All Chapters of Barking up the Wrong Tree: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

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

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.

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

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