The Villa My Colleague Flaunts Is My Wedding House

Brittany bought a new villa, and with a smug look, she invited all our colleagues to her place for a party.

My husband's birthday gift to me this year was a villa! I invite all of you for a party this weekend!

Looking at the photos of Brittany's luxurious mansion, a colleague exclaimed,

That crystal chandelier is absolutely gorgeous!

I leaned in for a closer look, and my heart sank.

Wasn't that the wedding gift my father gave me?

Brittany continued to brag, "My husband even hired a French designer to custom-make a crystal tea set for me."

I stared blankly at my phone, at the message my fianc had just sent me:

"Chloe, I found a crystal tea set. It matches the crystal chandelier in our villa perfectly."

Was it just a coincidence?

Looking at Justin's message, I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Hearing my laugh, Brittany shot me a dismissive glance.

"Some people just love to be jealous when they don't have things themselves."

Brittany was notorious in the office for being a gold-digger. Recalling how Justin always showered me with care and affection, I couldn't help but doubt myself.

Had I misjudged him?

I put on an act of extreme admiration, taking the phone from Brittany's hand.

On closer inspection, it was indeed my villa.

But this villa was my dad's wedding gift to me. Justin had always said it was still under renovation. How had it suddenly become Brittany's villa?

Seeing me staring intently at her phone, Brittany glared at me as if I were an idiot, then snatched her phone back.

"Chloe, you could stare at it for ten hours, and you still couldn't afford it."

Sarah, a colleague next to me, chimed in, echoing Brittany's mockery.

"Brittany, you're amazing! I heard you found a great husband. Villas in the Clear Creek district are famously expensive, and he still bought you one. Us regular folks, we'll probably never earn enough for a house in our lifetime."

Brittany covered her mouth with a fake smile.

"My husband just can't shake his habit of overspending."

As she spoke, Brittany showed off another photo, this time of a crystal tea set.

"A few days ago, I casually mentioned to my husband that I wanted a crystal tea set, and he immediately had one custom-made for me in France. Ugh, men, always wasting money."

Brittany took a delicate sip from her coffee cup, uttering words of disdain, but a proud smirk involuntarily flickered in her eyes.

I shrugged indifferently, a look of contempt on my face.

Clearly, this was the reaction Brittany wanted to see.

"Chloe, what's with that look?"

Suppressing my anger, I feigned a look of regret.

"I saw a similar crystal chandelier in a magazine. The same brand also has a crystal decorative sculpture, meant for the entryway. It's truly stunning."

I paused deliberately, scrutinizing Brittany from head to toe, then shook my head.

"Too bad it's super expensive, and a limited edition."

Sarah quickly searched online and gasped.

"Oh my gosh, it's gorgeous! It would totally elevate any home!"

Of course. That was my best friend's masterpiece.

That set of crystal sculptures was originally meant for me, but I found it too extravagant and didn't accept it.

I glanced at Brittany beside me. Noticing that everyone's attention had shifted from her crystal tea set, she flushed with anger. I almost burst out laughing.

"We've already paid the deposit for that crystal sculpture set. The manufacturer just said there was a slight flaw and it needed some retouching."

Brittany unconsciously raised her voice, once again capturing everyone's attention.

"Really? Then let's have the party at your place! I'd love to see that masterpiece by a top designer!"

"I can't wait! I've never been to such a high-end place before!"

"That's a famous wealthy neighborhood. Looks like Brittany's family background is seriously impressive."

I clapped my hands casually, staring straight at Brittany, who was now beaming from all the flattery.

I was looking forward to it too.

Looking forward to finding out what exactly was going on.

Night gradually fell, and I paused at my doorstep.

Before I could even insert my key, I heard Justin opening the door.

"Chloe, you're back! You seem a little late today!"

Justin skillfully took my bag and handed me slippers.

He was as considerate as ever. Even though I'd told him not to be so overly humble, he always said he couldn't bear for me to be tired.

But this man, who supposedly loved me so much, seemed to love Brittany just as much.

