I ended my business trip early, not telling anyone, just to surprise Arthur Thompson. Now, the surprise had turned into a shock. The photo album on the computer had no pictures of us. The first photo showed Arthur, shirtless, embracing a strange blonde woman. The background was the gray bed in our bedroom. The date on the photo was the first day I left for my business trip to Miami. I scrolled down. The second woman, innocent with long, straight black hair, kissing him on my favorite sofa. The date was the day I went back to my parents’ house for the weekend. The third, the fourth, the fifth… Faces flashed before my eyes. Suddenly, I felt incredibly ridiculous. The timeline of the photos started three years ago, running through every moment he pursued me, fell in love with me, and even proposed to me. He was arranging 999 roses into a heart shape below my office building, making headlines in the city. Meanwhile, in our home, he was sleeping with different women. Just three days ago, he had knelt before everyone and proposed to me. He said, “Olivia, marry me. Let me take care of you for the rest of your life.” My heart softened, and I said yes. He immediately pulled me into his arms, took out his phone, and snapped a picture of our ring-clad, clasped hands. The caption: “A wish, finally come true.” Under that Ins post, hundreds of mutual friends liked and congratulated us. What a perfect “devoted lover” act. I turned around, saved all the photos, and packaged them to send to our shared company email.
I smiled, but tears fell first. No, I couldn’t cry. Tears were the most useless things in this world. I took a deep breath and wiped away the tears with the back of my hand. Then I clicked on another folder. And there, I found a compressed file named “SQ.” Skylar. I remembered, she was a female colleague from his marketing department, a freshly graduated intern. The compressed file had no password. I opened it. Inside were even more explicit chat logs. “Arthur, you have to help me with this quarter’s KPI~” Followed by a selfie of Skylar in revealing black lingerie. Arthur replied, “Be a good girl, baby. Do whatever I tell you to do, and forget about KPIs. Next quarter’s ‘Employee of the Month’ will be yours.” Immediately after, there was a screenshot of a $50,000 transfer. I expressionlessly backed up all the chat logs, transfer proofs, along with all the photos from that encrypted album, one by one, to my external hard drive. By the time I finished, dawn was already breaking. I walked into the walk-in closet. The luxury cabinet that covered an entire wall was a testament to Arthur’s three years of pursuing me. An Hermès Birkin bag, he said, matched my aura. A Van Cleef & Arpels clover necklace, he said, would bring me luck. And those Roger Vivier square-buckle heels, he said, he hoped I’d wear them, stepping closer to him with each stride. Now, it seemed, these were nothing more than feed to keep his caged bird. I found a few of the largest suitcases. I packed all those bags, jewelry, shoes, coats… everything he had given me, leaving nothing behind. Finally, I printed dozens of copies of the photos and chat logs, casually stuffing them on top. I called the most expensive same-day courier service in the city, with the address filled as Nebula Solutions. Recipient: Arthur Thompson. I specifically noted: “Please ensure Director Thompson personally opens and signs for the package in front of his entire department.” After doing all this, I opened the largest anonymous forum in our industry. Edited the title: “Exposing Arthur Thompson, Marketing Director of Nebula Solutions, and his five ‘Outstanding Female Employees’.” I uploaded all the backed-up evidence, redacting the women’s information, leaving only Arthur’s face and his sordid dealings, all clearly organized. Send. Finally, I opened my company email. Recipient: All Employees. CC: HR Department, Group Headquarters Disciplinary Committee. “I, Olivia Hayes, hereby officially resign, effective immediately, due to personal reasons.”
