Seven Months Pregnant, My Billionaire Husband Billed Me for Our Home

My husband handed over every cent of his paycheck.

Even so.

What the two of us made in a month barely kept us fed.

When his father was dying, we couldn't scrape together three thousand dollars.

So Jordan Simmons gritted his teeth and went at it.

The endless dinners, the sales calls, the chasing after investors.

He clawed his way up until he ran a company worth billions.

But the day the strain hit my pregnancy, all I did was take three thousand dollars from him.

And he turned around and had me arrested.

The female officer looked at me with pity.

"She only wanted it for a prenatal checkup. Isn't it your job to give her money?"

Jordan smiled.

"Back when my father needed money for treatment.

"Didn't she cling to every dollar in the house then too?"

Beside him.

The two-million-dollar earrings on the intern's ears swayed and glinted.

They were Jordan's gift for making her a permanent hire.

I lowered my swollen, reddened eyelids.

Wiped away the tears.

And held out my puffy hands.

"Go ahead and arrest me."

...

The two hands I held out trembled faintly.

The cuffs tightened again and again in the officer's grip.

Until she whipped around at last.

"Mr. Simmons! You really mean to send your pregnant wife to jail?

"Three thousand dollars is half a day's profit for you. Do you have to do this to her?

"She's seven months along!"

Jordan's hand rested carelessly on the intern Prudence Butler's waist.

"She's already admitted it. What else is there to say?"

"You..."

The officer stared at him, not without surprise.

Prudence covered her lips and laughed.

"You don't know the whole story. Back when Mr. Simmons's father was critically ill, she was the one holding all the money in that house.

"Three thousand for the surgery, and she flatly refused to give it to him.

"The old man died with that grudge in his heart."

At that.

Prudence dabbed regretfully at the corner of her eye.

The mention of his father.

Jordan's face darkened a shade.

He gave a cold laugh and lit a cigarette.

"When it comes down to it, she brought this on herself."

"This..."

The officer had nothing to say either.

She turned to look at me.

Her voice softened a little.

"Ma'am, is there anything you'd like to say?"

I lifted my head, eyes red.

Looking at Jordan.

"Dad... he knew everything."

Jordan froze.

"What are you talking about?"

Prudence sounded surprised.

"That was the hardest time Mr. Simmons ever went through, and even then he handed you his whole paycheck every month.

"Skimming a little day to day is one thing, but of all times, when the old man fell ill you had to..."

She stopped at exactly the right moment.

And looked over at Jordan.

Jordan's brows drew together.

"Take her away."

They put the cuffs on me.

My swollen feet could barely carry me.

As I passed Jordan.

I stumbled and nearly fell.

Jordan stepped back.

It was the officer who caught me.

I raised my head.

He had one hand tucked Prudence behind him.

His eyes dropped to mine without a trace of warmth.

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Prudence's mouth before she could stop it.

I swallowed.

And quietly followed the officer out.

Once we were in the car.

The officer sat beside me.

"Did you really withhold the money for his father's surgery?"

I stared out the window.

"There really was no money."

"How could that be?"

The officer was taken aback.

I let out a bitter laugh.

"He pulls in seven, eight figures a year now, but at the start, the two of us made maybe four or five thousand a month.

"He handed it all to me to manage.

"Rent in Los Angeles isn't cheap.

"After rent, utilities, and the basics we needed to live, his mother had asthma, so a chunk had to go to her medicine.

"Whatever was left, sometimes I still had to borrow from a friend just to get by."

Something like pity crossed the officer's eyes.

She pressed her lips together.

"I know. It was the same for me when I first started out.

"I still had to lean on my parents to get through..."

I gave a bitter smile.

The car fell silent,

When they brought me into the station,

the male officer assigned to question me stopped short.

"She's pregnant?"

The female officer nodded.

"What did she do that you had to bring her in this far along?"

"Theft."

"How much?"

"Three thousand."

"That's more than enough to open a case. Where's the victim?"

"Her husband."

The male officer's eyes went wide.

He looked over at me.

My eyes were red.

I lowered my head.

"All right, bring her in."

They cuffed me to the questioning chair.

But the male officer didn't start the interrogation right away.

Instead he took out his phone.

"What's your husband's number? Let me see if I can get him to drop the case."

I froze.

The female officer was looking at me too.

"Yes, be honest with us. Marital property is shared property. There's a lot of room to work something out."

My hands curled into fists.

"There's nothing to work out."

"He already made me sign a marital property agreement."

The female officer stared at me, surprised.

I pressed my lips together, embarrassed.

"After the day my father-in-law died, he stopped handing over his salary.

"And he had me sign an agreement. From then on, his money was his."

"That's..."

The male officer didn't quite know what to say.

The call had already gone through.

Jordan's voice came over the line.

"Mr. Simmons, your wife isn't in any condition for this right now. Would you consider taking her home for now? You can file the case later."

"No."

On the other end,

Jordan's voice was cold and final.

"Handle it by the book. Don't go easy on my end just because she's my wife.

"Officer, I won't write a single word of a statement of forgiveness."