Noticing I was distracted, Justin gently touched my forehead.

"Chloe, are you feeling unwell?"

Justin helped me to the couch, then went to the kitchen to pour me a glass of warm water.

Watching Justin busily moving around, I started to doubt my own instincts.

Maybe the chandelier in Brittany's villa was just a coincidence.

Taking the warm water Justin offered, I thought for a moment, then cautiously probed, "Justin, the crystal tea set you mentioned today, I saw it..."

Before I could finish, Justin smiled and interrupted me.

"I was just about to tell you about that. I don't think that tea set really matches."

The more I listened, the more uneasy I felt. A cold sweat started to break out on my back.

"This afternoon, I saw a crystal decorative sculpture that would match our new home's chandelier even better. It's a bit pricey, but I think only something like that can truly complement you."

The brighter Justin smiled, the more terrifying he seemed.

I tried my best to control my slightly trembling hands as I took the picture Justin handed me.

The picture was of the exact crystal sculpture I had discussed with Brittany earlier today.

All the facts were laid out before me. Brittany's "husband" was Justin.

Suppressing the anger in my heart, I forced out a bitter smile.

"This weekend, my parents plan to come see our new place. Let's get everything ready. After all, it's their wedding gift to me, so we should entertain them well."

"This weekend?"

Justin stammered for a long time, unable to give an answer.

This weekend was when Brittany had scheduled her party. Clearly, Justin already knew.

I pretended not to care and slowly stood up.

"I'm tired. I'm going to take a shower first. Tomorrow, I'll find someone to clean the new house and check on the renovations."

Through the crack in the bathroom door, I saw Justin dialing a phone number, his face anxious. His expression was stern during the conversation, as if they were arguing.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, I saw a message from Brittany in the company group chat.

"Colleagues, can we reschedule the weekend party? I'd like to find some cleaners to thoroughly clean the place and properly host everyone."

Without giving anyone else time to think, I quickly replied,

"No worries, we can help you with some simple cleaning. We can't just inconvenience you, and besides, we've already cleared our schedules..."

A colleague who usually enjoyed making sarcastic remarks also chimed in:

"Could it be that you're not actually in charge of this villa?"

Brittany, already seething with frustration, had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

When I returned to the room after my shower, Justin put on a disappointed look.

"Chloe, the company just assigned me a seven-day business trip this weekend. How about we ask your aunt and uncle to come next week instead? I'll make sure to entertain them well then."

I smiled knowingly and nodded.

Oh, I'll definitely prepare a surprise for you then.

The next morning, Brittany was beaming, loudly arranging party details in the office.

"What would everyone like to eat? I'll have my husband prepare everything in advance. He's busy that weekend, but he'll get the ingredients ready."

Several colleagues gasped with envy.

"Your husband is so good to you."

"Rich and thoughtful husband, I'm so jealous."

"If I were that rich, I wouldn't even work."

I pulled Brenda, our HR manager, who I usually got along well with, aside and asked quietly,

"Do you know when Brittany got her marriage certificate?"

Brenda glanced around, then leaned in cautiously, teasing, "You're the third person to ask me that today! Several colleagues suspect she's lying! But actually, she really did get married last year. I find it strange too. Someone who loves to show off so much, why was there no word about a wedding?"

"I heard Brittany met her husband on a dating app. To pretend she's a corporate executive, she never even told him where she worked."

I secretly speculated, Of course, Justin wouldn't want to have a wedding. After all, I paid for his four years of college. Where would he get the money for a wedding?

I lowered my eyes, smiling meaningfully.

"I wonder if her husband would be surprised if he found out where she works."

Brenda glanced around again, then told me even more juicy gossip.

"A few days ago, Brittany even submitted a pregnancy report. She's over two months pregnant and asked the company not to assign her to business trips. I guess that villa must be her husband's gift to her."

My jaw almost dropped in shock.

After all, Justin's medical report last year showed oligozoospermia (low sperm count). I had planned to take him abroad for treatment after we got married and had never told him this fact.

