Every item has a selling point.

Every human has a selling point.

And my husband was sold. With adventure from another woman.

Kellan dusted the house clean and made a five course meal by the time I was home for lunch. The scent of bubblegum and strawberries overwhelmed me again.

"And you didn't even take the driver with you. How many times should I tell you not to be such a strong woman?" His voice was of mockery.

"Is this your way of downgrading me to a useless piece of nothing?" As the words left my mouth, both of us were in shock.

"What...?" He didn't hear me quite well. I sat on the chair and shook my head, said, "Nothing."

He served me food like a housemaid. I enjoyed the royalties while it lasted.

"Baby. Guess what I did to ease your mind?" He prompted as I raised an eyebrow.

"I bought a plot close to the costliest area, around an acre of it." He was jittery again as he spoke. Normally I would have jumped and hugged him. But instead, I replied with, "Okay."

His smile faltered at my indifference before he composed again.

Kellan's company handles construction and development. In our area and even abroad, his sister companies generated a skyrocketing income. I must be the lucky wife who sat happily at home and bore his babies, right? Wrong.

"This is the 78th piece of land dedicated to me." I said and gave him a soft smile.

"Along with the parts of the moon? Yes. Because I love you, Astrid. Can you show me your accounts now?" He boasted his love for me.

This was our supper ritual. After or before eating, Kellan would go through my transaction history.

"That's sweet." He commented but didn't notice the transactions to the mailing service or other things because I secretly maintained my savings account after the marriage. I did an MBA from Harvard. I had a premonition of bad things happening and I had to keep myself safe.

"I know you love surprises." He stated. My eyes were saddened. I wanted to tell him these materialistic things never give me happiness. Time spent with him did. But I was too late.

"Since you're such a good husband, I prepared a bunch of surprises for you too." His eyes lit up when I said. As loving as he appears, he's just as shallow as he claims not to be.

"We spent five years together, we have fifty years more of love to give gifts." Kellan whispered and reached to kiss me again, but I swerved for the umpteenth time. I didn't want to puke on him.

"I'm going to give you an even bigger, memorable gift than what you'd give me!" He cheered like a boy, but I smirked in my head. I'm 1000% sure he wouldn't come close to how awesome my gift would be.

"Baby, I have to go. Take care and clean up if you'd like." He said. I raised an eyebrow.

"But I'm preg—" I tried to reason but Kellan cut me off.

"I love you!" He swung his coat over the shoulder and dashed out of the house. This has been a problem for years. He didn't believe in letting other people clean our dirty dishes. The kitchen is a storm whenever he cooks. I dreaded the overflowing sink but I knew I had to get things done.

In the evening, Kellan showed up in a different outfit than he had while leaving. He excitedly showed me the papers that would fill my stack and kissed my forehead.

"I love seeing my wife smile. Makes me so much more of a man." To his flattering words, I gave a crooked smile.

"You're only a man if you gift things to me?" I mumbled. This time, Kellan didn't hold back and said,

"You know how much I hate mumbling. What did you say?" I stared at him with a blank expression.

"Nothing." I replied flatly.

However, after a really long time, Kellan brought his work laptop and gestured me he'd be stuck in his office. I nodded.

I went back to my room to sleep at 8 pm. I was too tired, having puked out all the lunch he made lovingly in the afternoon.

There was a notification, from Zara Lennings. She showed a hand holding her as they strolled youthfully in the streets of California. She held Boba drink, bubblegum flavored with raspberry puree.

And the hand she was holding belonged to a married man. The plain platinum band on his ring finger wasn't even taken off.

I couldn't sleep, so I stirred up some cold noodles and came to Kellan's office. When I opened the door, I caught Kellan biting his lower lip and staring intently on the screen, with a creepy smile. He quickly shut the laptop and turned to me.

"I smell something yummy." He sang. I passed the bowl to him and sat on the couch beside.

We both got a notification at the same time when I checked Zara Lenning's post. I raised an eyebrow.

"I can explain." He spoke before I even opened my mouth.

Before I retired to be a housewife, I was the face of the company. Brand Ambassador. Now the title is held by his new PA.