"But... hello?"

The line went to a dial tone.

The male officer stared, a little stunned, at the phone he'd already ended.

"It's fine. We'll try to talk him around again."

"Don't bother."

I shook my head.

I forced out a pale smile.

"Just handle it by the book."

"But you..."

"It's fine."

I held on through the exhaustion. "The due date's still a month off."

The male and female officers exchanged a glance.

One of them let out a sigh.

"If that's how it is... ma'am, are you all right?"

The female officer suddenly stood up.

I was hunched over myself.

The next second,

I dropped hard out of the chair.

When I woke again,

I was in the hospital.

Jordan had come with me.

So had my mother-in-law.

She looked at me,

wiping at her tears without meaning to.

"Ada, don't be scared. I already made that rotten boy drop the case. It's over now."

I looked at Jordan, surprised.

He stood off to the side, saying nothing.

His face cold and distant.

My mother-in-law had rushed here because of me.

She had to head straight back.

At the airport entrance,

I sat in the car.

I could hear the scolding outside.

"Your father, back then, she truly did everything she could! Do you think your situation was actually good at the time?

"Ada never did anything to be ashamed of by this family!

"When I had my asthma, she was the one who borrowed money to buy my medicine!"

Curious, I leaned a little closer to the car window.

I heard Jordan's cold laugh.

"Mom, back then my whole salary was in her keeping.

"The money she used to buy your medicine.

"Was mine."

My fingers gripped the edge of the open window.

I watched my mother-in-law stand there, facing him, unable to get out a single word.

She turned away in silence.

The driver's door opened.

Jordan got in.

"We can go home now."

I cradled my belly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Back home, the housekeeper had already made dinner.

Jordan hung his coat on the rack.

"Let's eat."

"Okay."

"The doctor said you're malnourished. From now on every meal has to have protein.

"Mom had me order the ingredients online for you. To eat before the delivery."

I went still for a moment.

"Th... thank you."

The dishes on the table were all light and nourishing.

Well suited to a pregnant woman.

I was just about to sit down.

A hand caught me.

"So. How are you paying for it?"

I froze.

My stomach was already twisting with hunger.

I was rarely this desperate; even my voice came out pleading.

"Jordan, can we let it go this time?"

"No."

"Jordan"

I stared at him, dazed.

The payment app on his phone stayed pointed squarely at me.

"We agreed. My money is my money."

"I"

"By the way."

Jordan scrolled through his statements.

"After you passed out at the station, there was another twenty-five hundred in medical fees.

"The officer covered it for you. I paid her back.

"When are you planning to pay me back?"

My hand clenched tight around the hem of my shirt.

The other rested awkwardly on my belly.

"I don't have any money."

My voice was so small I could barely hear it myself.

"If you don't have money."

Jordan sighed.

"Then you don't get to eat this meal."

"Jordan, I"

"Charity Chavez, take it away."

"Wait!"

My hand shot to Charity's arm.

I turned back to him, eyes red.

"Can I put it on a tab?"

Jordan didn't answer.

My voice cracked.

"I'm begging you"

Charity's hand stopped where it was.

She looked at Jordan, uncertain.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

The next second.

The calculator on Jordan's phone was in front of my face.

"Going by the current bank lending rate, I'll set you an annual rate of three percent, a monthly rate of zero point two five percent.

"Your nutrition fees and hospital fees come to six thousand dollars.

"If you clear it within three months, in the end you'll owe me

"six thousand and forty-five dollars."

"Jordan"

My voice wouldn't stop shaking.

"Do you really have to work this out down to the last cent with me?"

Jordan's eyes narrowed.

"Not down to the last cent enough."

My fist trembled.

I forced the words out.

"I can't come up with that much"

"Then leave it on account. Compounding interest."

An IOU was set on the table.

"Pay it in three months, it's six thousand and forty-five.

"Pay it in half a year, it's six thousand and ninety.

"In a year, it's six thousand one hundred and eighty.

"Whenever you pay, that's when the price is set. Work it out for yourself.

"If you agree, sign, and eat."

Looking at that IOU.

My head swam in waves.

My stomach was already cramping from hunger.

With a shaking hand I picked up the pen.

The moment I signed my name.

Jordan set a bowl of porridge in front of me.

"That'll do."

The porridge smelled good.

Steaming hot.

It was the best bowl of porridge I've had in my life.

But I cried while I ate it.

When the meal was over.

I was the one who washed the dishes.

I knocked on the door of Jordan's study.

"The dishes are all washed. Count it as five dollars in wages for me."

He didn't look up.

"Mm."

"If there's nothing else you need me for, I'll go rest."

"Fine."

I braced my lower back and turned to go.

"Ada Fox."

I turned my head.

Another agreement lay on the table.

"The allocation of usage rights for each area of the house. Prudence drew up the agreement."

I picked it up, disbelieving.

Reading the terms out loud, one by one.

"First floor, second floor, third floor, all the private property of Party A, Jordan Simmons.

"Any usage fees incurred by Party B, Ada Fox, during use: thirty dollars per hour.

