My wife's male assistant left the client waiting in the biting cold for four hours. I managed to salvage the situation, merely cautioning him at the meeting against repeating such a blunder. Yet, Leo Bezos, the assistant, feigned tears and outright slandered me. "Director Bloomberg," he whimpered, "how can you twist the truth and steal my credit? You were too lazy to get out of bed; it was all thanks to me begging the client on my knees, otherwise the deal would have fallen through long ago." My wife, Seraphina, fully aware of the truth, not only failed to set things right but promoted him to Vice President, breaking all protocol. Worse, she forced me to hand over the project to him. Every colleague watched, expecting me to flip the table and quit. But I dutifully signed the project transfer agreement. Seraphina thought I had finally learned my place, smiling sweetly as she promised, "Don't you worry, once this project succeeds and the company goes public, I'll finally settle down and bear you an heir for the Bloomberg family." What she didn't know was that the client's principal was my former mentor. He overlooked the initial blunder only because he valued my capabilities. Now, with all the company's capital invested in the project, her breach of contract by arbitrarily changing the lead would not only sink every penny but also expose her to colossal damages. 1 "Arthur Bloomberg, you think handing over the project just makes everything disappear? Not a chance!" Leo Bezos, my wife's male assistant, had just turned on me, but he wasn't satisfied. He intended to grind me into the dust, to reclaim the dignity he felt he'd lost at the meeting. The truth was an open secret among the colleagues, but none dared to take a side, their gazes fixed on my wife, Seraphina. Leo, seeing I wouldn't admit fault, raised an eyebrow. "What? You're a useless hack, and you don't like being told?" I turned my head, glancing at Seraphina. We had been secretly married for ten years, a fact she consistently refused to acknowledge publicly. This time, she had entrusted a crucial project to Leo, intending to elevate his standing. But Leo, lazy and overconfident, had overslept, leaving the client waiting in the biting cold for four hours, prompting them to storm out in a fury. This project, however, was critical for the company's public listing; there was no room for error. Seraphina had approached me, offering a deal: if I could win the project back, she would finally announce our marriage at the meeting. I had been overjoyed. I poured my heart and soul into salvaging the deal, finally regaining the client's trust. Today, I had expected Seraphina to keep her promise. I even bought a new suit, and tucked away in my pocket was a gold ring I'd saved half a year's salary for. But I never imagined Seraphina would break her word, condoning Leo twisting the truth and letting him snatch both my credit and the project from me. Leo, seeing me look at Seraphina, pounded the table in a fit of pique. "What are you staring at? If it weren't for Seraphina, who still values your old ties, you'd have been fired long ago!" Seraphina shot me an apologetic glance, then responded sternly, "The penalty fine can be waived, but the year-end bonus is completely forfeited, Arthur. Be more careful next time; don't make such elementary mistakes again." Her words seemed to protect me, but in reality, they cemented the blame squarely upon my head. And of course. She was the boss. Without her tacit approval, how would Leo, a newcomer, dare to challenge me? Listening to the smug, mocking whispers of my colleagues, I didn't get angry; instead, I let out a cynical laugh and unclipped my ID badge right there. "No need for such trouble. I'll just resign now." Seraphina looked at me with displeasure. "Nonsense! If you resign, what about all the projects you're handling?" I calmly shrugged. "Director Bezos is exceptionally talented. I'm sure he'll do a far better job than I ever could." At my words, everyone's expressions shifted. They knew perfectly well that the company's current success rested entirely on my shoulders. If I left, all the ongoing projects would likely collapse, and they wouldn't be able to coast on their commissions anymore. Colleagues who had sided with Leo moments before now rushed to persuade me. "Director Bloomberg, Seraphina was just joking! The company can't function without you!" Leo, seeing the spotlight snatched from him, spat, "Arthur Bloomberg, are you trying to ruin everyone's performance? Don't be so selfish!" Seraphina raised an eyebrow, about to stop Leo from saying more, when he suddenly clutched his chest, sinking to his knees. "Sera, I'm having an attack! Arthur Bloomberg has angered me into one! Please, call an ambulance!" Seraphina immediately panicked. "Arthur, are you a block of wood? Hurry and help!" I took one look. Leo's face was flushed with health; he kept winking at me provocatively. He was clearly feigning illness again. Seraphina, however, didn't see through it. She barked orders at everyone to help carry Leo to the car. I turned to leave, but to my surprise, Seraphina, even in her haste, called out to me. "You're the one