"No need for an explanation. She's prettier. I got uglier." I said flatly. Kellan glided down to sit in front of my knees.

"That's not true, Astrid. You're still as beautiful as you were. If not, the glow is shining even better now." He tried to coax me. But I nodded my head and left. I knew he was speaking out of obligation.

I had a genetic condition, the only gift given by my deadbeat father: Beta Thalassemia.

Despite my chronic episodes of fatigue, I accepted to be the brand ambassador and rose to fame with Kellan's influence. Now that the title has been changed, social media has exploded with many different comments.

-SOMEONE NEW COULD NEVER REPLACE THE BEAUTY QUEEN ASTRID.

WHAT IS SHE EVEN DOING HERE? NO MASS!

ARE WE TRUSTING PLASTICS TO SELL OUR LANDS AND BUY THEM NOW? I'M QUITTING THIS JOB MAN. -

The last comment had a lot of likes. I secretly chuckled at them. Some supported her while some weren't kind about the change. While the rest remained quiet and opinionless.

However, there was a set of personal dramas going on in the chatroom for the company fan club.

QueenDS: What is your problem? You think she slept with the boss to get it?

FingerLi: That's right! Finally got it in your head!

QueenDS: You're a twisted little cuck

FingerLi: You'll regret what you said one day knowing I'm right.

Then a third person entered the chat...

Greengoo: What if I say...boss Kellan likes change?

The third person singlehandedly silenced the chaotic group chat. I kept staring at the message however.

Is that true? Did Kellan just crave some much needed change and tossed me to the side for that?

Then I looked into the company group chat as I was still admin.

KimD: Boss the change is bad.

HanaJ: I don't know what to say

MillerMay: The situation is well out of hands. There's more negative than encouragement boss

I smirked at the messages. There was a mile long messages more with Kellan and Zara arguing with the media and everyone else.

When I walked out of the room to get some water, I heard Kellan speaking to someone. Not on the phone.

I stopped myself there. The other voice was Zara's. How did she walk in without ringing the doorbell?

"I told you I didn't want to do this! You never listen! Now my sweet wife is being dragged into your mess too." I raised an eyebrow at Kellan's raised voice. People didn't speak bad about me just yet. What are they talking about?

"I know. I'm sorry, okay!? I can't revert and I want what i want! You needed that change! She's grown stale!" It was Zara who spoke. My head was boggled. Were they talking about the relationship or being ambassador?

Anyway, I felt too dizzy to stand up and rushed back to my room. I needed a health shot which I injected on my arm and went to sleep.

The next morning, Kellan was busy on a phone call, barking.

"I told you deliberately not to put it out in the front suddenly. It's all your fault! Didn't you care to make a better headline?" He shouted and I jumped my eyebrows. Kellan is just displacing his anger on others.

Suddenly, I felt dizzy and tried to heave out Kellan's name. Before I could, I fell to the ground and couldn't even utter a word.

"Astrid!" Knowing how high risk of a pregnancy I had, Kellan immediately rushed me to the hospital, barefoot.

We were photographed by paparazzi in front of the hospital. Our news turned big quickly.

HanK GROUP'S LEADER'S WIFE COLLAPSED AND BROUGHT TO CITY CENTRAL HOSPITAL? DID THE NEWS HIT THE PAST BRAND AMBASSADOR THAT HARD? ANOTHER REASON FOR NOT ACCEPTING CHANGE, FOLKS.

I turned to Kellan as the news channel flashed. I woke up three hours later.

"I don't care what they say." Kellan said and looked at his lap, he smiled. I knew I couldn't change his mind. He never listened.

Immediately after I woke up, someone barged in and collected Kellan away from me. It was Zara Lenning.

It was evident where they were going. I had to follow them. Discharging myself moments after they left, I found them walking to a cheap motel, faces hidden.

My stomach churned uncomfortably.

The look in their eyes spoke everything I needed to know.

I saw it all happen through the window. All his distress was evaporated when he kissed her fervently. A shudder ran down my spine at the way they were so intimate at the count of nothing.

