The news spread throughout the company that the CEO’s fiancée, whom I risked my life to save, is going to marry her idealized love due to her pregnancy. Everyone assumed that I, as the fiancé, would be furious over her marrying someone else. But even after their child was born, I stayed composed and didn’t cause any trouble. Instead, I took initiative and focused on projects to support the struggling company. The fiancée believed I had finally accepted my role as just a tool to help her manage the company. With a condescending air of self-satisfaction, she promised me, “Since you’re so considerate in earning money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly let you stay in the company and give you a chance to continue taking care of us.” However, she was sorely mistaken. I am not working for her and the child; I’m preparing to take over the company next week. From now on, I won’t compromise and be her supportive partner behind the scenes. I’ll replace her and become the new CEO! 1 I had just wrapped up a project discussion with a client and stepped out of the meeting room when I saw Jasper at my desk changing his and Josephine’s baby’s diaper. “Assistant Jiang, you’re really juggling a lot, working and taking care of the baby. Once CEO Shen finishes her postpartum recovery and returns, you definitely deserve a big promotion and raise!” “Yeah, babies born in the Year of the Snake are considered destined for greatness. When they grow up, they’ll surely be exceptional individuals and company pillars, just like Assistant Jiang.” The small five-square-meter room was packed with project team colleagues. This used to be my office, but now it was filled with baby supplies and had become Jasper’s nursery at the company. Even the awards I earned for the company that were on the wall had been replaced with photos of the baby from birth to the first month. Actually, due to layoffs, there have been plenty of empty rooms in the company these years. But Jasper claimed that a master advised him that only my office was suitable for the child’s growth. Everyone could tell it was just an excuse Jasper made up to squeeze me out. Yet Josephine, who usually has a firm belief in materialism, believed it. She even wanted me to move to the small desk by the restroom to block some negative energy for her and Jasper’s child. There was no hint of remorse for breaking the engagement she had with me long ago and marrying Jasper and having his child. Coming back to the present, Jasper noticed the contract I had just signed in my hand and approached me with a smile: “Really sorry, Director Ye.” “I’ve been busy with the baby lately, and Josephine still needs a few more days to finish her postpartum recovery. I’ve been troubling you to run the business, but I’ll definitely tell Josephine about your contributions later!” Although Jasper was polite, his right hand tried to snatch the signed contract from me. Since Jasper joined the company a year ago, taking advantage of Josephine’s favoritism towards him, he had often stolen projects and achievements from me. Before, I always compromised and indulged him because of my feelings for Josephine. But now that Josephine had married him, I had no reason to tolerate it any longer and directly slapped his hand away. “Jasper, you took my fiancée, and now you want the contract I closed?” Before Jasper could respond, our colleagues rushed to defend him: “What do you mean by ‘took’? Director Ye, your words are too harsh!” “Exactly, Assistant Jiang was just too busy with the baby and had to hand over the project he brought in to you. You got an easy win and still complain. You’re just a freeloader with no right to bark here!” I only found it ironic. Yes, Jasper did bring in this project. But to prove himself, he exaggerated the project proposal’s price to 60% of the original during a drinking session with the client. He secured the business without considering its feasibility. In the end, I had to work overtime, optimize the technology, and even use my own money to smooth things over with suppliers to barely reduce the costs. Yet, the credit went to Jasper. Seeing my firm stance, Jasper smiled and said earning money for the company was all that mattered. But when no one was looking, he pinched the baby in his arms. The next moment, the baby started wailing, and poop and pee splattered all over me. Even the contract I had just signed was stained and ruined. “Oh dear, Director Ye, my apologies. It’s my first time being a dad, I’m inexperienced. My hand slipped, please forgive me.” Noticing my dark expression, the nearby colleagues wouldn’t miss the chance to impress Jasper and chimed in: “Ezra, are you seriously arguing with a baby just a month old? Have some shame.” “With that bad temper, no wonder CEO Shen broke off the engagement. You can’t compare to Assistant Jiang’s gentlemanly demeanor.” Hearing them mention the broken engagement, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. Josephine and I had been together for seven years, engaged, and were about to get married. But a year ago, her ex, Jasper, suddenly appeared. Josephine brought him into the company unusually, and before long, she hurriedly sent me on an overseas trip. When I returned, I heard the news of