A Man of Secrets

My name is Calvin Locke, and I've been married to Yvette Zimmerman for three years. To outsiders, I'm just a useless homemaker—my daily routine is buying groceries, cooking, and dealing with trivial household chores. Yvette Zimmerman and her father, Samson Zimmerman, were both used to it. They had no idea that I control several publicly traded companies under my name, and the resources at my disposal are far beyond what an ordinary person could ever dream of. Samson Zimmerman's business has been sinking lately, with his cash flow on the brink of collapse, leaving him constantly worried. Seeing Yvette so anxious, I didn't plan to reveal my identity; instead, I quietly arranged for my team to take care of things. I had my assistant secure entry for Samson Zimmerman into my private manor—that exclusive circle only open to society's elite. At the same time, I told my team to create a tailored high-end brand for him, handling everything from design to the supply chain. I didn't tell Yvette Zimmerman and Samson Zimmerman it was my doing; I just said "one of my friends helped." Samson was so excited about moving into the private manor and launching a new brand that he couldn't sleep well for several nights. He kept bragging about his wide network but became increasingly cold toward me—the "homemaker". I didn't mind; as long as Yvette was happy, a bit of resentment was nothing. But I didn't expect that Samson's ambition ran far deeper than that. He met a young man named Jerome Johnson in the business world. Jerome was generous with his money and oozed superiority in his tone, claiming to be the son of the owner of that private manor. Samson immediately got the idea of climbing the social ladder, completely forgetting who had given him the opportunity to stay at the private manor. What shocked me even more was that he began, both openly and subtly, introducing Yvette Zimmerman to Jerome. One time, when I came home from work, I happened to find Samson chatting with Yvette Zimmerman and Jerome in the living room. Samson smiled broadly at Jerome, showering Yvette with extravagant praise, completely ignoring my presence. I pretended not to notice and quietly stepped into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Yvette Zimmerman picked up on my mood and came over to explain, saying Jerome Johnson was just her father's business partner, and I shouldn't read too much into it. I nodded without calling her out, but a chill had already crept into my heart. Before long, it was the third anniversary of my marriage to Yvette Zimmerman. I had booked her favorite restaurant ahead of time and bought the necklace she had been nagging me about for ages. But when Yvette showed up, her face held not a trace of anticipation—she was cold and indifferent the entire time. I noticed she was wearing a new jade bracelet on her wrist, of excellent quality, with rich luster—it was definitely beyond what an ordinary family could afford. "That bracelet looks nice, did you just get it?" I couldn't help but ask. Yvette Zimmerman instinctively pulled her wrist back under her sleeve, her tone sounding a bit forced. "Jerome gave it to me. My dad told me to accept it." She whispered. My heart sank as I pushed her for an explanation. Yvette was silent for a long time before slowly revealing the truth. It turned out Samson Zimmerman had been urging her to spend more time with Jerome Johnson and had taken her to several high-society events. At the party, when people found out she had married a homemaker, they all cast mocking glances her way. Those cruel words pierced Yvette Zimmerman's heart like needles. She started to waver, feeling that being with me was indeed a hardship, and gradually grew resentful. "Jerome can give me the life I want, and he can also help my dad run the business well." Every word Yvette Zimmerman spoke cut straight to my heart. I looked at the woman before me, both familiar and strange, and for a moment didn't know what to say. The anniversary dinner ended in cold silence.