chuckled nervously, "Of course not, what I meant to say is someone that lives in this house and is female."

"Okay, go on."

"I should have been more considerate of your feelings, so for that, I apologize."

Alejandro sighed, "Of course Jess, it is okay." He then continued towards the room, before getting called back her his house unwanted guest.

"Um, remember that money you promised for the Louis bag? I kinda need it tomorrow, okay?"

Alejandro simply chuckled without giving a definite answer.

The hot water cascaded over Alejandro's shoulders as he leaned his forehead against the cool tile, allowing the steam to envelop him. The roar of the shower drowned out the discordance of thoughts racing through his mind; all except one. His business was on the brink of collapse and every ally had abandoned him. The pressure was suffocating, especially with no one to turn to.

"Marie," he whispered into the humid air, remembering how his ex-wife had recently come into an unexpected fortune. Their relationship had been tumultuous at best, but she was his last chance at saving everything he'd worked so hard for.

The water droplets clung to his skin as he hastily dried off, the urgency of the situation pushing him forward. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, noticing the lines that had deepened around his eyes, weariness etched into his features. He couldn't afford to lose everything now. Marie had to help him.

"Come on, Marie. Pick up," Alejandro muttered under his breath, tapping his foot impatiently as the phone rang persistently in his hand. Each ring felt like an eternity, tightening the knot in his stomach, his heart beat so loudly against his ribcage.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded distant, guarded, but it was her – finally.

"Marie, it's me, Alejandro. I need to talk to you. It's urgent." He tried to keep his tone steady, masking the desperation clawing at his insides.

"Look, Alejandro, I'm really not in the mood to talk to you right now." She hesitated, the hostility in her tone unmistakable.

"Please, just hear me out," he begged, fighting to maintain his composure. "Can we meet? Just for a few minutes, that's all I'm asking for."

Marie sighed heavily, weighing her options before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, but make it quick."

"Thank you," he breathed, feeling the weight on his shoulders ease ever so slightly. The fate of his business now rested in the hands of the one person he never thought he'd turn to for help.

As Alejandro hung up the call, to his relief, she agreed. As they sat down, he tried to explain his recent struggles and how much her friendship meant to him.

"Marie, I didn't know about your family's wealth before, but now that I do, I thought maybe you could talk to your parents about investing in my business idea. You're the only person I trust to help me make this dream a reality."

"Firstly, you are bold enough to think of me and to think I would want to help you." She scoffed, crossing her hand against her chest.

"I know I hurt you, but you don't have to be a terrible person like me." He argued in hope that him accepting the fact of his human nature would dissuade the hostility Marie was feeling at the moment.

"Good to know you have realized the kind of person you are." She replied

"Of course."

Marie hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Alright, Alejandro. I'll see what I can do."

Just as they shook hands, a shrill voice cut through the air. "You two make me sick!" Jessica stormed into the café, her face contorted with fury. "Using your rich little friend here to get what you want? Pathetic!"

"Jessica, Stop that! Outside now!" Alejandro shouted, anger blazing in his eyes, but Jessica was already causing a scene, drawing the attention of everyone in the café.

He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment and anger, but above all else, he felt regret for the path he had chosen.

Marie scoffed and shook her head, "you know what? Let's not meet again." Rolling her eyes, she stormed out, hoping he would stay gone from her life forever.

From a far distance, a strange pair of eyes was watching every one of Alejandro's movements and reported back to its master,

"Yes sir, they met."