Chapter 12: The Auction and the Fallout

Jonathan was the first real rich kid I’d ever dealt with.

Not the kind who just inherited money, but the kind who wielded it like a weapon, shaping the world around him.

After spending time with him, I finally understood how wealthy families really lived.

There were no limits, no budgets—just desire and fulfillment, as easy as breathing.

With him, I never had to check the price tag on any luxury bag or dress.

Shopping became a game, not a chore. The thrill was gone, replaced by a strange kind of numbness.

Just one word from me, and he could immediately renovate the children’s center.

He called contractors with a single text, plans drawn up by morning. The kids had a new playground before the week was out.

...

At the auction, just because I said, “I like it,” he bought me a necklace worth over $30 million without even blinking.

The room was packed with Maple Heights’ old money—everyone in pearls and monogrammed cufflinks, eyes glued to the bidding paddle in Jonathan’s hand. The room went silent when the gavel dropped. Cameras flashed, people whispered. I felt like I was on another planet.

I tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Jonathan, this is too expensive.”

My voice was tight with anxiety. I wasn’t sure if I was scared, or just overwhelmed.

He just smiled gently. “If it’s not expensive, what’s the point? I don’t want to buy you anything cheap. You deserve the most precious thing here.”

His words were soft, but I could feel the weight behind them. He meant every syllable.

And this scene was caught by paparazzi at the auction.

Their camera flashes were relentless, catching every stolen glance, every smile.

The next day, headlines read: [Carter family’s eldest son spends $30 million on girlfriend at auction].

My phone blew up with texts and calls. The gossip mill in Maple Heights went into overdrive.

At that time, Jonathan and Caleb were in Marcus’s study discussing business.

The air was thick with tension. Marcus’s office was always immaculate, but that day, papers were scattered across the desk.

When the news broke, Marcus’s face turned dark. He grabbed Jonathan by the collar.

His knuckles went white, the anger rolling off him in waves. For a second, I worried he might actually hurt him.

“Jonathan, are you crazy? Do you know Natalie is my wife? You’re my friend—have you lost your mind?”

His voice cracked, raw and frantic, like he was drowning in his own jealousy.

Hearing the commotion, I rushed in to pull Marcus away, but he pushed me aside.

The impact sent me stumbling against the doorframe. My heart hammered in my chest—this was a side of Marcus I’d never seen before.

“Natalie, this has nothing to do with you.”

His words stung, sharp as broken glass. I swallowed back a retort, biting my lip.

Caleb made sure I was okay, then turned to Marcus.

He offered a steadying hand, his eyes searching mine for any sign of injury.

“Marcus, what’s going on? Why did you hit Jonathan?”

Caleb’s voice was calm but firm, the mediator in a room full of egos.

Marcus sneered. “This bastard is stealing my wife right under my nose.”

He spat the words, eyes blazing with jealousy and something else—regret, maybe, or fear.

He glared at Jonathan. “Don’t you have enough women around you? Why are you so obsessed with my wife?”

The room pulsed with unspoken accusations, the kind that can never be taken back.

He turned to Caleb, expecting him to take his side.

He looked for backup, but Caleb only shook his head.

But Caleb’s face went pale, and he said nothing.

The silence spoke louder than words. Even Caleb couldn’t justify what Marcus had done.

Suddenly, Marcus felt uneasy.

You could see the doubt creep in, the realization that maybe—just maybe—he’d lost control of everything that mattered.

That night, Marcus called his other friend Derek to complain.

He paced the length of the study, phone pressed tight to his ear, voice raw with frustration.

But Derek, usually sharp-tongued, stammered,

“Marcus, maybe... maybe you should just... just divorce Natalie. Anyway, you don’t love her.”

Only then did Marcus realize something was wrong.

For the first time, Marcus was the one left standing alone. And for the first time, I didn’t care what happened next.