The 22,000 Dollar Mistake

My fiancs assistant slaps the luxury shawl right out of my hands. It hits the marble floor with a heavy thud.

Why should Mr. Martin carry this for you? she screams. Are your hands broken? Apologize to him right now!

She bares her teeth at me like a feral kitten. Reckless and stupid.

The crystal glasses stop clinking. The entire gala goes dead silent.

Brooks steps in and shields her with his body. "Arden, she is just looking out for me, do not be angry."

I look at the expensive wool on the dirty floor. I do not scream. I bend down and retrieve it.

I dust it off and offer her a perfect porcelain smile. "Twenty-two thousand dollars. Cash or card?"

Chapter 1

Her face drained of all color.

"Twenty twenty-two thousand? For a scarf? Are you are you trying to scam me?"

"Loro Piana. Vicu?a wool." I let the words hang in the air, heavy as lead. "If you can't afford to know what that is, feel free to find someone in this room who does to verify it for you."

Rileys eyes turned red. She looked like she had just been slapped.

Brooks frowned, sensing the shift in gravity. He suggested we take this to the terrace.

It was my birthday, but the joy had evaporated. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the city lights.

Riley muttered an apology, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry. If I knew it cost that much, I wouldn't have thrown it" She bit her lip, then added a defiant whisper. "But you shouldn't treat people like servants anyway."

Oh. Is that so?

I turned to my assistant, Hope. "Get the card reader."

Rileys eyes bulged. Forget the clumsy cute act; panic set in. She snatched the shawl from my arm and shook it out. "It's not even broken! You can still wear it! Why should I pay you?!"

"Because you touched it." I looked her dead in the eye. "And I don't want it anymore."

"Arden, that's enough." Brooks stepped between us.

Riley instantly emboldened, finding her shield. She looked at me with renewed defiance.

The shawl wasn't the point. Being publicly disrespected by a nobody on my birthday was.

I locked eyes with Brooks. "I didn't invite anyone outside our tax bracket. So tell me" I gestured to the girl. "How exactly did Little Miss Sunshine here get past security?"

Silence fell.

Brooks rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. "Arden, look, this is on me"

Before he could finish, Rileys eyes welled up again. "It's not his fault! I insisted on coming! Don't you dare blame Mr. Martin!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Miss, you are aware that Brooks is my fianc, correct?"

Chapter 2

Her face flushed a deep, ugly crimson. She straightened her spine, trying to summon some dignity from thin air. "Even fiancs are equals in a modern relationship! You shouldn't treat Mr. Martin like he's your servant just because you're together!"

Okay. She had a backbone. Id give her that.

I glanced at my assistant, Hope. "Pull the security footage. Tally up everything this young lady has consumed tonight. Calculate the full retail value and bill her."

Hope nodded and moved instantly.

Riley froze. The reckless bravery evaporated. She looked at Brooks, helpless. "Mr. Martin"

When Hope returned with the itemized invoice, Riley looked like she was about to faint. "How I only had a few bites Two thousand dollars? I I"

She couldn't even finish the sentence.

I offered a polite correction. "Twenty-five thousand. That includes the twenty-two thousand dollar shawl you just murdered."

Riley went completely pale. The urge to fight for justice died instantly in the face of debt.

I gestured for Hope to hand her the bill. "I thought you were a woman of principle? If we're all equals here, surely you don't expect to freeload."

She was terrified. She stood frozen, hands trembling by her sides, refusing to touch the paper.

Brooks reached out, plucked the bill from Hopes hand, glanced at the total, and tore it into four neat pieces. "I'll cover it."

Rileys eyes instantly lit up. Her hero.

Brooks wrapped an arm around my waist, his tone indulgent. "She's just a kid fresh out of college, Arden. Don't lower yourself to her level."

I caught the reflection in the glass window. He made a subtle shooing motion behind his back.

Riley bit her lip, turned, and scuttled off, her bravado entirely punctured.

I looked up at him. "Today is my birthday. You owe me double for the damages. Fifty thousand dollars. Transfer it. Now."

He paused, stunned for a second. Then he let out a low laugh, pulled out his phone, and tapped the screen. A notification pinged on my phone.

Seventy-five thousand dollars. "There. Keep the change as an apology."

Before heading back to the ballroom, I shot him a cold glance. "You really know how to ruin a mood."

Chapter 3

Brooks and I weren't just a cold business merger. We grew up together. Childhood friends.

When my family first floated the idea of a strategic marriage, Brooks had been overseas. He booked a flight that night and showed up at my parents' doorstep the next morning. "Bernard, Evelyn. Im in. I want to marry Arden."

My parents hesitated. A marriage alliance is strictly business. Usually, the couple maintains a polite public facade while living separate private lives. Feelings make things messy. Emotion introduces liability.

But Brooks was determined to prove his sincerity. He came prepared with a portfolio of his personal assets. "Half of this gets transferred to Ardens name immediately. On top of that, the European Venture the Quentin family can come in as a primary partner."

My parents went silent.