Watching Brittany laugh louder and louder amidst the colleagues' flattery, I clenched my fists in anger, feeling an urge to expose the truth right then and there.

But my lawyer's reminder made me control myself.

Because I had trusted Justin too much, the villa was registered in his name. It was now legally his property. If I exposed the truth now, I wouldn't be able to reclaim the villa.

Suddenly, Brittany saw my resentful expression and walked over in front of everyone.

"Chloe, I heard you and your boyfriend have been together for a long time. Why is there still no news? I told you before, women can't just work tirelessly. You need to think about your future."

Brittany pointed to a project proposal for the Majestic Group, glancing at me.

"Everyone knows the Majestic Group project proposal is equivalent to a promotion to Sales Director. My husband has tons of connections. I advise you not to waste too much effort. Instead of spending time competing with me, why don't you spruce yourself up and get married soon?"

Sarah, eager to curry favor with Brittany, quickly chimed in.

"That's right, Chloe. No matter how many Plan A's or Plan B's you make for this project, it's not as good as a dinner with these rich people. You'll probably just be a runner-up for this year's promotion."

I gave a faint smile.

They didn't know that the Head of Procurement for Majestic Group was my best friend's husband. The project was originally slated for me, but to ensure fair competition, I hadn't agreed to the internal appointment.

Not seeing me look defeated, Brittany's expression grew more impatient.

"Once you see my villa, you'll know the difference between us."

I turned and walked away without looking back, leaving only one sentence:

"Looking forward to it."

That weekend evening, Brittany posted a new update.

The caption read: Someone who loves you would never let you suffer.

The picture showed a man's back as he busied himself in the kitchen.

That back was my fianc's!

Watching my colleagues like the post, I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

The next day around noon, led by Brittany, we entered the gated community.

Noticing I was distracted, Sarah teased,

"The environment here really is upscale! Brittany, you're so capable, you've opened our eyes."

Brittany became even more smug.

Following Brittany's lead, a crowd of people streamed into the villa.

Even though this was my dad's wedding gift to me, Justin was in charge of the renovation.

I never thought that the first person to bring me to my villa wouldn't be Justin.

Brittany proudly showed off the crystal chandelier to our colleagues.

As dazzling as the chandelier was the diamond ring on Brittany's hand.

The pigeon-sized diamond on the ring drew continuous praise from my colleagues.

That was my wedding ring, which I had bought with my own money because I felt bad for Justin.

To save Justin's pride, I had deliberately given it to him to hold, planning for him to use it to propose when my dad came to visit.

Brittany always pretended to casually fiddle with the diamond ring in front of me.

"This diamond is just too heavy. It's inconvenient to wear at work every day. Don't you think so, Chloe?"

Just as I was about to explode, I noticed an inconspicuous ceramic doll in the corner.

It was the ceramic doll my late mother and I had made together at a pottery studio before she died of cancer. It was her last memento to me.

Following my dazed gaze, Brittany also looked over, a trace of impatience flashing in her eyes.

"That cleaner really needs to go. Why hasn't she thrown out this old doll yet? I've told her several times that it doesn't match the decor here at all."

As Brittany spoke, she tossed the ceramic doll into the trash can. The sound of it shattering startled me.

"No!"

The colleagues present were startled by my panicked cry. Brittany's mocking laughter broke the silence.

"Chloe, your taste is really bad. Could it be that out of this entire villa, you only fancy this old, broken doll?"

For a moment, the villa was filled with a chorus of sneering laughter.

My lawyer's call brought me back to reality.

"Ms. Chloe, I've prepared the documents for the villa's property proof. We have ample evidence to help you reclaim it..."

I coldly watched Brittany as she continued to show off to our colleagues. Before the lawyer could finish, I interrupted him.

"Mr. Smith, just taking back the villa is too easy on them. I have a new idea."

The lawyer paused, then cautiously asked, "What's your plan now, Ms. Chloe?"

The corners of my mouth curled upwards, revealing a cunning smile.

"Marry Justin."