After closing a deal worth over a hundred million dollars, I was thrilled. I pulled out my cherished heirloom pottery tea set, ready to prepare tea for our esteemed client. But my girlfriend’s male secretary, Jason Vance, abruptly flipped the table over. He pointed a finger at my face, seething with rage: “Are you out of your mind?! Using this trash tea set to serve a client?” Watching the shattered pieces scatter across the floor, I was so furious I slapped him. “Do you have any idea how many lifetimes it would take you to pay for this set?!” But my girlfriend, Serena Hayes, rushed to shield him, glaring at me. “You lunatic! It’s just some broken junk, what’s the big deal? Jason saved your butt, he stopped the bleeding! How could you hit him?!” “Don’t even think about this project anymore. From now on, Jason will take over!” I laughed, a cold, bitter sound. These two idiots had no clue. The client had signed the contract out of respect for *me* and *this tea set*! I glanced at the scattered fragments and felt a strange sense of release. “Fine. It’s all yours.” … I stared at the broken pieces, my heart bleeding. This pottery tea set was my great-grandmother’s legacy. My great-grandmother was a renowned ceramist and tea master; her tea set was so unique and priceless, it had no real market value. And Mrs. Sterling, the client we’d just signed with, held immense admiration for my great-grandmother’s character and her tea ceremony expertise. It was precisely because of this that she had placed so much trust in our partnership. Now, the symbolic item that maintained that trust had been destroyed by these two ignorant fools. I took a deep breath, turned around, and couldn’t stand to look at them for another second. Whoever wants to clean up this mess can have it! But Serena was clearly displeased with my attitude. She interpreted it as a silent protest, a direct challenge to her authority. “Liam Montgomery, stop right there! What kind of attitude is that? You’ve messed up, and you’re showing no remorse.” “You’ve completely embarrassed the company! Luckily, Jason and I discovered it in time, otherwise, you would have completely messed up this deal!” Jason, hiding behind her, looked incredibly wronged, his voice laced with a slight sob. “Ms. Hayes, don’t blame Liam. It’s my fault for speaking out. I was just worried that this cheap tea set would reflect poorly on you and the company…” “What does he know about image?!” Serena’s gaze grew even more disdainful. “All he cares about is his own so-called achievements. He’s never once put me, the General Manager, in my place!” I finally understood. None of this today was about the tea set, or the client. This was simply Serena’s long-simmering resentment, finally exploding, with Jason as the fuse. She was the young heiress of this company, its future successor. I was her most capable executive, personally recruited by her. Yet, I held ninety percent of its core operations and connections. Her role as General Manager was, frankly, a figurehead position. I had never looked down on her. In fact, to spare her ego, I always maintained her authority in public. But it seemed my efforts to support her were interpreted as me looking down on her. She didn’t need a highly capable boyfriend. She needed a yes-man like Jason, someone who would constantly look up to her and feed her need for control. But I would never be a yes-man, and I had no respect for a woman like that. Understanding this, the suffocating anger in my chest began to ease. I looked at her flushed face and said calmly, “Serena, get your head straight before you talk to me. I don’t deal with idiots.” “So, we’re done.” Serena froze for a moment, then roared: “Liam Montgomery, you think you’re so tough now? Fine, break up then! Guys line up for me from Paris to France! I don’t need you!” I almost laughed out loud. Her brain truly was empty. Paris *is* in France. She continued to yell, “You think you’re so hard-headed? Then you’re out as project lead! From now on, Jason is fully in charge of The Pinnacle Project! Now get your ass to the logistics department and reflect on what you’ve done!” As she finished, a smug grin crept onto Jason’s lips. I smiled. Trying to sideline me? Pfft. Typical move for a bunch of incompetents. I looked around at the stunned colleagues who had fallen silent, and raised my voice: “Alright then. From this moment on, all profits and losses for The Pinnacle Project have nothing to do with me.” “Ms. Hayes is truly a visionary leader, and Mr. Vance’s talents are simply unparalleled! I’m confident they’ll lead you all to new heights of glory.” With that, I picked up my ID badge from the desk and snapped it cleanly in two. “I quit! I’m out of here!” My decisive actions clearly took Serena by surprise. She stood frozen, her face pale. Seeing this, Jason quickly patted Serena’s back, trying