Divorce my prentened poor Billionaire husband

Annika Price pressed herself against the dim hospital corridor wall, clutching her bag so tight her fingers ached as she stared at the pregnancy test result. Her eyes burned, tears pricking the backs of her lids, ready to spill any second. Just as she fought to pull herself together, Everest Kennedy stepped toward her, a mocking grin tugging at his lips.

“So I hear you’ve got some nasty condition,” he sneered, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Fucking incredible timing, isn’t it?”

“Nasty condition?” Everest’s eyes narrowed, his face hardening into something colder than stone. “What kind of condition?”

Annika squared her shoulders, lifting her chin in defiance even though her eyes were already red and puffy. “It’s not exactly the plague. But I probably should get it checked out… word is it might be untreatable.”

Everest wrapped a firm hand around her slender wrist, his mouth set in a sharp, unyielding line. “How the hell did we end up here?”

Annika pressed her bag tighter to her chest, her knuckles bleaching white under the pressure. “This is what happens when you bury yourself in work night and weekend, no rest. People get tangled up in all kinds of messes. We’re not that different, you and me.”

Everest had fallen from grace hard. Once a wealthy heir, he’d been reduced to a workhorse, running menial errands for his cousin. While everyone else clocked out of their 9-to-5 and went home to their lives, Everest buried himself in work, barely stepping foot in his own place except to crash. He was grinding to pay off massive debts… and now he’d gotten tangled up in this.

After three years stuck with a man she didn’t love, a bitter urge to burn it all down bloomed in Annika’s chest. “Everest Kennedy, I want a divorce!” she declared, voice sharp with spite.

A divorce. What a ridiculous thing to say when their marriage certificate had never been anything more than a legal formality.

Annika wrenched her wrist out of his grip, speaking slow and deliberate, every word sharp as a knife. “From today, we’re done. I’ll pay you five hundred thousand dollars. These past three years were just me hiring you. We’re square.”

With that, she turned and walked away, not even glancing back.

“Hiring me?” Everest muttered under his breath as he watched her slim figure vanish down the hall, a cold smile twisting his mouth. Who the hell could afford to hire him anyway?

His phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence. Everest answered, voice tight with irritation. “Zeke, my assistant set me up. I just got chewed out by some quack doctor. Get your ass here now. I’m not taking the fall for this shit.”

After hanging up, he marched straight to the doctor and demanded, “What was her diagnosis?”

The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t disclose patient information without her consent.”

“I’m her husband. That’s not a breach of privacy.”

“Husband?” The doctor looked him up and down, then gestured toward the exam room Annika had just left, a weird, complicated look crossing his face. “If you’re her husband, then who the hell is the husband of the woman with the ruptured ovarian cyst in there? She also said she had a husband with her today. Excuse me.”

“So she really did have another husband with her?” Everest’s face darkened so fast it was almost visible. Was Annika pulling a disappearing act just to get out of their deal?

Digging for more clues, he pressed on. “Doctor, she said she had a pretty bad condition.”

“Oh? She was probably just blowing it out of proportion when she was mad,” the doctor brushed him off.

Everest realized Annika most likely just had a routine health issue. He tried calling her, but she’d already blocked his number. That only made his mood blacker.

Just then, his assistant Mario Wallace reminded him, “Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Kennedy’s plane lands at the airport soon.”

Everest had always had a soft spot for his little sister, who he’d raised after their family fell. “I’ll go pick her up myself,” he said, his harsh expression softening just a little. “Also, book a welcoming dinner for Selena tonight.”

“Understood, sir. Should we invite the lady of the house?”

Everest’s reply was cold and clipped, leaving no room for argument. “No need. She’s dead to me.”

He was going to make her admit defeat… even if it broke her.

Meanwhile, Annika walked out of the hospital, her head spinning like a top. She’d mentioned the five hundred thousand to Everest not just out of malice—their secret agreement said if she wanted out early, she owed him exactly that amount.

How the hell was she supposed to scrape five hundred thousand together fast?

For the past three years, she’d never loved Everest. She’d just been grateful to him. Her dad had embezzled company funds, was facing prison, and Everest had paid off the entire five hundred thousand to keep him out. When Everest’s business collapsed and left him drowning in debt, Annika had covered all their basic living expenses so he could focus on digging himself out.

There was a viral line online she’d laughed at once: Spend money on a man, get bad luck for a month; spoil a man, get misfortune for a lifetime. Turns out those words were fucking true.

