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Barking up the Wrong Tree
Barking up the Wrong Tree
Author: Summer Sway

Chapter 1

Author: Summer Sway
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-04 16:13:36
My marriage to Christina Wellington was basically set after I brought her home to meet with my grandpa, George Bellway. After the dinner, she drove me in the Rolls-Royce—a gift from Grandpa—to a new apartment complex nearby. We were looking to purchase our newlywed home.

When we arrived at the sales gallery, I held the car door open for Christina like a gentleman. Then, I walked behind, holding all her stuff for her.

Christina had confided in me before, saying she was insecure. That was why I gave her all my love.

The realtor hurried over when he saw us, only to treat me like I was invisible. When we brushed shoulders, he said snidely, "The guy who holds her bag… Can you please stay away from us?"

I checked his name tag. It read "Luxury Apartment Realtor: Shane Moss".

Shane put on a look of contempt when I studied him. He mocked me under his breath, "Some people really think they're rich when they put on a fake watch. You're just a minion who holds Ms. Wellington's bag. Ugh, I'm speechless."

I inhaled sharply. Before I could retort, Shane bumped into my shoulder again and left.

When I collected myself, I realized that the arrogant Shane was now standing before Christina with a gentle smile. He was trying to cozy up to her.

Shane enthusiastically introduced the apartment to Christina, all while trying to inch closer to her.

I immediately understood what was happening when I looked at her. I had spent the night before shopping for luxury clothes and accessories for Christina just so she could leave a good first impression on Grandpa, who had just returned to the country a few days ago.

It was understandable that service professionals like Shane would judge their customers based on their outfits.

Of course Shane would want to cozy up to Christina, who was dressed in a luxury outfit paired with an eye-catching diamond necklace. After all, the huge commission for every unit he sold in this apartment—built on the most valuable land in the city—was enough to sustain him for a few years.

Upon seeing me, Christina immediately took a few steps backward to put a distance between herself and Shane. She tenderly called to me, "Zachary, come over now."

Shane turned and shot me an uneasy look. "Oh, Mr. Zachary Bellway? I didn't know you were with Ms. Wellington. I'm really sorry. I mistook you as her staff because you were wearing that fake luxury watch.

"Well, you know, we've had many 'millionaires' decked in fake luxury brands coming in for apartment viewing. That's why I—You're not mad at me, are you?"

He just called my watch, a gift from Christina, a knockoff. Only Christina would know whether or not I was faking my wealth.

Looking awkward, Christina immediately changed the topic. "Zachary, I like the area. The apartment is near your family home too. Shall we take a look?"

I refused to acknowledge Shane after how badly he treated me earlier. Walking past him, I went up and stood beside Christina. "There's only so much you can glean from an introduction. Let's check out the show unit for now."

She held my arm softly. "Of course. Anything you say."

When we were waiting for the elevator, Shane fixed his eyes on Christina. He simpered. "Oh, Ms. Wellington, you're young and successful. Just by looking at you, I assume you must be a company CEO of some sort."

Flashing him a polite smile, she replied flatly, "No, I'm not really a CEO."

Shane straightened his tie after Christina smiled at him. "Ms. Wellington, you're too humble. You must be very talented and successful to afford a Rolls-Royce at such a young age."

I let Christina drive the Rolls-Royce because she told me she had never experienced driving one. Never had I imagined that Shane would misunderstand the situation.

When the elevator doors slid open, Shane shot me a disdainful look. Taking a deep breath, he forcefully squeezed himself between me and Christina to keep us apart before trotting out behind her.

He stomped on the back of my foot with his low-quality leather shoes when he squeezed me out of the way. I instantly yelped in pain. "What are you doing?"