The moment I hit send on the resignation email, my phone vibrated like crazy. Arthur Thompson’s name flashed, over and over again. I watched silently, not answering. I ordered takeout, the spiciest chili bowl I could find. The chili oil burned my throat, bringing tears to my eyes, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. Good. Using one pain to cover another. Until the phone stopped ringing, replaced by a flurry of messages. “Olivia, where are you? Let’s talk.” “Listen to me, things aren’t what you think.” “I know I messed up. Please come back? I can’t live without you.” I looked at his hypocritical messages and laughed. Arthur Thompson, aren’t you tired of acting after three years? I blocked all his contact information. Finally, complete peace. But the peace lasted less than half a day. The next morning, public opinion began to turn. Under the post that had exposed Arthur Thompson, the tone shifted dramatically. “Is the OP Olivia Hayes? I heard she’s always been a bit unstable.” “Yeah, she broke down crying in the office once because of project pressure, everyone in the company knows.” “Director Thompson is such a good person. For her to push him to this point, she must be having a delusion and fabricating evidence for revenge, right?” It seemed Arthur Thompson had begun his counterattack. He was using the most malicious methods, slandering me, trying to portray me as a lunatic. Just then, Arthur Thompson’s mother, Mrs. Thompson, also came looking for me. I opened the door. When she saw me, a hint of disdain flickered in her eyes, quickly replaced by a pained expression. “Olivia, my dear, why are you so naughty?” I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Mrs. Thompson, can I help you?” She was choked by my coldness, then raised her voice. “Look at what you’ve done! Arthur’s future is ruined by you! You’ve shamed our family!” I scoffed softly. “His future was ruined by his own hands, in bed. Your family’s reputation was tarnished by him.” “You!” She trembled with anger, pointing a finger at my nose. “You unruly woman! How has Arthur ever wronged you? He bought you a house, a car, what more do you want?!” “I paid the down payment for the house myself, and I chose the car myself,” I said, looking at her indifferently. “Mrs. Thompson, this is a legal society, not your private playground.” Her face paled, as if a raw nerve had been touched, then she sneered. “Fine, fine, a legal society indeed!” She pulled a lawyer’s letter from her Hermès handbag. “Olivia Hayes, you publicly spread rumors online, maliciously defaming Arthur. That constitutes libel! I advise you to delete everything immediately and issue a public apology, otherwise, we’ll see you in court!” So, this was her real purpose. I took the flimsy paper, didn’t even look at it, and tore it in half. Then dropped it on the floor. Mrs. Thompson’s eyes widened instantly. “You… you’re crazy!” “I am crazy,” I looked at her. “Driven crazy by your hypocritical family.” I turned and walked back inside, grabbing my phone. Right in front of her, I pressed play. Arthur Thompson’s voice came through clearly, with a hint of impatient condescension. “…Olivia, you must sign this prenuptial agreement.” “Why are my pre-marital assets considered joint property, while yours remain solely yours?” That was my own voice, tinged with a tremor and confusion. “Because I’m a man, and my career needs protection. What little you have, what’s that even worth?” “The house can be in your name, but you must waive ownership in the agreement, only having residency rights. Any children must take my surname. And, if we divorce, you cannot claim any shares of my company…” The recording echoed in the living room, every word a slap in Mrs. Thompson’s face. Her complexion turned from flushed to ashen. “You… you recorded it!” “Yes,” I turned off my phone, meeting her shocked gaze. “I had to keep a backup plan, didn’t I?” “After all, Director Thompson’s even his proposal was meticulously calculated.” Mrs. Thompson staggered back a step, unable to utter another word, and fled in disarray.
I knew it wasn’t over. Arthur Thompson wouldn’t give up so easily. Sure enough, that afternoon, Arthur Thompson’s assistant, Vivian, contacted me. “Olivia, are you okay? I saw what happened on the forum. I really feel bad for you.” Her voice sounded full of sympathy. “Director Thompson… he’s gone too far, treating you like this.” I didn’t speak, quietly listening to her performance. “Olivia, I… I have some chat logs here between him and other female colleagues from different departments. They might be useful to you. Should I send them?” She pretended to be on my side. I smiled. “Sure, thanks, Vivian.” Soon, I received a few screenshots. The content was ambiguous, but not fatal. Immediately after, she sent another message. “Olivia, do you have any other evidence? You need to release it all at once to completely expose him!” The mask finally slipped. So that’s what she was waiting for. She wanted to know my trump card. I replied, “Everything I had, I’ve already sent out.” “Really?” She seemed skeptical. “But… Director Thompson doesn’t seem to care much. He even said in today’s meeting that he would pursue legal action against the rumor-mongers.” She was testing me. I didn’t reply again. Instead, I opened the external hard drive where I had backed up all the evidence. From there, I found a folder I had overlooked. The folder’s name was “LW.” Vivian. I clicked it open. Inside were her chat logs with Arthur Thompson, and several hotel hallway surveillance videos. “Baby, you’re the best to me. Not like Olivia, that wooden beauty, she has no spark at all.” “Don’t worry, once I marry her and get access to her family’s resources, I’ll kick her out. Then, my wife will be you.” The date was the day after Arthur Thompson proposed to me. I packaged these screenshots and videos directly. Then, using an anonymous email, I sent them to the Nebula Solutions HR Department and the Disciplinary Committee. The email title was: [Official Report: Marketing Director Arthur Thompson Abusing His Position for Long-Term Improper Relationship with Assistant Vivian.] Send. A minute later, Vivian’s message popped up again. “Olivia? Why aren’t you saying anything?” I picked up my phone and replied with just two words. “Check email.”
