My wife, Seraphina, just transferred half the company’s shares to Liam, her intern. Liam, of course, immediately gloated about it on his SnapChat story, “Thanks, my amazing boss lady, for believing in me! I finally have my very own shares! Mwah!” I was speechless, absolutely stunned. I immediately called Seraphina. “You transferred shares to *someone else*?!” Seraphina’s tone was utterly dismissive, like she couldn’t care less. “Liam isn’t just ‘someone else,’ Julian. Giving him shares is just to motivate him, isn’t it?” “We have so many companies in the family; we won’t even miss this one.” I was barely containing my rage. “Ten minutes, Seraphina. Get those shares back!” Seraphina hung up on me. And she didn’t reply to my follow-up texts. Three minutes later, every single one of Sterling Enterprises’ suppliers abruptly pulled out of their contracts. Well, if she’s so fond of giving away companies, I don’t mind giving away the *entire* Sterling Enterprises! All our suppliers had cut ties with the Arthur Corporation. Grandpa Arthur was practically tearing his hair out, desperate. He arrived at my house in his wheelchair, personally to make amends, his voice strained. “Alex, did that foolish girl, Chloe, upset you?” “Don’t worry, I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget! If she’s not to your liking, I have other granddaughters who would be a much better fit for you! You can take your pick!” “But please, don’t take it out on the Arthur Corporation, son. This old man can’t handle any more stress.” I took a deliberate, slow sip of my coffee, my voice deliberately calm. “Chloe blew a fortune on that toy boy, Leo, and transferred half her shares in the company to him.” “Do you think I *couldn’t* be angry, Grandpa?” Grandpa Arthur’s face froze, his cane slamming against the floor. “That irresponsible brat! Giving away shares to some stranger! Alex, don’t worry, I’ll make her get those shares back immediately!” Grandpa Arthur left in a huff. Not long after, Chloe called. I ignored it. But she was relentless, calling over twenty times. I blocked her number. Less than five minutes later, Chloe burst into my house. “Alex Alexander! Have you lost your mind?!” “It’s just a few shares in a *small* company, and you’re making such a fuss! You even conspired to cut off my allowance!” “How did you become so vicious?!” I was genuinely surprised. *She* thought *I* was vicious? The girl who used to whisper “I love you” shyly in my arms now looked like a completely different person. I ran a thumb over the cool surface of my polished obsidian ring, a chill spreading from my fingertips through my entire body. “All company shares are our joint marital assets. You transferred them to someone else without my consent. Did you even consider me?” “You have ten minutes. Get those shares back. Or I’ll make sure the entire Arthur Corporation pays the price with you!” Chloe stared at me in horror. She knew I always meant what I said; I wasn’t just blowing smoke. She muttered under her breath, “You’re a lunatic!” Weighing her options, she sighed softly. “Fine.” Her gaze dropped, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. I knew she was crying, waiting for me to comfort her. If this were before, I would have pulled her close, tenderly wiping away her tears. But now, I simply returned to reviewing the documents in my hand. We’d been married for a year, yet she couldn’t even maintain basic boundaries. I had no reason to respect her anymore. The company shares were quickly transferred back. My fury had mostly subsided. The remaining anger was appeased only after I’d smashed every single piece of her jewelry. The shattered remnants of her trinkets looked strangely poetic. I snapped a photo and sent it to her. “I hope you remember this lesson!” She didn’t reply. She didn’t come home that night either. I knew she was angry, protesting in her own way, but I no longer cared. 2 To secure new investments, the Alexander Group and Arthur Corporation co-hosted a business gala, inviting prominent figures from various industries. However, that evening, under Leo’s disastrous management, the event descended into utter chaos. A CEO from a major investment firm, who was supposed to be seated in the front row, was inexplicably relegated to the back, all because he was wearing a moderately priced shirt. And a major investor, who was set to fund 50% of the project, was flat-out denied entry at the door. Many influential moguls left in disappointment. I couldn’t fathom it. Chloe had handed such a crucial event to a completely inexperienced Leo. I immediately shut down the gala and began calling the industry giants one by one, preparing to personally apologize. But just then, Chloe burst