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He Paid His Mistress $500K. My Mother Died Waiting

NovelShort new Completed

Billionaire Mafia CEO Hot

Chapters (4)

Chapter 1

My husband told me he had to work through the New Year holiday. He said the Moretti family had business in Sicily and that he needed to stay behind to handle some paperwork. So I decided to surprise him. I bought the next flight to Palermo without telling him. Unfortunately, only business-class seats were left. I stared at the five-figure price for a long time before finally gritting my teeth and paying. Nearly an entire year's savings disappeared in one click. I told myself it was worth it. Carl had been working so hard lately. Maybe seeing me would make him happy. Then I got on the plane and immediately embarrassed myself. I couldn't even figure out how to pull out the tray table. The elegant woman beside me gave a quiet laugh. "First time flying business class?" My face heated. "Is it that obvious?" I forced an awkward smile and glanced at her designer coat and diamond earrings. "You look like you're used to this. Are you some kind of boss?" "Me?" She waved one perfectly manicured hand. "No. But the man keeping me is." I blinked. "Keeping you?" "My sugar daddy." She said it casually. "If business class is full, he sends one of the family's private jets for me." A private jet? That wasn't ordinary rich. In Kingsbury, that kind of money usually belonged to old families, politicians, or men connected to the underworld. "Sounds difficult to meet someone like that," I said. "Not really." She smiled. "I work for him." Something in my chest tightened. "I handle accounts for one of his clubs. I make mistakes all the time. Expensive ones too." "And he doesn't fire you?" She laughed. "He calls me into his office and scolds me until I cry." Her smile turned suggestive. "Then he feels bad." I understood immediately. A chill crept down my spine. "What a coincidence," I said slowly. "My husband also works for the Moretti organization. He has a female subordinate who keeps making mistakes." The woman turned toward me. "You're married?" "Six years." She looked me over. "My man has a wife too." My fingers tightened around my glass. "She's around your age, actually." She examined her nails. "But he says he's been tired of her for years." My stomach sank. "He told me touching her feels dull." She flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Said watching me do this is more exciting." I suddenly felt sick. She kept talking. "I told him I wanted to spend New Year's with him." Her lips curved. "So he told his wife he had to work." My breath caught. Then she reached for her champagne. And I saw the ring on her finger. A diamond set into a platinum band. My entire body went rigid. I knew that ring. It was identical to the wedding ring I'd lost months ago. No. Not identical. It was mine. I stared at her hand, my mind racing. Carl Stephens had always told me he was just a low-level employee working for one of the Moretti family's companies. So why did his mistress have private jets? Why could she lose huge amounts of money without being fired? And why was she wearing my wedding ring? My heart began to pound. Wait. Carl wasn't some ordinary employee. So what exactly was my husband doing inside the Moretti family? …… My eyes stayed fixed on the ring on Roberta's finger. "But that ring..." My voice sounded strangely distant. "That's a wedding ring, isn't it?" I forced myself to look at her. "Did you marry him?" "This?" Roberta Delgado lifted her hand and admired the diamond under the cabin lights. Then she laughed. "Of course not. I made him take it from his wife." For a second, I forgot how to breathe. Roberta didn't notice. "I wasn't even planning to make things difficult for her," she said. "But last year, on my birthday, that woman suddenly had a miscarriage." Her lips twisted. "He dropped everything and rushed to the hospital." She gave an annoyed little sigh. "I had to spend my birthday alone." My hand instinctively moved toward my stomach. Last winter. The memory came back so sharply that my fingers went cold. I'd been three months pregnant. The streets were covered in black ice that day. Carl had always told me his salary from the Moretti shipping company was barely enough to cover our expenses, so we lived as carefully as we could. We couldn't even justify buying a car. I'd gone grocery shopping alone. On the way home, I slipped. By the time I saw the blood soaking through my clothes, it was already too late. Our baby was gone. Carl had rushed to the hospital the moment he heard. For three days and three nights, he barely left my bedside. When I finally woke properly, my wedding ring was missing too. Carl had held me tightly while I cried. "It's okay," he'd whispered. "We'll have another baby." Then he'd kissed my forehead. "And the ring doesn't matter. I'll buy you a new one." I'd shaken my head immediately. "Didn't you say the company might cut staff?" I still remembered how worried I'd been for him. "We need the money. When you get promoted someday, you can buy me another one." His eyes had turned red. "I'm sorry," he'd said. "I'm sorry I can't give you a better life." Back then, I'd actually comforted him. Now that same ring glittered on another woman's hand. "So..." I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. "You really made him give you his wife's wedding ring?" Roberta shrugged. "He didn't want to at first." She turned her wrist, watching the diamond catch the light. "He offered to buy me something much more expensive." "But his wife annoyed me." My nails dug into my palm. Roberta smiled. "She acts like being his wife makes her special. Sometimes a woman needs to be reminded of her place." I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. "Besides, this thing isn't even worth much compared to everything else he's given me." She tapped the diamond. "But that's not the point." Her smile widened. "It's her wedding ring." My chest hurt so badly I almost laughed. Roberta looked at me with mock sympathy. "Honestly, if a woman lets her husband treat her like that, there's no saving her." I tightened my grip on my sleeve. Then I forced myself to smile. "If your man is really that generous..." I paused. "He must give his wife plenty of money too, right? Especially if he's paying her to ignore what he does." Roberta burst out laughing. She leaned closer, lowering her voice as though she were about to share the funniest secret in the world. Her perfume made my stomach turn. "Oh, that's the best part." I stared at her. Roberta smiled. "That pathetic woman doesn't even know who her husband really is." My heartbeat slowed. "What do you mean?" "She thinks he's some nobody working accounts for a Moretti shipping company." Roberta covered her mouth, laughing. "But Carl Stephens isn't some low-level employee." She leaned back in her seat. "He's one of the men running the Moretti family's legitimate businesses." Her eyes gleamed with pride. "And that's only the part outsiders are allowed to know." My fingers went completely numb. For six years, my husband had counted every grocery bill with me. He'd told me we couldn't afford a car. He'd watched me save every dollar. He'd even cried because he supposedly couldn't afford to replace my wedding ring. And all this time... Carl Stephens had been one of the most powerful men in the Moretti organization.

