My husband is poor. We've already been married for three years, but I've covered all our expenses during that time.

Even when I'm interested in a cheap bag when we go shopping, he says it's too expensive. He tells me not to buy it.

Later, I discover that he gives his first love a four-million-dollar diamond necklace for her birthday.

It turns out he's not broke and heavily in debt—he's the heir to an affluent family with a net worth of billions of dollars.

It was late when I got home from work. After showering, I sat on the bed, scrolling through my phone, feeling exhausted. Suddenly, a notification popped up, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Top Actress Regina Brooks Celebrates Birthday With a Four-Million-Dollar Diamond Necklace Gifted by a Mysterious Tycoon."

I rubbed my eyes, my hands trembling as I zoomed in on the photo. The man in the picture only showed his back. Nonetheless, after three years of marriage, I recognized him instantly. It was my husband, Isaiah Keller—he had a distinct black mole behind his ear that gave him away.

Four million dollars was an astronomical amount to me. Just a few days ago, I went shopping with Isaiah and saw a 200-dollar purse that I liked. He said it was too expensive and told me not to buy it.

I thought about it and figured 200 dollars could buy enough household supplies to last months, so I let it go. But now, I could not help but feel suffocated.

Isaiah and I had met online. After chatting for over two months, we met in person and fell for each other instantly. That Valentine's Day, he proposed to me with the tab ring of a soda can, promising he would get me a proper diamond ring once he made more money.

I said yes because I loved him.

Isaiah was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. He had failed in business and was over one million dollars in debt when we got married, so we kept everything simple.

The house we lived in was rented, with me paying the rent every month. I also covered our daily expenses, working a full-time job during the day and taking shifts as a waitress at a restaurant at night.

Just after our intimate moment last night, he held me in his arms and said, "Honey, thank you for giving me a home. If it weren't for you, I'd never know what happiness is."

He started to cry as he added, "Once I'm debt-free, I'll work hard to buy you a car and a house. I want to give you the life you deserve."

He choked up, "If I hadn't failed at my business, you wouldn't have to suffer like this. I'm sorry, honey."

I kissed him and comforted him, saying, "Don't be sad, honey. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

At that moment, I truly believed I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Isaiah was handsome. He did not smoke or drink, and he loved me wholeheartedly. Aside from being broke, he was the perfect husband. I believed that if we worked hard enough, we could clear his debts in no time.

But now, as I bit my lip, tears streamed down my face. Just as I was crying, I received a text from Isaiah.

"Honey, business is really good tonight. I'm staying late to earn more so I can pay off the debt. Don't wait up for me, okay?"

Isaiah worked as a delivery driver during the day and sometimes as a rideshare driver at night. If I had not seen that photo, I would have naively believed he was working late and driving strangers around. I could not understand why he was lying to me.

I did not sleep that night, and Isaiah did not come home either.

The next morning, I skipped breakfast and left the house feeling like a zombie. As I stepped outside, I spotted a familiar figure across the street and quickly hid behind a tree.

Isaiah was stepping out of a Bentley. The expensive suit he had worn last night had been replaced with the cheap T-shirt and jeans I had bought for him.

Then, a middle-aged man approached him, respectfully handing over a bag. From the shape of it, I could tell it held my favorite breakfast: soy milk and a bagel.

Just as Isaiah took the bag, another car pulled up in front of him. A man I recognized stepped out—he was the CEO of a tech company, someone my friend worked for.

The CEO walked up to Isaiah, nodding slightly and speaking in an almost submissive tone. Isaiah, on the other hand, looked relaxed. He rarely acknowledged him.

I had heard my friend talk about her superior being a powerful and influential man. Yet, in front of Isaiah, he seemed so small.

Isaiah immediately called me when he reached home. I stared at the caller ID "Honey" on my phone screen. My vision blurred with tears, but I took a deep breath and composed myself before answering.

"Honey, I'm home. I bought your favorite soy milk and bagel," he said.

I kept my voice steady. "Something came up, so I went to the office early. You can have them."

He sounded disappointed. "Alright, honey. I'll make something nice for dinner when you get home."

I simply mumbled an acknowledgment and texted my workplace to take the day off. I had to figure out where Isaiah went every day and get to the bottom of this.

Since there was a coffee shop across the street, I decided to head over. I sat by the window, keeping a close eye on our building.

Around noon, Isaiah finally came out and got back into the Bentley. I slipped on a mask, flagged down a cab, and told the driver to follow him.

Before long, we arrived at an upscale restaurant. The moment the Bentley stopped, the valet rushed to open the door for him. Isaiah handed over the keys like he was used to it.

I followed carefully as he entered a private room. Through the partially open door, I saw several young men dressed in sharp suits. They looked like the typical rich heirs you would see in tabloids.

Pretending to be on a phone call, I loitered in the hallway near the room. From where I stood, I could see the table piled with dishes like lobster, king crab, and caviar—things I would only ever see on cooking shows.

"Isaiah, seeing you in those cheap clothes cracks me up. You're the heir to billions, for crying out loud!"

"When are you going to drop this act? Don't tell me you're actually falling for Aimee Sinclair, that little country bumpkin!"

Isaiah's voice came through clearly, mocking. "Are you kidding me? She's just a distraction and nothing more. She's not worthy of my feelings."

He laughed cruelly. "When I told her I was over a million dollars in debt, she said she'd stick by me and help me pay it off. I've never met anyone more gullible or pathetic in love."

The room erupted in laughter, as if they were all mocking me for my stupidity. At that moment, it felt like someone had plunged a blade into my heart, twisting it until I could hardly breathe.

