That day, at the company dinner, Katie stood up and cut a piece of foie gras. I thought it was for me. Instead, she shot me a cold glare and placed the foie gras on Daniel’s plate, my assistant. A suffocating silence fell over the room. Everyone stared at me, their gazes dripping with contempt. I wasn’t in the mood for this. I pulled out my phone and made a call right then and there. “Dad, you were right. Katie is definitely not the one for me. I’m divorcing her.” Katie’s face instantly changed. She grabbed that plate of foie gras and smashed it onto my head. “Eat it! I dare you to eat it!” “A whole plate, that should be enough to satisfy your petty, jealous little heart, shouldn’t it?” “Jasper sealed the deal with the De Rossi family and brought in a huge investment, and you want to divorce me because I gave him a piece of meat?” As someone who’s always been a clean freak, my mood plummeted. I grabbed a napkin and wiped off the grease. “Not only do I want to divorce you now, but I also want to know exactly how Jasper managed to secure that deal with the De Rossi family.”
Jasper, who I’d just called out, had been smirking, enjoying our marital spat. But the moment I questioned him about the De Rossi deal, his smirk vanished. He hemmed and hawed for a long time, not daring to meet my gaze, as if my eyes could see right through his lies. Katie assumed I was just being difficult, deliberately trying to embarrass Jasper. “William, what exactly are you implying with that question?” “Don’t think I don’t hear the insinuation! Jasper might come from a humble background, but he’s a graduate of a top university, and he’s ambitious and hard-working.” “Unlike you, a kept man who’s living off his wife’s family. No, a total waste of space!” “Calling you a kept man is too kind. ‘Worthless’ is more accurate.” Her words were vicious. All the company employees were there, and she completely disregarded my dignity, grinding it into the dirt. Three years. I couldn’t believe how we’d reached such a hostile, explosive point. We used to be so in love, but ever since the Wilson family grew stronger and Jasper joined the company, our marriage became like walking on thin ice. “Katie, do you really have to be so cruel?” She stopped talking, her chest heaving with anger. The entire room remained silent, nobody daring to speak up. A smile tugged at the corners of Jasper’s lips, but I wasn’t done with him. “You still haven’t answered my question, have you?” Jasper froze, clearly not expecting me to be so persistent. He cursed me inwardly. He glanced at Katie, who was about to speak for him again. “Can you just shut up?” “If you’re eager to die, wait your turn. One by one.” My roar not only stunned Katie but also sent everyone’s hearts racing. Katie remained frozen, mouth agape. She probably never expected me, who had always doted on her, to speak to her in such a tone. Jasper slammed his hand on the table and stood up, putting on quite the show of authority. “William, what right does a measly kept man like you have to yell at Katie?” “You’re a leech, and you’re still not satisfied.” “Since you’re so curious how I got the De Rossi family, the most powerful family in New York, to cooperate with the Wilsons, I’ll tell you: I’m Mr. De Rossi’s son.” “I was trying to keep a low profile, learn from the brilliant and knowledgeable Katie, and make my father proud.” Katie was stunned, amazed at how highly Jasper thought of her. Her gaze towards him was now filled with adoration, simply because he was the son of the famous Mr. De Rossi.
