This weekend, my husband and I were invited to a charity auction. During the bidding, his secretary and I both set our sights on the same oil painting. I was ready for a fair contest, but right in front of me, my husband placed an unlimited bid for his secretary. "Cecily," she sneered, "you're nothing but a pet my husband keeps. What right do you have to compete with me?" Just as the other bidders began to drop out, I caught the auctioneer's eye and snapped my fingers. "Whatever Mr. House is bidding," I announced, my voice cutting through the silence, "I'll bid one dollar more." 01 The moment the words left my lips, every head in the grand ballroom turned to face me. A beat of stunned silence, and then, the room erupted in laughter. "Is this woman insane? Fighting her own husband over a painting? Does she have money to burn?" "She's more than insane; she's an idiot. A piece of arm candy daring to challenge Victor House in public. She doesn't know her place." "I heard before I came that House picked up a trophy wife a few years ago and just keeps her locked away at home. I guess we're finally seeing her in the flesh." As the whispers grew louder, the color drained from my husband Victor’s face, replaced by a deep, blotchy red. He shot up from his chair, his finger pointed accusingly at me. "Cecily, put your hand down this instant! Do you hear me?" he seethed. "You're spending my money, the House family's money! How dare you bid against me?" I leaned back in my chair, my posture relaxed, and met his furious gaze with a cool, steady one. "Victor, I am still your wife. You might want to show a little respect." My eyes narrowed. "And I'm going after something I want. Why should I back down for someone else?" My gaze flickered with a sudden, sharp intensity. "Besides, I've never spent a single cent of your family's money. Don't you dare suggest otherwise." His face went from red to purple. "Cecily! Have I not told you? In public, you will address me as Mr. House." He spat the words out. "You're nothing but a dog the House family took in. You and I have nothing in common!" I let out a soft sigh, my eyes locked on his. "Mr. House, are you really going to do this? Are you really going to fight me over a painting for your little secretary?" To be honest, I knew something was wrong the moment we arrived. By all rights, as Victor’s wife, I should have been seated at his side. Instead, I was tucked away at a table in the furthest, darkest corner of the room. I could have tolerated that. After all, old Mr. House, his father, had always been kind to me, often inviting me for a game of chess. A good woman should know how to indulge her husband's foolish pride. But I never imagined that my seat, the one that rightfully belonged to me, would be occupied by Victor’s secretary, Jessica. A fresh college graduate whose only remarkable quality was her youth. And yet, here was my idiotic husband, ready to go to war for her. A hot flame of fury licked up my spine. But the so-called "rising star of the business world" was oblivious, his tirade continuing unabated. "Who the hell do you think you are, Cecily? I don't need you telling me how to run my life," he snarled. "For all these years, you've eaten our food, lived in our house. What do you possibly have that gives you the right to challenge me?" His voice rose to a crescendo. "You know what? I don't care who knows. I'm buying this painting for Jessica, and that's final!" Before I could even react, the secretary herself decided to chime in. She shot me a look dripping with provocation. "Miss Cecily, a word of advice? You should just drop it." "If you make Mr. House unhappy," she continued, a sly smile spreading across her face, "your life could get very… difficult." She let out a little laugh. "A trophy wife should look the part, don't you think? Am I right, Miss Cecily?" Jessica's words sent another wave of laughter through the crowd. Even the auctioneer on stage was struggling to suppress a smirk. I, however, simply waved a dismissive hand and let out a cold chuckle. "So, what you're saying, Miss Jessica, is that you're prepared to go head-to-head with me today?" She smirked, her eyes filled with contempt. "Miss Cecily, let's be realistic. You're a housewife. You don't even have a job. How could you possibly compete with me? Mr. House just made an unlimited bid. It’s an open checkbook. Do you have that kind of money to follow?" I slowly lifted my chin, a faint smile playing on my lips. "You're wrong, Jessica. You and I are nothing alike." "I don't need a man to buy my things." My statement was met with a fresh round of scorn. "Oh, please. This girl is all talk. She probably couldn't have even gotten through the door without Mr. House." "Exactly. The only reason she's even in this room is because she married into the House family." "Who would give her the time of day otherwise? Mr. Auctioneer, can we just get on with it? Let's not waste any more time on this." The mocking voices swirled around me, but they didn't touch me. Because every word I said was the absolute truth. If I weren't trying to save Victor a sliver of dignity, I would have proudly declared that the entire House Corporation belonged to me. Seeing my silence, the secretary grew bolder. "See? I told you. A woman with no power should just stay at home. Now look at you, completely humiliated." Before she could finish, I slowly raised my bidding paddle. "Who said I was backing down?" My voice was clear and firm. "It's just