My husband, Neil Williams, was a no-show for the bell-ringing of our company’s IPO. Instead, that night, he was spotted at a private party hosted by Chloe Preston, the so-called "Goddess of Venture Capital." Shortly after, a photo of them locked in an intimate embrace sent shockwaves through the tech world. “Aria, the tech headlines, the investment forums… they’re all blowing up!” my assistant’s voice trembled on the other end of the line. I swirled the crimson liquid in my wine glass, unperturbed. “What’s the panic?” “Leak the high-res original of that photo to the city’s top three media outlets. Anonymously.” “And listen carefully,” I added, my voice cold. “Blur their faces.” “But the IPO commemorative bracelet on Neil’s wrist, the one engraved with ‘001’… make sure it’s crystal clear.” That bracelet was supposed to be a symbol of our shared success. Now, it was a testament to his betrayal. … I was still in my gown from the IPO celebration when the office door burst open. Neil stormed in, reeking of another woman’s perfume, a scent mingling with the palpable heat of his anger. He had skipped our moment of shared glory for another woman’s party. And now, a photo of them clinging to each other in a quiet corner had been meticulously sent to every major player in our circle. His eyes were bloodshot. He slammed his phone down on my desk, the screen shattering on impact. “Aria! Are you fucking insane? Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” His voice was distorted with rage. “Why would you do this? Chloe is innocent!” “She was just stressed, feeling down! I went to comfort her, that’s all! Nothing happened!” I slowly lifted my gaze, my eyes pinning him in place. “Nothing happened? Does ‘nothing’ usually involve her practically draped all over you?” “And what kind of power does she have over you, Neil, that you’d completely forget the most important moment of our lives? That you’d miss ringing the bell for the company we built from nothing?” His chest heaved, but he was speechless. He never in a million years imagined that a high-definition photo of their embrace would be on my phone within five minutes of it happening. He squared his jaw, forcing out a defense. “For something this petty, you’re willing to ruin the company? Ruin me? Ruin Chloe? Are you serious?” “I never knew you could be so vicious!” “Vicious?” I stood up, closing the distance between us until only a foot of air separated us. The cloying mix of perfume, liquor, and his own guilt churned in my stomach. “Neil, you destroyed my trust. You destroyed yourself. And you dragged your ‘innocent’ Miss Preston down with you.” “It’s just one photo. Think of it as me taking out the trash.” That last line sent him over the edge. Neil’s face turned a shade of mottled purple. He raised his hand, the motion sharp and sudden, aimed straight for my face. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink. I just stared at him, my gaze like ice. “Go on. Hit me.” “The second that slap lands, tomorrow’s headline won’t be about the Blue Ocean Tech CEO’s little scandal. It’ll be ‘Neil Williams Assaults Co-Founder Wife.’” “And I imagine that story will do about ten times more damage than your sordid affair with Chloe Preston, don’t you think?” His hand froze mid-air, trembling, before he finally let it fall, defeated. Ten minutes later… The media outlets were shockingly fast. The phone lines at Blue Ocean’s PR department lit up like a Christmas tree. 【Blue Ocean CEO Skips IPO Celebration for Private Tryst with VC Goddess. Where Does His Tech Genius Wife Stand?】 【Blockbuster Scoop! Neil Williams and Chloe Preston: A Capital Alliance or a Rekindled Flame?】 … The headlines were a garish stain across the internet. My assistant rushed in, her face pale. “Aria, the Chairman is on the line, and several of our Series A investors… They’re all demanding you issue a statement immediately! They want you to say it was a standard business meeting, a trick of the camera angle.” A sardonic smile touched my lips. “A clarification? Why on earth would I clarify anything for them?” “I’m Aria Durant. I’m not just his wife. I’m the partner who built Blue Ocean with him from a ten-by-ten garage all the way to NASDAQ.” “He threw away seven years of our blood, sweat, and tears for another woman. And I, the wronged wife, am supposed to play nice and protect the Williams family fortune?” I shot a look at my assistant, then let my gaze drift back to Neil, my voice low and deliberate. “You’ve all worked with me for years. When have you ever known me to be some saint who swallows her pain and pretends everything is fine?” The intercom on my desk buzzed, a shrill, insistent sound. It was Neil’s father, Walter Williams, the Chairman of Blue Ocean Tech. His arrogant voice boomed through the office. “Aria, I’m ordering you to delete everything and hold a press conference. Apologize. Say it was all a