The previously quiet employees instantly erupted. “Wow! Jasper is Mr. De Rossi’s son? That must mean he’s Jonah De Rossi! You’re so incredibly humble!” Jonah De Rossi, the future heir of the De Rossi family. Mr. De Rossi only had one son. And the De Rossi family, with businesses spanning the globe, commanded respect from even the most notorious figures. After revealing his identity, Jasper became utterly arrogant and condescending. “Everyone, please don’t spread this around.” “My identity still needs to be kept secret. My father doesn’t like me being flashy.” “Understood!” “Truly worthy of being the scion of a powerful family. So distinguished, clever, and wise.” Jasper was basking in the crowd’s adulation, clearly savoring every bit of the flattery, but I just kept sneering. “So Jasper turns out to be the De Rossi family heir, huh?” I smiled, wiping the grease from my face with a napkin. Beneath my calm exterior, a storm was brewing. Now, it wasn’t just Katie speaking up for Jasper. “William, what kind of attitude is that when you’re talking to the Young Master?” “Exactly! A mere kept man like you would never be a director at this company if it weren’t for Katie.” People are like that — the moment someone with power and influence appears, you can bet there’ll be plenty of sycophancy and fake loyalty. And a whole bunch of bootlickers to defend them. “Young Master??” I looked at Jasper, my face full of questions. “Are you really Jonah De Rossi??” Jasper didn’t answer directly, but his arrogant, condescending expression gave everyone the answer. He stood up and looked down at me. “William, if I were Katie, I’d fire you immediately.” “Because you’re a completely useless waste of space. You’ve never accomplished anything, yet you’ve hogged the director position. That’s unfair to all the hardworking, ambitious employees.” At his words, some people clapped and cheered. “The Young Master is right! Only you dare to speak up for us ordinary workers!” “We hate nothing more than those lazy deadbeats who hog promotion opportunities.” They all glared at me with unified hostility, directly calling me out by name. As if I was the one preventing them from getting promotions and raises. My emotions remained calm, as if I was playing a game of chess with them. What a joke. Scenes like this are child’s play for me; I’ve been in actual gunfights, for crying out loud! I tossed the napkin to the floor, my mood suddenly souring. I looked at Katie, wanting to know if she felt the same way. Without a moment’s hesitation, she spoke up: “William, did you hear that?” “It’s what everyone here wants — for you to be fired. If you really had any capability, they wouldn’t all be ganging up on you like this.” “You know what I’m getting at for the rest, right?” “I’m not going to disrespect you further; I’ll wait for you to leave on your own.” Suddenly, I smiled. I stood up and pointed to my grease-splattered clothes. “Do you have any idea how expensive this suit is?” “Listen closely. There will come a time when you’ll regret splattering me with this foie gras so much, you won’t be able to afford the compensation.” As I was about to leave, I was met with sneers from the crowd. “Haha, who do you think you are! A useless kept man wears clothes bought with Katie’s money. This suit too!” “Even if it gets dirty, it’s Katie’s problem!” “Isn’t it though?” “If you keep running your mouth and pissing off Katie, she might strip you naked and kick you out in disgrace!” I frowned, my voice dropping by a few degrees. “I have never spent Katie’s money. If we’re going to talk like that, I don’t mind having someone come over and calculate every single cent I’ve spent…”
“Enough! What else can you do besides make a spectacle of yourself?” “Be a man and admit it!” Of course, I’m a man, but I wouldn’t admit that. Because Katie’s entire fortune came from me; she was the one spending *my* money. But if I said it, they wouldn’t believe me. They’d just mock me as a pretentious idiot. My way of punishing people doesn’t involve wasting words; it involves proving it with action. I scoffed, then pulled out my phone and made a call. “Get over here. Katie’s saying I’m just a useless kept man of the Wilson family, a parasite who lives off them without doing anything. Please come and set her straight, otherwise, I’ll make sure the Wilson family loses twenty billion dollars in ten minutes.” The Wilson family’s assets were only fifty billion. I hadn’t even helped them soar higher, aiming for a hundred billion, and she’d already gotten so arrogant. The person on the other end sounded terrified, shouting, “Get the car ready, now!” I ended the call. Jasper looked at me with disdain and contempt. “Heh! William.” “Do you even know what twenty billion dollars means?” “And you’ll make the Wilson family lose that much in ten minutes?” “Katie, just fire him!” “He’s not just useless; he’s a criminal for cursing your family!” My words, combined with Jasper’s prodding, enraged Katie. She looked at me, her eyes filled with bottomless hatred. “William, how dare you treat me like this? I won’t let you get away with it.” “I’ll have my lawyer send you the divorce papers as soon as possible. And please, take off that suit.” “That expensive fabric? You bought it with *my* money, didn’t you?” “Your money??” I smiled meaningfully, looking at her. “You’ve got one thing wrong.” “The clothes I’m wearing aren’t bought with your money. The luxury custom dress *you’re* wearing is bought with *my* money.” “Understand?” At my words, the whole room erupted in laughter. “Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter!” “I never thought he was pretentious before, but now that I see him, he’s not only pretentious but also disgusting.” “Poor Katie, having to live with such a show-off for three years.” As the mocking voices grew louder, a hint of displeasure crossed my face. Jasper clapped his hands, and the room instantly fell silent. He turned to me, adopting his facade of fairness and impartiality. “William!” “No wonder people mock you. Because in our eyes, you really are just a kept man, a live-in son-in-law.” “You clearly spend Katie’s money, and now you’re turning it around and saying she spent yours.” “I’m a fair man. If you can provide proof within an hour that what you’re saying is true, then I’ll get down on my knees and do a striptease for you!” My eyes lit up. This was a challenge that made my wasted time here playing their games worthwhile. I sat back down, looking up at them with a playful gaze. “Just you doing a striptease wouldn’t be very entertaining. It’d be better if they joined in!” Someone slammed a hand on the table and stood up. “William, you’re insulting us!” That person was furious until Jasper smiled and reassured her. “What’s there to be angry about? We’re not the ones who are going to lose.” “What’s there that I, Jonah De Rossi, can’t play along with?” With Jasper backing them, no one was afraid anymore. “Fine, if you can prove you’re not a useless kept man, then we’ll…” “Your figures are so scrawny; what’s the point of stripping?” “If we’re going to play, let’s play ‘bark like dogs’.”
