After I helped the company go public, I brought in billions in profit for my CEO wife. She was thrilled and said she’d buy me a car. Then she rolled out a kid’s scooter from the garage, beaming, and said: “Here, honey, practice with this. Once the company really takes off, we’ll get you a *real* car.” But then I saw her on her male best friend Blake’s live stream, splurging hundreds of millions to buy him a global limited edition antique supercar. On camera, she intimately hugged his neck, cooing, “*This* is what my darling deserves!” I looked down at the child’s scooter she’d given me, sitting by my feet, and suddenly burst out laughing. With a flick of my finger, I shared the live stream directly to the company’s main WhatsApp group, tagging everyone. Thirty seconds later, my phone started vibrating like crazy. Her furious voice, tinged with a cry, came through: “Leo, honey, let me explain! That was just to secure his dad’s investment! Quick, unsend it! I’ll buy you a real car tomorrow!” But her promises were like a maxed-out credit card, draining every last bit of my hope. I took off my wedding ring and gently placed it on the coffee table. “Tomorrow, nine A.M. Let’s sign the divorce papers.” On the other end of the line, my wife Serena’s voice rose, sharp and piercing: “Are you out of your mind?! I told you it was for investment! What are you doing, messing around with me like this? The company’s making big money, and you’re living a good life, aren’t you?” “Divorce? Who do you think you’re scaring? Who do you think you are, anyway? Without me, Serena, you’d be nothing!” “Go unsend that message in the group right now! The whole company is making fun of us. How am I supposed to show my face as CEO after this? You’re deliberately trying to embarrass me, aren’t you?” “I’m telling you, don’t be shameless! Withdraw it now, immediately! Or else I really will divorce you!” With that, she hung up before I could reply. I looked at the ring on the table and silently closed my eyes. In this marriage, I was truly exhausted. Messages in the company’s WhatsApp group kept piling up, all voicing unfairness on my behalf. “Ms. Serena, that’s not right. Is this how you treat a hero?” “That Blake guy has no talent, but he gets a supercar? That money could pay our department’s year-end bonuses for three years!” “Her male best friend is live-streaming his wealth, while we’re working ourselves to death to go public, and this is what happens?” I scrolled through them one by one, then suddenly smiled. Turns out Serena wasn’t throwing a fit because I made her look bad; it was because her beloved best friend was getting torn apart. But they were right. Her male best friend, Blake, was like a strutting peacock, constantly circling wealthy socialites, proudly flaunting his so-called family fortune. In reality? He barely understood the most basic financial statements, yet he loved to brag at parties about how many billions of dollars in projects he’d “participated in.” The funniest part was last time he came to the office, just because the Head of Sales didn’t grovel before him, Blake immediately demanded Serena fire him. Everyone in the company came to ask me to intervene, but Serena ripped into me, yelling: “The most important thing in a company is respect! If someone doesn’t even understand that basic rule, they deserve to be fired!” Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. The so-called “respect” was only for her useless male best friend. My reward, as her husband, for working so hard to make her a billionaire, was a child’s scooter. My phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from my team leader, Arthur: “Director Leo, the guys are getting you some payback.” Looking at the flood of memes in the group, my mood lightened slightly. I was about to remind them to be careful. Then, a disciplinary announcement from my wife’s male best friend, Blake, popped up in the company group: “Anyone chatting in the group during work hours will have their full month’s performance bonus deducted!” The list was exclusively my team. The group instantly exploded: “Director Leo, Blake is clearly coming after you!” “What’s the point of staying in this crappy company?” “If you leave, we’ll all go with you!” I gripped my phone. Seven years. Ever since our first argument about Blake, Serena had added this outsider to the main company group, even giving him administrative privileges. She knew I valued loyalty and my team above all else. Yet she deliberately allowed Blake to make things difficult for my team. I dialed a number I hadn’t called in a long time. “Mark, old friend, is that opportunity you mentioned still open?” Mark sounded genuinely surprised and delighted on the other end: “Of course! You finally came to your senses?” “But I have one condition.” “Name it!” “I want to bring my entire team with me.” “That’s fantastic! Double the salary, same positions, we can sign the contract tomorrow!” I hung up and looked at the divorce papers I’d just taken from the drawer. Serena probably forgot that in the early days of our startup, we made a pact: If this company ever felt like a cage, anyone could leave at any time. I stared at Serena’s signature from seven years ago on the agreement. Back then, she’d clung to my arm, pouting, “Honey, this agreement will never be used. I just want you to know that in my heart, you’re more important than the company.” But now, everything had changed. My pen spun once between my fingers. I signed my name without hesitation. Then I opened the company group and sent a new message: [Everyone, starting tomorrow, I’m officially resigning.] Then, I turned off my phone. 