into my office, kicking the door wide open, her usually delicate face contorted with rage. “Alex Alexander, what the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you humiliate Leo in front of everyone?” “I know you have a problem with him, but there’s no need to use company matters for personal vendettas!” “You’re truly repulsive!” She publicly humiliated me, utterly trampling my reputation in front of my own staff. Watching her contorted expression, I still couldn’t understand. After only a year of marriage, how could she have changed so drastically? My secretary, hearing the commotion, rushed in, trying to intervene, but Chloe snapped at her, her voice dripping with venom. “Open your eyes and look who you’re talking to! You think you have the right to stop me?!” I cleared my throat, and my secretary immediately backed away. I wasn’t going to lower myself to her level. My voice was calm, almost bored. “Who am I? With that attitude, I’d think you were my enemy.” “You know Leo’s capabilities. Do you honestly think he’s competent enough for this job?” She was speechless, but glared at me defiantly. “Tell me, what exactly did Leo do at the gala?” I gestured casually to my secretary, asking her to recount the events of the evening. Chloe’s face progressively darkened as my secretary recounted the night’s disasters. Her eyes darted around, and she instinctively clutched the hem of her dress. Yet, her defiance was unwavering. “Leo was in charge for the first time. He just lacked experience, but he’s very capable.” “Consider it a learning experience. He’ll know better next time.” Her naivete made me scoff. “Do you realize how much money you wasted, how many opportunities you jeopardized, all for his ‘training’?” “Get out. Now. I don’t want to see you anymore!” The Alexander Group and Arthur Corporation had spent six months preparing for this, finally convincing industry giants to attend, only for Leo to utterly destroy it all. Her face was ghost-white. Just as she hesitated, Leo suddenly appeared. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he subtly tugged at Chloe’s sleeve, playing the victim. “It’s all my fault. I’m always targeted, and now I’ve dragged you into it.” “I know I’m not good enough. Don’t worry, I’ll resign right away. I won’t cause you any more trouble!” He played the pitiful, wronged man so well, and it instantly melted Chloe’s heart. Chloe’s expression softened, and she comforted him softly. “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around, no one will dare lay a hand on you!” She glared at me, as if *I* were the villain. A wave of bitter irony washed over me. She was willing to turn against me, become my enemy, all for a man she’d known for less than three months. 3 To appease the investors, I removed Leo from his managerial position. Chloe, under Grandpa Arthur’s stern pressure, eventually conceded. But as soon as her back was turned, she took Leo to a luxury real estate agency, determined to shower him with an extravagant gift. After touring the most exclusive properties on the West Side, Leo’s eyes gleamed with undisguised avarice. He eventually stopped near the riverside villa community, but still put on a show of polite reluctance. “Chloe, this villa is breathtaking! Do I really deserve to live in a place like this?” “But it’s so expensive, Chloe. I don’t want you to spend so much on me.” He claimed he didn’t deserve it, but his feet were glued to the spot. Chloe, flattered by his sweet talk, was practically beaming. With a grand flourish, she was about to buy the most lavish unit, but the sales manager intervened. “I apologize, but this villa has already been reserved by Mr. Alexander.” “So what if it’s reserved? I’m taking this one today! Who dares challenge me?!” Leo blurted out. “Oh really? I’d like to see who’s bold enough to try and take something that belongs to Alex Alexander.” Seeing me, Leo’s face instantly darkened, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. But when he turned to Chloe, he immediately put on a mournful, tearful expression. “Mr. Alexander is right. An insignificant person like me truly doesn’t deserve a villa like this.” “No matter how hard I work, I’m just a lowly grunt, miles beneath a man like Mr. Alexander.” “Chloe, please don’t argue with Mr. Alexander for my sake. I’ll just give up on this villa for him.” In a few short sentences, Leo had shifted all the blame onto me, while painting himself as a calm, dignified gentleman. Chloe interrupted him, her voice trembling with indignation. “We’re all human! Why should you be treated as inferior?” “You’ve worked so hard, and he still insists on making your life miserable. A heartless capitalist like him isn’t even fit to lick your boots!” She instantly switched tactics, turning her furious gaze on me. “You made a big deal about the shares, and now you’re making a fuss over a *single* villa? How can a grown man be so incredibly petty?” “Alex Alexander, your greed knows no bounds!” She was the one constantly trying to take what’s mine, yet she calls *me* greedy? That’s rich! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. My voice was slow and deliberate, my eyes colder than ice. “Whether it’s the company shares or this villa, I paid for them with *my* money. It’s none of your damn business!” “Don’t forget, even that black card in your hand? I gave it to you!” Chloe’s hand trembled, clutching the black card, her chest heaving with furious breaths. She harbored deep resentment towards me, and I had barely any affection left for her. When we married, her eyes shone like stars. She said I showed her a world she’d never known, swore she’d love me forever. Her apparent sincerity had moved me deeply. I went above and beyond for her, giving her career opportunities, status, and never once stinting on money. For her, I even leveraged my connections and resources to boost the Arthur Corporation, practically dragging her family into the upper echelons of society. I loved her, so I treated her well without expecting anything in return. But I never imagined I was raising a viper in my own home! 4 Chloe couldn’t buy that villa, and for that, she completely cut ties with me. To keep up appearances for Grandpa Arthur, she didn’t formally separate, but simply moved into the study. Every day, we lived under the same roof, ate, worked, but exchanged not a single word. As I ate breakfast, Leo called, his voice choked with feigned emotion. “Chloe, please, you have to help me! I can’t live like this anymore!” Leo was sobbing hysterically on the phone, as if he’d been cruelly wronged. Chloe softly comforted him. “Don’t rush, take your time and tell me.” “Chloe, I don’t know what Mr. Alexander said to Grandpa Arthur, but he’s fired me from the company.” “Mr. Alexander even put out a warning: anyone who hires me will face his wrath. Now, the entire industry is blacklisting me.” “Chloe, please, beg Mr. Alexander to let me go. I’m just a small, insignificant person. Please, ask him to just let me live!” Chloe’s brows furrowed, her face as black as thunder. “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around, no one will dare lay a hand on you!” She hung up, then grabbed my collar, her eyes blazing red. “Aren’t you going too far?! Do you really need to utterly destroy Leo?!” “He’s just a young man trying to make a living from nothing, always diligent and ambitious. You won’t even give him a chance to survive?” “You even ran to Grandpa Arthur to tattle on him? Resorting to childish tricks like that?!” Her anger poured out, a raging fire threatening to consume everything around her. I shook her hand off, struggling to keep my own temper in check. “Chloe, I’m done. You’ve pushed me too far, and if you insist on testing my patience, don’t expect any mercy from me.” “I play fair. If I did it, I’ll own it. But if I didn’t, no one, *no one*, is going to pin their crap on me!” She glared at me, clearly not believing a word I said. We stood there in a tense standoff for a long time. Finally, her eyes filled with disappointment. She gave me a long, deep look, then spat, “I must have been blind to ever marry someone like you!” and slammed the door shut. The enormous villa fell into an instant, suffocating silence. And my heart? It felt like it was being slowly roasted over an open flame. Who would have thought that *my* marriage, Alex Alexander’s marriage, would ever devolve into such a pathetic mess? After Chloe went back to the Arthur family and had a massive shouting match, Grandpa Arthur collapsed from sheer fury and was rushed to the ICU. Despite all this, Chloe still insisted on keeping Leo at the company. She openly showed special favoritism towards Leo, bringing him to every event. Suddenly, Leo became the hot new thing in their social circle. Everyone tacitly acknowledged their affair, though no one spoke of it openly. Not only did Chloe refuse to explain, but she even started taking Leo on lavish business trips, always booking just one hotel room. And rumor had it, her expense reports even included receipts for several boxes of condoms. Knowing these things, a chilling numbness spread through me. Because I knew, with a chilling certainty, that the girl who swore she’d love me forever was truly, completely gone. If that’s the case, then she couldn’t blame me for showing no mercy. Chloe, you chose to betray me. Now, you will pay the price!
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