Dumped, Then Claimed By A Billionaire Novel – “We’re getting a divorce.” “I married you to fulfill my grandfather’s dying wish. Audrey is the only one I truly love.” “Owen, I love you. Losing you will kill me.” “Fine, then just don’t die on me.” Nerissa Jamison suddenly jolted awake, sweat beading across her forehead. She was gasping for breath. The room was huge, decorated in lavish, palatial style, rich and extravagant. Staring around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Nerissa froze for a moment. ‘What’s going on? I remember I died,’ she wondered. At the same time, a flood of new memories poured into her mind. She saw a man glaring at a woman with utter disgust as the woman collapsed to the floor, begging him not to divorce her.
After about ten minutes, Nerissa finally pieced together her situation. Clearly, she had traveled through time. The girl in the memories was also named Nerissa. She was born in the slums with no notable background, and her parents were unknown. Right after birth, she was abandoned by the roadside in a village. An elderly local found her and raised her. Six months ago, this ordinary village girl married into the Calloway family in Aosthorne. From there, she climbed the social ladder to become a wealthy wife envied by all. All of this was thanks to something that happened a year ago. A year ago, Griffin suddenly suffered a seizure and fell into the water while struggling. Nerissa happened to be nearby and saved him.
When they met for the first time, Griffin was deeply impressed by Nerissa. For one, she was beautiful. But more importantly, he believed Nerissa brought good luck. At the time, Calloway Group was facing an unprecedented financial crisis. To repay Nerissa for saving him and to save the nearly bankrupt company, Griffin ignored opposition and insisted that his grandson, Owen Calloway, marry Nerissa. After Nerissa and Owen married, Calloway Group, on the brink of collapse, suddenly secured several large orders and not only survived but thrived day by day. Owen was hailed by the media as a rare dark horse in finance, a rising star who went from a ridiculed, fallen blue blood to the strongest newcomer in the industry.
Owen always looked down on his slum-born wife. As his status grew, his contempt for Nerissa only deepened. Proud of being the golden boy, Owen believed Nerissa, who had no prestigious background or good education, was completely unworthy of him. Because of this, even though their marriage license had been registered for six months, they never lived together, let alone slept together. One month ago, Griffin died suddenly of a heart attack. At that moment, Owen’s first crush, Audrey Pierce, returned from overseas to attend the funeral. To reunite with Audrey, Owen asked for a divorce and abandoned Nerissa. Owen had married Nerissa only to use her, but Nerissa had given him her genuine love.
She loved Owen deeply and was willing to give everything for him. To avoid the divorce, she even collapsed on the ground begging Audrey to stop pursuing Owen. But Audrey sneered, “In love, the mistress is the one who isn’t loved.” With no help from Audrey, Nerissa threatened Owen, “If you insist on divorcing me, I’ll kill myself.” Owen, however, didn’t care at all. His voice was cold and ruthless. “Fine, then just don’t die on me.” Having lost all hope, Nerissa swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. But Owen forgot one thing. Nerissa not only brought good luck, but she also possessed astonishing business talent. Before Griffin died, Nerissa had only studied for two months, yet she surpassed decades of Griffin’s experience. Calloway Group’s turnaround against all odds was entirely due to Nerissa quietly working behind Owen’s back.
But to protect Owen’s pride, Nerissa never took credit in public. Just a week ago, Nerissa stayed up all night revising a bidding proposal for Owen to submit to Stratford Group. Without Nerissa’s efforts, Calloway Group would have long been a casualty in the corporate war, and Owen wouldn’t have had a chance to become the rare dark horse of the decade in business. To be precise, Nerissa was the real dark horse. At that moment, a rapid knock sounded at the door. “Nerissa, I’m warning you. Death won’t solve anything. As long as tomorrow isn’t the end of the world, we will get divorced,” Owen shouted from outside. Right now, Calloway Group was back on track, and Owen had been hailed by the media as a once-in-a-decade dark horse. To him, Nerissa no longer offered anything of value.