who made Leo sick! Where do you think you're going to hide? Get in the car; you're coming with me to the hospital." I didn't want to go, but I also didn't want Leo to extort me later, so I followed them. In the back seat, Leo lay in Seraphina's arms, whimpering and groaning about the pain. "Sera, Director Bloomberg is trying to murder me…" Seraphina was utterly distraught, scolding me angrily. "Don't you know he has a heart condition? Couldn't you just talk things out like a normal person?" Seeing her like this, I was long used to it. Over Leo's issues, Seraphina and I had argued, thrown tantrums, even smashed things. But no matter what I did, I couldn't change Seraphina's blatant favoritism towards him. Even this time, Leo had blatantly stolen my credit and project, then openly mocked me. I simply wanted to escape the continuous exploitation by resigning, but she saw it as me throwing a tantrum. If I were my old, hot-headed self, I would have already engaged in a furious debate with her. But in the year since Leo appeared, he had stolen Seraphina's affection, stolen my share of project profits, and now he was even seizing the hollow victories, the mere illusion of success. I wondered if, given more time, he would try to snatch the very title of 'husband' from me. Living like this, I was truly, utterly exhausted. I nodded, vaguely. "Mm, it won't happen again." Because there wouldn't be a next time for us. Seraphina looked at me, surprised, and seemed pleased by my apparent capitulation. She even offered a rare explanation. "I know your heart isn't bad, it's just your sharp tongue that gets you into trouble. Leo has a heart condition; I was just worried about him getting too stressed, so I went along with him. Besides, he's your protégé; don't you want him to go far?" Yes! Leo was my protégé, and I was the one who personally introduced him to Seraphina. He was a struggling student I had sponsored, covering his university tuition and medical expenses. When he couldn't find a job after graduation, I arranged an assistant position for him. But he wasn't content being a mere assistant for life, so he pleaded with me to teach him design. Every day, I would sacrifice three hours of my own rest to teach him hand-in-hand. I knew he had a heart condition, so I asked Seraphina to look after him. But I never expected Seraphina to look after him so excessively. One day, I went to Seraphina's office to discuss work, only to find them sharing an ice cream. Seeing this, a surge of anger rushed through me, and I confronted them immediately. That was the first time Leo feigned illness, and the first time Seraphina had ever given me a cold shoulder in front of others in all our years of marriage. She anxiously rushed Leo to the hospital, tending to his every need. Watching my own wife carefully care for someone else, my heart twisted. In ten years of marriage, I had never experienced her care. Once, I was doubled over with acute appendicitis, begging her to take me to the hospital, but she simply tossed a painkiller at me, her voice icy. "If you want to slack off, just say so. Don't pretend. I despise people who feign illness more than anything!" Later, I had to call for an ambulance myself and get surgery. When she found out about my condition, she was still utterly disdainful. "Appendicitis? Everyone gets it. Stop acting like it's a terminal illness, alright?" I thought she just had a tough exterior, a bark worse than her bite. But then I turned my head and saw Seraphina, a woman with severe germophobia, actually wiping Leo's brow with her pristine sleeve. She anxiously urged the driver to speed up, as if Leo, not I, were her husband. I smiled bitterly, all my long-held convictions dissolving in that moment. I should have realized long ago. Her every action screamed the truth: she truly loved Leo Bezos, deeply and intensely. And I was merely a passing stranger in her life. I quietly messaged my mentor, telling him I had been cut from the project. He sent back a shocked emoji. [Arthur, come work for me.] I had rejected him countless times in the past. This time, I simply replied, "Okay." To be with Seraphina, I had sacrificed my own promising future. Now, it wasn't too late to turn back. I had to fight for myself. The ride to the hospital was silent. We brought Leo to the emergency room; his condition was perfectly fine. Once I received the news, I turned to leave. "Arthur Bloomberg, wait," Seraphina called out, a sigh of relief escaping her. "I'll go home with you." She was about to link her arm with mine when Leo started feigning illness again, clutching his chest and groaning in pain. Seraphina sighed, then simply transferred five hundred dollars to me as compensation. "You go home first. Once the project is successful, I'll give you the rest of your commission. And once the company goes public, I'll return to family life. I promise you, I won't break my word." I vaguely mumbled "Mm." I turned to leave, not bothering to collect the money she'd sent. I had no intention of continuing this life with her. My mentor was already preparing the legal documents, ready to sue her. Not only would the contract be terminated, but she would also face colossal damages. 