money. And darling, I have plenty of it." 02 Now, every single eye in the room was fixed on me. Even the auctioneer was frozen, unsure of what to do next. He probably knew I was bluffing, but the rules were the rules; as a professional, he couldn't bring the gavel down as long as there was an active bidder. Suddenly, Victor’s roar echoed through the ballroom. "Cecily! You're really determined to make an enemy of me today, aren't you?" My eyes flickered to the secretary standing possessively beside him. I answered without a shred of hesitation. "Yes." The word hung in the air for a moment before Victor bellowed again, his voice raw with fury. "Fine! Fine! Let's see just how deep your pockets are!" He thrust his paddle into the air. "Ten million dollars!" Anyone familiar with auctions knows that an unlimited bid is a point of no return. You either see it through to the end, or you face financial ruin. If Victor was willing to gamble his entire company for a secretary, then I was more than happy to play along. "Ten million… and one dollar." Heads whipped back in my direction. I could see it in their faces—they were all waiting for the punchline, for me to be exposed as a fraud. No one here knew the truth. No one knew that I was the silent force behind the House Corporation. Years ago, when the House family was on the verge of bankruptcy, their patriarch, Theodore House, had shown up on my family’s doorstep in the dead of night, a marriage contract in hand, begging me to save them. To honor a debt owed by a previous generation, I had gritted my teeth and married Victor. And this man, this ungrateful fool, had never treated me as anything more than an inconvenience. He insulted me daily, and now he dared to publicly humiliate me for another woman. This was an indignity I simply could not swallow. "You bitch! Do you even have that kind of money?" Jessica shrieked, her composure finally cracking as she saw me matching her boss. "This is a high-stakes auction, not a flea market!" She jabbed a finger at me. "Let me warn you, if you can't produce the funds, you'll be going to jail!" I glanced up at her and offered a serene smile. "Jessica, you don't need to worry about my finances. I suggest you worry about your boss. Once you start down this road, there's no turning back." My words only fueled Victor’s rage. He raised his paddle again. "You dare lecture my people in front of me, Cecily? You want to follow? Let's see how much you really have!" "Another ten million! We're at twenty million!" A collective gasp swept through the room. This was a charity auction, after all. While the items were valuable, they were nowhere near the eight-figure range. And this piece was just a painting by a child, not some old master. "Mr. House, how generous! On behalf of the children in need, I thank you," I said, clapping slowly as I rose to my feet. "But... since it's for charity, more is always better, isn't it?" Then, under the astonished gaze of everyone present, I slowly extended a single finger. "Twenty million… and one dollar." 03 Not a single person in that room had expected me to challenge Victor so relentlessly. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and morbid curiosity. Everyone here was a titan of their industry. Victor himself had only received an invitation because of the House Corporation's recent resurgence. I could see in his eyes that he was enjoying this, relishing the chance to publicly put me in my place. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced to the room, "let me be perfectly clear. While this woman is legally my wife, we have no actual relationship. If she fails to produce the funds later, the House Corporation will not be held responsible." I almost laughed out loud. "Mr. House, I wouldn't be so quick to cut ties with me," I said sweetly. "After all, you're the one who started this little spectacle with an unlimited bid. When you can't pay up, you might just find yourself begging me to bail you out." Before he could retort, his secretary stepped forward. "Cecily, are you daydreaming?" she scoffed. "You, a mere housewife, think you can compare to the entire House Corporation? You're delusional." I shook my head, my composure unshaken. "It may be hard for you to believe right now, but it's the truth. If you don't believe me, by all means, let your Mr. House test that theory." Jessica raised an eyebrow, a sneer playing on her lips. "Be my guest. A woman who doesn't even know her own worth, still trying to put on a brave face. How pathetic." Her words didn't faze me. "I'm sorry, but we're not the same. I, Cecily, have never used a man's money to buy anything." Her comment sparked another round of murmurs from those who knew of my domestic situation. "Please, anyone can talk big. If she were so powerful, why would she be content as a housewife?" "Exactly. Mr. House is a rising star with a net worth in the hundreds of millions. What is she?" "She's just a clown trying to get attention. Let's ignore her." I slowly got to my feet, my gaze sweeping across the entire room. "Listen to me, all of you," I said, my voice resonating with a newfound authority. "Right now, it's not just the House family I look down on. It's every single one of you in this room." I might not be a business mogul, but I know a thing or two about character. From the moment I walked in, these so-called titans of industry weren't discussing charity; they were discussing how best to kiss Victor House's ass. My declaration instantly made