The Billionaire's Regret

　　"Didn't I tell you to wash my dirty clothes?" Eva Reed exclaimed, glaring at Ivy who was busy mopping the floor. Ivy tried to ignore her, but Eva yanked her hair, causing her to wince in pain.

　　"If I'm talking to you, you should look at me, you useless bitch!"

　　Ivy closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and met Eva's gaze. "I... I already washed your—"

　　"No! You didn't!" Eva shouted, tightening her grip on Ivy's hair.

　　Ivy wanted to cry, but she refused to show any weakness in front of her mother-in-law.

　　"You can ask the maid... I really washed—"

　　"Yes, you washed it, but you used the machine. I wanted it handwashed!" Eva gritted her teeth and pulled Ivy's hair again, making her whimper. Then, she finally let go.

　　Ivy fixed her disheveled hair and let out a sigh. "I'll wash it again," she said. It was the only way to appease the witch and prevent her from getting even angrier.

　　Eva smirked. "Good. After you mop the floor, clean the windows, and change the curtains. Got it?"

　　Ivy nodded, and as soon as Eva left, she let out a deep sigh. It had been a year since she married Wyatt Reed, Clint and Eva Reed's son. She was deeply in love with Wyatt, and it had been loved at first sight that night.

　　She was overjoyed when Wyatt agreed to marry her, but in the process, she had lost herself. She had abandoned her true desires and aspirations.

　　"Hey, bitch!"

　　Ivy scowled when she heard that voice. 'Here we go again,' she thought as she set down the rug and turned to face her sister-in-law.

　　"Piper."

　　Piper raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stood in front of Ivy.

　　"My friends are coming over to the mansion, and I want you to cook for us."

　　Cook?

　　They have maids. She's not even a maid to begin with. She's Wyatt Reed's wife!

　　"B-But we have maids—"

　　"We?" Piper scoffed, looking disgusted. "Dream on, bitch. You'll never be a part of our circle and family. Honestly, I don't even know where you came from. Wyatt just picked you up from the trash!" she spat.

　　Trash?

　　So, they see her as garbage?

　　Is that it?

　　Ivy took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm herself. "Snacks or lunch?"

　　"Both."

　　"What do you want me to cook then?"

　　Piper raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Do I look like I know how to cook?"

　　Ivy pressed her lips together to hold back a smile. From day one, she knew that Piper wasn't the brightest. She was slow and dumb, unlike Wyatt.

　　"Alright. I'll finish this first—"

　　"What? You're going to make us wait—"

　　"Miss Piper, your mother gives me tasks to do. And I only have one body. I can't split myself in half to do what you want while also doing what she wants. It's still early, and I promise I'll make it on time," she interrupted, feeling a bit irritated.

　　Piper's eyes widened and she glared at Ivy. "One thing I can't stand is when I'm talking and you dare to interrupt me!"

　　Ivy gave a slight bow and apologized, but she was taken aback when Piper smacked her head. She clenched her fist and kept her head down, staring at the floor, specifically at Piper's feet. She patiently waited for the witch's daughter to leave.

　　A tear rolled down Ivy's cheek, and once Piper's presence had vanished, she finally lifted her head, trying to forget what had just transpired.

　　Whenever Wyatt wasn't home, the two of them treated Ivy like their personal maid. The Reeds were wealthy and had plenty of maids, yet these two witches made her do all the chores in Wyatt's absence. And when Wyatt was around, they acted as if they were perfect angels, but the truth was, they were nothing but demons!

　　In order to stay productive and complete her tasks, Ivy did her best to push aside the negative energy that Eva and Piper had given her that morning. She continued to mop the floor, and after an hour, she took down the heavy, long curtains that the Reeds usually hired a cleaning service for.

　　After a couple of hours, Ivy glanced at the large clock near the grand staircase of the mansion and let out a sigh. She made her way to the kitchen, relieved that Piper hadn't returned yet. She assumed she had gone to pick up her friends.

　　Deep down, Ivy knew that Piper's friends would never think to visit her. It was just wishful thinking on her part. In reality, her so-called friends were only using her because she was a Reed.

　　"Visit, yeah right," she whispered to herself as she prepared some snacks and got everything ready for their lunch.

　　When Piper mentioned snacks, it meant that they would be served alongside their lunch.

　　…

　　"What on earth?! Seriously, Piper? You expect us to eat this?" a girl with blonde hair exclaimed as the maids uncovered the dishes one by one.

