Happiness Not Included

Alanna

“Would you like my driver to take you home?” Pedro, my business partner, asked as we picked up our luggage on our way out of the airport.

I shook my head. Ever since we’d acquired our new company in DC, I’d been making weekly trips back home to spend time with my husband, so I kept my car in the parking lot for easy access. If anything, I should have been the one to offer to drive him to his lawyer’s office, as things with his divorce had been gnarly the past few weeks.

“No, I drove here last weekend,” I told him with a smile.

He gave me a firm nod. “Good luck with Dax,” he said, but there was an edge to his voice.

Pedro, much like Gideon, our other business partner, had noticed something was off and spent the entire plane ride here hounding me until I’d confessed the issues in my marriage. I should have expected it, obviously, considering Gideon had done the same during our dinner last night. Having my two best friends notice something was wrong, but not my family, should have come as no surprise to me. We may have started as business partners when I first invested in Vyperion Inc., but they were now closer to me than my actual family. No one had my back like them.

While I wanted to pretend my marriage was on the rocks due to my frequent trips to DC, I wasn’t that naive. From the start, the marriage had been built on my mother’s ambition, even though Dax had put on a great show of falling for me at the time. His father and mine were Golf buddies, and Mom had introduced us. Dax’s family came from old money, but their luck had run out when his grandfather squandered almost all of the family fortune away out of spite. Like my parents, they were clawing their way back into high society through tooth and nail, but lacked the funds to do so properly.

Thus came the idea of a marriage of convenience between Dax and me. My fortune in exchange for his family name and access to invites in places my family couldn’t even dream of. Nevermind the fact that I didn’t want any part of it; I couldn’t say no to my mother. So I agreed, hoping that for once in my life I would finally be able to gain her love and approval. Pathetic, I realize that now.

In all honesty, I didn’t know much about Mom and Dad’s fall from grace. Mom’s family was from New York’s elite, but there was bad blood between them that not only had them disown my mother, they’d also shunned her altogether. Since then, she’d made it her life’s mission to return to her former glory, and I was her ticket to getting there. Was I curious to know what the fallout was about? Absolutely. But I’d promised my parents not to dive into something that had caused them so much hurt, so I’d abstained. So far.

Investing in Vyperion Inc. had been my first act as an adult when Mom and Dad sat me down to tell me they’d saved a sum for my future, but I needed to use it wisely. Only when they heard of what I’d done with the majority of it, they were furious. No matter how much I tried to explain that I could see a bright future for this company, they’d fought me for months to back out or be disowned. Something they’d actually followed through with until Vyperion became a resounding success.

Suddenly, not only was I welcomed back with open arms, I was the guest of honor—even though it didn’t actually feel like it. They would ask for little things here and there, fancy dinners out, paying off their mortgage, and club memberships. By the time I’d made my first billion, their requests became bolder and less apologetic, going as far as to include a whole lot of control. What to wear, who to date or befriend, all of it had to be approved by them. Or rather, by my mother. After all, whatever I did reflected on her, and I needed to show the world she’d raised a daughter fit for the elite. But the doors she wanted wouldn’t open without the right key.

Enter, Dax.

Even though Dax’s father and mine were friends, our mothers were not. But Mom chose to pander to the woman, eventually managing to convince her we’d make a beneficial match for both families. They only had one son, Dax, and with me as his wife, I’d be able to provide him with more financially advantageous opportunities, pay for the life he deserved, and ensure that our children would grow up wealthy and well-connected.

Our first date had been awkward as hell, but Dax seemed to find the whole thing amusing, which made me stop worrying and start enjoying myself as well. I didn’t like him per se, but I did like how fun and self-deprecating he was. Nothing like the other men of his circle I’d come across so far. Sure, his mother was critical and condescending, but Dax had made it his mission to sweep me off my feet, telling me that he wanted to make this a successful and happy marriage. Stupidly, I’d believed him.

Only once his ring was on my finger, things had slowly started to change. I’d become a burden overnight, one who was still supposed to fund his lifestyle while he found the right opportunity. Even when I suggested he move to DC with me temporarily to see if he could perhaps find opportunities there, he’d dismissed me completely. The kindness he’d shown at the beginning was slowly replaced with resentment and constant arguments. Even the sex had started to feel transactional and humiliating for the sole purpose of getting me pregnant.

Dax’s family was desperate for an heir, and so far I’d failed to provide one. Although I was aware of how cold and distant they all were, I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring a child into such a frigid family dynamic. This became even more concerning after I heard Dax discuss how nannies would be in charge of raising the children, as that was what people of our station did. Here I was considering all the ways I’d be staying home to take care of our baby, and he was thinking of all the ways to dump them onto someone else until they were old enough. Maybe my problems with getting pregnant were because my body knew how much I was dreading what would happen next; it was preemptively preventing me from making a mistake. Whatever the case, I think I was done living in this limbo.

Coming to New York early was going to be my last Hail Mary to see if I could get my husband to show me some care. I decided not to tell him I was returning a couple of days early, hoping that the element of surprise would somehow endear me to him—foolish, I know.

I walked into the house, and immediately, something felt off. There was a pair of stilettos in the doorway that I knew didn’t belong to me. Two glasses of wine sat on the dining table with a half-eaten dinner and a romantic ambiance Dax hadn’t bothered with since we tied the knot. Dax seemed to think someone else was worth the effort he no longer put in for me.

The sound of laughter led to my bedroom, marked by a trail of clothes strewn on the floor. The final pieces of evidence shut down the emotional side I rarely allowed others to see, and in its place came the analytical business mogul.