2 On the way home, I received a barrage of taunting messages and videos from Leo Bezos. "Arthur Bloomberg, what good is being her husband when she'd gladly catch my vomit with her bare hands? Have you ever had that kind of treatment?" He was right. I hadn't. When I was sick, she wouldn't even pour me a glass of water, let alone care for me. "Arthur Bloomberg, is five hundred dollars enough for you? If not, I can transfer some more. Sera just transferred half a million to me after my 'illness!'" I looked at the transfer record he sent. Seraphina truly did care for him. But her apologies to me were always grudging and miserly, while she'd casually drip-feed him tens of millions in spending money. I ignored his taunts, simply saving the evidence. Back home, I casually boiled some noodles, ate them, and went to bed. Late that night, Seraphina suddenly returned. She shook me awake. "Don't sleep anymore. Leo's sick. I'm letting him move in for a few days so I can look after him. Go clean up the guest room and change the sheets and duvet cover." Annoyed at being woken, I turned over and continued to sleep. "You clean it yourself. I'm busy." Leo, hearing my words, stormed in, frowning, and pointed an accusing finger at me. "Director Bloomberg, Sera was going to stay at my place. She only came back here to save your reputation as her husband! I've already agreed to impose on your home; Sera has begged you, too. Don't push your luck!" Seraphina shook her head in disappointment. "You usually enjoy doing chores, don't you? Are you deliberately targeting Leo right now?" Her voice was sharp. "He even told me he wouldn't hold a grudge about you making him sick! How can you be so petty compared to your own protégé?" I let out a cynical laugh, not bothering to argue. "Right, right, it's all my fault. You should definitely go stay at Leo's place. You can look after him even better there." Seraphina's furious tirade stopped abruptly. Her eyes reddened with rage. "Arthur Bloomberg! What kind of husband pushes his wife into another man's home?" She angrily punched me a few times, then ran out crying. After she left, Leo leisurely strolled in, giving me the middle finger in disdain. "Well, well, Master. I never thought you'd learn my tricks. But you'll never outmaneuver me. Just you wait." I didn't listen closely, burying my head back into the pillow and falling into a deep sleep. The next morning, I woke feeling refreshed. As I walked into the living room, I was met with a rich, savory aroma. A lavish breakfast was laid out on the table. Seraphina, wearing an apron, seemed to have forgotten the previous night's events. She pressed me into a chair and put a fried egg in my bowl. "Come, come, try this fried egg." How strange. Seraphina never cooked. Had the sun risen in the west today? I was about to take a bite when I heard her muttering to herself. "Leo's a picky eater. He won't touch it if it's even slightly burnt, and he won't eat it if it's too soft. Could you help me taste it..." I immediately put down my chopsticks. I had been a fool, deluding myself. How could she possibly be making breakfast for me? This meal was all thanks to Leo Bezos. Living like this, I was truly, utterly pathetic. I turned and walked into the room, retrieving the prepared divorce papers and handing them to her. Seraphina was busy with her cooking, not even sparing a glance. "The bone broth is still simmering on the stove. I'll sign later." I stopped her. "This is quite urgent. Sign it now; it won't take long." Seraphina sighed, took the pen, and quickly signed. She suddenly remembered something, casually asking, "Is this a new project you're working on? I want Leo to join your team. Don't worry, he won't take any money; he just needs his name on it." I carefully put the document away. Seraphina truly loved Leo deeply. She never forgot to seek benefits for him. But this time, she was destined for disappointment. "This isn't a project. These are divorce papers." 3 Seraphina froze. She still thought I was joking, as usual. She leaned forward, saw that it was real, and her face changed instantly. "What is the meaning of this? I merely let Leo stay for a few days! Why are you bringing up divorce?" As she spoke, she reached out to snatch the papers. I quickly hid them, looking at her. "Seraphina, wouldn't it be better if I just let you two be?" Seraphina exploded. "Your thoughts are truly disgusting! I just see him as a little brother, nothing more!" Even now, after everything, she was still trying to deny it. I curled my lips into a cynical smile. "Is that so? There are so many impoverished students out there; how is it that you only ever recognize him as your 'little brother'? Perhaps you should all swear blood brotherhood together." My words completely enraged Seraphina. Her face cycled from green to purple, and she shrieked, "Fine! Divorced it is!" Leo, woken by the shouting, emerged from the guest room, wearing my pajamas, feigning concern as he tried to mediate. "Everyone, please stop arguing! If I'm causing problems between you two, I'll just go die outside and never trouble Sera again." Seraphina immediately