　　Ivy, who was eavesdropping behind the wall, couldn't help but giggle.

　　"There's absolutely no way we're eating this. What kind of food is this? Eels? Overcooked spinach and baby crabs? Seriously, Piper, you should have warned us that you were serving us garbage!"

　　Piper was left speechless, feeling humiliated in front of everyone. She scanned the room, searching for the person responsible.

　　But Ivy knew Piper would come looking for her, so she quickly dashed upstairs and retreated to her room.

　　She flopped onto her bed, a wide smile spreading across her face as she stared up at the ceiling. She felt victorious. However, she was well aware that there would be consequences.

　　Well, what else is new?

　　She would do whatever it takes to endure it all... for Wyatt.

　　…

　　Ivy's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The scratches inflicted by the wicked Piper were clearly visible on her arms, two of them being deep cuts.

　　This wasn't something new for her. Every time she stood up against them, they would cause her harm. However, that wasn't her main concern in that moment. Wyatt had called the previous night, informing her that he would be returning home.

　　Her husband was coming back, and she should have been overjoyed. Yet, alongside her happiness, she felt a sense of nervousness. She didn't want him to see those scratches. She needed to conceal them somehow. Even though there were only five, the two deep ones required tape.

　　Letting out a deep sigh, she wiped away her tears. It seemed like she would have to wear long sleeves and use concealer to hide her wounds.

　　Deep down, Ivy knew that even though Wyatt would come home after his trip abroad, he would leave her again in just two days.

　　She was already aware of her husband's busy schedule. He's always working hard for their family, and as his wife, she understands and supports him. However, a voice in her head shouted, "But never for you."

　　She shook off those negative thoughts and composed herself. She needed to go downstairs and prepare to face those wicked people.

　　Eva had instructed her to buy groceries today, and despite her body aching from lack of rest, she would still obey.

　　"Those people are unbelievable," she thought, stepping out of the bathroom. "I cleaned the house all day, enduring scratches from Piper, and yet they don't think I deserve proper rest?"

　　Even though Wyatt may not show much love for her, he never treats her poorly like his mother and sister do. Despite the hardships she's facing, she can endure it all and doesn't want to burden Wyatt with her struggles. Whenever Wyatt is around, she always puts on a cheerful smile, pretending that everything is fine. After all, she made a vow to be his wife.

　　…

　　"Dude, the stocks for the new business are skyrocketing in the market. You're seriously a genius," Duke Elrod exclaimed happily as he strolled down Reed's private plane.

　　Wyatt grinned. "In business, it's all about taking risks," he responded.

　　Duke smirked. "Yeah, true. I wonder how many zeros are in your bank account."

　　"Plenty."

　　"Arrogant. By the way, how's your married life going? I know you're trying to keep it lowkey, but you can't underestimate the media when it comes to juicy scoops like this."

　　Wyatt frowned and glanced at Duke. "I can handle it. No need to worry. By the way, can you call Alice for me and check if she's taken her meds—"

　　"I'm not your assistant, dude. Why not ask Ken?"

　　"He's got other tasks to handle. Just do me this favor. I'll make it up to you," Wyatt said, causing Duke to grin.

　　"Alright then. And you know what I want," Duke replied, and with that, he hopped into the car parked near the plane.

　　While Wyatt was on his trip, Alice's doctor called him to update him on her condition, and he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. However, his worries were put to rest when he asked his wife about the procedure they had agreed upon, and she assured him that everything had been taken care of without any delays.

　　…

　　"I'm good, Ken. I can handle it," Ivy assured Wyatt's assistant as he tried to assist her with the groceries. Eva had specifically asked her to do the shopping on her own. However, as she left the mansion, Ken happened to spot her and asked for a ride.

　　"But Miss, Mr. Reed might be upset—"

　　"I'll be fine. I'll just take a cab and come back right away. Please, don't make this difficult for me. Eva is always watching, Ken; I have to be cautious. Wyatt will be back in an hour, and I don't want to cause any trouble," she said with a smile. "If he returns and I'm not here yet, just let him know that I went to buy some things—that I insisted on doing it alone."

　　Ken let out a deep sigh, giving in. He knew he couldn't push for what he wanted, so he nodded. "Yes, Miss. Take care."

　　Ivy beamed, "I will. Thanks," and walked away.