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  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 2

    Shane responded to my angry scream with an innocent expression. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bellway. I just wanted to press the button for you."You're not thinking of lodging a complaint against me, are you? Unlike you, I'm just a realtor. I can't fake my way into getting a luxury apartment. But sure, scold me however you like…"Seeing the pain etched on my face, Christina felt bad and crouched to caress my foot. She chimed in, "Zachary, let's drop it. He probably didn't do it on purpose. I'll hold you when we walk."My chest thudded in pain from the fury, but I tried my best to keep my temper in check. After all, I came here to look for a newlywed home. I needed to be happy after Grandpa finally approved of me and Christina.Nodding stiffly, I endured the pain as we shuffled to the show unit. However, upon stepping into the space, the pain in my foot flared up again. I needed a place to sit and rest, but Shane immediately stopped me. "Mr. Bellway, please wait a minute!"He hurried into th

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 3

    Shane brought up my "sugar mommies" with certain undertones. Only when Christina and I turned to him in shock did he realize he had slipped up. He scrambled to explain himself. "Mr. Bellway, I-I didn't tell on you on purpose. I just recalled I've seen you before."Christina gave me a confused look. "Zachary, what's with the sugar mommies?"Before I could explain myself, Shane interrupted, "Ms. Wellington, please don't misunderstand…"Pretending to be hesitant, he added, "I ran into Mr. Bellway and an older woman decked in jewelry last month. They were here to buy an apartment. I heard him call that woman… 'Lisa.' He also chatted intimately with this woman named Bethany over the phone…"After that, he added with a sheepish smile, "I might have misheard, though."I hummed, drawing out the sound. Amused, I confirmed with him, "You were right. I bought two apartment units here. Anything wrong with that? As for the sugar mommies…"It took Christina a few minutes to compose herself.

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 4

    A frown crept onto my forehead. I knew of the golf club that Ethan mentioned. It was my mom's wedding gift to Christina. Lately, Christina had been frequenting that club as she was working to manage it. In my silence, Ethan carefully added, "Shane didn't seem to recognize me. He introduced himself as Ms. Wellington's 'special assistant' to my clients."My eyes widened in shock when I learned that Christina had made a realtor her special assistant.Trying to keep my calm, I thanked Ethan before hurrying over to the golf club that now belonged to Christina. A staff member stopped my car at the entrance. "Sir, do you have a reservation? We don't let our customers in unless they have a prior reservation."Scanning me from head to toe, he added in a disdainful tone, "Our boss wants us to vet the visitors. Only those with a net worth of a million dollars and above are allowed in."I took off my sunglasses and glared at him. "Is that so? Your boss has set a really low bar."With that

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 5

    My words lingered in the air. Nobody spoke a word for a moment.Finally, Shane faked a pitiful look and tugged at the hem of Christina's shirt. "Ms. Wellington, is Mr. Bellway upset to see me here? Why is he still on my back after he made me lose my job at the sales gallery?"Emotions filled his eyes as he looked at her. "I really had no choice but to seek your help…"His pleas fell on deaf ears. Christina fixed her eyes on me, and veins bulged on the back of her hand. She refused to believe I would call off the wedding.It took her a while to find her voice. Instead of addressing Shane or me, she yelled at Ethan, "Why are you stirring up trouble between me and my fiancé? What exactly did you say to Zachary?"Ethan responded with a scoff. Pointing at Shane, he began slowly, "I told Mr. Bellway what I saw that day. After you purchased your newlywed home with him, you came back for Shane."Taken aback, Shane immediately shoved Ethan out of the way. He refuted in a shrill voice, "No

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 6

    After I sent the message, I didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, I pulled a chair over and sat down. Staring at Christina and Shane, I began, "Christina, I've never seen someone as shameless and as impudent as you. You're really something!"Realizing I was serious, Christina crouched by my feet and brushed the dust off my pants. In a hushed tone, she pleaded, "Zachary, please don't do this. If nothing else, think about our newlywed home."We bought it before the wedding, and both our names are on the title deed. Do you really want to give up 50% of the asset? Isn't that such a waste?"You can't break up with me, and I won't leave you. Trust me when I say I really love you. I will never let you go."I stared blankly at her, lost in thought. A version of me from the past might have fallen for her sweet words, but now, I saw her as nothing more than a stranger.Christina had once been a student sponsored by my family. Thanks to her excellent academic record, my father specifically asked