me the target of everyone's fury. Even the auctioneer had had enough. "Ma'am, we do not welcome people like you at this event." I tilted my head, looking up at the stage. "Oh? And what kind of person is that? Do tell." Before he could answer, Jessica rushed the stage and snatched the microphone from his hand. "Cecily, you are a useless nobody!" Her voice boomed through the speakers, filling every corner of the ballroom. The business leaders rose to their feet, applauding in agreement. Even Victor, who had been silent for a while, watched me with a look of malicious glee. Seeing this unfold, it hit me with stunning clarity: my decision to save the House family all those years ago had been the height of foolishness. Noticing my long silence, Jessica assumed I had finally lost my nerve. She raised the microphone again. "Hey, you! Now do you see why Mr. House refuses to even sit with you?" Her voice climbed an octave, filled with triumph. "It's because… you are not worthy." 04 I fought back the inferno raging inside me and spoke, my voice dangerously calm. "From the sound of it, you want me to divorce your Mr. House?" Jessica’s lips split into a wide, triumphant grin. "Since you're so self-aware, I won't bother pretending anymore." "That's right. I believe I am a much better fit to be Mrs. House than you are." I stared at her, my face a blank mask. "Go on," I said, each word deliberate. "And?" She shot me a contemptuous glance. "Mr. House wants a divorce!" I froze for a second, then turned my head to look at Victor. "Is what she's saying true? You really want to divorce me?" Victor arched an eyebrow, his eyes filled with disgust. "Jessica is right. I've wanted to divorce you for years. It was only because of my father's pressure that I put it off. It's perfect, actually. With all these esteemed business leaders here today, they can all be my witnesses." He looked me straight in the eye and declared, "I, Victor House, am divorcing you!" I looked back at him, my voice devoid of any emotion. "Are you sure about this?" "Victor, have you really thought this through?" Before the words were even out of my mouth, the man pulled a folded document from his jacket pocket—a divorce agreement. "Cecily, don't even try to talk me out of it. I have never, not for a single moment, had any feelings for you." I studied him for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh. "It looks like you came prepared for this, didn't you, Mr. House?" He nodded without an ounce of shame. "I did. I've wanted to divorce you every single day. I wanted it then, I want it now, and I'll want it in the future!" At his declaration, Jessica, still on stage, began to applaud wildly. The guests in the room quickly joined in, hooting and cheering. I scanned the crowd, a small, knowing smile touching the corners of my lips. "Well, with an atmosphere like this, it would be rude of me to say no." "Alright, you win. I agree to the divorce. However…" Hearing that I'd agreed, Victor could barely contain his excitement. He cut me off before I could finish. "Cecily, since you agree, this makes things simple. Name your price. How much money do you want? I'll do my best to accommodate you." I waved my hand dismissively, my gaze deep and meaningful. "Not so fast, Mr. House. We can talk about money later. I may have agreed to a divorce, but this auction isn't over yet." "My last bid was twenty million and one dollar. Does Mr. House intend to raise?" Knowing Victor and his fragile ego, my challenge to continue the bidding war was the ultimate insult. His face immediately darkened. "Cecily, I'm warning you, don't push your luck." I raised an eyebrow at him and gave a careless shrug. "What's wrong? The great chairman of the House Corporation is getting cold feet at a mere twenty million?" My taunt hit its mark. He exploded. "Fine! We'll see how long you can keep this act up!" "Thirty million!" "Thirty million… and one dollar." Victor shot me a death glare and raised his bid again. "Fifty million!" As the price soared, beads of sweat began to form on Victor's forehead. I let out a cold laugh and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone. "Mr. House, since we're all here for charity, why don't we just get straight to the point?" "I bid one hundred million dollars!" The words dropped like a bomb. The entire room erupted. While most of the people here had fortunes exceeding a hundred million, having that net worth and having a hundred million in liquid cash were two very different things. Victor was stunned into silence by my sheer audacity, unable to speak. Just then, Jessica, who had been quiet for a moment, spoke up. "You little bitch, this is an auction, not a numbers game! Anyone can shout 'one hundred million.' The question is, can you actually pay it?" Her words were like a lifeline to Victor. A glint of hope appeared in his eyes. "Jessica's right! Why should I have to follow whatever number you pull out of thin air?" He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Cecily, don't say I didn't warn you. If you can't produce that hundred million, you will be facing serious legal consequences." Immediately, Jessica raised the microphone again, turning to the crowd. "Mr. House is right! We demand that she verify her funds right here, right now!" Seeing the predatory gleam in Jessica's eyes, the corner of my mouth lifted into a smirk. "It took you all night, but you finally asked the right question."
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