To ensure her beloved ex got promoted, the CEO’s wife stole my proposal. Then she had the audacity to accuse me of plagiarism, claiming I copied her ex’s work, and demanded severe disciplinary action. Her ex, Mason Rivers, smirked, looking smug. “Liam Allen, I can’t believe you’d stoop to such scheming and dishonest tactics just to get a promotion. Mr. Harrison despises petty, underhanded people like you. Once he’s back, not only will you be kicked out of the company, but you’ll be blacklisted across the entire industry.” I didn’t get angry. Instead, I just laughed and resigned on the spot. My wife, Isabella Harris, seeing me so compliant, privately offered to put in a good word for me, assuring me that getting back into the company wouldn’t be a problem. What they didn’t know was that Mr. Harrison was my dad, and he’d seen me write that proposal firsthand. Once the truth came out, they wouldn’t just be utterly disgraced; they’d lose everything. “Liam Allen, the company invested so much manpower and resources into training you, and you’re just walking away?” “I can be generous and forgive your plagiarism. However, you’ll have to work as my assistant and learn what real decency and integrity means.” Mason Rivers straightened his suit jacket, his face full of mockery as he stepped on the proposal I’d spent a week burning the midnight oil on. I sneered back. “Mason Rivers, you’re nothing but a kept man, clinging to a woman to get ahead, you shameless cheat. What right do you have to be yapping here? Have me as your assistant? Do you honestly think you’re worthy?” Everyone present gasped, shocked that I, a failed candidate for promotion, dared to talk back. Mason’s face subtly changed. Isabella Harris, sitting firmly in the main chair, suddenly stood up. She grabbed the uncapped pen from beside her and hurled it at me. “Liam Allen, you’re utterly insolent! This is Harrison Corp., not your living room! You plagiarized, and now you’re trying to turn the tables on us?” I didn’t have time to dodge. The pen tip sliced across my cheek, leaving a thin line of crimson blood. The sharp sting made me wince. Isabella’s long lashes fluttered, a flicker of something, maybe regret, in her eyes as she clenched her fists and spoke in a low, tight voice. “Mason is being so kind to forgive you. You should be incredibly grateful. It’s not easy to find a job these days.” I just curled my lips. We’d been married for five years, and Isabella and I had worked tirelessly together at the company for five years. She always said that once I became a Vice President, we’d go public with our marriage. She kept climbing, her position getting higher and higher, but her heart drifted further and further away. Every time a promotion opportunity came up, she ordered me to give it to someone else. Those who joined the company before me needed stability; they deserved promotion. Those who joined after me were ‘talented’; they deserved promotion. Mason Rivers had broken up with her in the past because she was ‘poor.’ Only after his family’s fortunes crashed did he come crawling back. He joined the company a year ago and was fast-tracked for promotion three times. Isabella personally wrote glowing reports, praising him to high heaven. I’d finally gotten to the point where I was about to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, but then she stole my proposal for Mason Rivers and accused me of plagiarism. “Alright, Isabella, don’t be angry. I don’t blame him. After all, getting caught plagiarizing is quite shameful. But I’m kind-hearted. I can’t bear to see him homeless, so I’m willing to share the project results with him so he can make up for his mistake.” Mason Rivers spoke up, feigning reconciliation, a smug look on his face. “Mr. Harrison is still recovering abroad and doesn’t know what’s happened here. Liam Allen, I can put in a good word for you when he gets back.” It was always like this. He’d push me to my breaking point, then hide behind Isabella, playing the victim. It made everyone believe he was bearing immense humiliation and was genuinely kind-hearted, while I was petty and spiteful, unable to tolerate others. Isabella nodded, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at Mason. “Liam Allen, Mason is so excellent and has such good character. You’ll be lucky to work under him.” Lucky? Besides his sweet talk and empty promises, he knew absolutely nothing about corporate work. If you looked at his achievements, they were all projects where Isabella had forcefully added his name, or projects he’d outright stolen from me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to