their shotgun wedding. Rather than a gentleman, “beast in a suit” suits him better. But now I had more pressing matters and no time to bicker with them. I calmly took a file from my drawer and threw the diaper Jasper had intentionally left on my desk back at him. “Sorry, I’ve been working overtime a lot, and my eyes are blurry. I meant to throw it in the trash. My hand slipped too, forgive me.” For a moment, a foul stench rose from Jasper’s expensive suit. His face turned green, but I didn’t give them a chance to criticize me and left with my files, driving to the business registration office to hand the file to a staff member. “Please register the shareholder information update for me.” This was the share transfer agreement Josephine personally signed six months ago before I went abroad for negotiations. It transferred all her shares back to me. Actually, I had founded the company myself, with all the funds and technology being mine, so naturally, the shares were initially mine too. A few years ago, when the company began to succeed, I gave her 51% of the shares to compensate for the hardships she endured with me, fulfilling her dream of being a boss. During these tough times, I intended to take back all the shares to bear the risks myself and not let Josephine fall into debt. I thought it would be difficult and prepared many excuses to persuade her, fearing she’d misunderstand my intentions. But the day before I went abroad, when I approached Josephine, she signed without even looking and urged me to leave the country quickly. At that time, I asked her if she wasn’t afraid I’d con her. But she just smiled while packing my luggage, saying we were about to get married and were one family, so why differentiate between mine and yours. Back then, I thought Josephine loved me deeply and left that night, determined to secure the deal and save the company. After successfully securing the order and returning, I found she had married Jasper and even had a big baby boy with him. Only then did I realize she hadn’t trusted me but was pregnant and eager to marry Jasper, fearing I’d discover her secret, hence the rush to sign and send me away. But now it’s just right; at least the company is still in my hands. After confirming the agreement, the staff suddenly asked: “Mr. Ye, shareholder transfers are significant. Why didn’t Miss Shen come with you?” I calmly shook my head: “She’s still in the postpartum recovery period.” Hearing this, the staff was initially stunned, then congratulated me on becoming a dad and happily proceeded with the shareholder transfer procedures. But I couldn’t smile. Because I’m not the child’s father, nor am I her husband. While waiting for approval and lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. It was Josephine calling. As soon as I answered, a roar came from the other end. “Jasper just dirtied the contract. Can’t you ask the client to sign again? Why are you acting up at work and scaring the baby?” Before she could finish, the staff handed me the paperwork to sign. “Signing?” “Ezra, it’s work hours. Where are you instead of being at the company?” After signing, I explained: “I’m signing an agreement.” On the other end, Josephine paused, then her tone softened considerably. “That’s more like it. Seeing how eager you are to make money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly keep you in the company and give you a chance to take care of us.” But I wasn’t listening to her words. Looking at the new shareholder list, with me holding 91%, making me the true CEO of the company, I couldn’t help but laugh. Josephine, on the other end, misunderstood, thinking I was grateful to her, and smugly said: “Look at you, all smug. Work hard, and when I return from the postpartum care center, I might consider promoting and giving you a raise.” After a few more words, Josephine laughed and hung up. But she didn’t know that in two days, once the review period was over, I’d be the new CEO of the company. I wonder if she’ll still be able to smile then. 2 Having firmly regained my company, I felt a huge relief and went home first, planning to pack my things and completely end things with Josephine. But as soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me. Josephine had been in the hospital for prenatal care, then went straight to the postpartum care center after delivery, and I had been away on business trips. This home hadn’t been tended to for nearly half a year. I intended to open the windows to air it out, but as I walked into the living room, I tripped over something. I found a large photo frame on the floor. Lifting it, I realized it was the wedding photo Josephine and I had taken. After our engagement, Josephine had insisted we go to the studio for a photo shoot. She had me try on dozens of suits, never quite satisfied, and it took an entire afternoon to choose a white suit she liked. Though it wasn’t my style, knowing she had spent the whole afternoon choosing it for me, I accepted it willingly. Her serious gaze from that time remains vivid in my memory. Coming back to reality, I dusted off the frame, feeling puzzled. I had always kept the wedding photo in the bedroom. Why was it thrown in the living room? Entering the bedroom, I immediately understood the