forgot her anger, glaring at me. "Are you a dead man? Quickly, tell him you didn't mean that! As long as you apologize to Leo, I'll let everything that happened today go." She thought I was just saying 'divorce' in a fit of pique, unaware that it was a deeply considered decision. I nodded. "Leo Bezos, your understanding is spot-on. That's exactly what I meant." Leo never expected me to actually retort. Losing face, he stormed out of the house in a rage, forgetting to even change his shoes. Seraphina's face was ashen. She swept the entire breakfast table clean. The sandwich I had just pulled from the fridge was snatched from my hand and tossed into the trash. "Divorced, are we? Everything in this house was bought with my money! You don't deserve to eat it!" Having spewed her venom, she then rushed off, chasing after Leo. Looking at the mess, I couldn't be bothered to clean it up. Just as I was about to go out for food, my mentor called, inviting me to breakfast. I immediately changed and met him at a diner. "Arthur, how are things with your resignation?" I was about to say that Seraphina wouldn't let me go when a notification popped up on my phone: my resignation had been successfully processed. "Director," I said, a faint smile touching my lips. "It's all sorted." My mentor didn't even wait to finish his porridge. He pulled out an employment contract. "Sign quickly! I brought the CEO's seal with me, just in case you changed your mind!" Seeing his eagerness, I smiled. I didn't let him down, glancing over the contract before signing it. He carefully put the contract away, then looked at me. "Are you free today? Accompany me to your company, will you?" Since I had nothing else to do, I agreed. After breakfast, I took him there. The moment I stepped into the company, I heard Leo Bezos's sickly sweet, mocking tone. "Well, well, if it isn't Arthur Bloomberg, the one who threatened to quit! What, just resigned and already regretting it?" Seraphina, alerted by the commotion, turned to look at me, letting out a cold scoff. "Leo, you don't understand. Arthur's old now; no one wants him. He can only come back begging us, otherwise he won't even be able to afford a meal." At that moment, the company was celebrating Leo Bezos's promotion. A large cake sat on a workstation. Leo cut a slice, but instead of offering it to me, he smashed it right in front of me. "Director Bloomberg, since you're my old mentor, if you lick that cake clean off the floor, I'll let you come back to the company as a director." My colleagues chimed in, mocking me. "No way! You can be a director just for eating cake? Director Bezos, why didn't you offer us such a good deal? You're clearly still biased towards your old teacher!" Leo chuckled, a sneer on his face. "Of course! Master painstakingly taught me everything; it wasn't easy. As his protégé, I have to repay him, don't I?" Seraphina stood by, watching me being humiliated and mocked. She didn't defend me; instead, she even joined in, stepping on a blob of cream with her shoe. She pointed at the shoe-marked cream on the floor, addressing me. "Arthur Bloomberg, you don't know this yet, but the company has already invested all its money into this project's production line. If you eat that, I'll let you have a share of the project's profits. This money will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. I'd like to see whether you choose money, or your dignity." Looking at Seraphina's contorted face, I smiled. "Is that so? Are you sure the collaboration can continue?" Seraphina raised an eyebrow, thinking I was bluffing, and let out a cold scoff. "You're just an old-timer clinging to past glory; I've tolerated you for too long. This time, Leo has already ironed out everything with the client. They're very satisfied. The company no longer needs you." Leo also stepped forward triumphantly. "Master, you're old. My abilities surpass yours. Get lost, don't spoil our celebration!" No wonder. Seraphina had been so resistant to letting me go before, but had suddenly agreed to my resignation. It was because she thought Leo had already learned all my skills. I suddenly smiled and asked, "Director Hayes, are they telling the truth?" My mentor emerged from behind me, pulling off his sunglasses. His voice was a thunderous roar. "Nonsense! I've never even seen you before!" Only then did everyone realize that he was the principal client! Leo's lie was exposed, and his face instantly turned ashen. Seraphina, too, had not expected my relationship with the client to be so close. But her grand pronouncements had already been made. Now, she had no choice but to push through, stubbornly. "Arthur Bloomberg, so what if you have a good relationship with the client? The contract has already been signed! Breach of contract demands five times the penalty fee! I don't believe for a second he'd lose money just to help you out!" Before I could speak, my mentor scoffed, flipping open the contract to show Seraphina. "Look closely. You arbitrarily changed the lead. You are the one in breach of contract! Prepare five hundred million in funds. We'll see you in court!"
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