Vivian’s calls never came again. Instead, the server for Nebula Solutions’ internal forum crashed. Reportedly, that day, the offices of the Disciplinary Committee and HR were packed with curious onlookers. Arthur Thompson and Vivian were immediately suspended. Nebula Solutions’ stock price plummeted in response. Three months later. I was sitting in the office of Summit Innovations, Nebula Solutions’ arch-rival. My position: Marketing Director. Mr. Davies, the CEO, personally interviewed me, asking only one question. “Ms. Hayes, how well do you understand Nebula Solutions’ business model?” I smiled. “I could draw Mr. Thompson’s business plan for the next six months with my eyes closed.” With my accurate foresight into Arthur Thompson’s strategies, my team at Summit Innovations achieved outstanding results, snatching three major clients from Nebula Solutions consecutively. Arthur Thompson couldn’t sit still. Mr. Peterson, a client we had worked with for years, suddenly made an outrageous demand the night before signing the contract. “Director Hayes, the contract isn’t the problem, but shouldn’t the kickback percentage be increased?” A greasy smile was plastered on his face as he suggestively rubbed his fingers. “Director Thompson’s side is much more generous than yours.” This was a trap set by Arthur Thompson for me. If I agreed, he could immediately use the recording to put me on the industry blacklist. I didn’t speak, I just pulled up a video on my phone and pushed it towards him. In the video, Mr. Peterson was at another dinner party, boasting about how he manipulated accounts and took kickbacks, playing both sides. Mr. Peterson’s face instantly went white. “You…” I took back my phone, a cold smile playing on my lips. “Mr. Peterson, what do you think would happen if this video were sent to the industry blacklist reporting email?” “No, no, no! Director Hayes! Let’s talk this out!” He was sweating profusely and immediately signed the contract I had already drafted, which offered no room for hidden perks. Arthur Thompson failed to get his way and instead lost a major client. He became even more frantic. At the industry summit at the end of the year, he publicly targeted me in front of hundreds of peers. During the Q&A session, he took the microphone. “I’d like to ask Director Hayes, Summit Innovations’ recent performance is indeed impressive, but there are rumors in the industry that Director Hayes’s emotions seem a bit unstable.” He paused, displaying a hypocritical smile. “How can someone who can’t even control their own emotions ensure professional and stable decision-making?” All eyes in the room instantly focused on me. He wanted to use his old trick, using the “crazy” label to ruin my career. I met his gaze, stood up calmly, and walked to the front of the stage. “Thank you, Director Thompson, for your concern.” “But before we discuss emotions, perhaps we should first discuss professional ethics.” I looked at the director for the big screen. “Could the director please display the content from my USB drive?” The next second, Arthur Thompson’s explicit chat logs with another woman were clearly projected onto the huge screen. “Baby, I’ve already sent you the bid details for Evergreen Group. This project is definitely ours.” “Don’t worry, that idiot Olivia is still gloating at Summit Innovations.” The entire hall erupted in an uproar. The representative from Evergreen Group instantly turned ashen. Arthur Thompson froze in place, blood draining from his face, inch by inch. I looked at him, enunciating each word. “How much professionalism can a director possess when he leaks core bidding data to his mistress as sweet talk?” That day, Arthur Thompson became the laughingstock of the entire industry. Nebula Solutions also completely lost Evergreen Group, its most important client. And the final straw that broke him came from his core team. A week later, his most capable deputy, along with his entire project team, collectively jumped ship to join me. Arthur Thompson was completely ruined. The day he was forced out by the board of directors, I received a message from Vivian. “Olivia, let’s meet.”
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