I was a husband on paper.

Before I married Eleanor, I signed a marriage contract stating that all my children would follow their mother’s family instead of mine. The contract clearly stated that I had no status in the household. The only difference between me and the servants was that I had to share a bed with my wife.

When my wife’s many suitors pursued her, I laughed it off. When my brother-in-law andrew and sister-in-law, Marianne, slapped me, I turned the other cheek and told them, “Good things come in pairs.”

I didn’t even budge when my father-in-law, Mr. Hubert Carney and mother-in-law, Mrs. Dolores Carney, humiliated me. Instead, I showed them what it meant to be submissive. That was the life of a son-in-law. Well, at least as long as they paid me.

But later, I suddenly realized that, without even meaning to, I was slowly rising above this wealthy family.

——

When I returned home that night, I saw Eleanor and Francis Henderson standing by the entrance.

Eleanor was my wife, known as the most beautiful socialite in the elite society of Toronto. As she was a beautiful and powerful woman, she still had many admirers even after her marriage with me. One of them was Francis, who was her childhood sweetheart.

Their families had been friends for generations. It was known that he had loved her since they were young. But she never loved him back.

At least, that was what I thought.

Ever since our wedding, Eleanor and Francis had stayed in close contact. And now, as I looked at them, something felt off. It made me realize something that I had never thought before.

Eleanor’s long hair was loose, while the straps of her nightgown had slipped off her shoulders. Not to mention, her face was flushed. I could only imagine what they had been doing before my arrival interrupted them.

If I had known, I would have come back later.

Eleanor looked flustered. She didn’t even glance at me. Francis, on the other hand, glared at me and gritted his teeth.

“You came back at a bad time.”

I smiled and stretched out my hand as I told him, “Then pay up. The usual rule. It’s $100,000 per minute.”

That was the rule I had set.

This wasn’t the first time I’d come home at the ‘wrong’ moment. Every time, Francis had demanded that I leave and Eleanor had never objected. So, I started charging them $100,000 per minute.

Although Francis never paid me the full million I aimed for, he usually handed over $300,000 to $500,000 before leaving. But I always felt a little bad for Eleanor. I could last at least half an hour, while Francis barely managed three to five minutes.

Francis’ expression twisted, but he snorted and turned to leave. I sighed. No money tonight.

Then, at the doorway, Francis suddenly stopped.

“Name your price. How much for a divorce?”

I perked up for a second but quickly forced myself to look disappointed as I answered him, “When I married Eleanor, I signed a contract selling myself for $400,000. If I break the contract, I owe $10 billion in penalty fees. Are you willing to pay that much of a money for me?”

Francis froze. His eyes flickered to Eleanor. Eleanor sighed, nodded and said nothing.

Not long after that, Francis left. This wasn’t some fairy tale. Not everyone had $10 billion to throw around.

I closed the door and turned to Eleanor with a smile and asked, “Darling, do you want me to sleep with you tonight? If not, I’ll take the study.”

Eleanor stared at me for a long moment before turning and walking away.

My wife was truly a beautiful woman. She was nearly thirty, yet she still had a youthful face. Yet, her body had the amazing curves of a mature woman that made her elegant.

I changed my shoes and was about to head to the study when I noticed Eleanor had stopped at the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She hesitated before speaking, “He tried to force himself on me. I was resisting. It’s not what you think.”

I was stunned. This was the first time she had ever explained herself to me. But … did she even need to?

I raised an eyebrow and said to her, “Before we got married, you told me not to interfere in your private life. So you don’t need to explain anything to me.”

Eleanor stiffened. Then, she let out a bitter chuckle.

Finally, she sneered, “Forget the study. Sleep with me tonight.”

Since Miss Carney had a request here, I had to comply. I immediately followed Eleanor back to the bedroom. She walked to the closet, opened the door and pointed to the sexy nightgowns inside.

"Which one do you like?" she asked.

I smiled, answering her question, "Any of them are fine with me."

"Then let's do it."

She pointed at the bed, motioning for me to lie down.

I shook my head, turning her down by saying, "I can sleep with you, but I don’t want to do that with you. Besides, you should take a shower first."

Eleanor froze for a moment before pointing at the door and shouting angrily, "Get out!"

I sighed, trying to tell her by arguing, "We agreed on this a long time ago. I don’t interfere in your private life, but taking a shower is basic respect."

Eleanor clenched her fists, angrily saying, "I said, get out!"

I walked to the door but turned back with a grin as I told her, "Actually, you don’t have to shower, but in that case, you’ll have to pay extra."

Bang!

She threw her phone at me. I quickly reacted by shutting the door. But I had to admit that women were indeed terrifying.

Back in the study, I turned on my computer and started a video conference.

"Alex, go to The 27 Club tomorrow. I’ve finalized the expansion project there."

"Oh and Blake, the fire protection system in Vancouver isn’t up to standard. The materials have been arranged, but you need to handle the negotiations."

"Carter, I got a big import-export order from Francis. The profit on a round trip is $10 million and I can run about a dozen trips. You take care of it."

Once that meeting ended, I switched to another room and continued another meeting. Before I knew it, it was past one in the morning, but I had wrapped up several major deals. Most of the projects in my hands actually came from Eleanor’s suitors.

Surprisingly, lots of them came especially from Francis. I had convinced him that I had never touched Eleanor and in return, he gave me business deals. He thought that it was a way to keep me satisfied.

But what about the truth?