misunderstanding!” “The reputation of Blue Ocean, our stock price—they will not be destroyed by your feminine jealousy!” I laughed. “Mr. Chairman, you seem to have one thing wrong. The person destroying your stock price is your own clueless, darling son.” “He’s the one who broadcast to the world that he’s a CEO led by his libido.” The line went silent for a few seconds. He clearly hadn't expected me to talk back. Then, his voice returned, laced with fury as he laid his cards on the table. “What do you want? Equity? A payout? Name your price, Aria. Just shut your mouth, and we can make this go away.” Trying to buy my silence now? Too late. “I don’t want a thing.” “Except for one… justice.” “Justice?” Walter’s voice on the other end was a harsh, grating laugh. “In the world of capital, justice belongs to whoever has the most shares, the most money!” “Don’t you forget, Aria, everything you have, you have because of the Williams family! Without Blue Ocean, you’re worthless!” “Enough talk. You have thirty minutes. If I don’t see your apology statement in thirty minutes, you’ll face the consequences.” Click. He hung up. “Aria, the Chairman… he’s serious. The Williams have a controlling stake on the board,” my assistant whispered, her face etched with worry. My expression was a placid lake. “It’s fine. I’m not afraid of bugs. When you write code for long enough, you learn to spot the malicious ones. And you crush them.” The next day, a new storm broke online. During a keynote speech at a major industry summit, Chloe Preston suddenly clutched her chest, her body swaying before collapsing to the ground amidst a chorus of gasps. Her PR team was lightning-fast. Less than five minutes later, a photo of her on a stretcher was everywhere. The accompanying caption was a masterpiece of manipulation: 【Overwhelmed by days of baseless accusations, Chloe’s body has finally given out under the immense pressure. Thank you all for your concern. Please, don't blame anyone. It's all my fault!】 In the photo, her eyes were shut, her lips pale. She looked like she was at death’s door, and the internet’s protective instincts flared. The narrative flipped on a dime. The hashtag #ChloePrestonCollapses became the number one trending topic on every platform. My name became synonymous with “vengeful bitch” and “psycho ex.” The comments section on my social media was flooded with hundreds of thousands of hateful messages. 【Holy shit! Is she trying to kill her? This Aria woman is pure poison!】 【Neil needs to divorce her ASAP! A wife like that will sink the company!】 【My heart breaks for Chloe! She’s a breath of fresh air in the capital world, why does she have to be bullied like this!?】 Then, Neil’s call came through, his voice blazing with accusation. “Aria, Chloe collapsed! She’s being rushed to the hospital! If anything happens to her, I swear to God, I will destroy you!” “Are you happy now? Does seeing her fall apart bring you joy?” I listened silently as he roared down the phone line. When he finally ran out of steam, I spoke, my tone unhurried and precise. “Tell me, Neil, in your world, is everyone supposed to just step aside for you two tragic lovers?” “She faints, and it’s my fault. What about me? The wife and partner you both conspired to betray. Am I just supposed to take it?” “You should get to the hospital. And while you’re there, give her a tip. Next time she stages a drama, she should pick a better venue.” “Maybe not one with a 360-degree high-definition livestream. Her pained expression was a little too fake. The internet’s armchair detectives will see right through it.” My counterattack ignited the full fury of the Williams family. The next day, an emergency board meeting was called. I didn’t attend. I claimed I was feeling unwell. After the meeting, an all-staff memo was sent out from the executive office: 【Effective immediately, Aria Durant has been suspended from all duties for ‘personal misconduct causing severe damage to the company’s reputation and shareholder interests.’】 Overnight, I went from the company’s Chief Technology Officer to a disgraced pariah under investigation. Neil sent me a text, each word dripping with vengeful satisfaction. 【This is what you wanted? I gave you a chance, Aria.】 【Now get out of my company. The lawyers will be in touch about the equity transfer and the divorce papers.】 