— *Alright, I’ll play the role of a poor man. Let’s see how my “loved ones” will sing now,* — thought Arthur as he pressed the doorbell of his luxury home.
— *Darling, is something wrong? You seem tense today,* — his wife, Emily, greeted him with concern, noticing the shift in his expression.
— *We need to talk,* — Arthur said, not even taking off his coat, heading straight into the living room where the lavish décor clashed painfully with his serious demeanor.
— *There are problems with the business. One of the projects collapsed. The investors are furious. Construction has been halted — the city found violations…* — he sighed, hiding his face in his hands.
Emily turned pale. But what shocked her even more was the “good news”:
— *I’m not going to jail.*
— *Oh, what a relief,* — she replied sarcastically, pouring herself a glass of expensive whiskey.
Gradually, Arthur’s “poverty” became a reason for blame, reproach, and… unexpected actions. After lunch, he discovered that his watches, golf clubs, and briefcase had been sold. And only his belongings.
— *Why would I touch my handbags? These are your problems!* — snapped Emily, counting the money from the sale.
— *This will last me a month,* — she smiled and left.
Later at the bar, Arthur confided in his friend Daniel:
— *She only thinks about herself… No support at all. And all I wanted was to test her. It was all staged. Legally, we’ve already prepared everything: in the divorce, she gets nothing.*
But instead of supporting him, Daniel called Emily:
— *Arthur lied about everything! It was a test! Please, act like an angel, or we’ll lose everything…*
Unfortunately, all of it was recorded. A private investigator, hired by Arthur, was at the bar.
And when evening came, Arthur staged the final act. Security, packed bags, an escort — everything went according to plan. He looked at them both with a cold smile:
— *You didn’t lose a husband or a friend. You lost your source of income. As for love — it can’t be taken. It can only be lost.*
In the end:
🔸 Emily returned to her hometown with the leftovers from what she had sold.
🔸 Daniel was left with nothing.
🔸 And Arthur… met someone new. Simple, attentive, and genuine. And he never ran tests again. Because what’s real — you can see it right away.
