I brought in three hundred million dollars in revenue for the company, yet my husband Max’s private financial advisor, hired for a million, slammed a stack of invoices onto my desk. Her voice dripped with the haughty tone of a madam of the house as she interrogated me: “The gifts for clients, Wish has them for half the price. Why did you buy them for double?” “Were you eating abalone and lobster with clients? Why did one meal cost a thousand dollars?” “This business trip? You filed twenty thousand dollars in expenses. That’s way above the average employee.” Every single word was a blatant accusation that I was taking kickbacks. I argued back, defending myself fiercely. But she wouldn’t give up, going so far as to publicly demand I strip naked for an inspection. I actually laughed, a cold, bitter sound. I immediately called Max to confront him. He, however, snapped impatiently, “What are you getting all worked up about?! She’s a senior financial advisor, everything she does is for the company. Just listen to her! Don’t think securing one big deal makes you indispensable!” “Learn from her, how she manages finances so carefully. You just throw money around! That’s *my* money you’re spending! If you keep being so wasteful, we’re done!” Then he hung up on me. I knew then, this man was no longer worth my efforts. I simply smiled, a quiet, almost serene smile. “Since you’re so capable, then you handle everything from now on. I’m out.” Seven days later, the company’s major clients all ended up vomiting and having diarrhea at the annual gala. Every single one was rushed to the hospital with severe food poisoning. The entire financial district was in shock. 1、 Cassie’s accusations against me were so loud, the whole office could hear her. Everyone shot me sneering glances. Cassie smugly lifted her chin at me. “Manager Hayes, Max has already spoken. Please cooperate with my work.” “If you haven’t taken any kickbacks, why not just let me inspect you in front of everyone? What’s the big deal?” “Why are you refusing to cooperate? Isn’t that just proof you’re hiding something?” My colleagues chimed in, one after another: “Yeah, Manager Hayes, if you’ve got nothing to hide, just cooperate with Cassie and let her check, right?” “It’s just taking off your clothes, right? Nobody here is dying to see *your* body, okay?” “Besides, you’re a company manager, shouldn’t you lead by example? If even you refuse to be inspected, then everyone below you will follow suit. The company will be hollowed out by parasites!” I was so infuriated by these people, I actually laughed. I remembered how Max used to ignore everything about the company. It was *me* who led them from the ground up, bringing them to where we were now. Who here hadn’t been promoted by me? But now, they were just bandwagon jumpers, subtly calling me a parasite! If I actually let Cassie force me to strip naked in front of everyone for her inspection, how would our partners look at me? I crossed my arms, a cold smirk on my face. “What gives you the right to make me stand here and strip for *your* inspection?” Cassie was stunned into silence by my retort, then her face flushed with fury as she was about to snap back at me. But then she saw someone standing behind me, and her expression instantly melted into one of extreme victimhood. “Manager Hayes is right, after all, I’m just a lowly financial advisor. How can I compare to you?” “If I can’t help Max with the company’s financial matters, then what’s the point of me being here?” “I shouldn’t let Max down. I’ll just resign and leave.” As she spoke, she reached for the resignation letter to sign her name. I’d sensed something was off the moment Cassie’s face changed. And sure enough, just as she picked up the pen, a large hand stopped her. “Enough. I hired you as my private financial advisor because I valued your financial acumen.” “You’re in charge of all the company’s finances. Let’s see who dares to question that!” I hadn’t expected Max to ditch his client dinner and rush back to the company, just to support Cassie. He spoke softly, coaxing Cassie until she finally broke into a tearful smile, whimpering, “But Manager Hayes is still Max’s wife…” Max reached out and wiped away a tear from her eye. “Business is business, no personal feelings. What if she is my legal wife?” “If she won’t cooperate with your work, then it’s her fault.” As he finished speaking, Max, who had just rushed back, finally deigned to glance at me. He frowned, his voice icy. “Seraphina Hayes, she just wants to verify the invoices to see if you’re taking kickbacks. Why aren’t you cooperating?” 