Today, her bank account barely had enough to cover rent.

Jaw set, she called her dance troupe leader. “I’ve decided to take that choreography job overseas.”

“That’s amazing news, Annika! Your talent’s been wasted here. Over there, you’ll really get to shine. What made you change your mind?”

“I’m single now,” Annika said, a sharp edge of irony in her voice. As ridiculous as it sounded, she’d turned down this exact opportunity once before… because she couldn’t bear to leave Everest.

“The gig’s only two weeks, Annika. Wrap up your stuff here first.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

If she could pull this off and get the five hundred thousand fast, she’d be free of Everest for good.

Right after she hung up, her friend Bridget called. “Annika, can you cover a shift for me at the club tonight? Everest Kennedy’s coming, and the manager needs someone with your look.”

Bridget knew all about Annika’s struggle with low-paying dance gigs, how she picked up extra work just to keep Everest afloat. Annika was always the first person she called when they needed an extra hand.

“Is that really the Everest Kennedy, the old high society one?” Annika asked. She’d heard rumors he was a silent investor in the place.

“Yeah, and he’s a total mystery. I’ve worked here months and never even seen him in person. We just gotta stay professional, that’s all.”

“Sure, I’ll be there soon,” Annika agreed. It was just serving drinks, easy money, especially with Bridget covering for her.

That evening, beside the dimly lit pool where crocodiles lurked, the event’s opulence couldn’t hide the raw danger thrumming in the air. The massive reptiles shifted ominously under the surface, their rough scales glinting under the artificial lights.

“Can you believe they’re throwing a party right next to a croc pool with five full-grown Nile crocs? These things are terrifying—they could rip a grown person in half,” one server whispered, eyes wide with fear.

“These rich brats really know how to have a wild time, huh?” another muttered.

Annika, dressed in the club’s tight black uniform and a delicate half-mask, carried a tray of champagne past the pool quietly. She shuddered when a croc snapped at a hunk of raw meat, goosebumps rising all over her wet skin.

A group of young socialites stood at the edge, tossing meat into the water and cackling with wild exhilaration. “This is such a rush!” one whooped.

“C’mon, let’s make this even more interesting,” a girl in a glittering silver dress suggested, yanking a diamond necklace off her throat and tossing it straight into the deep end. “Oops! That was a gift from my brother. It’s a limited edition worth a million bucks!”

The crowd’s excitement exploded into a fever pitch.

“Ha! That’s fucking hilarious! Whoever dives in and gets Selena’s necklace gets one hundred thousand dollars cash!” someone shouted.

Annika’s blood boiled at these entitled rich elites, treating human life like a cheap party game.

The servers all exchanged uneasy glances. The reward was tempting… but who the hell would risk their life for money?

“I can’t even swim,” one mumbled.

“I’ve got kids to feed, I’m not risking my neck for this cash,” another added.

The manager shoved Bridget forward. “Bridget, you’re the head server. You go in.”

Bridget hesitated, fear plain as day in her eyes. “Manager, I… I’m on my period. Crocs are attracted to blood—they’ll eat me alive.”

“Do you want all of us out of a job? That necklace belongs to Everest’s precious little sister. We can’t afford to piss off the Kennedys. Someone has to go.”

Bridget’s face went paper white. Who was gonna draw the short straw here?

“I’ll do it.” Confident in her years of competitive swimming training, Annika stepped forward. Bridget had bailed her out a hundred times—she couldn’t leave her hanging now. Besides, she needed that hundred grand bad.

“Bridget, toss more meat to distract the crocs. I’ll dive in right where she threw the necklace.”

“Be so careful, Annika,” Bridget pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.

Annika took a deep breath and dove into the pool, her body screaming urgency. The cold, murky water swallowed her whole, reeking of damp earth and raw animal musk.

Suddenly, Bridget’s voice cut through the water, sharp with panic. “Annika, get out now! The crocs are coming straight for you!”

Bridget didn’t dare tell her the truth—Selena Kennedy had deliberately tossed extra meat in Annika’s direction to lure the crocs right to her.

As one massive crocodile surged toward her, jaws wide open and jagged teeth glinting, Annika’s survival instinct kicked in. She twisted out of the way at the last second, a desperate, frantic move, and kicked as hard as she could for the edge.

With Bridget pulling her arm, Annika hauled herself out of the water, her whole body shaking like a leaf.