Kellan wouldn't do that with me. I was the boring wife who didn't explore much. While she explored all things in the bedroom with Kellan. The only difference was...Kellan never asked me.

I officially discharged myself and drove back home.

Kellan came back home two days later. He was shocked to see me at home, reading a book.

"You should've been at the hospital." He pointed.

"Discharged myself early." My voice was flat as i replied. Panicked sweat trickled down his neck but he kept his calm and walked past. I smelled the obnoxious smell yet again. I was pissed.

"Baby…" He tried to speak. I sighed which made him stop. He came back after a shower and tried to make it up with me.

"You don't even read my messages. I told you I needed you." As he said next to me, I worded out.

"It was your fault for discharging yourself before time, Astrid. What did I do?" His eyebrows were knit close as he argued.

"So you're going to conveniently forget the detail about where you were for two days?" His face went pale when I said that.

"It's not about that. Well, we have some official work to do. Come with me to the office." I raised an eyebrow. Why was he diverting the topic?

"It's Sunday, genius." I pointed out the obvious.

"I know, my love. Get dressed." Saying, Kellan assisted me to the bathroom and groomed me to perfection. He paid special attention to my nails and face and picked a rather formal suit to wear. His favourite burgundy velvet suit he bought for me five months ago.

"Baby please. Talk to me. I can't stand your silence." He spoke out of nowhere while driving.

"I'm not angry." I replied, staring at the people walking down the roads.

When we reached the company, a mile long of employees welcomed me, acting as a red carpet line. We were led to the photoshoot area. I turned to Kellan, confused.

"You have to be the face of our company again, Astrid. The people love you. But you and Zara have to collaborate. So here she is." As he ended his sentence, Zara Lenning leaned over my husband and shot me a cunning glance. She was chewing bubblegum very loudly.

Her nose was perfect, her skin flawless. Her legs are long and skinny, perfect for a runway model. But the company never needed a runway model. They want a modest face without much caking up.

The photoshoot began, I was a seasoned model for four years continuously. The cameraman had trouble with Zara Lenning as she was making everything seem erotic. Sticking her chest and bottom out, smile bigger than wanted and eyes holding that cunning gaze that drove off customers. No wonder she faced such backlash.

"It's taking longer than usual." I complained to Kellan. He brought me cups and cups of warm water to keep me warm and comfortable. He fed me little snacks by hand during breaks. It was almost evening.

"Look at Boss Kellan doting over his wife. I want someone like him to be my husband!" The woman was being way too obvious as she said. She was a colleague.

"Are you as successful and beautiful as Ms Astrid? Then we'll talk. You didn't even get a degree!" Another colleague retorted and I chuckled at that. Getting a degree doesn't define being a good wife. They hardly knew our story too.

"Boss?" The cameraman offered beer cheerfully to Kellan. But Kellan glared nastily at the male.

"Can't you see I'm with my lovely wife? I don't drink in front of her. Beer is cheap." He grumbled and made the poor guy sweat. He trembled and stumbled away.

Kellan smiled at me. I was left wondering. He loves me too much to let me go. That's why he had an addition.

The assistant gave me a new pair of shoes for next round. Her mistake? They were heels.

"What the hell are these!?" Kellan shouted out of nowhere and threw them at her feet.

"Can't you see she's pregnant? It's bad for her health. Use the thing you carry over your neck. You're fired." After he barked, the poor woman walked away in tears. A new assistant came up and gave me comfortable shoes.

"Here," Kellan took my feet, taking a while longer to admire before slipping the shoes on my feet.

"Comfy?" He asked and I nodded gently.

He got a text message and suddenly,

"The photoshoot is cancelled. Go home. We will continue tomorrow." He announced. I raised an eyebrow. Almost immediately, Kellan flew out of the room to the green room.

When I followed him after to return the shoes, I caught Kellan and Zara kissing deeply. What's more disturbing? They did it in front of all employees.

I pretended like they didn't exist and walked back home, even though there was a driver.

The next day, the photoshoot continued without me. I heard Kellan saying gleefully,

"The barking dogs have been silenced. Zara will always be my top model and face of the company."