to calm her, and urgently pleaded, “Ms. Hayes, please don’t be angry. Liam must have acted on impulse. It’s all my fault! How about I go apologize to Liam? As long as he calms down…” “Apologize for what?!” Publicly defied by me, she was mortified and enraged, shoving Jason away. “He’s digging his own grave, nobody can stop him! It’s better if he leaves! I’d like to see if he can survive without the company!” I couldn’t be bothered to watch their farce any longer. I turned and walked back to my desk, starting to pack my things. My thoughts drifted back. Serena had personally recruited Jason, claiming she was impressed by his quick wit. From that day on, everything changed. She would remember the limited edition sneakers Jason casually mentioned, going out of her way to have someone queue up to buy them. Yet she would forget our anniversary. She would stir up trouble and jeopardize partnerships when a client spoke harshly to Jason. But when I worked through consecutive all-nighters for a project, suffering from stomach problems, she would impatiently say, “What successful man isn’t working hard?” The most heartbreaking incident was my birthday last month. I eagerly booked a restaurant, waiting for her, but she called to say she had a sudden urgent matter and told me to eat without her. That very evening, I saw Jason’s Ins Story. A photo of a luxury car’s steering wheel, with an exquisite gift box on it, captioned: **[Thanks, boss, for the birthday surprise! New ride, acquired!]** In the corner of the photo, a woman’s hand was visible. The watch on her wrist was the one I’d given Serena for her birthday. Turns out, her “urgent matter” was celebrating another man’s birthday. At that moment, my heart died. The only reason I’d maintained the relationship was to avoid letting personal issues affect the company’s stability. But now, I realized how ridiculous I’d been. My so-called consideration for the big picture was, in their eyes, nothing but weakness and gullibility. “Liam…” My colleague, Mark, walked over, handing me a cardboard box, his eyes full of worry. “I’ve packed your things for you. Are you really leaving?” “Ms. Hayes is too biased! Jason, a male secretary, what does he know about project management? That’s a hundred-million-dollar contract!” I smiled at him, taking the box. “It’s fine. Just a couple of clowns. Their act won’t last long.” Serena, that incompetent rich kid, only saw the immediate flattery. She thought closing deals was about drinks and gifts, or having a sweet-talking, proactive secretary. She didn’t understand that truly top-tier business was about relationships, networks, and cultural understanding. He turned pale with worry. “But what about the project? Something’s bound to go wrong without you!” I patted his shoulder, lowering my voice: “A mess like this naturally attracts people who can clean it up. Just stay out of it and enjoy the show.” I said no more, carrying the box and heading straight for the elevator without looking back. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, I heard Jason’s fawning voice. “Serena, about Mrs. Sterling… what do we do now?” Serena’s voice was full of arrogance: “We show her our true strength, of course!” “Contact Mrs. Sterling’s assistant immediately. Tell her I’m hosting a grand welcoming dinner tonight! Remember, make it a lavish affair, let her see who the real owner of this company is!” The elevator doors slowly closed, and a cold smile touched my lips. Serena, you’re walking into your doom and you don’t even realize it. The first thing I did after leaving the company was to go to Eatonwood. I wanted to see if I could find a suitable artisan to repair the shattered tea set. That tea set was crafted and gifted by a legendary pottery master to my great-grandmother during one of their profound discussions. It was not just priceless but also a testament to a legendary friendship. I had just settled into a familiar tea shop when Mark’s call came through. His voice was barely a whisper: “Liam, something’s happened! That idiot, Jason, held a project follow-up meeting today. He was pointing fingers at your data model, saying your design concept was too conservative and needed to be completely overhauled, with more modern commercial elements added.” “And Ms. Hayes kept praising him for his ideas and boldness!” “Let him go ahead.” I said calmly, “The core selling points of The Pinnacle Project are its Eastern Zen philosophy and humanistic touch, discreetly integrated into the bustling city. If he changes it into a commercial complex, do you think Mrs. Sterling will throw him and the contract out?” “But I’m worried…” “Don’t worry,” I cut him off. “Just wait and watch. In less than three days, they’ll be crying and begging for me.” After hanging up, the owner of the tea shop, Grandma Elsie, walked over with a smile. “Liam, still worrying