Naturally, he wanted to get rid of this burden who could no longer contribute to his success. From now on, as long as he was around, the steady growth of Calloway Group was guaranteed. Nerissa frowned slightly. She was about to open the door when she looked down and realized she was wearing only a thin, light gray silk nightgown. The fabric was sheer, barely covering anything. Through it, she could faintly see her well-shaped, sexy figure. ‘Hey, girl, your body’s not bad,’ Nerissa thought with a slight smirk. ‘I love it. That jerk doesn’t deserve to appreciate my good looks.’ She turned and headed to the dressing room to change. The closet was full of clothes, but almost all were dull shades of gray. Nerissa knitted her brows, thinking, ‘Oh God, look at these awful clothes. Even my 98-year-old neighbor wouldn’t wear so much gray.’ At 19, Nerissa was a young woman in her prime, and most ladies her age loved to dress up. She had filled her wardrobe with gray clothes because gray was Owen’s favorite color. In this marriage, Nerissa had lost herself, becoming a puppet who mimicked every one of Owen’s habits. After searching for a long time, she finally found the only white T-shirt and light blue jeans in the closet. After changing, Nerissa stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection carefully. The girl had a beautiful figure, wearing a round-neck white T-shirt that exposed her graceful neck and pretty collarbones.
When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared, somewhat resembling her previous life. Despite her beauty, Nerissa had always been insecure because of her unfortunate background. To always look her best for Owen, she wore heavy makeup every day. Thick foundation covered her delicate eyebrows and eyes, and the exaggerated black eyeliner seemed to reach for the sky. This look diminished Nerissa’s natural charm, making her appear much older and gaudier than she really was. She had planned to remove the heavy makeup before going downstairs, but after searching her vanity for makeup remover in vain, she shrugged, grabbed a jacket from the closet, threw it over her shoulders, and went downstairs with her exaggerated makeup still on. ***** On the sofa in the first-floor hall sat four people. Owen, his mother Evelyn Calloway, Owen’s cousin Kaia Wexcombe, and Owen’s second great uncle, Joel Calloway. Seeing Nerissa come down, Evelyn rolled her eyes. She wondered, ‘Even if Nerissa wore fancy clothes, she’d still look terrible. And here she is, wearing such heavy makeup at night. That thick foundation is just awful. Who’s she trying to scare?’ Evelyn had looked down on Nerissa from the start, believing she was nothing but a burden, humiliating the Calloway family. If Griffin hadn’t insisted that Owen marry Nerissa, Evelyn never would have agreed to the marriage. She wondered, ‘Owen’s the golden boy, the dark horse the finance world sees once every ten years. And Nerissa? She didn’t even finish high school. Ridiculous, Evelyn thought. She’s not even worthy of being Owen’s servant.’ Evelyn did not believe Nerissa truly had any business talent. To her, Nerissa was the least useful member of the Calloway family, so she fully supported Owen’s decision to divorce. In Evelyn’s mind, only Audrey, who came from a prestigious family and had a great reputation, was worthy to be Owen’s wife. Nerissa was no match for Audrey. “Sign it,” Nerissa said, ignoring the contempt in Evelyn’s eyes as she walked straight up to Owen and threw the divorce papers onto the table. Owen looked up at the heavily made-up woman and felt nothing but disgust. Then he stood, grabbing her wrist tightly, and asked angrily, “Nerissa, what exactly are you trying to do?” Nerissa shook off his hand and glared at him with a hint of agitation in her eyes. Her voice rose. “You want a divorce, right? I’ve already signed.” ‘What? She agreed to the divorce and has already signed.’ Owen was momentarily stunned. At the same time, the others in the living room doubted their ears.
They had expected Nerissa to throw a tantrum, cry, or threaten suicide like usual. But now, she was calmly urging Owen to sign the divorce papers. It was so out of character. ‘Nerissa’s just a poor girl from the slums. If she divorces, she’ll lose all the wealth and luxury she’s enjoying now. Would she really give that up? Would she really abandon Owen and go back to having nothing?’ they thought. Even Owen was taken aback. ‘Nerissa loves me to her core, to the point of losing herself. She’d even kill herself to avoid divorce. How could she possibly agree so easily? Something’s wrong with this divorce agreement,’ he thought. Owen picked up the papers and scrutinized them carefully. But after checking twice, he found nothing unusual. And Nerissa had indeed signed. ‘How is this possible?’ Owen wondered. He tilted his head toward Nerissa, frowning with impatience shining in his eyes. “Nerissa, what new trick are you playing now?” ‘I’ve really had enough of Nerissa.
I don’t have time to play these mind games,’ Owen thought. Chapter 2 Joel’s Concern “New trick?” Nerissa curled her lips into a faint, cold smile. “Mr. Calloway, are you deaf? I think I made myself very clear. It was my fault before, mistaking that jerk for Mr. Right. Now I’m wide awake. Please sign immediately.” Owen narrowed his eyes, thinking, ‘Nerissa must be faking. There’s no way she’s this calm. She’s definitely trying to get my attention with this stunt.’ Nerissa’s dirty tactics disgusted Owen. He signed the divorce papers as fast as possible and said coldly, “See you at City Hall, Monday, 8 a.m.” It was already late Friday night; City Hall had long closed, and it wouldn’t open over the weekend.
