The Billion-Dollar Windfall: Edwin Volvox

CHAPTER 1

A frustrated Edwin bolted into the house in anger. He had just returned from the bank where he confirmed his fears.

Previously he had checked his balance through his phone, only to realise all his money, which he struggled to save in the last three years, was gone. Out of fifty thousand dollars, he mysteriously found three dollars.

Everything was gone, his savings were the last hope he had to pay for the surgery of his sick mother.

However, considering various options, the only person who could go to such a length of withdrawing his fund was Ciara Shawn, his wife.

The moment he walked into the bedroom, he found her filling her nails. Seething in anger, Edwin yelled out. "Where is my money? Why did you touch my savings?"

Instead of a look of remorse and guilt, she acted indifferently, engrossed in taking care of her nails other than acting as she cared. "What else would your beautiful wife use the money for?"

"Of course, I had to get a beautiful dress that would make my appearance unique and eye-catching, amongst others in the party." Ciara smiled and added mockingly. "I shouldn't look like trash right?"

She paused the filling and added. "To be honest, Edwin. I wanted the latest Armani edition of that dress. And since I couldn't get the latest, I at least got what was close to it."

"It cost me forty seven thousand dollars and some cents. Your money could buy me that, so I took it. I added the cents myself and I left you three dollars."

"I did try, right!" Ciara laughed more.

Edwin couldn't contain his anger anymore, the more she spoke, the angrier he became. He knew Ciara to be an extravagant soul. But he never in his life thought that she would find out about his savings, and to the extent of satisfying herself selfishly by buying a dress with it.

"Ciara! If you know what's good for you. I need you to return that dress now, and get me back my money!" he yelled at the top of his voice, but Ciara wasn't moved.

Instead, she mocked him more. "Dear husband, didn't you hear me say earlier that I bought the cloth from a luxury brand, not just any store? And are you so dumb to connect the dots, that customers would never be allowed to return goods purchased?"

Edwin on the other hand was running out of patience, he could feel his system heating up. That money was his last hope.

Quickly, he found the closest sofa to sit, while he got his face buried into his palms in anger. 

On one hand was his dying mother, on another hand was his infuriating wife. "Ciara, what have you done! That money was supposed to cover the expenses for my mum's surgery." 

He painfully repeated the pain in his heart while Ciara annoyingly kept filling her fingers and chewing gum loudly.

To make matters worse, she spewed annoyingly. "You know Edwin, perhaps this would give you the opportunity to work more."

"You should be appreciating me, you know? I mean that woman you call a mother is obviously dying, she doesn't need your help anymore."

"Why not just look for some work somewhere? Even if it's two or three different jobs, then spend lavishly on your healthy wife."

"Leave that woman to rot away."

"I will not have you speak ill of my mother!" Edwin's voice boomed heavily in the room while he stomped to his feet, making Ciara tremble slightly.

He looked around the room, hoping that there were some possessions somewhere that he could at least sell, to get the money. Or even if it were the gown she bought.

While he moved, Ciara's heart uncontrollably thumped harder against its rib cage as though it would rip out. This was the first time in years of their marriage that she had actually seen the other side of Edwin.

All along, she usually looked at him as though he were a puppy who takes in all the pain, but right at that moment, it was entirely different.

Ciara immediately harboured the thought that he wanted to lay a finger on her, and then she tried playing the victim card by enabling fake tears. "I was only telling the truth, Edwin."

However, the moment she discovered he really wasn't coming for her, but was instead searching for something, she proceeded to run her mouth.

"Even if you dig the floor of this house, you would never find my dress." she mockingly laughed.

Edwin went on vigorously searching, but then, something else got him distracted, his phone rang. He immediately ransacked his pocket for it.

Upon his attempt to hurriedly pick the call when he saw the doctor's name, he mistakenly switched the call to speaker.

"Mr Volvox, your mother's life is in danger. The more you waste time, the closer you pull her towards her deathbed. You need to pay up so the surgery can commence." The doctor spoke out in a rush, stating it was a matter of urgency.

He didn't waste much time, after Edwin acknowledged the message. "I will be there soon." The call immediately went off.

On the other hand, Ciara also heard all that the doctor said to Edwin. But then, she didn't buy into the idea that his mother's life needed to be saved.

Instead, while she watched him pick the little things he could in preparation to leave, Ciara sneered and tauntingly voiced. "You know that woman should have been dead long ago right?"

"She doesn't deserve spending even a penny on her, when she eventually would die."

"Why not spend all you have on me. Buy me luxury. I deserve better."

Edwin felt pained. Ciara was truly a mistake of a partner, but what could he do? He was married to her already. Moreover, his mother's life mattered first, other than the words of some lavishly spending wife.

He clenched his fist in anger, till his knuckles were white. If he had the chance, he would release the anger in between those fists into her face, but then he was brought up to respect and love women, not manhandle them.

Instead of waiting more time, listening to her taunting words, he dashed out of the house. 

"I have more important place to be."