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 7

    Upon hearing this, Christina realized she couldn't afford to offend these ladies. She quickly waved her hands and explained, "No, no. Zachary and I were already at the stage of discussing marriage. I got too emotional and made a mistake. Please understand, ma'am."Before she could finish, Lisa slapped her hard across the face and berated her, "I heard you've been using my godson's money to support a lover. Is that true?"Lisa then turned to the pale-faced Shane with disdain, pointing at him as she sneered. "Is he the one?"Bethany was even more agitated. She launched into a tirade, "Five years ago, you were just a poor girl from the village. If it weren't for Zack here taking pity on you, you wouldn't be where you are today.""Exactly! Look at yourself in the mirror! How shameless do you have to be to use Zack's money to keep a lover?"My relatives chimed in, each taking turns criticizing Christina. Embarrassed, she wanted nothing more than to vanish into thin air. Shane tried

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04
  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 8

    The next two weeks were nothing short of eventful for Christina. First, her company fired her without mercy.Following that, I hired the best lawyer in the city and reclaimed the luxury apartment we originally bought as our newlywed home.Refusing to accept defeat, Christina caused multiple scenes outside my office building, only to be unceremoniously thrown out by security each time."Zachary, you can't do this to me! I'm your fiancée!"Arms crossed, I looked at her with amusement. "Sorry, but you're not anymore."She exploded in frustration, shouting, "You're trying to ruin me!"I scoffed. "I don't have to. You're already doing that to yourself."Christina went from being the envy of all—the "real estate mogul's future daughter-in-law"—to a penniless outcast overnight. It was a stark contrast that she struggled to accept her new reality.Shane, without Christina as his benefactor, returned to his old job as a realtor.…One day, Ethan called me. "Mr. Bellway, I've sent you

    Last Updated : 2024-12-04

Latest chapter

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 8

    The next two weeks were nothing short of eventful for Christina. First, her company fired her without mercy.Following that, I hired the best lawyer in the city and reclaimed the luxury apartment we originally bought as our newlywed home.Refusing to accept defeat, Christina caused multiple scenes outside my office building, only to be unceremoniously thrown out by security each time."Zachary, you can't do this to me! I'm your fiancée!"Arms crossed, I looked at her with amusement. "Sorry, but you're not anymore."She exploded in frustration, shouting, "You're trying to ruin me!"I scoffed. "I don't have to. You're already doing that to yourself."Christina went from being the envy of all—the "real estate mogul's future daughter-in-law"—to a penniless outcast overnight. It was a stark contrast that she struggled to accept her new reality.Shane, without Christina as his benefactor, returned to his old job as a realtor.…One day, Ethan called me. "Mr. Bellway, I've sent you

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 7

    Upon hearing this, Christina realized she couldn't afford to offend these ladies. She quickly waved her hands and explained, "No, no. Zachary and I were already at the stage of discussing marriage. I got too emotional and made a mistake. Please understand, ma'am."Before she could finish, Lisa slapped her hard across the face and berated her, "I heard you've been using my godson's money to support a lover. Is that true?"Lisa then turned to the pale-faced Shane with disdain, pointing at him as she sneered. "Is he the one?"Bethany was even more agitated. She launched into a tirade, "Five years ago, you were just a poor girl from the village. If it weren't for Zack here taking pity on you, you wouldn't be where you are today.""Exactly! Look at yourself in the mirror! How shameless do you have to be to use Zack's money to keep a lover?"My relatives chimed in, each taking turns criticizing Christina. Embarrassed, she wanted nothing more than to vanish into thin air. Shane tried

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 6

    After I sent the message, I didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, I pulled a chair over and sat down. Staring at Christina and Shane, I began, "Christina, I've never seen someone as shameless and as impudent as you. You're really something!"Realizing I was serious, Christina crouched by my feet and brushed the dust off my pants. In a hushed tone, she pleaded, "Zachary, please don't do this. If nothing else, think about our newlywed home."We bought it before the wedding, and both our names are on the title deed. Do you really want to give up 50% of the asset? Isn't that such a waste?"You can't break up with me, and I won't leave you. Trust me when I say I really love you. I will never let you go."I stared blankly at her, lost in thought. A version of me from the past might have fallen for her sweet words, but now, I saw her as nothing more than a stranger.Christina had once been a student sponsored by my family. Thanks to her excellent academic record, my father specifically asked