There were two copies of the divorce agreement. Nerissa took one, slipped it into her bag, and put it away. She looked up at Owen, her gaze icy, as if looking at a stranger. “I’ll be there on time,” Nerissa said. Almost everyone in the room expected Nerissa to resort to threats or tears to stop the divorce. But to their surprise, she turned and left without hesitation. Evelyn squinted and looked at Owen. “Nerissa’s definitely playing hard to get. Just wait. She won’t show up at City Hall on Monday.” Joel, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “I don’t think so.” ‘Playing hard to get? No, Nerissa looks like she suddenly woke up,’ Joel thought. Evelyn scoffed, “Joel, you’re overestimating her.” Evelyn had lived with Nerissa for more than half a year and knew better than anyone how much Nerissa adored Owen. Joel turned to Owen, hesitating before speaking. “Owen, are you really set on divorcing? Without her, the company—” Griffin had often praised Nerissa’s talents in front of Joel. Joel knew Nerissa had a natural gift for business.
When Griffin was bedridden, he even grabbed Joel’s hand and urged him, “If Owen insists on divorcing Nerissa later, please stop him. I worry he’ll make a mistake.” Owen’s sudden decision to divorce deeply unsettled Joel. Choosing his words carefully, Joel continued, “Owen, Calloway Group has already suffered a heavy blow and can’t afford any more setbacks. “And the company is at a critical growth stage. Without her help, are you confident you can win the Celestial Dome Awards?” Calloway Group mainly developed online games. The Celestial Dome Awards were the highest honors in the gaming industry, the ultimate recognition for game creators. Whether Calloway Group could completely crush their rival and break onto the international stage hinged on winning that award. Yet at this crucial moment, Owen was divorcing Nerissa. Joel was deeply worried. Anger flared in Owen’s eyes as he looked at Joel. “Joel, do you think I’m inferior to Nerissa?” Owen had never believed that Calloway Group’s turnaround owed anything to Nerissa. Owen wondered, ‘Besides tweaking my proposals and reviewing files, what else does she do? Owen thought. I graduated top of the Finance Department at Aosthorne University. ‘Surely I’m more capable than Nerissa. Once she’s gone, under my leadership, Calloway Group will thrive even more.’ Joel frowned slightly, concern evident in his voice. “Though Nerissa’s background is ordinary, her business talent is exceptional.” Kaia sneered, her face dripping with sarcasm. “Business talent? What kind of business talent does a slum girl have? “Joel, you’ve lost your mind. Owen is the real talent here. He pulled Calloway Group back from the brink of bankruptcy. “What does Nerissa have to do with it? She didn’t even finish high school. Do you really expect her to keep the company afloat? “Besides, don’t forget Owen’s latest plan even earned Mr. Stratford’s praise. Owen might just become the first in Aosthorne to cooperate with Stratford Group, let alone win the Celestial Dome Awards.” Lennox Stratford was only thirty but already a top figure in Cilowesad’s financial world. At the same time, he was the white knight in every unmarried girl’s dreams in Cilowesad. Kaia, naturally, admired him as well. Right now, Owen’s latest proposal had earned praise from Lennox himself, which was a clear testament to just how brilliant Owen’s business talents were. Kaia’s compliment instantly filled Owen with a rush of superiority. ‘That’s right. I’m the golden boy. Even Mr. Stratford has praised me. My future is destined to shine,’ he wondered. Sitting beside Kaia, Evelyn nodded approvingly, thinking, ‘Kaia is right. Nerissa didn’t even finish high school. Business talent? What a joke. Calloway Group is already on the right track. If Nerissa stays, she’ll only cause trouble.’ Evelyn then looked at Joel. “Joel, after all, this is family business. If you believe Nerissa really has business talent and don’t want to waste it, why not take her in after she and Owen divorce? Thomas is still single anyway.” Thomas Calloway was Joel’s only grandson. Since graduating from college, Thomas had been aimless and mediocre, nowhere near Owen’s level of excellence. Joel’s expression shifted as he thought, ‘You want Thomas to marry the castoff Owen abandoned? What exactly is Evelyn implying?’ “Fine, Evelyn, since you and Owen have already made up your minds, I won’t be the one causing trouble,” Joel said, then turned to Owen with a serious tone. “Owen, I hope you won’t regret this.” ‘Regret?’ Owen’s eyes were full of disdain as he wondered, ‘If anything, I’m glad to divorce Nerissa.