I thought I was his one true love, but it turned out I was just Isaiah's plaything. The happy and blissful marriage I had cherished was simply a fantasy he orchestrated. Isaiah was never an orphan, and all that talk about a failed business and owing more than a million dollars was a lie because his family was actually powerful and wealthy.

Then, I heard someone else in the private room say, "By the way, I heard Regina was thrilled with the necklace you gave her last night, and she's thinking about rekindling things with you."

Another voice chimed in, "If she finds out you're married, won't that break her heart?"

Someone else added, "It serves Regina right for dumping Isaiah back then just to go abroad for her film career."

"Don't you know that Isaiah only married that country bumpkin to get back at Regina?"

My whole body trembled, and I nearly lost my balance. Not only did Isaiah not love me, but he had also turned me into a tool for his revenge against another woman. My heart was about to shatter.

Regina was his first love, and Isaiah's parents never approved of her leaving the country for her acting career. When she dumped Isaiah, he became convinced that no woman could be trusted.

As a result of that heartbreak, he entertained himself by toying with women's hearts and cycling through girlfriends. Eventually, he decided to find someone to marry just to spite Regina.

Yet, Isaiah feared a gold digger. Hence, he chose to hide his wealth and identity, targeting someone he thought would not suspect a thing. That someone was me—the fool he played so perfectly.

It was not my fault Regina betrayed him, but he trampled on my dignity and emotions like I deserved to pay for her sins. A wave of nausea hit me, and I was ready to leave.

Just then, someone inside the room asked, "Isaiah, what if Aimee finds out who you really are?"

Isaiah's response was dismissive. "She's too busy working herself to the bone to even notice. She spends her free time grocery shopping and cooking leftovers for me.

"Even if she does find out, it's not like she can touch my money. I'll make sure she leaves with nothing in the divorce—not a single penny!"

Every bit of color drained from my face. I looked up just in time to see Regina, dressed to the nines, walking into the room. The moment she arrived, everyone started gushing about how stunning she looked.

As a server came in with more dishes, the door to the private room swung open. I caught a glimpse of Regina seated right next to Isaiah, and their gazes were locked in a way that spoke volumes.

Regina lightly touched the sparkling diamond necklace around her neck and said coquettishly, "I really love this necklace, Isaiah. Thank you."

He smiled and replied, "I'm glad you like it—that's all that matters."

He was so generous to his first love that he could toss out a four-million-dollar necklace without a second thought. Yet, I was not even worth a 200-dollar bag in his eyes.

I could not bear to listen any longer. I stumbled out of the restaurant and almost fell down the steps in my haste to leave.

I sobbed uncontrollably, tears running down my face, as I walked along the street. For the past three years, I loved Isaiah with every fiber of my being.

I used to worry about him overworking himself, so I often made hearty homemade stews to keep him healthy. I stuck to cheap skincare products under 100 dollars while saving up to buy him better clothes and shoes, then pretended I got them on sale.

He would praise me for being smart. In reality, I had been a complete fool.

It was dark by the time I got back home, and I found Isaiah in the kitchen cooking dinner. He peeked his head out when he heard me come in, giving me a sheepish grin.

He greeted, "Hey, honey, you're home—dinner's ready!"

It was impossible to reconcile this man in a worn-out apron, cramped in our tiny kitchen, with the billionaire heir I had just discovered him to be.

While stirring a pan, Isaiah said, "Honey, I got a great deal on this fish today; the owner knocked off a couple of bucks for me.

"Also, I've been saving up cardboard scraps for the past two weeks and managed to make 68 dollars selling them, so after buying groceries, I still have five left over."

I closed my eyes as my heart twisted painfully. I could not believe just how far he was willing to go to keep up this charade.

Looking at the home-cooked dinner spread on the table, I could not help but feel bitter irony wash over me. In the past, I would have run over to hug him and tell him he was the greatest husband in the world.

I remembered what I had overheard in that private room earlier, and my fists tightened at my sides. It turned out Isaiah had learned to cook solely for Regina. Yet, he had told me he only started cooking after marrying me.

He also claimed that he grew up without anyone caring for him, often went hungry, was the target of bullying, and only survived thanks to kind strangers who helped him.

I used to feel so sorry for him whenever he told those stories, never suspecting that every word was a lie—including the part where he said he loved me.

The thought of his deception made me burst into tears again. When Isaiah carried a dish out of the kitchen and saw me crying, he rushed over.

He asked, "Honey, did something happen at work?"

He furrowed his brows and added, "Please, say something—who upset you? Seeing you like this breaks my heart. Once I start earning enough, you won't have to work anymore. You can stay home, and I'll take care of you."

Each "honey" that fell from his mouth, coupled with the worry on his handsome face, felt like a masterful performance now.

I trembled as I asked, "Isaiah, do you love me?"

Isaiah smiled tenderly and replied, "Of course, I love you. You're the only woman I'll ever love."

I stared into his eyes, remembering every cruel word he had spoken about me at the restaurant. Every word he had uttered behind my back was like a bullet piercing my heart. He saw me as worthless trash and just a way to kill time, or worse yet, a stepping stone to get his ex back.

Hearing him say he loved me now only made me feel nauseous. It was so fake I could hardly stand it. He reached for me, trying to pull me into his arms, but I stepped back and wiped away my tears.

I glared at him and growled, "Isaiah, your acting skills are seriously impressive."

He tried to play dumb. "Honey, what are you talking about?"

I grabbed my phone, opened the photos I had saved from the night before, and choked out, "Isaiah, are you done playing your games?"