“Barking all the way out into the street.” “Alright, William, then you remember this too: if you can’t prove yourself, then *you’ll* be the one stripped naked, with ‘Worthless’ carved on your face, barking like a dog as you crawl out.” My gaze swept over everyone, and a thought crossed my mind. Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Humanity’s greatest weakness often lies in arrogance. I dropped my playful smile and sighed. “Katie, what sustains the Wilson family? It’s the sugar business, isn’t it?” After our falling out, Katie hadn’t given me a single pleasant look. She didn’t speak, but that wouldn’t stop the sugar business from dying very soon. I pulled out my phone and called my people. “The Wilson family’s sugar business seems to be shrinking. Send out word that I will never purchase anything from the Wilson family’s sugar business again. Once they know that, they’ll know exactly what to do.” “Yes, sir!” Some people started scoffing, while others directly cursed me for being overly dramatic. I paid no attention to their irritating chatter. I would systematically dismantle the Wilson family, one step at a time, until they stopped smiling. Katie saw that I wasn’t just unafraid; I was actively sitting down and declaring I’d ruin her business. “William, I was going to let you off easy, for old times’ sake, but you’re just begging for death.” Let me off easy? When had she ever considered that? Insulting me, flirting with Jasper right in front of me, then threatening to fire me. Did she really think I was a pushover? I said nothing, instead taking out a cigarette and putting it in my mouth. Smoke curled around me. Everyone watched, their hearts filled with a desire for revenge, waiting to see my downfall. “William, even with your doom staring you in the face, you’re still smoking? What, watched too many movies and think you’re cool now?” “Let him act tough for a bit.” “He’s probably just using that cigarette to keep himself together.” “Hah, he’s not afraid of death, is he? The Wilson family is, after all, one of this city’s top players…” “In three minutes, Katie will receive a call. It will be from the merchants who regularly cooperate with the Wilson family’s sugar business, all terminating their partnerships permanently.” I interrupted the man’s speech, giving them three minutes to struggle. Those three minutes were also my last chance for them to admit their mistake, but they wouldn’t take it. They continued to ignore my words, still trying to curry favor with Jasper. Three minutes passed. Just as Katie was about to start yelling at me, her phone rang. To further humiliate me publicly, she put it on speaker. “Miss Katie, this is George from Megma Corp.” “I’m not calling to catch up, but to inform you that our partnership is canceled, permanently.” With that, he hung up, delivering a fatal blow before Katie could even speak. Everyone froze, the smiles on their faces abruptly solidifying. Then a second call came in. She thought George had regretted it. But it wasn’t. It was a second merchant canceling their partnership. Then came the third, fourth, fifth… all calling to terminate their agreements. Katie began to panic, and everyone else was equally shocked. I raised my hand and glanced at my watch, speaking nonchalantly. “The sugar business is done for. Next, the stocks.” My words startled them again, pulling them out of their daze. “William, are you behind this?” “But I don’t believe it. He’s just a kept man; how could he have such power?” “But… but everything he said is coming true!” “William, is it really you?” Jasper stared at me, dumbfounded. I looked back at him as if he were an idiot.
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