In the fifth year of our marriage, I helped my wife’s family business, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, go public. At the celebration party, my wife showed up with a pair of twins and her much-admired ex-boyfriend. She remarked, “Jack is a top student, and you should appreciate him for bringing in some fresh genes to improve the family line.” “You’ll still stay with my family, and as a token gesture, one of the kids can take your last name.” She wanted me to step down from my Vice President position. “The company’s success has nothing to do with you. Even a pig can fly when there’s a strong enough wind!” “Replace you with Jack, and he’ll do even better!” Everyone was mocking me, and my father-in-law and mother-in-law, who always claimed to value me, silently agreed with everything. Watching this shameless family, I sneered, “Fine, let the Anderson Group go bankrupt then!” “Declan, what kind of joke is this? Everything you have now was given to you by our family!” “If the Anderson Group goes bankrupt, you’ll have nothing left!” My wife Fiona didn’t believe a word I said and continued to mock me: “I even thought about letting you manage the company as a formality after you step down as VP.” “But now it seems someone as lowly as you, with ambitions beyond reach, is unworthy of managing our Anderson Group!” “I want a divorce. Get out of the Anderson Group!” I looked at Fiona’s disgusted, perfectly made-up face and gritted my teeth: “Fine, let’s divorce!” Fiona sneered and handed me a divorce agreement. The terms demanded that I leave with nothing! “When you married into our family, we signed an agreement. If we divorce, you can’t take a penny, and you have no right to refuse!” Instinctively, I looked at my in-laws. Fiona might not understand my contributions to the company since she doesn’t work, but they should know better. But my in-laws, who praised me at lunch, now avoided eye contact, their stance clear! Amid the guests’ laughter, I heard some whispers. “No matter how capable Declan is, he’s just a son-in-law living with them. If his wife says to dump him, she can dump him!” “He’s just brought in billions in revenue for the company, acting all superior in front of us. But at home, he’s still just a pushover for his wife.” I knew these people always looked down on me. Even though I poured my heart into Anderson Group and took it public in five years, expanding into overseas markets. I looked at my wife and the man behind her, and the last glimmer of hope in my heart extinguished. The person I once shared a bed with used me as a stepping stone, secretly plotting with that man to replace me entirely! “Alright!” I choked out. Before I finished speaking, Jack eagerly put his arm around Uma’s shoulder: “Oh dear Una, rest assured. With my help, the company will develop even faster!” Uma returned his embrace, her radiant smile dazzling, stinging my eyes! It was a smile she never showed me! Even though I married into her family and endured countless humiliations! Even though I turned myself into a vassal of the Anderson family! With those thoughts, I hesitated no more. I signed the divorce papers and left without looking back!
As soon as I left, the employees who never respected me started to gossip. “With that son-in-law gone, our days will be much better.” “Yeah, the Andersons are wealthy and kind. With Declan gone, company benefits will surely improve!” “I heard from a friend in the secretarial department that the Andersons wanted to increase employee benefits several times, but that son-in-law always vetoed it. After climbing from the bottom, he looked down on us!” Not far from them, I heard their words and couldn’t help but chuckle. Did they really think I could veto decisions made by the top leadership? In fact, during my years in charge, I constantly applied for benefits for the company, only to be blocked by my in-laws, who didn’t want to give any benefits, wishing employees would work for free. Now, hearing them praise my in-laws as kind-hearted, I almost laughed! If I hadn’t always spoken up for the employees, they wouldn’t be so eager to kick me out. To them, I was just a VP. Kicking me out was no big deal! I left the venue and called a number that had been in my phone for five years. “I’m done with Fiona.” The person on the other end chuckled coldly: “You should have ended it sooner! Since I found out Fiona was seeing other men, I’ve been telling you to leave. Now you’ve finally come to your senses! Since that’s the case, come home.” “For years, you stopped me from taking action against the Andersons, but I won’t hold back anymore.” I said, “Got it, sis. I’ll come home soon.” Fiona didn’t know I was actually from a wealthy family. Years ago, due to family changes, my sister had to exile me to protect me. Two years ago, she finally avenged us against the Li family, allowing us to live peacefully again. She reconnected and showed evidence of Fiona’s affairs. Unfortunately, I was still in love with Fiona then, thinking she hid it because she loved me. Why else would she do it, right? Despite knowing my unreliable in-laws, I started planning for any unforeseen changes, hoping to have leverage against the Andersons. But I never thought I’d need to use it. After losing hope, I agreed to go home. My sister immediately wanted to send someone to fetch me. I smiled and said, “No need. I should handle these things myself.” My sister agreed but couldn’t help but nag: “I’ve always told you to come home. I’m getting married, and the family business will be yours. There’s no need to marry into another family. Who needs a small, shabby company like that?” “For your next marriage, I’ll find you a suitable heiress.”