plagiarize me for a simple proposal. Thinking of this, I scoffed. “Work with him? That flawed, copy-pasted proposal of mine, riddled with holes? If he takes that out, he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t anger our partners to death. I don’t want to get dragged into that mess.” Mason’s eyes reddened. He pulled off his employee badge and cried. “Isabella, I know I’m new to the industry and don’t have Liam’s experience. I’ve tried my best to befriend him, but he still has such a big prejudice against me. I can’t do this anymore. Maybe I should just leave!” If he hadn’t been clutching that badge tightly in his hand, I might have actually believed him. Bang! Isabella slammed her hand on the table, yelling furiously. “Liam Allen, this is workplace bullying! Apologize to Mason right now! Don’t forget what I told you a few days ago!” She winked at me, making a motion with her hand as if putting on a ring. I knew. She was threatening me with our official announcement. Everyone present, watching our dispute, unhesitatingly sided with the CEO. “Liam Allen, you were about to be kicked out of the company. It was our VP Mason who was generous enough to let you stay. You should be grateful! Now apologize!” “VP Mason is so dashing and talented. We’d all fight to be his assistant! You’re shameless enough to plagiarize, and you can’t even apologize? What’s with this ‘integrity’ act?” My gaze swept over all those familiar faces. Isabella had always treated me harshly at the company, exceptionally strict, making it known to everyone that she disliked me. These opportunists usually disobeyed orders and left all the messes for me to clean up. I endured it, waiting for the day I’d be promoted to VP and Isabella would go public with our marriage. All I got was an empty promise. Facing their coercion, I said calmly, “Since VP Rivers is so excellent, why does he need me? I wish him luck in leading the company to greatness.” Isabella saw I wasn’t taking the bait. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she snapped, “Liam Allen, you’re still so stubborn! When Mr. Harrison returns, it will be your downfall!” I chuckled. “More like your downfall.” Only I knew that Mr. Harrison was my dad, and I was his only son, pampered since childhood. When I was burning the midnight oil writing that proposal, he was sick, but he worried about my eyes so much it broke his heart. He even offered to write it for me. I wanted to see who would really be in trouble once my dad came back.
Isabella was shaking with rage, about to yell at me again. But I’d already pushed open the conference room door and walked out of the company. The house decor was minimalist. I collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly up at the extraordinarily large crystal chandelier. When we decorated, Isabella had said, “Liam Allen, someday I’ll buy you a huge mansion, and this lamp will be exactly where it belongs!” But now, that serious-faced girl gradually faded from my mind. Seven years ago, we met in college. I was drawn to her earnest expression as she worked a part-time job in the cafeteria, wiping tables and washing dishes. She said she’d come from a poor, rural background, and her parents had been killed by unscrupulous corporate types, which was why she hated rich kids the most. So I pretended to be an ordinary person and dated her, falling deeper and deeper in love. After graduation, she said she wanted to work hard and make it on her own. I abandoned my parents’ plans for me to study abroad. I even threatened to cut ties with them, throwing myself headfirst into the trap of love. To punish me, my parents cut off all financial support and blacklisted me from the entire industry. In the beginning, I was busy running errands during the day and, in my free time at night, I delivered food and worked as a designated driver. Isabella and I were crammed into a cramped, windowless basement apartment, and my immune system weakened. I broke out in rashes all over my body. My mom would sneak a look at me then, find me thin and worn out, and just cry. Isabella was just a fresh-faced corporate newbie back then, still very green in business. It was I who taught her how to apply economic principles strategically, guiding her growth with the experience I gained from interning at my family’s company, wanting her to become as skilled as I was. She told me countless times that without me, she wouldn’t have made it. One New Year’s Eve, we huddled together under a blanket, watching a movie on my tiny old phone, listening to the fireworks outside. A bowl of ramen with an egg was