Both Eleanor and I were still very young. She was stunning, while I wasn’t that bad-looking either. So, it was impossible for nothing to happen with both of us living under the same roof. You could say that out of seven days in a week, at least four or five were filled with "battles."

The next morning, I got up to make breakfast. Even though we had a chef, Eleanor insisted that I cook for her every day. As usual, I made poutine for her

"There’s a cocktail party at our old mansion in Forest Hill South tonight. Do you have time?" Eleanor asked while eating.

I nodded without hesitation as I answered her question, "Even if I didn’t, I’d still go."

Why? It was because the Carney Family’s cocktail party was a prime networking event. Only a fool would miss it.

As for the hostility that was given by my father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law? That didn’t bother me. Not to mention, I was already known as a cuckolded man of Toronto. What more could they say?

Eleanor put down her cutleries, furrowing her perfectly shaped brows.

"Are you going to help me keep suitors away, or for yourself?"

I replied in a matter-of-factly tone, "Suitors only prove how attractive my wife is. Why would I block them?"

Eleanor’s face turned cold. She stood up.

"I’m not eating anymore."

I sighed, feeling bad for the unfinished poutine. Eventually, I sat down and finished them myself.

That night, Eleanor and I arrived at the Carney Family’s old mansion in Forest Hill South. As soon as we arrived, I could see that the massive parking lot was already filled with luxury cars.

I got out, walked around to open Eleanor’s door and offered her my arm.

She took it and whispered as we walked inside, "Tonight will be different. I hope you’ll help me when I need it."

I nodded, telling her, "Don’t worry. I won’t embarrass you."

Eleanor shot me a glare but said nothing. I couldn’t help but think of something. Why was she still unhappy? Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted?

As soon as we stepped inside, my brother-in-law andrew, stormed up to us.

He shot me a furious glare before turning to Eleanor and shouting, "Take your hands off that worthless man!"

To my surprise, Eleanor didn’t let go of my arm, nor did she stop walking. Instead, she did something shocking. She pulled me forward.

Andrew, however, grabbed me, gritting his teeth.

"Tonight is important for the Carney Family. Don’t screw it up."

I smiled and nodded, showing no resistance.

To me, the Carney Family were all people that I needed to obey. After all, I was nothing but just an employee. So, it made sense for me to listen to any of the Carney Family members.

What I saw before me was something I expected from the Carney Family’s cocktail party. Inside the mansion’s hall, classical music floated through the air like a melody from heaven. Those elite guests were already deep in conversation, while their glasses filled with the finest champagne.

As always, Eleanor and I attracted attention the moment we arrived. After all, I was known as a walking joke in Toronto’s elite society. Wherever I went, people mocked me. They didn’t just tease subtly. Rather, they publicly humiliated me.

"The Cuckold King of Toronto is here again!" someone chuckled.

"Matthew, I heard Francis was at your house yesterday. How much did you make this time?" another asked, grinning.

They were, of course, referring to my infamous "100,000 dollars per minute" deal.

I kept my smile in place as I told them calmly, "My wife wasn’t feeling well, so no money was made from my end."

At that moment, I felt a sharp pinch on my arm. It was obviously Eleanor who did it.

Her voice was low and cold in my ear as she angrily whispered, "Look at you being so humble, Matthew! But the more you act like this, the more people see me as a slut!"

I glanced at her, responding, "Don’t you want to maintain a good relationship with Mr. Henderson?"

Eleanor looked down, saying nothing.

I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Why would Eleanor fight me regarding that? Besides, she could just stay in her seat as the most beautiful woman without trying to prove anything.

After a few more rounds of mockery from the guests, both Eleanor and I settled in a corner. She sat on the sofa, staring into space, while I stood nearby as I was waiting.

Waiting for what?

For her suitors to come to us, of course!

Officially, I was there to keep them at bay. In reality, I used the opportunity to chat, negotiate benefits and build connections. That was the most important thing for me.

"Ah, Mr. Powell is here!"

I spotted a bald, middle-aged man approaching and immediately reached out to greet him.

It was Robert Powell, Toronto’s jewelry king. We had worked together many times before. I smuggled jewelry through my import-export routes, while he handled the sales.

Among Eleanor’s many suitors, he was the oldest and the most persistent. Every time we met, he would dramatically kneel and confess his love. Even Eleanor had grown numb to his antics.

Expecting another grand confession, I braced myself. The onlookers did the same, eager for the spectacle.

But to my surprise, Robert grabbed my hand and said, "Mr. Jackson, I’ve tried meeting you in private so many times, but you’re always busy! Now that I finally caught you, I must thank you in person for what you did for me!"

I hesitated, then suddenly remembered what he was talking about.

"Mr. Powell, we’re old friends. We help each other. No need for thanks."

Robert shook his head firmly as he said, "My family ran into trouble abroad. I even contacted the embassy, but nothing worked. You solved it with a single phone call. I have to thank you properly!"

With that, he pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase.

"Mr. Jackson, this is 15% of the shares in my jewelry chain, the Powell Jewels. Just sign and they’re yours!"

The room fell silent. Gasps rippled through the crowd. It was already shocking enough that I could resolve an international crisis, but Robert’s jewelry chain was a national empire. That 15% share? It was a fortune.

Even Eleanor turned to me with a rare expression of surprise.

Just then andrew stepped forward.

"Matthew, take it if Mr. Powell is offering," he said with a cold tone, narrowing his eyes.

"But don’t you ever forget something! What’s yours belongs to the Carney Family!"