I looked at the message and smiled. We’ll see who’s getting out. A few days later, Neil, a freshly “discharged” Chloe Preston, and two security guards barged into my office. “Don’t push your luck, Aria! This is Blue Ocean Tech. You’re suspended. You have no right to be here!” he snarled, pointing a finger at me, his face a mask of triumph. I swiveled slowly in my chair, looking up at him. “Why don’t you take a closer look, Neil? At the name on the deed for the ‘Blue Ocean Tech Headquarters’ building?” I paused, savoring the way his expression froze. “Oh, did I forget to tell you? This is my prenuptial property. A gift from my father for my eighteenth birthday.” “If anyone’s getting out, it’s the Williams.” Neil was completely stunned; he clearly had no idea. Behind him, Chloe’s face shifted through shades of white and green. She tugged awkwardly at his sleeve. “Neil, let’s just go! It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have come if she didn’t want to see me!” Her damsel-in-distress act was truly something to behold. Neil looked at her, his eyes softening with an almost tangible pity. He turned back to me, his glare venomous. “You’ll pay for this, Aria. You just wait.” “I’ll make sure you can never work in this industry again!” I rose from my chair, meeting his hostile gaze without fear. “I’ll be right here… waiting.” My eyes shifted past Neil, landing on Chloe. “Miss Preston, you have a talent for theatrics, but you didn’t do your homework. Next time you play the fainting game, try looking up some medical terms.” “Otherwise, your laughably fake fainting spells won’t just fool the internet—they’ll make your investors question your credibility.” Chloe’s body went rigid, her eyes darting away as her face grew even paler. Neil threw an arm around her, shielding her. “Shut up, Aria! Stop hurting her!” Looking at his pathetic display, I could only laugh. “Hurting her?” I scoffed. “The person truly hurting her is you. You gave her false hope, made her believe she could climb over me to get to the top.” Neil was a fool, the true architect of this entire mess. But the Williams family’s retribution was faster and more brutal than I’d anticipated. My internal access at the company was revoked instantly. The team I had personally built was forcibly disbanded. Only my assistant remained, secretly feeding me information. Soon, whispers started circulating through the industry, painting me as a "tech zealot," a "tyrant who stole credit from her team." Meanwhile, Neil and Chloe bounced back, more visible than ever. At a high-profile financial forum, Neil stood under the spotlight, his words carefully chosen. “A truly robust company cannot be held hostage by one person or one technology. I will be handling our internal issues swiftly to provide clarity for all our stakeholders.” He stopped just short of saying my name, but everyone knew who the “internal issue” was. Walter Williams called again, his tone dripping with condescension. “Regretting it now, Aria? I told you, you’re no match for me.” “But if you get on your knees and beg, then issue a public statement admitting you slandered them out of jealousy for Chloe, I might consider giving you a meaningless position at the company. Just to save you from complete humiliation.” I listened to his delusional rant, finding it absurd. “Mr. Chairman, did you forget? My last name isn’t Williams. It’s Durant.” My father, Victor Durant. Though he’d been retired for years, he was still a titan in the national tech scene, a legend. I had deliberately avoided using my family’s influence, not wanting to turn what I thought was our company into an ugly family feud. I had naively believed this was my venture with Neil, something we should resolve ourselves. It was clear now they didn’t deserve that decency. Walter’s voice turned to ice. “So you’ve chosen the hard way. Don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’m going to show you, Aria, that without Blue Ocean, you are absolutely nothing.” The line went dead. Moments later, my phone rang again. It was my brother. His voice was calm and steady. “Hey, sis. I saw the news. I’m sorry you’re going through this.” He didn’t ask why. He didn’t scold me for being rash. “Dad says to do whatever you need to do. He wants you to know that the family will support you unconditionally, just like always. You have nothing to fear.” A lump formed in my throat. The weeks of betrayal and anger almost broke through the dam I’d built. “I’m okay, brother,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. After hanging up, I wiped a single tear from my eye. My gaze sharpened, my resolve hardening into steel. I was going to leave Neil Williams with no way out. Then, I dialed a number I had saved long ago but had never called. When the call connected, I got straight to the point. “Mr. Ryder, I have a very interesting game I’d like to play, and I’m looking for a partner. I guarantee it’ll be worth your while.” There was a brief pause, followed by a low chuckle. “Ms. Durant, if you’re in the mood for a game, I’d be delighted to join.” “You name the place. I’m on my way.” The man on the other end was Neil’s biggest rival in business: Jax Ryder, the founder of the nation’s AI behemoth, Torchlight Tech. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the city lights blur as my expression turned to ice. “I want at least half of Blue Ocean’s market share.”
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