our best New Year’s meal. She craved it, her mouth watering, but she kept putting her egg into my bowl, insisting I eat. Finally, my parents realized we were slowly finding our footing even in such difficult circumstances. They relented, secretly lifting the industry blacklisting order and bringing Isabella and me into the company for an internship. I thought a bright future was finally coming. But what came instead was Isabella becoming increasingly cold towards me because of work. A year ago, Mason Rivers suddenly reappeared, begging on his knees for her forgiveness. That was the first time she didn’t come home all night, completely wasted. She told me countless times that she was being good to Mason because, even though he was a disgraced rich kid, he was still a connection, useful for the company. I believed her. Until this time, when she unscrupulously used me as a stepping stone to pave the way for Mason. I finally had enough. I pulled out my phone and asked my mom, “How’s Dad’s condition? When is he coming back?” My mom sensed something was off and replied, “He thinks he’s much better. He’ll be back tomorrow. Has someone at the company been bothering you?” I replied, “No, I just miss you guys.” Just as I was about to close my phone and go to sleep, I scrolled through Mason Rivers’s Ins story. “My beautiful boss is so kind and generous. She approved a company car for me to drive! Thanks, Isabella!” In the photo, Mason stood in front of a luxury sedan worth half a million dollars, while Isabella held a bouquet of flowers, looking gentle. The comment section exploded, praising him and Isabella, saying they looked good together. Isabella, who had claimed our marriage had to be kept secret because office romance was frowned upon, silently approved of everyone shipping her and Mason. She only replied, “The company won’t treat you unfairly. This is the perk of being a VP.” Yet, when I wanted to replace my beat-up sedan, which I’d driven for years, Isabella accused me of not being considerate of the company’s finances and not treating the company like it was my own. She never approved it. Love and indifference were so painfully obvious. Late into the night, Isabella finally came home. She’d had quite a bit to drink, stumbling unsteadily. After collapsing onto the sofa, she winced, covering her eyes, and complained, “Why are the lights so bright? Are you trying to blind me?” Too lazy to argue with a drunk, I turned off the crystal chandelier, leaving only a faint glow from the entryway light. In the darkness, Isabella’s watery eyes were bright. She mumbled, “Liam Allen, you almost made me lose face at the company today, and you didn’t even come to pick me up tonight. You’re really something. Do you actually want to be a kept man? How can I go public with our marriage like this, how can I go back to your family’s place and meet your parents?” She hugged the throw pillow on the sofa. Something seemed to cross her mind, and she suddenly chuckled. “A rich kid like Mason is just different from someone from your small-town background. Look how generous he is, he even urged me to come home early, worried you’d make a fuss. As long as you agree to take some of the burden off him, I might even be able to hire you back as a full-time employee!” Ultimately, it was just about getting me to do Mason Rivers’s work for free. In the darkness, I said, “No need for all that trouble. Let’s get a divorce.”
“What?” She mumbled, half-asleep. I turned around, took out the divorce papers I’d already printed, and repeated, “Let’s get a divorce. Give Mason Rivers an official title.” Isabella’s faint smile froze, and she sobered up in an instant. After a long silence, she got up, poking my chest with her finger, her voice sharp. “Liam Allen, are you crazy? When did you get such a temper? You threw a fit and resigned just because you missed one promotion, and now, just because I had a drink with Mason tonight, you’re threatening divorce? You better think this through. I’m the breadwinner in this family. What right do you have to threaten me?” “I’m already exhausted today. Tomorrow, I have to help Mason with our partners. Coming home just to get yelled at is worse than staying at the office!” With that, she grabbed her coat and stormed out. I didn’t go after her. I simply placed the divorce papers on the coffee table, turned around, and went to bed. The next day, after breakfast, my mom sent me a message: “Liam, Dad and I have already left for the company. Don’t bother coming to the airport. See you at the company. Mom brought you a gift.” I wiped my mouth and headed for the office. As soon as I entered the company, Isabella was chatting with Mason Rivers, laughing heartily. When she saw me, her upward curving lips flattened. She glanced at me sideways. “Oh, look who it is. The person who resigned yesterday. Why are you still here? It’s not payday yet.” Before I could speak, a secretary called Mason away, saying the partners had arrived and wanted to discuss things with him. Mason patted my shoulder and whispered, “Liam, I’m not saying this to be mean, but how can you let Isabella, a woman, wander around outside in the middle of the night? It’s so dangerous. I had to take her to my place. Don’t worry, I’m a gentleman. I slept on the floor.” I knew he was intentionally trying to make me misunderstand. But I wasn’t here at the company to argue today. Isabella, however, smiled smugly. “Mason just submitted his proposal yesterday, and today the partners are already here to meet him. They must be very pleased and want to deepen our cooperation. Liam Allen, you just don’t know what’s good for you. I’d like to see which company would hire someone with no background or talent after you leave Harrison Corp.” I couldn’t help but frown. “That proposal clearly has problems. You actually approved it?” Isabella’s beautiful eyes narrowed, and she scowled, displeased. “Liam Allen, don’t speak such venomous nonsense. Mason’s business acumen is far better than yours. How could there be any problems?!” Suddenly, shouting erupted from the conference room. The next second, the conference room door burst open, and Mason Rivers stormed out. He fixed his gaze on Isabella, clinging to her like a lifeline, hugging her waist and not daring to look up. Isabella simply patted his hand on her waist, soothingly. “What’s wrong? Are the partners not satisfied with your proposal?” Before he could answer, the furious partners emerged. “Harrison Corp.’s proposals are this low quality? As soon as that proposal launched yesterday, not a single one of our products sold, and they’re being boycotted!” “‘A woman’s worth is in her looks; that’s what men truly desire.’ Who wrote that line? Did anyone even think before submitting it?!” The partners were fuming. Isabella frowned, looking troubled. Mason’s eyes darted around, then he immediately pointed at me and yelled, “It was him! He held a grudge after being caught plagiarizing and deliberately swapped my original file! He should be entirely responsible for this!”
I was utterly dumbfounded by this baseless accusation. Isabella’s gaze lingered on me for a second, then she effortlessly shifted the blame onto me. “It’s true, it was him. This person has a history. We’ve already decided to fire him, and we’ll deal with him severely to provide your party with a reasonable explanation!” The partners snorted. After much placating and apologizing, they finally ushered the partner out. Mason Rivers peeked his head out, then finally straightened up and cleared his throat. “Liam Allen, it’s all your fault. This project is completely ruined. Do you know this project had tens of millions in profit? Even if I wanted to speak up for you, you’ll have to compensate us for this project!” I found it laughable. “Mason Rivers, are you delusional?” Isabella shielded Mason, her face arrogant. “Mason just managed to become VP. He can’t have this kind of blemish on his record. Liam Allen, if you admit your mistake, I might grudgingly have a good impression of you.” I sneered. My biggest mistake was letting her waltz into the company and wreak havoc. Just as I was about to turn, Mason Rivers grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked hard. My neck felt strangely bare. I turned back and saw the rare sapphire pendant my parents had commissioned for my eighteenth birthday, now clutched in Mason’s hand as he fiddled with it. He scoffed. “What a cheap, superstitious trinket. So clear, must be cheap glass. Liam Allen, if you admit the project is your responsibility, I can buy you a real one.” My eyes widened. “Give it back!” Isabella, knowing full well this was my cherished possession and that I never took it off, frowned and said, “If you agree to admit to swapping the original file, I’ll have Mason give it back to you.” Rage burned in my chest. I reached out to grab it, yelling again. “Give it back right now!” Seeing my anger, Mason smirked, deliberately letting go. The sapphire pendant dropped to the floor, shattering into several pieces. My pupils contracted. The next second, pure rage consumed me. I kicked Mason square in the chest. He staggered back two steps and fell to the ground. Everyone gasped, seeing my sudden outburst, and