The European Venture was projected to generate nine figures in profit. Being a partner meant the Quentin family would walk away with eight figures. That kind of sincerity It was enough to buy a seat at any table in the city.

I sat there, flipping through the contract until I reached the last page. "I agree to the marriage. But there is one condition. If you ever develop feelings for someone else, you do not interfere with my freedom."

"Deal." He grabbed my hand across the coffee table, his eyes burning with intensity. "But Arden, you can rest easy. That day will never come."

Chapter 4

The day after my birthday, Brooks invited me to his office.

A beautifully wrapped box sat on the desk in front of me. "Arden. For you."

I opened it. A Colombo shawl. Oatmeal. Fringed.

He gently covered my hand with his. "I'm sorry. The person I brought yesterday she ruined your mood."

He sighed, sounding heavy with regret. "I just wanted to show the staff the world. I didn't expect the kid to be such a loose cannon. I wanted to make it up to you last night, but I was afraid you were still angry. Afraid you'd say something to punish me."

His voice held a slight, calculated tremor. "Arden, I promise. Never again."

I didn't say a word.

A knock on the door. Yesterday's disaster walked in with coffee. Head down. Respectful.

I glanced at her name tag. Intern: Riley.

"Mr. Martin Ms. Quentin coffee." Her voice was thick, nasal. Like she had been crying.

As she handed it to me, she stumbled.

Splash.

Half the cup of hot, dark liquid dumped right into the gift box. Soaking the new cashmere.

She looked terrified. "Ms. Quentin I I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

I didn't move. I didn't flinch.

Brooks, however, shot up from his chair. "What is wrong with you?! You can't even serve a cup of coffee? Maybe you shouldn't be working here!"

Riley shrank back, her neck disappearing into her shoulders. Tears hit the carpet. Pit-pat.

I saw Brooks' body go stiff for a split second. The air in the office curdled.

He rubbed his temples. He waved a hand at her, impatient. "You are completely useless. Get out!"

The girl's face flushed crimson. She turned and fled, looking like her soul had been crushed.

I looked up. Calm. "If she's so useless, why keep her around?"

Freeze. The two of them stopped dead.

Chapter 5

Brooks' Adam's apple bobbed.

Riley pulled the door open. Her exit was a masterclass in humiliation. Click. The door sealed us in.

Brooks looked at me. He stiffened his spine, but his eyes were shifting. "Arden, she's not just anyone. She was my junior at Penn. Same major. My mentor specifically asked me to look out for her for a while."

One sentence. Three excuses. The smell of guilt was stronger than the coffee.

My eyes drifted to the shawl. The oatmeal cashmere was heavy, sodden with dark roast. It looked disgusting.

I grabbed my bag and stood up.

Brooks scrambled after me. "Arden, where are you going?"

I didn't turn back. "Since that's the case, do take good care of her." I'm benevolent that way.

Outside, Riley was standing by Hope's desk. We locked eyes. Her rims were red, but her chin was high. Defiant. Unconvinced.

I took two steps toward her. "You watch too many Cinderella stories."

"Or maybe you just don't get it. Real old money? We don't have time to notice people like you."

Her face twisted. She wanted to argue, but the truth choked her.

I was already walking away. Elevator. Down.

I tapped a contact. "Tonight. My place."

A pause on the line. Then, pure, unadulterated excitement. "Arden finally. Wait for me. I'll be showered and ready."

Chapter 6

The former college heartthrob had graduated, but he hadn't grown up.

Zev knew exactly what I liked. He murmured my name like a prayer, wrapping his arms around me with a look of practiced longing. "I've been waiting for you, Arden. I haven't touched anyone else."

I knew his schedule better than he did. If anyone else had touched him, he wouldn't be in my bed.

I transferred thirty thousand dollars to his account.

His smile was bright, boyish. "Touch. I haven't skipped leg day while waiting for you."

Zev and I went back to college. He was two years behind me. But when the engagement happened, I cut him off to show my nine-figure sincerity to the Martin family.

I remember his red eyes when I left. "Are you going to become a nun for him?"

I had thought about it for two seconds. "No. Just celibate for a while."

Zev's mournful face had lit up instantly. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging. "Arden, I'll take my vitamins and wait for you."

After a year of radio silence, he was eager to make up for lost time. He whispered my name all night.

I realized something. Zev was sensitive because he had been starving.

The next afternoon, I rubbed my sore waist and wired him another forty-five thousand. "Keep fit. At a salary of seventy-five thousand a month, you've got two years left to earn."

Zev looked crushed. But he knew the rules. Once they turn twenty-five, I'm done.

His arms tightened around me. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his voice muffled. "Arden, two years is so short But I tell myself being with you every second is a gift from God."

Chapter 7

Brooks had a pattern. Whenever he pissed me off, he would show up the next day to smooth things over.

He always used the same line. "My mom is the same way, Arden. She says terrible things when she's angry, but I know she doesn't mean it. I just wanted to give you space to cool down."

Gaslighting wrapped in patience.