The next morning, Fiona was at the registry before I was for the first time. Throughout our seven years of dating and marriage, she always made me wait, whether for a small meal or a whole day of plans. She’d rather pay to replay a movie than arrive early. For her, it was a game to tame me. Making me wait at least half an hour each time showed I loved her. Seeing me, she stood there arrogantly, waiting for me to approach. I coldly looked at her and said, “If you don’t come over, there won’t be a divorce.” That hit a nerve, and only then did Fiona walk over. After getting the papers, she smugly said. “Look at you now, older than Jack and less capable.” “Did you know? Yesterday, Jack took over the company and immediately signed a big contract with Carter Corporation! You couldn’t close that deal after a month, but he did it right away. Haha, without you, my future is smooth sailing!” I coldly watched her, not bothering to respond. Carter Corporation’s contract was always picky, and they were rushing us lately. I didn’t take it because I suspected issues with the deal. I didn’t expect Jack to take it right away. He didn’t even consider if it would impact them. It seems this so-called top student might be overhyped. Anyone with a brain wouldn’t make such a blunder. I sneered, too lazy to deal with these fools, and turned to leave. As I stepped outside, I saw an eye-catching Rolls Royce my sister sent. The woman in the car took off her sunglasses, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. It was my sister’s longtime friend, Phoebe. Seeing me looking, Fiona sneered: “Don’t bother looking. No matter how much you look, she won’t be yours!” I ignored her and walked over. The woman got out, smiling as she tossed me the keys, saying: “Young Master, the car returns to its rightful owner.” I got in the car, and as I did, Fiona’s disdainful voice rang out: “You brought out a domestic limited edition car, Declan. I didn’t know you loved me this much. Too bad, do you think I can’t tell you’re putting on a show, trying to make me think you’re a super-rich second generation so I’d grovel and beg?” I found her amusing. Fiona, spoiled since childhood, always carried an unwarranted confidence. Seeing my silence, she added. “Don’t forget, the only one available for rent is with my friend. Do you believe I can call her now, and she’ll revoke your rental rights, ensuring you never rent a luxury car for show again?” I ignored her foolishness, hit the gas, and sped away. The phone rang, and Phoebe put it on speaker. I heard Fiona’s furious voice: “Without you, my life will get better and better! And you, you’ll always be the trash beneath my feet!” “If you’re smart, come back and apologize on your knees. I might consider giving you a way out. Otherwise, let’s see how long your little stash can keep you alive!” I disregarded that foolish woman, stepped on the gas, and quickly drove away. My phone rang, and Phoebe put it on speakerphone for me. I heard Fiona yelling, “Without you, my life will only get better! And you, you’ll always be beneath me!” “If you have any sense, come back and beg for forgiveness. I might consider giving you a way out. Otherwise, let’s see how long your little stash of money can keep you afloat!” I replied, “Fiona, after the divorce, you have no right to involve yourself with me, understand?” With that, I hung up and threw the phone out of the car, deciding to sever all ties with her completely. Phoebe taunted me, “You and your sister fought over this woman for years?” I was at a loss for words. “Wanna grab a bite at my place?” She replied, “Of course, after all, I am your future fiancée.” I paused, a bit taken aback. I hadn’t expected my sister to have plans for us. Phoebe just smiled and asked, “What, you don’t like me?” I thought, it’s not about liking or disliking. After all, no matter how promising the beginning, the end is always the same.
Back home, my sister looked at me for a long time, snorted, yet didn’t say anything. She directly arranged for me to join the company and handed over all her responsibilities to me, showing complete trust. It warmed my heart. In the Anderson Family for years, I never earned this kind of trust. They either criticized me for not being a top university graduate or complained that a project I handled lost them a million dollars. No matter how much I explained about relationships, long-term benefits, or concessions, they didn’t care. When their precious daughter brought home an unknown man, they immediately arranged for me to divorce her. I don’t know how much my in-laws despised me over the years. Even when they smiled at me, they were always thinking about how to get rid of me. Thinking back now, I was foolish. But not anymore. My sister placed Phoebe by my side, supposedly to help me take over the company. I looked at the woman in front of me, speechless. She stretched out her leg wrapped in black stockings and teasingly asked, “What, afraid of me?” Afraid of her? I snorted. But it led us to start working together on company matters. Soon, we were handling the first deal after I returned to the company. Just after the project was discussed, I got a call from Fiona. “Things haven’t been going well for you, right? Here’s a chance. If you lower your head and apologize to me, I’ll let you come back to work at the company. How about that?” I knew right away that Fiona must have run into some trouble with a project. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so generous. I said, “No thanks.” I was about to hang up when she suddenly yelled, “Declan!” “I’m giving you a chance because we were married for years. Otherwise, believe it or not, I’ll blacklist you online, and you’ll never find a decent job again!” I laughed, more in disbelief than anger. “No need. Without you, I’m doing just fine.” I hung up. A minute later, she called back, unable to contain her frustration. “Do you know there’s a problem with the project you signed before? The company is expected to lose fifty million! If you don’t come back and fix it, I’ll sue you and make you pay!” 5 Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh. Her inexplicable confidence was both amusing and puzzling. “Go ahead then, do as you please. I’ve already left the company, so whatever happens there is no longer my concern. If you insist on blaming me, I have nothing to say.”
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