2、 Listening to Max’s indifferent and distant tone, a pang of pain shot through my heart. It used to be his calm, professional demeanor – keeping business and personal matters separate – that I found most appealing. Outside the home, I was his subordinate; inside, I was his wife. But seeing Max openly side with Cassie, disregarding right and wrong in front of everyone, made me realize that even *that* cool, detached man was capable of showering someone with his complete favoritism. It just wasn’t me. I managed a bitter laugh. “Cassie rejected all my submitted invoices, accusing me of taking kickbacks, and demanded I strip naked for her inspection in front of everyone. She’s a senior financial advisor; she knows such a procedure is completely improper. She’s targeting me! Can’t you see that?” Max’s brows furrowed even deeper after hearing my words. He asked, dismissively, “That’s it?” I was stunned. “What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?” Max wearily rubbed his temples, looking utterly exasperated. “You called me just to complain about something so trivial?” “Cassie is a top financial advisor whom I hired at a high salary. Everything she does is to make the company better.” “As a company manager, you should lead by example and actively cooperate with her work!” Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, looking at me with profound disappointment. “Seraphina Hayes, weren’t you always the most level-headed one? When it comes to company assets, I treat everyone equally. Stop throwing a tantrum!” Max’s words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head in the dead of winter. I felt instantly plunged into an ice cave, my heart chilling to the core. Something that could ruin my reputation, something that might make me unable to hold my head up for the rest of my life, was, in Max’s mouth, just me being childish and petty? I had fought for him, for this company, for a full seven years. I signed countless deals. I personally built a nameless startup into one of the top companies in the region. At my busiest, I practically lived at the office for a month straight, drinking so much at client dinners that I developed stomach ulcers. To understand clients’ preferences and give them gifts they’d truly like, I even worked part-time at bars and as a caddy at golf courses. Everyone laughed, saying I cared more about money than my own life. But now, with Cassie falsely accusing me of taking kickbacks, Max wouldn’t even say he believed me. Suddenly, I felt ridiculous. I had wasted seven years of my life for nothing. A man like this simply wasn’t worth any more of my effort. With the rose-tinted glasses off, even Max’s face seemed repulsive to me now. I shrugged, making a show of backing down. “You slander me, I won’t accept it.” “Whoever questions me, let them provide the evidence.” Hearing that, Cassie’s face grew even more aggrieved. “You won’t take off your clothes, so how can we know if you’re hiding company property? Otherwise, how do you explain your expenses being higher than everyone else’s?” “You’re just making excuses to avoid cooperating, if you look down on me, just say so! If Max didn’t insist I manage the company and be his financial overseer, I wouldn’t be this stressed!” Seeing Cassie’s distress, Max immediately delivered his cold judgment: “Cassie’s words are my words.” “All of Seraphina Hayes’ duties are suspended until her name is cleared.” I spread my hands, looking resigned. “Fine, whatever you say. Then I quit.” Max reached out to take my hand, but I avoided his touch. He only thought it was a small tantrum after my supposed ‘backing down,’ and paid it no mind. Instead, he looked somewhat pleased. “It’s good that you’re so understanding. With you as an example, the whole company won’t develop bad habits in the future!” Max thought I had seen sense. He had no idea I was planning to let go. Both him and the company — I wanted neither of them anymore. 3、 News of my suspension spread quickly. Max immediately put Cassie in my position. On the very day of the announcement, he publicly endorsed her in front of all the employees. “From now on, Cassie will be the company’s second-in-command, Vice President Pierce.” “Before, Manager Hayes used to spend millions on the annual gala. Now it’s up to Cassie. She’s a senior financial advisor, excellent at being thrifty. You all follow her lead!” When I first joined Max’s startup, I started from the bottom. Serving coffee, fetching takeout, cleaning. Max saw my hard work, but he never once said a word in my defense. I dedicated years to the company, only to end up as a manager. Meanwhile, Cassie, having done nothing, went from a senior financial advisor hired at a million-dollar annual salary to Vice President. Max even personally backed her up, worried that someone might not be convinced. The more I thought about it, the more I felt those seven years of my life had been utterly wasted. But it was good that I had already