Chapter 2

"Why?" Roberta studied her diamond-studded nails, turning her hand beneath the cabin light. "Because what's the point?" She sounded genuinely puzzled. "That woman already gave him the best years of her life. She stayed beside him when everyone thought he was just some nobody working for the Morettis." Her thumb brushed an invisible mark from the diamond on my wedding ring. "Now he's made it. He has money, power, connections. If you were a man, would you really waste all that money on a wife who's already getting old?" She shrugged. "You can't buy youth back." The dark airplane window reflected my face. Pale skin. Hollow cheeks. Shadows beneath my eyes. For a moment, I barely recognized myself. Roberta leaned closer. "You know, you're older than me, but you're still pretty." Her eyes moved over my face with casual judgment. "Since we've been getting along, I'll give you some advice. Women have to invest in themselves." She touched her cheek. "Good skincare. Maybe a few cosmetic treatments." Then she smiled. "Your skin looks a little dry. Your husband hasn't been very interested lately, has he?" I said nothing. Her skin was flawless. Smooth and bright, without a single visible line. I used to look like that. No. I used to look better. Ten years in a cramped apartment, counting every dollar and carrying every hardship beside Carl, had changed me. Sometimes I looked at old photographs and wondered where that woman had gone. "Cosmetic treatments are expensive," I said quietly. "So?" Roberta laughed. "My man gives me five hundred thousand a month just for living expenses." My fingers went still. "And that doesn't include beauty treatments," she added. "He pays for those separately." Five hundred thousand. Every month. My eyes fell to the tiny crystal decorating the corner of her eyeliner. Even something that useless probably cost more than everything I was wearing. My fingers curled tightly around the hem of my shirt. "How long have you been with him?" Roberta thought for a second. "June 12th, 2023." She glanced at me. "Why?" My entire body went cold. June 12th, 2023. The day my mother died. That day, she needed five hundred thousand dollars for emergency surgery. I remembered Carl making call after call, telling me he had begged everyone he knew. He said he'd emptied every account he had. In the end, he brought me three hundred and fifty thousand. "This is everything, Zoe," he'd told me. "Every cent I've saved since I started working for the Moretti company." I'd believed him. I sold everything I could. Jewelry. My laptop. Even the few things Mom had given me before she got sick. I borrowed from anyone willing to answer my calls. In the end, I managed to find another eighty thousand. It still wasn't enough. Mom died. Afterward, Carl had held me in the hospital hallway while I cried. "I'm sorry." His face had been wet with tears. "I'm useless, Zoe. I couldn't even save Mom." He'd held me tighter. "You've suffered so much because you married me." And like an idiot, I'd comforted him. "You found three hundred and fifty thousand for her." I'd wiped the tears from his face. "You gave us everything you had." My voice had broken. "Mom knew you tried. She didn't blame you." I had blamed myself instead. If I'd worked harder. If I'd borrowed more. If I'd somehow found that missing money. Maybe Mom would still be alive. Carl had gripped my hand that night. "Just give me a little more time, Zoe." His eyes were red. "I swear I won't let you live like this forever." I'd nodded. I believed every word. But he'd had money. More than enough. All along. Roberta's voice pulled me back. "You know what's funny?" I slowly turned toward her. "That same month, his wife's mother needed five hundred thousand for surgery." My heart stopped. Roberta winked. "He was going to pay for it at first." My throat tightened. "You took the money?" "For your allowance?" "What?" She laughed. "No. Carl has plenty of money. Giving me five hundred thousand wouldn't stop him from paying a hospital bill." I stared at her. "Then why didn't he?" Roberta rested her chin on one hand. "Because I told him not to." For a moment, I couldn't understand what she'd said. She smiled. "I told him that if her mother died, his wife wouldn't have any family left." My fingers began to shake. "No parents. No one to protect her." Roberta's smile deepened. "And if she ever found out about me someday, where could she go?" My stomach twisted. "She'd have no one to run to." I clenched my teeth until my jaw hurt. Roberta continued as if she were discussing some clever business strategy. "Besides, I wanted a new Chanel piece that month." She laughed softly. "It cost almost exactly five hundred thousand." I stared at her. "Aren't you afraid she'll find out?" "Please." Roberta rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid." Then she leaned closer. "I'm the one who told Carl how to handle it." My blood ran cold. "I told him to give his wife three hundred and fifty thousand and claim it was everything he owned." She smiled proudly. "That way, she'd think her poor husband had emptied his entire life savings for her mother." Her voice softened into a mocking imitation. "She'd be grateful." My nails dug into my palms. "And she'd blame herself for failing to find the rest." Roberta sat back, satisfied. "Once a woman feels guilty enough, she stops asking questions." The roar of the airplane filled the silence between us. For two years, I had believed my mother's death was my failure. I had thanked Carl for giving me everything he had. I had loved him more because of those three hundred and fifty thousand. And now I finally understood. He hadn't failed to save my mother. He had chosen not to.

Chapter 3

Roberta's expression shifted. "The most ridiculous part is why he finally agreed." She rolled her eyes. "He was afraid that if I ever got exposed, his precious wife would leave him." A mocking laugh escaped her. "So he figured if her mother was gone, she'd have nowhere else to go." Roberta clicked her tongue. "That old woman really is lucky. Imagine having a man plan that far ahead just to keep you." Slap! My hand struck her face before I even realized I'd moved. Roberta's head snapped sideways. For a second, she simply stared at me. Then she screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Her champagne glass tipped over, spilling across the armrest and onto the floor. A flight attendant hurried toward us. Roberta pressed a hand to her reddening cheek. "Are you insane?" I was shaking. "You're sleeping with a married man, manipulating him into abandoning his wife's dying mother, and you're proud of it?" My voice rose. "How can you say any of this without shame?" The flight attendant quickly stepped between us. "Ma'am, please calm down." She helped Roberta move to an empty business-class seat several rows away. It took several minutes before the cabin settled again. Roberta accepted a warm towel from the attendant and wiped her hands. Then she looked across the aisle at me. "I hate women like you." I stared back. She sneered. "Homewrecker this. Mistress that." She gave me another slow look. "Let's be honest. You're only angry because women like me can still get men to spend money on us." Her gaze settled on my face. "You're getting old." My fingers curled. Roberta smiled. "I bet when you were younger, you weren't nearly this self-righteous." "You..." I started to rise. The flight attendant immediately caught my arm. "Please, ma'am." I stopped. None of this was her fault. I forced myself back into my seat. Roberta seemed even more pleased. "Here's some free advice." She leaned back comfortably. "At your age, I'd worry less about me and more about your own husband." My chest tightened. She tilted her head. "Men don't stay faithful to women who let themselves go." Her eyes swept over my clothes. "Go home and check his phone." She smiled sweetly. "Looking like that, can you really blame him for not wanting to come home?" I picked up the fresh juice the attendant had just placed in front of me. And threw it straight into her face. Splash! Roberta screamed. The cabin erupted again. Two attendants rushed between us. A moment later, the chief purser approached. Her name badge read MORGAN. "Ms. Kaufman." She gave me a strained smile. "I understand you're upset, but please don't confront that passenger again." I stared at her. "Why?" Morgan hesitated. Then she lowered her voice. "She's considered a VIP guest." I almost laughed. "A VIP?" Morgan glanced toward Roberta before continuing. "She's connected to Mr. Stephens." My stomach tightened. "Carl Stephens?" Morgan nodded. "Publicly, he's one of the executives overseeing the Moretti family's international holdings." She lowered her voice further. "People in our company know not to cause trouble for anyone under his protection." Under his protection. I gave a bitter laugh. Of course she was. The aircraft soon landed at our transfer point, though Roberta and I were both continuing on the same flight. The moment the signal returned, I switched off airplane mode. Then I opened Carl's messages. Where are you? His reply came quickly. A photograph. His office desk. Laptop open. Documents scattered across the surface. Carl added: Making money for my wife. I stared at the words. Then typed: For me? Or for someone else? No response. I waited. Nothing. I sent one question mark. A second later, Roberta's voice drifted toward me. She was on the phone. "Someone threw juice all over me!" Then I heard him. Carl. I knew that voice better than my own. "Who dared upset my little Roberta?" My entire body went rigid. Roberta pouted. "Some crazy old woman." She glanced in my direction. "It's all your fault. If you were here, she wouldn't have dared touch me." Carl laughed softly. "All right." His voice was warm. Indulgent. "It's my fault." A second later, Roberta's phone chimed. Ding. A payment notification appeared on her screen. $500,000 received. Five hundred thousand. Again. Carl chuckled through the phone. "Go buy yourself something nice." My fingers dug into my sleeve. That was the exact amount my mother had needed to survive. Carl had just sent it away like pocket change. Roberta looked at the transfer. Her smile appeared for barely a second before she deliberately forced it away. "Hmph." She turned toward the window. "Money isn't going to fix this." Carl sounded amused. "No?" "You're the one who said you missed me." Her voice turned coy. "You begged me to come spend New Year's Eve with you." She crossed her legs. "Otherwise, why would I get on this stupid flight and end up sitting beside some crazy woman?" She pouted dramatically. "You've ruined my mood. Five hundred thousand isn't enough." Carl didn't sound annoyed. Not even slightly. Instead, he laughed. "What about the villa?" Roberta froze. "What villa?" "The new one I bought you." Her eyes immediately lit up. Carl caught it through the video call. "There." His voice softened. "My little Roberta is smiling." "I'm not." She tried to hide it. "But..." She bit her lip. "Fine. Maybe I'll forgive you a little." Carl chuckled. "Good girl." My nails dug deeper into my palm. "I'll make it up to you tonight." Roberta's voice dropped. "Three hours." She smiled. "Not one second less." Carl laughed. "You can have the whole night." I sat there listening to my husband promise another woman an entire night. And for the first time in ten years, I stopped wondering whether my marriage could still be saved.

Chapter 4

Hidden beneath my sleeves, my hands were trembling. I suddenly remembered every time Carl had come home since the Moretti family transferred him to the southern coast. We would hug. Sometimes kiss. But that was all. Whenever I tried to get closer, he always stopped me. "Work's been hell lately," he'd say with a tired sigh. "I'm exhausted, Zoe. Give me a few days to recover." But somehow, he always had to leave again before those few days were up. Back then, I'd worried about him. Now I finally understood. He hadn't been tired. He simply didn't want me. The plane was preparing to take off again. Across the aisle, Roberta blew Carl a kiss through the screen. "See you soon, hubby." Then she ended the video call. Almost immediately, my phone vibrated. Carl. Babe, you really don't trust me anymore? Is this because I'm working through New Year's instead of being home with you? Are you mad at me? Another message followed. I'll make it up to you when I'm back. I'll take you to that hot pot place you love, okay? I stared at the screen. Hot pot. Ten years together, and that was what he thought would make me happy. The aircraft began climbing again. A few minutes later, a flight attendant approached Roberta carrying an elegant black box stamped with gold lettering. "Ms. Delgado?" Roberta looked up. "A gentleman arranged for this to be delivered to you." She opened the box. Her eyes lit up. "Oh my God." She lifted out a necklace. "Prada! I've wanted this one forever." The flight attendant smiled and handed her a card. "Mr. Stephens also asked us to pass along a message." Roberta sat straighter. The attendant read carefully. "He said he hopes Ms. Delgado won't let anyone's words ruin her mood." My fingers tightened around my phone. "He wants you to be bold and be yourself. Whatever obstacle appears in front of you, ignore it." The attendant paused. "Because Mr. Stephens will always be behind you." Roberta's smile widened. "He also said he loves you." Always. I lowered my eyes to the messages Carl had sent me. I'll take you to hot pot. I slowly closed my eyes. "Ms. Kaufman?" Chief Purser Morgan appeared beside me. A small velvet pouch rested in her palm. "This is for you." I frowned. "For me?" She opened the pouch. Inside was a loose diamond. Even under the cabin lights, it flashed brilliantly. "Mr. Stephens sent it." My stomach tightened. Morgan lowered her voice. "He was informed about the disagreement between you and Ms. Delgado." Of course he had been. "Mr. Stephens said Ms. Delgado has been under considerable stress recently." Morgan gave me an apologetic smile. "Apparently her doctor has advised her not to get too upset." I almost laughed. "So?" Morgan hesitated. "He hopes you might apologize." I looked at her. "A sincere apology." Then I looked at the diamond. "For one apology?" Morgan smiled. "You don't need to worry about the value." She spoke as if she were reassuring a child. "Mr. Stephens earns enough to buy several stones like this in a single day." My fingers went numb. Several a day. The diamond in my palm was worth six figures. Carl had told me we couldn't afford a car. He had watched me wear the same winter coat for five years. And now he was casually throwing six figures at a stranger because I'd upset his mistress. I turned the diamond between my fingers. Then I laughed. "Fine." Morgan brightened. "You'll apologize?" I nodded. "Yes." She immediately turned toward Roberta. "Ms. Delgado, Ms. Kaufman has agreed to apologize." Roberta looked delighted. I walked over. Then I gave her a small bow. "I shouldn't have hit you." My voice