rushed to surround me. Isabella quickly helped Mason up, but I wasn’t about to let him off easy. A year’s worth of frustration and resentment exploded. I punched him square on the nose. Immediately, two streams of blood poured down his face. People from behind grabbed me, pinning my arms, but I still tried to kick him with my legs. “Mason Rivers, I’m not letting a worm like you get away with this!” Isabella’s eyes were full of heartache. She shielded the back of Mason’s head and wiped his nosebleed with a tissue. Mason burst into tears, tugging at her sleeve. “Isabella, I accidentally dropped his thing, it wasn’t on purpose.” Isabella suddenly stood up and slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side. She snapped, “Liam Allen, get on your knees and apologize to Mason! That necklace of yours was just a cheap piece of junk. So what if it broke? How could you hit him? I’ll buy you ten more!” How ridiculous. My parents spent millions to acquire that rare sapphire, and hired a world-renowned jeweler to craft it. The craftsmanship alone cost hundreds of thousands. Most importantly, my parents had it specially blessed for me, spending days seeking good fortune for my life at a spiritual retreat. Its significance was immeasurable. Seeing me silent, everyone pushed me down, forcing me to my knees. “Liam Allen, what’s with the act? We’re not calling the cops on you, that’s charity enough! Now, apologize!” I struggled violently, glaring at everyone. “Mr. Harrison will be here any minute. If you’re so brave, try forcing me to my knees in front of him.” Mason Rivers still thought I was bluffing. He snorted. “Isabella doesn’t even know when Mr. Harrison is coming back. You think you can fool us by saying he’s here and get out of compensating for the project going south?” Isabella said in a low voice, “Even if Mr. Harrison comes, it’s no use if you complain to him. He won’t believe you.” I chuckled, poking the inside of my cheek with my tongue, where my tooth had cut it. “I’m his son. He won’t believe me?” Mason Rivers looked like he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. “Liam Allen, have you lost your mind from fear? Your last name is Allen, his is Harrison. If you’re his son, then I’m his grandpappy!” “Everyone knows Mr. Harrison’s beloved son has been studying abroad. You, a country boy, are quite vain, forgetting your roots!” After I hit him, he could no longer maintain his gentlemanly facade. His face contorted in a sneer. Before his words even finished, a steady male voice rang out. “What is this commotion in the lobby? This is utterly unacceptable!” I turned my head. The middle-aged man who had just stepped into the company was impeccably dressed, exuding authority. It was my dad. I hadn’t even had time to feel happy when Mason Rivers roughly shoved me aside and went to greet him, fawning. “Mr. Harrison, you’re back! How are you feeling? We were just cleaning house. Everyone knows you value character most, but a certain employee not only plagiarized my proposal to get promoted but also deliberately sabotaged my original file out of revenge, angering our partners and causing our company to lose a hundred-million-dollar deal!” He looked up, tears in his eyes, and pulled out the bloody tissue from his nose. “He even deliberately hit me! Such a person is truly disgusting!” My dad’s eyes widened in fury. He looked at Isabella. “Isabella, is what he’s saying true? If there’s such a petty person, notify the legal department to make him pay compensation and issue a public statement to blacklist him from the entire industry. I’ll make sure that person knows the consequences of tarnishing my Harrison Corp.!” Isabella glanced at me imperceptibly, hesitated for a second, then finally nodded her assent. “Mr. Harrison, I’ve already fired him, but he is an old employee of our company…” Saying that, she pulled me from the crowd. “Liam Allen, why aren’t you apologizing to Mr. Harrison? Otherwise, even if I put in a good word for you, Mr. Harrison won’t let you off easy!” The next second, my dad raised his hand. Everyone thought he was going to hit me, their faces full of mockery. Mason Rivers even yelled, “Mr. Harrison, don’t dirty your hands by hitting him. Why don’t I do it?” But my dad only touched the slap mark on my face, his eyes full of concern. “Liam, who hit you? Dad will make them pay!” Everyone present, who had been gloating, couldn’t believe their eyes at this scene. They exchanged stunned glances. I bit my lip, my nose stung, and I barely managed to keep my tears from falling.
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