decided to move on. Without hesitation, I accepted the partnership offer from Julian Vance, Max’s long-time rival. That same afternoon, I brought a pile of documents that needed Max’s signature to the company. Even though it was publicly announced that I was just taking a temporary break. Everyone seemed to assume I wouldn’t be coming back. My office had already been taken over by Cassie. The minimalist decor had been completely ripped out, replaced with Cassie’s favorite sky-blue. Even the photos of me and my partners on the wall were gone, replaced by intimate photos of her and Max, faces pressed together. Cassie looked at me, her face barely concealing her triumph. “Manager Hayes, what are you doing here?” “The investigation isn’t over yet, you’ll probably have to ‘rest’ for a while longer.” “I’ve taken over your previous work. Don’t worry, I’ll do an even better job than you.” I couldn’t be bothered to engage her and went straight to Max. The documents I brought were for him to approve before being handed over to Cassie. Max was about to review them carefully when he received an internal call from Cassie. “Max, I think I’m feeling a little dizzy.” “After you’re done with Manager Hayes, could you take me to the hospital?” Immediately, Max didn’t even bother to flip through the rest of the documents. He quickly signed his name at the bottom. He rushed to leave, but then turned and saw me still standing in his office with the documents, quietly watching him go. For some reason, Max felt a flicker of unease. He softened his voice, trying to reassure me. “Once this period is over, I’ll bring you back.” “Cassie is just temporarily covering your duties. You’ll still be the company manager then.” I smiled, saying nothing in response. Max, however, assumed I had agreed. He left without looking back. He didn’t see me pull out the one document I actually needed from that pile. It was boldly titled – “Resignation Letter.” 4、 Cassie, with her new position, immediately started making drastic changes. Not only did she cancel all employee benefits, but she also demanded that all future expenses had to be approved by her. Nutritious eighty-eight dollar meals were replaced by eight-dollar greasy takeout boxes. The usual endless afternoon tea and snacks were completely cut. She claimed to be saving on water bills, requiring each person to only use the company restroom once a day. The toilet paper usage couldn’t exceed two finger-widths. Then she declared she was saving electricity, and even during the hottest summer days, she demanded the air conditioning not be on for more than fifteen minutes a day. Everyone was utterly miserable, but Cassie wasn’t done yet. She even asked Max to cut everyone’s salaries in half. Max listened to her every whim. He had always felt that the salaries I had set were too high, and every payday, he’d felt a pang of pain. Now, with Cassie coming in and saving him so much money, he was overjoyed. He immediately bought her a million-dollar jewelry set. Cassie became even more brazen. She began preparing for the company’s annual gala, three days away. The gala was supposed to be a golden opportunity to showcase the company’s financial strength, lavish benefits on partners, and foster future collaborations. But Cassie merely glanced at the gift list I had originally prepared, then tore it to shreds. She scoffed, “It’s just a small annual gala, why make such a fuss and waste so much money?” “With Manager Hayes’ spending habits, no wonder the company wasn’t making money!” “Listen to me! Forget Australian and Boston lobsters! Swap them all for dead shrimp from the market, ten dollars for three pounds! And marinate them raw, nobody will taste the difference!” “And that ’82 Lafite? Change it to regular wine, the kind they sell at my local grocery store!” “Designer watches, necklaces — return all the genuine ones we bought before and just find a knock-off on Wish, right?” Everyone was shocked by Cassie’s outrageous directives. Someone even tried to dissuade her. “Vice President Pierce, is this really a good idea?” But Cassie’s eyes flared. “Are *you* Vice President or am *I* Vice President? Didn’t you hear what Max said?” “He said everything is to follow *my* plan! If you want to work, then work. If not, get out!” “There are plenty of people lining up for this offer!” When Chloe, my former assistant, secretly told me all the things Cassie was doing, I laughed uncontrollably, practically counting down the minutes until the annual gala! I couldn’t wait to see her publicly embarrass Max! 5、 On the day of the annual gala, though I wasn’t there in person, Cassie specifically sent me messages to gloat. 【Manager Hayes, looks like the company doesn’t really need you after all.】
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