I will never regret it. ‘Besides, I have such an outstanding proposal in hand. As long as I successfully sign with Stratford Group based on this plan, Aosthorne will belong to the Calloway family.’ ***** It was already late at night. Nerissa, carrying her bag, walked alone on an empty street. She had just pulled her phone out of her pocket to order a ride online when she suddenly heard faint cries for help nearby. “Help. Someone help.” Her ears twitched as she quickly pinpointed the direction of the voice and hurried toward it. Following the sound, Nerissa stepped into a dark alley and saw several punks harassing a girl. The girl’s clothes were torn, exposing tender skin. Under the streetlight, the scene was painfully glaring. “Stop right there,” Nerissa shouted angrily.
The frightened girl looked up and saw an elegant figure standing against the light, wearing a baseball cap and striking a cool pose. Though she couldn’t clearly see Nerissa’s face, at that moment, Nerissa was her light. Hope surged through the girl. “P-please help me.” Just then, the punks turned around. Seeing another girl, one tattooed man’s eyes gleamed with lechery. “Hey, another one just walked right up to us. Guys, we’re lucky tonight.” The others smirked with ill intentions. “Let her go,” Nerissa demanded fiercely again. The tattooed man’s eyes were full of sleaze. “What if I don’t?” He even grabbed the girl’s chest, raising his eyebrows in provocation. Without hesitation, Nerissa sprang into action. Her moves were lightning-fast and brutal. Before the girl could even react, half of the punks had already fallen. Seeing half his men down, the tattooed man pulled out a pocket knife and pressed it to the girl’s neck. His eyes turned bloodshot. “Don’t come closer, or I’ll kill her.” The girl had just breathed a sigh of relief, but in an instant, her face turned very pale.
She could feel the sharp blade cutting her skin, painfully. Nerissa had just time-traveled, and her senses were still slowly recovering. She was physically weak, and almost all her strength had been used up moments ago. As Nerissa pondered what to do next, a stone suddenly flew from the other end of the alley and struck the tattooed man’s leg. A sharp pain exploded in his knee, and he collapsed to the ground. A swift figure joined the fray, a man standing tall in a white shirt with sleeves casually rolled up, revealing strong, well-defined forearms. His skills were excellent; with just a few moves, the punks fell one by one. Seizing the opportunity, Nerissa quickly approached the girl. She took off her jacket and draped it over the girl’s exposed body, her voice gentle. “Don’t be afraid. It’s okay now.” Her tone was soft, like warm sunshine on a cold winter day, both dispelling fear and offering comfort.
The girl felt all her terror vanish as she hugged Nerissa tightly, sobbing. “Thank you.” If not for Nerissa, the girl would have been ruined tonight by those punks. As the last punk fell, the man pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and carefully wiped his hands. The cool moonlight cast a silver glow on his face. He lowered his gaze slightly, eyes cool and somewhat distant, landing on Nerissa. His deep voice was charming and pleasant. “Nice moves.” Nerissa raised her eyes slightly and immediately locked eyes with a pair of deep, piercing eyes. The man had a strikingly handsome face, noble and elegant, his features radiating refined grace, colder than moonlight itself. Their eyes met like beams of light. He was like a beast lurking in the darkness, ready to strike a deadly blow at any moment, stern, with a hint of cruelty and sharpness. But Nerissa showed no fear. She met his gaze confidently, her tone light. “You’re not bad either.” ‘She’s not afraid of me?’ The man thought, clearly caught off guard. Chapter 3 The Expert His name was Lennox, the ninth son of the Stratford family, a man held in the highest regard. Quincy Stratford and Hannah Stratford were deeply in love. When Hannah became pregnant at forty-five, the child came unexpectedly and was showered with extraordinary affection. Lennox was ruthless in his methods and had already begun to make waves in the business world at eighteen. Now, at just thirty, he stood at the very top of the financial elite, a true power broker in every sense. In the past, Lennox had served as a peacekeeping officer. His hands had been stained with the blood of aggressors, and there was a lethal aura about him that never quite faded. Very few people dared to meet his eyes. Nerissa was the first. “Lennox.” Luke Merritt had just caught up when he heard Nerissa’s remark about him. He froze on the spot. Lennox had long occupied a position of absolute authority. No matter what he did, he was always the best. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to flattery and praise from others. Even Luke, who stayed by Lennox’s side, was constantly fawned over. This was the first time Luke had ever heard someone give Lennox such a blunt, imp