The project my wife had been waiting for three years is about to breach the deadline, and she promised me that if it was completed by the end of the year, she would promote me to vice president. But after I worked tirelessly to finish it, she promoted the male assistant, who had been with the company for less than three months, to vice president instead. “Your abilities are impressive, but if it weren’t for him negotiating, the project would have failed long ago.” Everyone thought I would be jealous of the assistant. But instead of getting angry, I smiled and handed over my shares to the assistant. “You’re right. By the way, from now on, you’ll be the company’s new shareholder.” After all, no one knew that the reason the project had been allowed to be delayed again and again was because the client was my father. Without my connections, the so-called big project would be nothing but a house of cards, and my wife would be unable to repay the loans, doomed to a life worse than death. When I tossed the share transfer document to my wife’s assistant, Ethan Bennett, everyone in the company was stunned. For three whole years, many had worked hard on this project, pushing their bodies to the limit. Though I didn’t have many shares, once the project went live and the company went public, those shares could potentially skyrocket tenfold or even a hundredfold. And I, Daniel Parker, so nonchalantly, gave them up. These shares were worth far more than a vice president position. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the share transfer document, except for my wife, Ave Parker, whose face turned ashen. Her carefully applied makeup couldn’t hide the anger. “Daniel! If you’re unhappy with my decision, you could’ve just said so directly! “There’s no need for this behavior, disrupting the company’s atmosphere!” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Disrupting the company’s atmosphere? She sure knew how to put a label on things. Ever since she hired Ethan, I had become a villain in her eyes. No matter what I said or did, I was always wrong. Now, I had just handed Ethan a huge opportunity, why wasn’t she happy about it? What on earth was going through her mind? I was truly at a loss. Meanwhile, Ethan was clutching the share transfer document tightly, his greed flashing in his eyes before he quickly hid it. Then, he lifted his head, feigning a look of deep concern. “Daniel, are you upset because you weren’t chosen as vice president and think Mrs. Parker is biased? “Please don’t misunderstand. Mrs. Parker doesn’t think you’re incapable. “It’s just that she heard you’re allergic to alcohol, and as vice president, you’d need to attend social events and drink. She was worried it might harm your health. “Everyone knows how hard you’ve worked on this project, and I, as a newcomer, definitely can’t accept these shares. Please take them back.” Although Ethan’s words sounded nice, he showed no sign of handing over the document. Clearly, he wasn’t willing to part with such a juicy prize. As for what he said, it was laughable. Only Ave and I knew about my alcohol allergy. This was clearly a story they had already agreed on! And the idea that because I couldn’t drink, they would let a newcomer with less than three months on the job take the vice president position? Anyone with half a brain would know there was something fishy going on here. But I couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. Instead, I patted Ethan on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, “Ethan, no, Mr. Bennett, I’m truly grateful for how you’ve considered my well-being. “Having someone as thoughtful as you in the company makes me feel at ease.” I even squeezed his shoulder to show my recognition and approval. At this, Ave finally smiled in satisfaction. “That’s more like it. “Of course, I won’t treat you poorly, such an experienced employee. “Later, at Ethan’s celebration dinner, I know you can’t drink, and I didn’t want to drag you into it, but since you’ve shown such understanding, you can come, too.” Seeing her act like she was doing me some huge favor, I nearly laughed in disbelief. She took the vice president position without a word and now she was acting all nice, thinking she could send me off with a dinner? I smiled with a fake grin and declined. “No need. I don’t eat with jerks. It’s too much of a stomach-turner.” Ave’s smile instantly froze. She slammed the table and yelled, “Daniel! Do you really think you’re that impressive? “If it wasn’t for Ethan’s negotiating skills, this project would have long since been overdue and we’d have been held accountable. What do you think you had to do with it? “Do you want me to fire you?” I looked at her furious expression, feeling no emotion at all, even suppressing a laugh. If she hadn’t insisted on promoting Ethan, causing errors in the data, and pushing the task back over and over, we wouldn’t have reached this point. It was Ethan’s fault. I ended up cleaning up his mess, and now it was being presented as his accomplishment. Her ability to distort the facts was nothing short of brilliant. With that thought, I pulled out the resignation letter I had prepared earlier, slamming it down on the table. “Alright, remember to sign it.” I turned and walked out. Just as I was about to hail a cab downstairs, a red sports car suddenly screeched to a stop in front of me. The window rolled down slowly, revealing Ethan’s smug face. Before I could react, he threw his coffee at me on purpose. The cold wind of winter mixed with ice cubes from the drink, soaking my clothes, making it feel like a thousand needles stabbing me. Ethan looked at me in my miserable state, no longer the humble figure he once was. His face twisted into a sneer. “Look at you freezing and waiting for the bus, Daniel. If you were vice president, it would be so embarrassing to let that get out. “Then again, not everyone has my great drinking skills to drag the client on like this. “Alright, enough talk. I’m heading to the celebration dinner. It’s almost the end of the year, so you can take your time finding a new job.” After saying that, he slammed on the gas and drove off. But as Ethan’s car disappeared, I couldn’t help but smile coldly. No one knew that the project had been allowed to be delayed this long not because of Ethan’s so-called business negotiation skills. Even with his drinking ability, the client wouldn’t be dumb enough to ignore the losses in the billions of dollars. The only reason was one thing. With that thought, I immediately called the client. “Dad, I’ve resigned. The project you gave to Ave’s company can be canceled now.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Then, my dad’s excited shout was deafening. “You’re finally coming around! “I’ve already paved the way for you, but you chose to turn down a position at a global Fortune 500 company and insisted on starting a business at that unreliable little company!” I listened to my dad’s furious rant and awkwardly rubbed my nose. Yes, the reason Ave’s project had been allowed to be delayed repeatedly was because of my dad. The project’s client was actually my father. My dad was the head of the Valora region in his group. Initially, Ave’s company, due to its lack of technical and financial advantages, was on the verge of being eliminated from the market and going bankrupt. I watched Ave every day, troubled and anxious, barely eating or sleeping, and I couldn’t bear it. Unable to watch her hard work go to waste, I proactively asked my dad for help. That was how I managed to secure the project that saved Ave’s company. It was thanks to the group’s investment that Ave’s previously unknown company started getting noticed by clients. Seeing Ave’s company grow and seeing her smile again, I also felt satisfied, working tirelessly. I thought we were building our dreams together, heading toward success. I never imagined that in the end, due to a male assistant who had only been with the company for less than three months, I would be completely discarded. “To keep that project, my bonus is being deducted! “To keep this project moving, I’ve been negotiating with headquarters every day, coming up with all sorts of excuses!” My dad continued to complain on the phone. I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. My dad had worked so hard to help me. Though he complained about Ave’s unreliable company, he had always secretly been helping me. He even sacrificed his own bonus just to secure the project for me. And here I was, like a fool, being played by Ave and Ethan. “Alright, alright, I got it, Dad. You’ve worked hard. “Just cancel the project. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.” My dad quickly agreed. He added, “I’ll introduce you to some of my old friends when you’re back. They’re all industry elites and in the future…” My dad began rambling about my future. I listened, gradually calming down. Ave’s small company didn’t have enough capital, and to keep the project afloat, she had borrowed a significant amount of money. Without my connections, that so-called big project was nothing but a house of cards. She would be unable to repay the loans when the project was invalidated, and she would never recover from it. But right now, I didn’t need to explain it to her. I thought, “When disaster strikes, they will naturally realize who the real power behind this is.” With that thought, I hung up and began packing my things, preparing to sever ties with Ave completely. When I got home, I opened the wardrobe and as I was rummaging through the drawers, a photo album hidden in the corner fell out. In the photo, Ave was youthful and innocent, wearing a high school uniform, and smiling brightly. And standing next to her was a tall, thin boy whose features, surprisingly, resembled Ethan’s! I froze, flipping through the album. At the back of the album was a stack of love letters, with delicate handwriting. The recipient was Ethan. I suddenly understood why, on one occasion, I was just looking for socks in the drawer, and Ave had gone into a furious fit, pushing me out and not letting me in for the entire day. She was afraid I would discover her secret! No wonder, with Ave’s bad temper, every assistant, regardless of their education or ability, was fired after only a few weeks of being yelled at. But Ethan, the rookie, had been promoted and paid generously, advancing fast. It turned out he was her first love from school! Well, that explained everything. I sneered and closed the album, grabbing my nearly empty suitcase and leaving the cold, lifeless home. I sent my luggage home via courier, then called my dad to come pick me up. While waiting for the car, I saw a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts and thought it wouldn’t hurt to grab a quick bite since I hadn’t eaten all morning. But the next second, I ran into Ave and Ethan. At that moment, Ave, with a slightly drunken smile, looked at me smugly. “Hey, weren’t you so confident at the company earlier? Now you’re just standing here, waiting to beg for my forgiveness?” Hearing this, I was speechless. She really had a vivid imagination! I was the one who was unlucky. If I had known, I would’ve just taken a cab and left instead of indulging in my craving. Ethan looked at the roasted chestnuts in my hand with a hint of disdain, then said sarcastically, “Hey, Ave, look at Daniel here, waiting outside in the freezing cold, buying you your favorite roasted chestnuts! “Why not let him go back to the company? After all, Daniel’s got the experience. I can just assist Daniel from now on. “It’s hard to find work at the end of the year. How’s Daniel going to explain being unemployed to his family?” Ave, full of herself, responded, “Fine! But someone like Ethan, such a genius, shouldn’t just assist you. From now on, Daniel, you’ll be running errands for Ethan!” With that, Ave grabbed the roasted chestnut from my hand and took a bite. I was furious, but I snatched the chestnut back and threw it straight into the trash. “Such a self-righteous fool! If someone like you eats this, it’d be a waste of food!” Ave immediately flew into a rage, pointing at my nose and shouting, “You! Who do you think you’re talking to? “Daniel! I want a divorce!” This again. Whenever we had a disagreement, if she couldn’t justify her actions, she would throw out the divorce card to force me into submission. But now… I immediately started laughing and pulled out the divorce agreement I had prepared earlier. “Great! I’ve been waiting for you to sign it!”