My husband was cheating on me

He brought his affair partner into my home

This marriage was over

I needed evidence

I needed them out right now

Picking up the clothes, shoes, and bag I discovered in the living room, I threw them into the fireplace and set them ablaze. Then I took out my phone and turned on the camera as I walked up to my bedroom. The closer I got, the clearer the voices became, and my heart sank as I recognized the female voice.

Sonia. My younger sister.

“When are we going to stop playing this game, Dax? I’m tired of feeling like I’m doing something wrong,” Sonia said with a little whine.

“You know why we’re keeping it a secret, baby. Just until she’s pregnant and past the first trimester. That’s the only way my parents will allow us to be together, by countering that stupid prenup with my parental rights. Then I’ll be able to claim abandonment and anything I can think of to get her to give me the baby and keep her on the hook for child support and alimony,” Dax explained, trying to placate her.

“Right, that’s why you haven’t bothered to find a job so far,” Sonia said with a giggle.

Dax chuckled as he walked up to my sister and put his arms around her.

She turned to look at him. “Can she even get pregnant?”

“The doctors say nothing is wrong with either of us, so we should be able to. Maybe if she stopped gallivanting around DC and stayed here long enough, I’d be done with this shit show already,” he muttered, sounding disgruntled.

“But then, you and I would have to give this up, and I don’t want to. I really love this place. Can’t wait for it to be mine,” Sonia said with a sigh as she looked around the room.

“And it will be, darling, soon enough. You’re better suited for this life than her anyway. Then we’ll force her to fund it.”

Sonia giggled again, then moved away from Dax as she felt up the robe she’d put on. My robe.

“God, I love this robe. I don’t know how she manages to find the best things when she couldn’t care less about any of it,” Sonia said, rubbing the material.

“You know what, you can keep it.”

Both Sonia and Dax jumped in shock as they turned to me in horror.

“It can be the last gift you’ll ever get from me. Now get the fuck out of my house,” I said, making sure they were fully aware of the phone in my hand.

Dax moved closer with a dark glint in his eyes.

“Ah ah, I wouldn’t if I were you. Would you like to add assault to whatever charges I’m going to throw against you if you don’t leave my house right now?”

His jaw clenched as he moved back a step. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but it’s a misunderstanding. Put your phone away and let’s talk like adults, all right?” he said in that tone he usually used when he wanted me to feel like I was overreacting when I really wasn’t.

I knew better than to let him get to me. Just because I’d spent years allowing his parents to run the show, he thought he could control me? Fat fucking chance. There was a reason I ran the financial side of my empire, and that was because I was ruthless at it.

“I thought we were talking like adults. This is for my safety. I come home to find someone stealing my things and my husband concocting a convoluted plan to defraud me. All I’m asking is for you to leave my place of residence before I call the cops to make you leave. I’m sure your parents won’t like that scandal, will they?”

“This is my marital home just as much as it is yours,” Dax argued. I could practically hear his jaw tick.

I shook my head. “No, this is a premarital asset. Your name is not on the deed, nor have you ever made any payments or taken loans to pay it off. Not to mention, we have a very ironclad prenuptial agreement that accounts for infidelity. So if I were you, I’d take the easy route and leave.”

“Don’t you think you’re doing too much right now?” came Sonia’s snarky little voice. “Yes, we were sleeping together, but he wouldn’t have had to find someone else if you weren’t so cold and pathetic. Hell, just now, you didn’t even yell like a normal person would. Always down to business.”

I slowly turned to my little sister, giving her the frostiest look I could muster, one I never used against her. “Why. Are. You. Still. Here.”

Sonia gasped at the venom in my voice. Even I was surprised at how numb I was towards her and how few emotions I was feeling right now.

“Look, you’re upset, and I get it. This was a mistake, and we all need to cool off. I’ll just find my clothes and stay in the guest room. It’s too late for me to go home right now, but we will talk in the morning and sort everything out,” Sonia said, trying to walk past me.

“I get that I’m the smart one in the family, but surely you aren’t this stupid, little sister? When I tell you to get the fuck off my property, I mean it. You and your boyfriend can leave now or with a police escort, but don’t think for a second I won’t get the cops involved.”

This time, I could see the fear in my sister’s eyes. Finally. She was getting how serious this was, and she wasn’t prepared. She walked out to the hallway and then turned back up to me with a frown.

“Where’s my stuff?”

“In the fireplace. As I said, you can take the robe in exchange for all of it. I’m sure it’s an even trade.”

I turned off the camera, sent the video to my cloud, and then called the police.

“Hello, 911, can I have the non-emergency hotline? I just returned from a business trip to find an intruder in my home who refuses to leave, no matter how many times I tell them to go.”

“Are you serious right now?” Sonia shrieked, trying to get the phone out of my hand, but I was taller and sturdier.

“Are you in any danger, ma’am?”

“No. It’s my sister, but she had no right to enter my residence while I was away and now refuses to leave the premises.”

I could hear Sonia swear under her breath as Dax turned a hateful gaze in my direction before walking to my closet to give her some of my things to wear, as if daring me to say something.

I didn’t. I just watched them walk past me into the hallway. If he thought I was going to miss a few items of clothing his wicked mother had bought and forced me to wear, he was sorely mistaken.

“Ma’am, are you still there?”

“Yes, sorry, she’s finally leaving.”

“Are you sure you’re safe?”

Once I heard the front door click behind them, I returned to the phone call. “I will be. Sorry for wasting your time.”

I hung up, and only when I was able to change the code on my home security system was I able to finally take it all in.

What I had walked into. What they’d been saying. How the confrontation had gone. Calling the police. My husband walking out with his arms around my sister as she sobbed like she’d been the wronged party.

And then I broke down and burst into tears.