about company matters?” “Grandma Elsie,” I quickly rose, “Not at all. I just heard a funny story.” Grandma Elsie was a lifelong friend of my great-grandmother’s and is now the undisputed authority in the world of fine pottery. I carefully took out the tea set fragments and placed them on a velvet-covered table. Grandma Elsie took one look and sighed deeply, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Oh, a masterpiece by a renowned pottery artist, destroyed by some clueless fool?” “I didn’t protect it well enough,” I said, feeling ashamed. Grandma Elsie put on her reading glasses, picked up a fragment, and examined it closely. After a long moment of contemplation, she said: “Repairing it is possible, but it won’t ever be the same. And there are only a handful of people in the country who can do this kind of work, and they’re all notoriously eccentric.” “Money is no object,” I stated firmly. “Whatever the cost, as long as it can be repaired, I’m willing to pay any price.” Grandma Elsie nodded. “I’ll contact an old friend of mine. If she’s willing to take it on, there’s still hope for this teapot. You can stay here with me and wait for news.” “Thank you, Grandma Elsie.” Meanwhile, Serena and Jason were frantically preparing for the welcoming dinner. Jason imperiously ordered the finest wines and an exorbitantly priced gift, supposedly air-freighted from Switzerland. “Jason, you’re always so thoughtful.” Serena watched his busy figure, nodding with satisfaction. “Unlike some people, so petty, always clutching that old junk tea set, absolutely no class!” Jason laughed heartily: “Liam and I are definitely different, aren’t we? For a distinguished guest like Mrs. Sterling, we should show the highest level of courtesy. That truly shows our sincerity.” As the two complimented each other, the front desk called. “Ms. Hayes, Mrs. Sterling’s car is downstairs!” Serena’s spirits lifted, and she said to Jason, beaming with pride: “Let’s go, we’ll welcome our VIP client! Let her see what true professionalism looks like!” The two, along with several department heads, grandly proceeded to the company’s main entrance. A black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up, the driver opened the door, and a distinguished-looking elderly woman stepped out. It was Mrs. Sterling. “Mrs. Sterling! Welcome, welcome! I’m Serena Hayes, the General Manager of this company, and this is my secretary, Jason Vance. You must be tired from your journey!” Serena greeted her with a broad smile, extending her hand. Mrs. Sterling merely gave her a brief handshake, her gaze scanning the crowd. She slowly spoke: “Where is Liam? I came today specifically to collect the tea set I reserved with him.” The smiles on Serena’s and Jason’s faces instantly froze. Serena forced a smile: “Mrs. Sterling, it’s just a tea set. No need for you to trouble yourself to pick it up personally. I’ve prepared a humble dinner for you; let’s eat and talk…” “I don’t drink.” Mrs. Sterling cut her off directly, her brow slightly furrowed, clearly displeased. “I am here today for only one reason: to retrieve that stoneware tea set. It was an arrangement I made with Liam long ago.” Mrs. Sterling’s firm attitude about the tea set left Serena feeling unsettled. As Serena’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to deflect, Jason, in a misguided attempt to show off, spoke first. With a slight, ingratiating smile, he said: “Mrs. Sterling, are you referring to that old, worn-out pottery set Liam had? Oh, please don’t misunderstand! Liam just doesn’t know any better. We would never think of entertaining a distinguished guest like you with some cheap, flea-market junk!” He then smugly glanced at Serena. Serena, seeing her cue, immediately rushed to agree: “Mrs. Sterling, Jason is right! Liam Montgomery is so petty and has no class! Thankfully, Jason discovered it in time and got rid of that old junk. Otherwise, it would have been a huge embarrassment for our company!” Jason, praised by Serena, grew even more arrogant. He turned and took an exquisitely packaged gift box from an assistant, presenting it with both hands to Mrs. Sterling, his face full of fawning: “Mrs. Sterling, this is the gift we meticulously prepared for you! It’s a handmade silver tea set fit for royalty, specially commissioned from Switzerland, one of only a hundred sets worldwide! Only this can truly match your distinguished status!” The two of them, in perfect sync, anticipated Mrs. Sterling’s praise and approval. However, Mrs. Sterling’s expression grew colder with each passing second. She fixed her gaze on Jason, her voice icy, asking, “What did you say? You *got rid of it*?” Jason felt a chill run down his spine under her stare but still forced a smile. “Yes, that kind of low-grade item was just taking up space.”
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