"Aside from household chores, every other activity incurs a usage fee. Including passing through."

"If you have no questions, sign."

Jordan held the pen out to me.

I put the agreement down.

"Jordan, are you saying I have to pay you rent even to sleep?"

"You don't have to sleep in my areas."

I froze.

He pointed at the supplementary clause.

"The fourth-floor attic is a shared marital area for Party A and Party B. Party B, Ada Fox, may use it free of any usage fee."

"The attic"

My voice shook.

"There's only four square meters up there, and it's stacked with junk"

Jordan didn't look up.

"Then you can keep signing IOUs."

I said nothing more.

I lowered my head.

And signed at the bottom.

The moment the last stroke was done.

My tears landed on it too.

"It's signed."

He took it.

The pad of his thumb brushed that little smear of tears.

He didn't care.

That night.

I curled up in the last two square meters of the attic and slept.

The next morning.

But I found the attic door had been swapped out for a steel security door.

I gripped the iron bars with both hands and shook them hard.

"What is this? Let me out!"

"Madam, do you wish to use the common areas?"

The butler stepped forward, smiling.

"My stomach hurts. I want to go to the hospital."

"Of course. Down these stairs, at your walking pace, it's about five minutes to the front gate.

"The usage fee comes to two dollars fifty. How will you pay?"

"I"

I stood there as if nailed to the floor.

"Madam, this is on Mr. Simmons's instructions. To honor the agreement, you must follow the terms exactly.

"Only once the usage fee is paid may you leave the room."

My belly cramped in waves.

I pressed my hands to it.

Tears welled in my eyes.

"I I really don't have any money right now. It all went to paying Jordan back.

"Please, just let me out first. Once I earn some money, I swear I'll pay it back"

The butler shook his head.

"The agreement states no debt on credit."

"But"

"What's all this noise about?"

The click of high heels.

Prudence had a new pair of emerald drop earrings.

The latest release.

Debut price of three million.

They caught the light and glinted as she moved.

I clung to the iron bars, my hair a mess.

The glinting stung my eyes.

The butler forced a smile. "Madam isn't feeling well. She wants to go out."

At the word "Madam,"

Prudence's mouth curled into a sneer.

She glanced at my belly. "The doctor already said she's still a month out from her due date.

"You've all been with Mr. Simmons for years. Can't you see through a cheap little act like this?"

"But"

"None of you deal with her. Except for the housework assigned to her in the common areas, if she wants out of that attic at any other time, she pays the usage fee. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ms. Butler."

"Prudence!"

The pain in my stomach left my voice raw.

I knew.

If I didn't seize this chance.

I might really never get out.

I stretched my arm through the gap in the security door.

My hand caught her earring and yanked.

Prudence shrieked.

The shriek turned into a cry of pain.

"Let me out"

"Ms. Butler! Quick! Someone help Ms. Butler!"

The servants didn't dare pull hard at the two of us.

Terrified I'd rip the earring clean out of Prudence's ear.

With no other choice.

The butler opened the door.

I threw myself out, past caring.

Stumbling, lurching forward.

Slap!

A slap landed on my face out of nowhere.

I dropped to the floor.

Jordan stood over me, and behind him Prudence trembled, clutching her ear.

Just moments ago.

Everything here had reached Jordan through the intercom.

"Drag her back for me!"

"Jordan! My stomach really hurts! I have to go to the hospital!"

"What, are you telling me you're going into labor?"

Jordan narrowed his eyes.

"Jordan, I"

Both my arms were hoisted up.

The security door closed in front of me again.

I sank to the floor, both hands gripping the iron bars.

"Jordan, it really hurts"

"Fine."

He crouched down on one knee and held out his open palm to me.

"Usage fee, two fifty. How will you pay?"

"Jordan!"

I sobbed until I shook. "You know every cent I had went to paying you back!"

"So?"

"So"

I choked on the words. "I don't even have two dollars fifty"

"Then there's nothing to discuss."

"Jordan"

My hand reached through the gap in the security door.

Jordan slid his arm around Prudence's waist.

My hand couldn't reach.

I could only stretch it out in hopeless desperation through the contractions.

"Jordan! Come back! Something's going to happen to the baby!"

"Jor

"Jordan"

My hand dropped.

Something warm spread beneath me.

The pain wasn't as sharp anymore.

My mind.

Slowly went dark too.

A day later.

The backlog of housework was assigned up to the attic.

The butler looked troubled. "Madam has been in the hospital a full day."

"Isn't she still a month from her due date? Where would she get the money to check in early?"

"No Mr. Simmons. The baby's gone."

Jordan froze.

"It was a miscarriage. Damaged heart function plus physical exhaustion."

Only then did Jordan notice.

A small dark-brown stain on the attic floor.

Seeped into the seams of the boards.

Impossible to scrub out.

His breath caught.

Slow footsteps came from the stairwell.

I was back.

"Ada."

He strode toward me.

I raised my eyes slowly.

I pulled an envelope out of the huge canvas bag.

"Ten thousand. For you."

"Ada?"

"The divorce agreement. That's for you too."