Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 68: Auctioning Off Men

The first bachelor held no real interest to me, but I reached for the paddle in preparation for the subsequent male offerings.

First, I didn’t know him. Second, the services he offered were of the body sculpting variety. While I didn’t think I had the perfect body, I had a million priorities that ranked much higher than a bigger bust or a perkier nose. Third, King would kill me if I used his credit card to rent another man. He already had enough problems with my relationships with Jake and Stiff without adding another man to the mix.

The second man was even less appealing than the first. He was a 70s throwback with a paisley shirt half unbuttoned. A dozen gold chains nestled in a thicket of chest hair. His pointy shoes were shiny, and the man actually did a spin and moonwalked across the stage as he pointed at women in the audience while bellowing, "I see you and you and you."

Then, he made eye contact with Bea. He fell to his knees and started an a cappella serenade filled with soul and a whole lot of sexual innuendo.

Bea hid behind her hands. "Should I bid on him just to shut him up?"

"Wouldn’t that be like feeding a stray dog and not expecting it to follow you home? Unless, of course, you want him to follow you home.

"I wonder what Father DiMarco feels about bringing home hookups because I really don’t see him as a forever kind of man." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Good lord, no. I have better taste than that and don’t you dare ask Father DiMarco about sleepovers. I don’t think I could have sex in a church if I wanted to. All my ancestors from the last hundred years would poltergeist me for the rest of my miserable life."

While we chatted, the bidding had started, and the singer earned the charity about enough to pay for the cost of a ticket for one table at the event.

Ben was up next. He looked hot in a black tuxedo with a collarless white shirt with a pleated front. His hair was freshly cut, and he’d used hair product that gave it that freshly washed and messy look. He smiled and waved at the crowd.

We made eye contact. Ben was doing this for me. I had a responsibility tonight to make sure his efforts weren’t for naught.

Ben offered his services as the host to a party of twelve at the Well Water. He’d make sure his purchaser and eleven of her best friends had a great time, and of course, all purchases were on the house.

The bid started at five thousand but quickly jumped to twenty-five thousand. Then, Lettie doubled the bid, which was exactly what I was waiting for.

I raised my paddle and bid one hundred thousand. Lettie doubled it and then so did I.

By now, everyone else had dropped out of the bidding.

I didn’t think Lettie realized it was me yet, but she would before this evening was over.

The bid was up to half a million, and Lettie was still going strong. It was time. I stood up and faced Lettie. Purposefully, I took off the fedora and handed it to Bea, who put it on her head.

I bumped up the bid another hundred thousand. No signs of recognition from Lettie as she matched my bid, so I let down my hair as I walked toward the blind old bat as I placed my next bid.

I tucked one hand in my pocket as I kept the auction paddle held high in the air. We were at a million even when the spark of recognition exploded into rage.

Lettie jumped to her feet. "You! What are you doing here?"

"The same as you. I’m bidding on valuable property."

"Ben is my son."

"So?"

"So, back off before someone gets hurt."

"Are you threatening me, Lettie Heavenly, in front of all these upstanding citizens?"

Lettie was startled, as if she had forgotten where she was.

The auctioneer said, "Going once."

Lettie said, "I didn’t mean it that way, dear. Why don’t you let an old woman buy some quality time with her baby boy? He’s so busy, this is the only why I’ll get to spend time with him for a while."

The auctioneer announced, "Going twice."

"I would if you weren’t such a two-faced, vicious old hag."

"One-point-two million," Lettie said.

"One-point-five million," I countered.

We continued to two million.

"Let it go, Lettie. Ben is mine. Even if you win, Ben will come home with me tonight. You’ve lost in every way that matters."

The auctioneer started the countdown again. Lettie stopped it with a new bid. I continued going head-to-head with her as I veered from Lettie and strolled toward the stage.

By now, I was having fun with the numbers. "Three-point-nine-seven-five and a stick of gum."

Bea called out, "You’re out of gum."

I took off one of the rings from my left hand and held it up. "And this ring."

I had no idea what Stiff paid for my rings, but I was pretty sure it was more than the cost of a stick of gum.

Lettie said, "Stop your foolish antics, Teela. They’re not becoming from a member of the Heavenly family."

"Oh, after hiding me away all these years, now you’re willing to admit I’m your daughter-in-law?"

The auctioneer said, "Going once."

"You don’t deserve my recognition," Lettie said.

"To be honest, I’d prefer not to be related to you, but King insists we remain married." I shrugged as if there was nothing I could do about it.

I passed a table where a woman said, "King is married?"

I answered her. "You didn’t know either? Interesting. Seems like someone took a lot of trouble to cover it up."

The auctioneer said, "Going twice," as I crossed the stage to Ben.

"Leave my boy alone," Lettie said.

I caressed Ben’s cheek. "I don’t know. He looks like a healthy, fully grown man to me."

I let my hand trail down Ben’s chest to rest at his belt. "He feels like one too."

The auctioneer announced, "Sold."

Lettie fell back into her chair.

I smiled over at her as I took Ben by the hand and led him off stage. I paused as I passed Lettie’s table.

"Like I said, Lettie, Ben’s mine now. I protect what’s mine."

Ben joined Bea and me at our table. I flagged down a server and ordered Ben a drink as the next man stepped up for auction.

Ben looked a little pale and sweaty.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I can’t believe Mom cares enough about me to bid that much."

Bea said, "Honey, I’m sorry, but that wasn’t your mom bidding because she cares. That’s her determined not to let Teela win. She would have acted the same if you were a worn-out old slipper."

Ben opened and closed his mouth a couple of times without speaking before he said, "I know you’re right, but for a moment there, it felt good to be highly valued by my mom, you know?"

"Aw, honey, we love you," Bea said as she changed chairs to sit next to Ben so she could comfort him.

I scooted my chair closer to Ben’s on the opposite side from Bea. We made it clear we were in this together as we watched the next two men auctioned off.

And then the prize of all prizes walked on stage. King Heavenly was a vision in a black and white tuxedo. Tall, wealthy, confident, with an athlete’s body, and eyes only for me.

I didn’t even hear what services King offered. It didn’t matter. He was mine.

The opening bid was fifty thousand. I didn’t wait for Lettie this time. Nor was I particularly tolerant of the women around me bumping up the bid a couple of thousand at a time.

"Five million."

The room went silent for ten seconds before it exploded with side conversations.

"Quiet!" Lettie yelled.

And we were back to silence.

"Teela Heavenly, you cannot buy King. I forbid it."

"Six million."

The auctioneer said, "Ma’am, I know Mr. Heavenly is a hot commodity, but you can’t bid against yourself."

"Lettie said, "Ten million."

"Twelve."

Huh. I didn’t even know what a million dollars looked like in real life. Now I was throwing around millions like I was bidding with popcorn kernels instead of cold, hard cash.

"Thirteen," Lettie said. "Teela, I’m older than you. I have more money than you and these two boys put together."

"Fourteen. And I’m more beautiful than you, and my husband didn’t leave me and four boys because I’m some kind of energy vampire who sucks everything good out of the people around me."

I wasn’t sure where this was coming from, but I wanted Lettie riled up. I wanted the people around her to see what she was really like. The so-called model of perfection for all modern businesswomen was a hateful hag who had no problem using her position to intimidate others.

"That’s not why he left me."

"Are you really sure about that?"

The auctioneer said, "Going once."

Lettie said, "My husband left me because—"