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 5

    My words lingered in the air. Nobody spoke a word for a moment.Finally, Shane faked a pitiful look and tugged at the hem of Christina's shirt. "Ms. Wellington, is Mr. Bellway upset to see me here? Why is he still on my back after he made me lose my job at the sales gallery?"Emotions filled his eyes as he looked at her. "I really had no choice but to seek your help…"His pleas fell on deaf ears. Christina fixed her eyes on me, and veins bulged on the back of her hand. She refused to believe I would call off the wedding.It took her a while to find her voice. Instead of addressing Shane or me, she yelled at Ethan, "Why are you stirring up trouble between me and my fiancé? What exactly did you say to Zachary?"Ethan responded with a scoff. Pointing at Shane, he began slowly, "I told Mr. Bellway what I saw that day. After you purchased your newlywed home with him, you came back for Shane."Taken aback, Shane immediately shoved Ethan out of the way. He refuted in a shrill voice, "No

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 4

    A frown crept onto my forehead. I knew of the golf club that Ethan mentioned. It was my mom's wedding gift to Christina. Lately, Christina had been frequenting that club as she was working to manage it. In my silence, Ethan carefully added, "Shane didn't seem to recognize me. He introduced himself as Ms. Wellington's 'special assistant' to my clients."My eyes widened in shock when I learned that Christina had made a realtor her special assistant.Trying to keep my calm, I thanked Ethan before hurrying over to the golf club that now belonged to Christina. A staff member stopped my car at the entrance. "Sir, do you have a reservation? We don't let our customers in unless they have a prior reservation."Scanning me from head to toe, he added in a disdainful tone, "Our boss wants us to vet the visitors. Only those with a net worth of a million dollars and above are allowed in."I took off my sunglasses and glared at him. "Is that so? Your boss has set a really low bar."With that

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 3

    Shane brought up my "sugar mommies" with certain undertones. Only when Christina and I turned to him in shock did he realize he had slipped up. He scrambled to explain himself. "Mr. Bellway, I-I didn't tell on you on purpose. I just recalled I've seen you before."Christina gave me a confused look. "Zachary, what's with the sugar mommies?"Before I could explain myself, Shane interrupted, "Ms. Wellington, please don't misunderstand…"Pretending to be hesitant, he added, "I ran into Mr. Bellway and an older woman decked in jewelry last month. They were here to buy an apartment. I heard him call that woman… 'Lisa.' He also chatted intimately with this woman named Bethany over the phone…"After that, he added with a sheepish smile, "I might have misheard, though."I hummed, drawing out the sound. Amused, I confirmed with him, "You were right. I bought two apartment units here. Anything wrong with that? As for the sugar mommies…"It took Christina a few minutes to compose herself.

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 2

    Shane responded to my angry scream with an innocent expression. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bellway. I just wanted to press the button for you."You're not thinking of lodging a complaint against me, are you? Unlike you, I'm just a realtor. I can't fake my way into getting a luxury apartment. But sure, scold me however you like…"Seeing the pain etched on my face, Christina felt bad and crouched to caress my foot. She chimed in, "Zachary, let's drop it. He probably didn't do it on purpose. I'll hold you when we walk."My chest thudded in pain from the fury, but I tried my best to keep my temper in check. After all, I came here to look for a newlywed home. I needed to be happy after Grandpa finally approved of me and Christina.Nodding stiffly, I endured the pain as we shuffled to the show unit. However, upon stepping into the space, the pain in my foot flared up again. I needed a place to sit and rest, but Shane immediately stopped me. "Mr. Bellway, please wait a minute!"He hurried into th

  • Barking up the Wrong Tree   Chapter 1

    My marriage to Christina Wellington was basically set after I brought her home to meet with my grandpa, George Bellway. After the dinner, she drove me in the Rolls-Royce—a gift from Grandpa—to a new apartment complex nearby. We were looking to purchase our newlywed home.When we arrived at the sales gallery, I held the car door open for Christina like a gentleman. Then, I walked behind, holding all her stuff for her.Christina had confided in me before, saying she was insecure. That was why I gave her all my love.The realtor hurried over when he saw us, only to treat me like I was invisible. When we brushed shoulders, he said snidely, "The guy who holds her bag… Can you please stay away from us?"I checked his name tag. It read "Luxury Apartment Realtor: Shane Moss".Shane put on a look of contempt when I studied him. He mocked me under his breath, "Some people really think they're rich when they put on a fake watch. You're just a minion who holds Ms. Wellington's bag. Ugh, I'm s

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