2 The next morning, I arrived at the company, only to find Chloe, the new HR assistant, stammering at me. I pushed open my office door. Serena looked at me, her face contorted with anger: “You actually showed up for work? Didn’t you say you were resigning yesterday? Regretting it now?” “Hmph, I called you 88 times last night, and you didn’t answer. Don’t think I’ll forgive you!” “I’ll be away on a business trip for the next few days, so I won’t be home! You can use this time to reflect properly!” Outside the office door, Blake, dressed provocatively, greeted her. He wrapped an arm around Serena’s waist. “Baby, what are we having for dinner tonight once we get to the Maldives?” I watched their retreating backs and let out a cold chuckle. So, it wasn’t for work. It was for a vacation with Blake. But Serena had almost drowned as a child; she was terrified of the ocean. When we first got married, I suggested a honeymoon in the Maldives, and she looked utterly horrified. Our honeymoon was postponed indefinitely because of it. But now, she was overcoming her fear for Blake. Tears welled in my eyes as I laughed. Turns out true love really can conquer all fears. It just wasn’t *my* love, not after seven or eight years of marriage. Shedding the last shred of illusion in my heart, I finalized the terms with my team and the new company. At the dinner table, Arthur, my team leader, clapped me on the shoulder: “Director Leo, a biased boss like Serena isn’t worth it.” I threw my head back and downed a shot of strong liquor, the fiery liquid burning my throat. I remembered when we first met, Serena was just a fresh graduate intern, wearing a simple white shirt, so nervous in the conference room that she even put her PowerPoint slides on backward. Now, she had become a woman full of lies and cunning calculations. Wasn’t I partly to blame for her becoming this way, for spoiling her rotten? In the early days of our startup, no matter how big a mistake she made, I’d forgive her with just a little pout. Gradually, she started getting more and more out of line. Later, she didn’t even bother to pretend, directly using her CEO status to suppress me. And now, for that male best friend, she could sacrifice me without hesitation. “Tonight, we drink until we drop!” I raised my glass, and my team members cheered in response. At three in the morning, I staggered through the front door, only to see Serena sitting rigidly in the living room. She frowned and stepped back two paces. “Leo! I hate drunks, have you forgotten?” I laughed. Right. Because she hated the smell of alcohol, I’d been sober for eight years. But in a video Blake posted on Ins last week, Serena was drunk, leaning on his shoulder, and he captioned it: “Baby is even cuter when she’s had too much to drink.” She could even drink the alcohol she detested for her beloved male best friend, but now she was telling *me* she hated people who drank. Thinking of this, I looked at her coldly. “Weren’t you going to the Maldives?” Serena threw a blanket at me: “How did you know? But it doesn’t matter. If I wasn’t worried about you, I wouldn’t have changed my flight!” “But what about you? You’re out here partying like crazy with those annoying people from the company?! Didn’t I tell you to reflect properly?!” She pointed at the dining table. “And I even brought you your favorite soup dumplings from that place on the west side.” I used to always worry about her safety. No matter how fierce our arguments, if I hadn’t heard from her for more than an hour, I’d instinctively call to check on her. But this time, I hadn’t sent her a single message for twenty-four hours straight. She finally couldn’t sit still, could she? On the dining table sat indeed my favorite soup dumplings. I, who used to be happy all day at the smell of them, now felt only disgust. Her usual tactic of hurting me then trying to smooth things over with a treat? She was a pro at it. Too bad this time, it wouldn’t work. Seeing no reaction from me, Serena’s tone softened considerably, though laced with a suppressed fury: “Honey, can we just stop all this? No more fighting. I’ll buy you a real car right away, Porsche or Ferrari, pick whatever you like!” I stared at the ceiling and slowly spoke: “Serena, do you still think I’m haggling over a car with you?” She frowned after a few seconds of silence. “Then what do you want? Tell me! I’ll agree to anything!” I smiled softly. “No need.” Then Serena changed the subject: “How about you hand over that new energy project of yours to Blake? After all, you essentially encouraged your team to ‘bully’ him, so consider it an apology!” I let out a cold laugh. So that was it. She waited up all night just to get that useless Blake a project. “Fine,” I said. Serena flashed a victorious smile, as if she’d expected me to cave: “See? So much better this way. Come back to the office tomorrow, I’ll call Blake over, and you apologize to him. Then this whole thing blows over.” “And I won’t hold a grudge against your team members who talked about Blake. After this, we’ll go back to living a good life together.” I didn’t wait for her to finish. I slammed my employee badge onto the dining table: “One project isn’t enough? Tomorrow, I’ll hand over *all* the work on my plate to him.” 3 Serena’s face changed dramatically: “Leo! What do you mean?” “Blake’s family is so influential, all he’s asking is for you to give him a project.” “Then, when his father’s investment comes through, our company can reach new heights! Besides, I’m discussing this with you, why are you being so sarcastic?” “Nothing.” I turned and walked towards the bedroom. Serena lunged forward, grabbing my collar: “Leo! You’re just jealous I bought Blake a car, aren’t you?!” She shrieked hysterically, “Don’t pretend to be so noble! A petty, ignorant man like you can’t even compare to one of Blake’s fingers!” “Fine, I’ll buy it for you then!” Even now, she still thought I was doing this for a car. I calmly pushed her hand away: “Keep the money. Buy Blake a yacht instead.” “Bang—” Serena