I expected him to show up in the evening. But he arrived early. Dolores, the housekeeper, hadn't even finished cleaning the master bedroom.

He walked in carrying a massive bouquet of red roses and a signature orange Herms box. He didn't even get a chance to speak.

His eyes darted to the wastebasket by the bed. Right on top sat the used wrapper. And the undeniable evidence inside it.

"Arden, what the hell is that?!" Brooks' face went an ugly shade of gray. He didn't need me to explain what the cloudy liquid inside the latex was.

I sat in the armchair, slowly stirring my chamomile tea. The spoon clinked against the china. Clink. Clink.

"It's a used condom," I said, my voice smooth as glass. "Are you blind?"

"Arden." His breathing hitched. The air pressure in the room dropped. "Explain."

I set the spoon down. I stood up and looked him dead in the eye. "What exactly do you want to hear? The brand? The size? Or do you want a performance review?"

"Arden!" He hurled the roses to the floor. Velvet red petals and jagged green stems scattered across the hardwood.

I frowned slightly. "You're paying Dolores's cleaning fee."

That snapped his last thread of control. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?! Do you know who we are?! We are getting married! If you were that desperate, why didn't you call me? Or do you just need the thrill? Do you have no shame at all?!"

His rage was cinematic. Beautiful, really. Too bad it was hitting a brick wall.

I stepped over the crushed flowers. "Riley, the damsel, cornered by a local thug named Rocco. Brooks playing the white knight." I ticked them off on my fingers. "Brooks, are you addicted to soap operas?"

He froze. His face cycled from white to green to purple. He couldn't form a sentence.

He knew exactly what I was referencing. The semester abroad. The little beauty, Riley, got cornered by a local thug named Rocco. Brooks played the hero.

Riley was so grateful. One thing led to another, and gratitude turned into moaning in his sheets. But Brooks, the protagonist of this romance, was engaged. The teen drama suddenly morphed into a marriage crisis.

He thought I didn't know what happened overseas. But Riley followed him home. The girl who wanted nothing. No title, no money. Just to be near him.

How could Brooks not be moved by such devotion?

He stood in front of me, fists clenched at his sides. "Riley and I once we came back to the States, it stopped. We are strictly boss and subordinate!"

Okay. I nodded, offering him a dazzling smile. "Great. Then the owner of that condom and I? We're just friends, too."

Chapter 8

It was just damage control. I didn't even need to worry about the lie collapsing. I never planned to hide it anyway.

Brooks' assets had already been transferred to my name. Even with the engagement broken, the ink was dry. On the project side, my family had already secured at least eight figures in profit. The current situation? A guaranteed win. Zero risk.

Brooks seemed to calculate the math in his head. His body trembled. His expression twisted in pain. "Did you agree to the marriage just to use me?"

What was the alternative? Beg for love? And then lose everything like a fool?

Brooks left, looking like a man whose soul had been evicted.

That night, a video hit my phone. It was him and Riley. He was holding her. He looked devastated. The girl was cursing indignantly, but the camera was too far away to catch the audio.

I thought about it for a moment, then sent him a text. Just a friendly tip from a seasoned pro: *If you're going to cheat, pick a location with better privacy. If someone else filmed this and it hit the financial news, my family's stock might catch a stray bullet.*

I didn't expect my advice to backfire. It pricked his fragile male ego.

The Business Gala.

He brought Riley. The reckless Bambi seemed to have gone through emergency boot camp. This time, she wasn't hiding in corners stealing snacks; she was glued to Brooks' side, smiling at everyone, attempting elegance.

Business people are sharks. No one was stupid enough to ask Brooks why his fiance wasn't on his arm. But those who exchanged pleasantries with him would let their gazes drift to me. Some with pity. Some waiting for the show.

The stares got annoying. I stood up, wearing my best camera-ready smile. "Howard, are you staring because you're trying to decide if I'm prettier than Mr. Martin's date?"

The immediate vicinity went dead silent. Now, no one had to pretend. All eyes locked on our corner.

Howard let out a dry, nervous laugh. "No, no, not at all."

Riley, on the other hand, bit her lower lip and nervously clutched Brooks' arm.

Brooks didn't flinch. "It's just a dinner. I brought a junior colleague whose major aligns with the theme. No need to make a scene."

On the surface, he explained Riley's presence. But everyone smart heard the subtext. He didn't bring his fiance because the Quentin family heiress might just be a trophy. Decorative. Useless.

At a gala full of tycoons, that insult was sharper than a knife. Even though I had strangled my romantic feelings for Brooks in the crib, hearing my fianc call me useless in public still stung. It was humiliating.

I smiled and stepped out from behind the table. "Mr. Martin is absolutely right. In modern society, the incompetent should always step aside for the capable."

The atmosphere became suffocating.

Suddenly, a commotion rippled from the banquet hall entrance. A tall, imposing figure walked in. Lean. Dominant. Excellence in a bespoke suit.

People instinctively stood up to greet him, but the man had a clear target. He walked straight to me.

"Arden. Sorry I'm late