was calm. "I'm sorry, Ms. Delgado." Roberta studied me for a moment. Then she stood. "Sure." Her smile turned cruel. "Let me slap you twice and we'll call it even." Morgan froze. "Ms. Delgado..." She laughed nervously. "Ms. Kaufman is older than you. Perhaps you could be generous and let the matter end here." "So what if she's older?" Roberta looked directly at me. "Look at her." Her gaze dragged across my face. "Two slaps aren't going to make her any uglier." My jaw tightened. Roberta pointed at the diamond. "She gets hit twice and walks away with six figures." She smiled. "She should be thanking me." Another attendant, Harper, lightly touched my sleeve. "Ma'am." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Maybe just let this go." I looked at her. "Two slaps and it's over." She glanced nervously toward Roberta. "She has Mr. Stephens protecting her." Morgan nodded. "She's right, Ms. Kaufman." Her voice softened. "That diamond is worth more than most people make in years." Years. For me, it would be closer to a decade. Ten years of saving. Ten years of saying no to new clothes, vacations, better apartments. Ten years of my life reduced to one tiny stone. I looked at it one last time. Then opened my fingers. Clatter. The diamond landed on Roberta's tray table. Rolled once. Then fell onto the floor. "I don't want it." Roberta's face changed. Slap! Her palm struck my face before anyone could react. My head snapped to the side. "I give you something and you dare throw it away?" The force sent me stumbling backward. Harper caught my arm before I fell. "Ms. Kaufman!" Morgan rushed forward. "Please, calm down." Then she turned toward me. "Ms. Delgado has always had a temper." Harper crouched down. "We'll find the diamond. Don't worry." I tasted blood. Then I straightened. Roberta was still glaring at me. So I hit her back. Crack! My palm caught her across the face hard enough to knock her into her seat. She stared at me in shock. "You hit me?" "Damn right." I stepped toward her again. Two attendants immediately grabbed me. Another pulled Roberta away. For the rest of the flight, the crew watched both of us constantly. No one dared let us get within arm's reach of each other. The moment we landed in Kingsbury, Roberta was the first one out. Her eyes were red. Her cheek still carried the shape of my hand. I followed several steps behind. Then I saw her run through the private arrivals gate. Straight into a man's arms. My husband. Carl caught her immediately. "What happened to you?" His face changed the second he saw her cheek. Panic. Anger. Real concern. More concern than I'd seen on his face when we lost our baby. Roberta buried herself against his chest. "She hit me again!" Carl's expression darkened. "Who?" "It's all your fault!" She pounded lightly against him. "That stupid diamond you gave her only made her more arrogant." Her tears came effortlessly. "No one has ever treated me like this before." Carl wiped them away. "Don't cry." Roberta sniffled. "She humiliated me in front of everyone." His jaw tightened. "Where is she?" He looked past Roberta toward the arriving passengers. "I'll deal with her." I stopped a few feet away. "Right here." Carl froze. Slowly, he turned. I reached up and removed my cap. His face drained of color. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. I looked at the man I'd been married to for ten years. The supposedly struggling employee. The man who couldn't afford to replace my wedding ring. The man now standing in a private arrivals lounge with his mistress in his arms. Then I smiled. "Hello, Mr. Stephens."