50 Billion Reasons to Leave You Chapter 01

50 Billion Reasons to Leave You Chapter 01 Fifty Billion Reasons To Leave
On our seventh anniversary, I was kidnapped.
They took me to a secret underground casino.
When they pulled me out alive, the flesh between my legs had already been torn to shreds.
I begged them to believe me. I had never slept with anyone else.
But I was tested nine times, and every single result came back positive for a serious STD.
I had to prove I was innocent.
So I let my sister, a top surgeon, cut everything off down there.
After the surgery, I overheard the nurses gossiping.
“You’re joking. Dr. Parker had her own brother kidnapped? She planned the whole thing and even talked him into having surgery down there? And she did all that for a man who wasn’t even a real Parker?”
“And you know what’s even worse? His own wife agreed to it. He was hardly hurt before the surgery. Now they’ve ruined his life.”
My whole body went cold.
I forced myself upright, shaking so hard I could barely breathe, and demanded an explanation.
Cherine Whitmore immediately stepped in front of Kian Parker, shielding him like I was the threat.
“You made fun of Kian’s background,” she said, completely unapologetic. “This was just a lesson.
” I’m pregnant with his baby. But if you stop acting out and do what you’re told, I might still let you play daddy.”
My sister, Stella Parker, shoved me back against the hospital bed.
“Kian’s had a hard enough life. All you did was have one little surgery. Why are you being so dramatic?”
Even my parents joined in.
“You’re not even a whole man anymore. Just let Cherine go and let her be with Kian.”
I looked at them and smiled, feeling strangely at peace.
They had no idea that before the wedding, Cherine’s grandfather had practically begged me to marry her.
To prove his sincerity, he had signed a binding prenup with an infidelity clause.
If Cherine betrayed me, $50 billion and the shares in Whitmore Group would transfer to me automatically.
They had worked so hard to pull off this whole scam.
Now they were about to pay for it.
…
After I sent the prenup to my attorney, I pushed through the pain and went home.
I had barely finished packing when my mother scoffed behind me.
“Ryan Parker, why aren’t you at the hospital? Did you come all the way back here just to put on another little runaway act?”
I turned around and looked her dead in the eye.
“I’m the one putting on an act? Funny. Aren’t you the ones who’ve been playing me all along?”
She didn’t look the least bit guilty. She just frowned like I was inconveniencing her.
“Your sister made a mistake. That’s all. And since you weren’t actually sick, you can still take care of your father and me. Why are you making such a huge deal out of one little misunderstanding?”
They had destroyed my body, and somehow I was the unreasonable one.
Whatever love I still had for them died right there.
I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.
The second I reached it, my mother clamped a hand around my arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I stayed silent.
Her tone softened, but only slightly.
“Ryan, what’s done is done. It was just one useless body part. Get over it.
“Besides, Cherine promised she wouldn’t leave you, no matter what you look like now. You should be grateful.”
I was done listening.
I tried to pull free, but her eyes filled with tears and her voice started to shake.
“Ryan, I’m your mother. After everything I’ve done for you, you’re really just gonna walk away?”
I looked at the woman who had given birth to me.
She looked scared. Worried. Almost loving.
Almost.
I laughed under my breath and grabbed her wrist.
“Fine, Mom. Come with me.”
I grabbed her and practically dragged her toward the door.
As soon as I tried to shove her into the cab, she completely freaked out.
She kicked and fought like hell to get away.
I almost laughed. Guess Mom was finally scared.
Someone shoved me hard from behind. I crashed to the floor.
My father rushed to steady my trembling mother, then ordered the security guards to force me onto my knees.
Cherine arrived a few minutes later.
The moment she saw me, her hand came flying across my face.
My head jerked to the side, and the pain burned across my cheek.
“Ryan, when are you going to stop this?”
She wrapped one hand around my throat and squeezed.
“You lost a little flesh. Big deal. You seriously kidnapped your own mother over that?
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Kian was so worried he passed out!”
My face went hot, then numb. I could barely breathe, but I still smiled.
Because Cherine and Stella had lied about my condition, I had been forced to undergo 33 rounds of chemotherapy.
The treatments had hollowed me out from the inside.
Then they had taken away the last piece of my dignity as a man.
But to Cherine, my refusal to lie down and accept it made me some kind of monster.
Seeing me like that, Cherine finally let go.
She looked even more annoyed than before.
Then she shoved me into the basement.
“Stay down here and think about what you’ve done. You’re not going anywhere.”
The door slammed in my face.
A second later, my phone buzzed.
It was my attorney.
“Mr. Parker, the clause has been triggered. In three days, the $50 billion and the Whitmore Group shares will officially transfer into your name.”