“Divorce agreement… You had it prepared already!” Ave’s eyes immediately widened in disbelief. Seeing this, Ethan nearly couldn’t hold back his laughter from the side. After all, he was eager to be together with Ave. With me out of the way, he lost one less competitor. Naturally, he was delighted. But in an attempt to impress Ave, Ethan still pretended to be sincere as he said, “Hey, Daniel, I understand that being humiliated in front of so many people at the company made you feel embarrassed and upset. That’s normal. “But you and Ave just got married, how can you let a divorce be a way of taking out your frustration?” Upon hearing that, I looked at his expression, and a wave of disgust washed over me. I thought, “This guy acts so well. Back at the office, he’d stick to Ave like glue all the time, and now he’s pretending to be the voice of reason.” I pointed toward the nearby courier station. “Fine. I’ve packed my things. Hurry up and sign it. No need to waste our time.” Only then did Ave seem to realize I was serious. But the next moment, she suddenly seemed to remember something and sneered coldly, “Daniel, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! “You just see the company expanding now and want to take some of my money, right?” Ave had a smug expression as if she had already seen through all the schemes. “I’ll tell you, the house and the company, everything was notarized before we even got our marriage certificate! “You won’t be getting a single penny from me! “If you want to divorce, go ahead!” Looking at her haughty demeanor, I suddenly understood. No wonder when we were getting our certificate, I wanted to do it on our anniversary and share it on social media, but Ave kept delaying. It turned out, behind my back, that she had already had her assets notarized! What a clever move, cutting at the root! Realizing I wouldn’t be taking anything with me, Ethan could barely hold back his laughter from the side, though he still made an effort to put on a concerned expression. “Yeah, Daniel, even if you’re considering your feelings, at least think about your future. “Now, if you divorce Ave, you won’t have anything left. “Ave is now a rising star in the industry. She has the attention of the industry leader, and her project is about to take off. “With that kind of network, Ave could easily blacklist you with a single word!” I looked at Ethan’s hypocritical face, and my stomach churned. He talked so much, but all he really wanted was to keep me around so he could continue exploiting me. After all, he was just a fraud. Without me managing the work, he would be exposed as the worthless vice president in no time. Then the company’s profits would drop, and Ave wouldn’t be able to protect him. Upon hearing that, Ave crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and looked down at me with a smug expression. “Exactly. I think some people just get too full of themselves after being in the company for so long. “You can’t even handle the projects, and Ethan manages them easily with a meal. “When the client gives their approval, not only will we receive 200 million dollars in funding… “The company might even go public! “Now, do you still think the company can’t go on without you?” She sneered arrogantly as if I were nothing more than a dispensable man. Looking at her self-satisfied expression, I couldn’t help but mock her inwardly. I thought, “She is completely fooled by Ethan’s sweet talk. She’s waiting for a huge investment and IPO? Wait for the company to collapse!” With that thought, I spoke in a cold tone, enunciating every word. I said, “Without my connection, just the fact that you’ve been delaying progress by relying on Ethan, causing delays, and breaking agreements for six months, is enough for Ascend Group to legally cancel the partnership and even seek damages! “And Ascend Group is the industry leader. If their investment credibility is harmed, forget about an IPO… “You might not even be able to get any orders in this industry anymore!” But in response to my warning, Ave merely laughed dismissively, “Your connection? Are you really going to praise yourself so much?” She pointed at me and said with a sharp tone, “You’re just an unemployed bum, who probably can’t even get through the doors of their company. “Why would such a large listed group listen to you?” Before Ave could finish her sentence, a black Maybach slowly pulled up at the gate of the community. Ethan immediately recognized it, exclaiming in shock, “Oh my! That’s the car of Ascend Group’s Valora region head!” Upon hearing Ethan’s words, Ave immediately stood straighter, a smug grin spreading across her face as she looked at me. “Did you see that? “For this project, even the head of Valora region from the industry leader came all the way to my house!” She lifted her chin, her tone dripping with arrogance as if she could already see her bright future ahead. What she didn’t know was that the person inside the car was none other than my father. “Oh, once the company goes public, I’ll be financially free. Then I’ll buy a big villa with Ethan, get some sports cars, and travel abroad, eating at all the nice restaurants! “As for you…” Ave glanced at me. She added with disdain in her voice, “Just wait for unemployment benefits and live on welfare for the rest of your life!” She said that then adjusted her hair, standing respectfully as she prepared to greet the guest. “Mr. Parker, about our collaboration…” But before she could finish, the person in the car ignored her outstretched hand and walked straight to me, pulling me into a hug. “You brat, it’s been a year, and you’ve lost so much weight! “Your mom’s going to say I’m a bad father when she sees you like this…”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295706”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn
Leave a Reply