Richard was an arrogant businessman. Five years ago, he kicked out his first wife, Elsa.
Why? Because Elsa was too plain. She didn’t know how to dress, she had no social life, and she was just a housewife. Richard was bored. He wanted a trophy wife to show off to his business partners.
“Get out!” Richard shouted back then. “You’re useless! You haven’t contributed anything to my success! Go find somewhere else to live!”
Elsa left crying, carrying her belongings in a garbage bag. What Richard didn’t know that night was that Elsa was pregnant.
Five years later
Richard had become even richer. And now, he was about to marry Veronica, a model and the daughter of a politician. This was the wedding of his dreams.
Out of sheer arrogance, Richard decided to send Elsa an invitation. He found her address in a small provincial apartment.
For Elsa:
Come to my wedding. I want you to see how beautiful the life you let slip away really is.
Put on your best dress (if you have one).
The food is on me.
He just wanted to rub it in her face:
Look at me now… and look at yourself.
The wedding day
The venue was an exclusive garden resort in Tagaytay. The guests were all elite: tuxedos, designer dresses, and expensive jewelry everywhere.
Richard stood at the altar waiting for Veronica, but his eyes kept drifting towards the entrance, waiting for Elsa.
“Do you think that piece of trash will even show up?” Richard whispered to his godfather. “He’ll be so ashamed, I’m sure. He’ll come in his slippers.”
They laughed.
Suddenly, a powerful engine roared outside.
This was not the sound of a tricycle or a jeepney.
It was the sound of extreme wealth.
They all turned towards the door.
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom , a car valued at more than 50 million pesos , even more expensive than the groom’s, stopped in front of the red carpet .
“Who is it?” murmured the guests.
Will a billionaire be attending this wedding?
The driver, in uniform, opened the door and helped the passenger out.
A woman came out.
She wore a red velvet dress that fit her figure perfectly. A diamond necklace sparkled around her neck. Her face was beautiful, elegant, and full of confidence.
“Who is she?”
“Is she a celebrity?”
Richard froze.
He recognized that face.
More radiant. More polished. More powerful.
Your Elsa.
But she was not alone.
Elsa opened the back door.
Two girls came out.
Twins.
They were about five years old. They wore white dresses like little angels.
And their faces…
Richard’s relatives were left breathless.
The children were unmistakably his. Same eyes. Same nose. Same face.
Elsa walked down the red carpet hand in hand with the twins. The sound of her heels was like a hammer blow against Richard’s chest.
No guard dared to stop her.
She stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked directly at Richard, who was now pale and trembling.
“Elsa?” he whispered. “Is it really you?”
Elsa smiled calmly.
“Hi, Richard. Thanks for the invitation. You said ‘wear your best dress,’ right? I just followed your instructions.”
“And… who are they?” Richard pointed at the children.
—These are Rina and Rica —Elsa said calmly—.
Your daughters. The girls I was carrying in my womb when you threw me out on the street like a dog.
The whole place erupted in whispers.
“Was she pregnant?”
“Did he abandon his pregnant wife?”
At that moment, the bride Veronica arrived, furious to see someone stealing the spotlight.
“Richard! Who is this woman?! And why are there children here?!” she shouted. “Get them out! This is MY wedding!”
Richard looked at Veronica, then at Elsa, then at the twins.
His mind changed instantly.
Elsa was rich.
Elsa was stunning.
Elsa had given him children.
And he knew that Veronica was infertile.
He walked towards Elsa.
“Elsa…” he said softly. “Are they mine? Are you rich now? Maybe we can talk. Maybe we can fix our family… for the children.”
Elsa laughed.
A cold, mocking laugh.
“Fix things?” she said. “Richard, I didn’t come here to reconcile. I came to give you a wedding gift.”
She took a document out of her luxury handbag.
“What is this?” Richard asked.
“Read it,” Elsa said.
Richard read it. His eyes widened. The paper slipped from his hands.
“N-no… this can’t be…”
Veronica took the paper and read it aloud:
NOTICE OF PURCHASE.
It is reported that ELSA CORP has successfully acquired 51% of the shares of RICHARD HOLDINGS .
The new owner, Ms. Elsa, freezes all assets and dismisses the chief executive, Richard, with immediate effect.
Silence.
“What does this mean?” Veronica shouted.
Elsa turned to everyone.
“It means,” she said clearly, “the company you’re so proud of, Richard? It’s mine now.”
The money you used to pay for this wedding? Frozen.
The mansion you planned to live in? Seized.
Elsa leaned closer to Richard.
When you left me, I worked. I built my own empire. I used my pain as fuel. And when I found out you were getting married, you had the nerve to invite me just to humiliate me?
I bought your company. So that on that day… you would have nothing left.
She turned to Veronica.
And you, Veronica, if you still want to marry him, go ahead. But be careful… he’s broke now. Even the payment for this place will bounce in a few hours.
Veronica’s face turned white.
He looked at Richard.
“Is that true? You’re poor now?!”
“Honey, I can explain it to you…”
“No explanation!” Veronica tore off her veil and threw it at him. “I don’t marry penniless men! The wedding is off!”
She stormed out.
Richard stood before the altar: without a bride, without money, without company.
She looked at the twins with trembling eyes.
“My daughters… I am their father…”
Elsa gently moved the children aside.
“Come on, girls. We don’t talk to strangers,” he said.
“Goodbye, sir,” said one of the twins innocently, waving.
Elsa returned to the Rolls-Royce while everyone watched in stunned silence. Richard collapsed to his knees before the altar, weeping.
realizing too late that he had discarded the woman who had become the queen of his life, and had replaced her with a dream that turned into a nightmare.
Moral of the story
In the end, Richard learned:
The most powerful revenge is not shouting.
It’s not about fighting.
But to be so successful that the person who once hurt you becomes a mere stranger in their own story.