hurled the entire box of soup dumplings against the wall, the broth splattering vivid grease stains across the pristine white surface: “Blake and I have a purely professional relationship! How can someone with your filthy thoughts even be Vice President of this company?” I looked at her face, twisted with rage, and suddenly found it ridiculous. The entire company respectfully called him “Mr. Blake,” yet she always affectionately called him “Blake.” And now she was trying to claim purity with me? “Ms. Serena,” I deliberately used that formal, distant address, “do I need to pull up the security footage for you? Last Wednesday night, how exactly did your ‘Blake’ get into your office?” Serena’s face instantly went deathly pale, her perfectly painted red lips trembling. She suddenly raised her hand, but stopped it just before the slap landed. Her crimson-painted nails gleamed blood-red in the light. “Hmph!” She stumbled back two steps, her voice suddenly choked with tears, “Give me back that child’s scooter I bought you! I picked it out myself at the mall, you don’t deserve to use it!” “Threw it away.” I cut off her performance, “The cleaner collected the trash this morning. I threw it away myself.” Serena’s tears instantly froze in her eyes. She stared, wide-eyed and incredulous, as if seeing the husband she’d been married to for eight years for the very first time. I turned and closed the bedroom door, hearing Serena’s enraged roar. “I’m leaving! I’m not coming back!” But strangely, this time, I felt no sadness at all. Turns out, when disappointment has accumulated enough, even anger is superfluous. When I woke up, my phone was scorching hot from an onslaught of messages. The company WhatsApp group’s announcement prominently displayed the latest personnel change: [After deliberation by the Board of Directors, Leo has been relieved of his duties as Operations Director and transferred to Deputy Manager of the Logistics Department, effective immediately.] And the reason for the penalty, strikingly, read: **[Due to personal emotions affecting company unity]** Even more absurdly, the announcement bore Serena’s electronic signature, and the posting time was three A.M., precisely the departure time of her flight to the Maldives after she and Blake adjusted their itinerary. When I went with my team to Human Resources to process our resignations, Chloe, the new HR assistant, fumbled with her phone, calling for instructions: “Ms. Serena, Director Leo and his team…” From the other end of the line came Blake’s affected voice: “Serena’s showering, darling. Can’t anything urgent wait until tomorrow?” Then Serena’s impatient shout: “Didn’t I say not to disturb me with anything today?” “But Director Leo!” 4 “Tell him to handle it himself! Doesn’t he think he’s so capable? Why is he bothering me?” Serena’s voice suddenly rose, “The company seal is in the safe, and the password is his birthday! Why do you need to ask me about such a small thing?” Chloe hung up, her face flushed crimson. She tremblingly opened the safe, but froze when she saw the combination lock. The date displayed there was clearly the day Serena and Blake first met. The resignation process went unusually smoothly. On the way to the Registry Office, I casually scrolled through Blake’s newly updated Ins post. In the nine-picture grid, Serena was wearing a sexy bikini, intimately feeding him fruit. The caption read: [Some people, hogging a spot for eight years, can’t compare to others’ eight days.] Serena’s old classmates had commented below: “She introduced him to us three years ago, said they were going public, but it took until today to post it.” All this time, Serena had never introduced me to her friends and classmates, always claiming she was too busy. But in reality, she had taken Blake out as her “husband” three years ago. I silently liked her post on my phone. Serena’s international call immediately came through. “Leo, it’s daytime! Why aren’t you working seriously? Why are you liking my post?!” “And why are your team members liking it too?!” “I’m about to deduct all your salaries!” I laughed into the international call. “I forgot to tell you, my team and I have already resigned.” Serena froze, then asked doubtfully into the phone: “What new trick are you playing now?” “I’m really busy with work, I don’t have time for your games!” She certainly was busy. Busy dating Blake, busy making their relationship official to her college friends, and also busy penalizing me and my team. Blake egged her on in the background: “Serena, he’s doing this to show he doesn’t respect you.” “Resigning himself is one thing, but he took the company’s key employees with him. He’s trying to destroy you.” Before she could finish, her friends, seeing my ‘like’, chimed in with comments: “We all heard from Blake, even though Leo is your husband, he’s always lazy at home, Blake does all his work at the company. Someone like that, even if he didn’t resign himself, you should have fired him.” “Such a loser. Beautiful, you should divorce him soon. Blake is the perfect match for you.” Seeing these people instigating and slandering me. Serena, knowing the truth, didn’t bother to clarify for me. Instead, she sighed into the phone: “Leo, for the sake of our years of marriage, I’ll give you one last chance.” “As long as you apologize, when we get back, I can offer you a position as Blake’s assistant. Otherwise!” Otherwise, she would divorce me. But this time, I didn’t give her the chance. Before, whenever she was about to utter those two words, I’d panic, desperately begging her not to leave. But now, I cheerfully posted our divorce certificate in her comment section: **[Just to let everyone know, we’re officially divorced.]**
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298855”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply