Dirk shot to his feet, furious.
He jabbed a finger in my face and let loose.
"Pull that money out right now!"
"You barely finished middle school. You can't even handle normal investing, and you think you can play the futures market?"
Humiliation surged up in me like nothing I'd ever felt.
His whole family had spent years using my education and my background to grind me down, gaslighting me into hating myself for half a lifetime.
But I obediently took out my phone and called the futures firm.
The only thing that came back over the speaker was the manager's apology.
"Ms. Pruitt, it's seven in the evening. We've already closed for the day."
"First thing tomorrow morning, I'll handle it for you."
I pretended to agree, reluctant.
Inside I was laughing coldly.
I'd deliberately dragged my feet until after the firm closed, precisely so they couldn't stop me on the spot.
Carrie let out a cold snort.
"Useless thing. Once you pull that money out tomorrow, you hand it straight to Dirk to manage!"
I smiled coldly to myself.
Tomorrow that money wouldn't be coming out at all.
Early the next morning, Dirk's shriek made everyone jump.
"It's over. The strait opened last night."
"Oil crashed thirty percent!"
My face went blank with shock.
"What? How could this happen?"
Jesse and Carrie crowded in at once, cursing me, while Anita stood off to the side sighing about how I never listened.
I was shaking all over, and in a panic I grabbed for my phone.
"I'll pull the futures out right now. I'm out, I quit!"
But Anita's face darkened.
She reached out and stopped me.
"Ms. Pruitt, you can't pull out now."
"If you pull out now, you don't get your principal back, and you'll still owe the futures firm eight hundred million."
"Add the two hundred million from your loan, and you've got one billion in debt total!"
"One billion!"
Carrie doubled over with a strangled sound, eyes rolling back white.
She slid limply to the floor.
Jesse went ashen, both legs shaking like a sieve.
Dirk couldn't keep up the act any longer. He grabbed Anita's arm.
"Anita, what do we do now?"
"That's one billion in marital debt. I am not carrying that much!"
I laughed coldly on the inside.
So the mask was off already?
Something vicious flashed through Anita's eyes.
"There's only one way. You two divorce, and let Faith Pruitt carry all the debt alone."
Dirk's eyes lit up in an instant.
He traded a quick glance with Anita.
Jesse and Carrie chimed in one after another.
"Right, divorce her, fast."
"We can't let this useless thing drag us down!"
My heart went cold to the core.
When I had money, it was family this and family that, every other word.
The second I took on debt, they wanted me kicked out.
I let my face fill with reluctance.
I even squeezed out a few tears.
"I won't divorce you."
"Dirk, I love you. I never want to be apart from you as long as I live."
"Besides, you're my husband. You'll face the hard times with me, won't you."
The disgust in his eyes was practically spilling over.
Even so, Dirk kept his patience and coaxed me gently.
"Faith, we still have two kids. When the creditors come knocking, they'll be terrified."
"You don't want that to hit them, do you."
I lowered my head and thought for a long while.
Finally I gave in, reluctant.
But inside, fury blazed up in me.
My kids, my ass.
Last life, after I was beaten to death, those two kids turned right around and called Anita mom, calling me a useless piece of trash.
That was when I finally learned that both of those kids were Dirk and Anita's bastards.
As for the two children I actually gave birth to, Dirk and Anita killed them right after they were born.
Once the divorce papers were signed, Dirk grabbed hold of me, his eyes shifting.
"Faith, there isn't a cent left in this house now."
"To leave something behind for the kids, I've lined up a few underground fights for you in Thailand. Finish them and you walk away with thirty million."