reason. Above the head of the bed now hung a photo of Josephine and Jasper from their wedding. In the photo, Josephine, with her pregnant belly, was nestled in Jasper’s arms, smiling like a girl who had just won the world. Although it wasn’t my style, knowing Josephine spent an entire afternoon choosing it for me made me accept it with a smile. Her earnest look from that day is still vivid in my memory. Bringing myself back to the present, I wiped dust off the photo frame, feeling puzzled. I always hung our wedding photo in the bedroom, so why was it tossed on the living room floor? It wasn’t until I walked into the bedroom that everything became clear. Above the headboard was a wedding photo of Josephine and Jasper. In the picture, Josephine, with her pregnant belly, was in Jasper’s arms, smiling like a girl who had the whole world in her grasp. They wore the very same wedding dress and suit Josephine had meticulously chosen that day. It hit me why Josephine wasn’t satisfied after trying all afternoon and eventually picked a white suit that didn’t suit me at all. It was never meant for me. Over the years, my skin had tanned due to long business trips outdoors. Josephine chose a pure white suit for me, which naturally looked odd against my complexion. However, Jasper, who always stayed in the company assisting Josephine, was fair-skinned and refined. The white suit made him look like a storybook prince. I chuckled sarcastically, planning to pack my things and sell the house. This house was originally prepared by my parents as a marital home for me. Since the marriage isn’t happening, there’s no reason to keep it; it might as well be sold to alleviate the company’s financial strain. But when I opened the wardrobe, my fists clenched. All my belongings were gone, replaced by Jasper’s frequently worn shirts. I immediately messaged Josephine, demanding to know where my clothes were. It wasn’t until half an hour later that Josephine replied: “Of course, I threw them away. Jasper’s rental is too far from the company, so I let him move in directly.” “Your stuff doesn’t suit his cleanliness, so I tossed it all.” “Besides, you used my salary to buy these things, so technically it’s my money. I can do whatever I want with it, and I don’t need your permission, do I?” I have to admit, Josephine has always been skilled at twisting logic. Seeing that I had no response, Josephine sent another message: “What, feeling sorry for your junk?” “I heard about the company situation this morning. If you hand over the project to Jasper, I’ll get you some high-end stuff and even leave you a storage room to rest.” “No need.” Before Josephine could finish typing, I blocked her on SnapChat and called a junk removal service to clear everything out of the house. Then I contacted a real estate agency to list the house for sale and went to a hotel to rest. The next morning, the junk removal service transferred the money to me. Although it was collected at a low rate as scrap, I still made quite a bit of cash. It showed how much Josephine cared about Jasper, eager to give him the world. Just as I was about to freshen up and get out of bed, Josephine suddenly called. “Ezra, who allowed you to sell the marital home? Where are Jasper and the baby supposed to live now?!” “And what about his designer suits and game console? Where did you throw them?” On the other end, Josephine was so furious she could barely breathe. I found it ironic. My belongings could be casually thrown away, but Jasper’s things were treasures. I replied calmly: “You do realize that was our marital home, right? Since you’re married to Jasper now, what’s wrong with me selling it?” “As for the stuff in the house, I sold it all as scrap.” Josephine was speechless with anger, but soon she let out a disdainful laugh. “Ezra, do you think selling the house is going to stop me?” “Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to play hard to get, using these little tricks to get my attention.” “Know your place. You’re just a tool working for me, don’t delude yourself with thoughts you shouldn’t have!” With that, Josephine hung up. Almost simultaneously, Jasper updated his Facebook status. It was a photo of him signing a real estate contract with an agency. He even captioned it: “Finally got my own place in this city.” Jasper’s position at the company was just an assistant role, and his monthly salary wasn’t much. Plus, he was a big spender, so buying a house was out of the question. Clearly, Josephine paid for it and bought back the house I just listed for sale. And Jasper intentionally posted on Facebook, obviously to flaunt it to me. But instead of being angry, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. Although property prices had dropped over the years, I had bought the place early on, so overall, I still made a profit. Josephine, on the other hand, basically handed me the money the company made over the past two years for a depreciating house that Jasper now treasures like gold. To celebrate, I treated myself to a rare feast. The business registration office also sent a message notifying me that the shareholder information update had been approved. I was ready to return to the company and take over. But as soon as I walked through the door, I ran into Josephine. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to…” Before I could finish, Josephine, with a cold expression, slapped me. “Ezra, as a senior employee, is this how you set an example?” “Absent for two days, you’re nothing but a disruptive influence!” “I didn’t work hard to run this company so you could slack off and draw a salary!” “Starting tomorrow, your performance for the next year is wiped clean. You’re no longer a director; go assist Jasper and learn how to be a proper person.” Hearing Josephine’s punishment, my colleagues around me didn’t even try to hide their mockery. After all, the company wasn’t that big, and with Jasper’s embellishments, I had long become the target of ridicule. However, the absence Josephine mentioned was pure nonsense. I had applied for a week of fieldwork a month ago and didn’t need to clock in. Josephine herself had approved it. It was clear she was just finding excuses to vent Jasper’s anger. Seeing me remain silent, Josephine frowned: “Ezra, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” “Don’t you see the baby soiled his diaper? Hurry up and help Jasper clean it, or do you want to stink up the entire company?” Still, I didn’t move. After all, I’m the owner of this company now. Before I could speak, Jasper was quick to play the good guy. “Josephine, don’t be mad. Ezra must be exhausted from running errands the past two days.” “I’m young and energetic; I can manage work and childcare.” But before he could do anything, Josephine stopped him with concern: “No need, you’ve been busy with paternity leave and childcare, and you’ve lost weight.” “Plus, you just got promoted and the project is yours now. Focus on preparing your speech for the release event.” “As for him, if he wants to stay in the company, let him do some hard labor. It’ll teach him not to be lazy and help him realize how hard you’ve had it with the baby.” Watching Josephine’s concern for Jasper, I found it absurd. Jasper was all talk. At work, he’d dump childcare and tasks onto colleagues who fawned over him, while he hid away eating fried chicken and gaming. Meanwhile, due to poor business performance, I frequently had to go out and hustle. I even prioritized a contract meeting over hospital care after a car accident, impressing clients with my dedication. Yet, in her eyes, I was a lazy freeloader. Love or the lack thereof was painfully obvious. Bringing myself back, I looked straight at Josephine, speaking steadily: “I recall the company’s manual clearly states that infants aren’t allowed to disrupt the office.” “Moreover, I applied for fieldwork in advance, so I don’t need to clock in. You have no grounds to penalize me.” In seven years, this was probably the first time I openly defied Josephine. She was stunned but quickly sneered: “Ezra, I’ll admit, you’ve gotten my attention, but you’re going about it the wrong way.” “I’m the CEO of this company. If I say you’re absent, then you’re absent!” “I’ve already backed up all the projects and client info you have. Do you really think you’re irreplaceable?” “HR, prepare the termination papers and notify all our partner enterprises to add him to the employment blacklist.” Before HR could make a move, I stopped them: “No need. I’ve already prepared resignation letters.” Jasper was overjoyed but pretended to be regretful: “Ezra, why put yourself through this?” “Why not apologize to Josephine? She’s kind-hearted; considering you cared for her for several years, she’d surely give you a break and let you clean toilets and unclog drains.” Next to him, Josephine, seeing me stop HR, raised her chin arrogantly. “Didn’t expect you to have some self-awareness.” “Tell you what, since you’ve been a useful tool, if you willingly give up…” Before Josephine could finish, I interrupted, tossing resignation letters to her and Jasper. “Enough, no need for small talk. You’re both dismissed.” Looking at her own resignation letter, Josephine was momentarily stunned, then scoffed. “What right does an employee have to fire me?” I smiled calmly and handed over the shareholder transfer notice. “Miss Josephine, you’ve forgotten something important.” “I’m the CEO of this company now.” “Alright, since you’re nothing but a convenient lackey, if you voluntarily give up…” Before Josephine could finish, I cut her off and tossed two termination letters to her and Jasper. “Enough of the pointless chatter. You both can get out now.” Holding her termination letter, Josephine was momentarily stunned, then sneered with disdain. “What right do you, just an employee, have to fire me?” I smiled dismissively and presented the formal notice of shareholder transfer. “Miss Shen—oh wait, no, Miss Josephine—your esteemed status seems to have made you forgetful.” “Take a good look, I’m the CEO of the company now.” “As for you and Jasper, you’re both fired immediately for violating company policy, disrupting workplace order, and stealing company project secrets.” I’m sorry, but it appears that the specific text you need translated is missing. Could you please provide the text you would like me to translate? “`plaintext 4 As Josephine read the shareholder information update on the notice, her face turned pale.
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