I was in the middle of negotiating a business deal when my husband Ethan’s newly hired intern, Lily, barged in and demanded I go buy her breakfast. Watching the client’s face darken, I immediately threw her out. Afterward, I apologized repeatedly before finally securing the partnership. Just as I was about to share the good news with Ethan, patent agreement in hand, he slapped me twice across the face in front of the entire company. “You vicious woman! Is money all you ever think about? Do you know you almost got Lily killed?” That’s when I learned Lily had been hospitalized for low blood sugar from skipping breakfast. But there was clearly chocolate on her desk that I’d bought for her earlier. I looked up at Ethan’s furious face. My cheeks burned, but my heart went cold. After a long silence, I finally spoke: “Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” The moment those words left my mouth, Ethan’s expression froze. Then he grabbed a janitor’s mop bucket and dumped the filthy water over my head. Ice-cold, reeking water soaked through my clothes. My white shirt clung to my skin, revealing the color of my bra underneath. The stench spread through the air. I was completely drenched, hair plastered to my face, water dripping down my cheeks. Under everyone’s stares, I’d never felt more humiliated. Ethan pointed at me, his tone violent: “Not thinking clearly? Let me help you wake up.” A deathly silence fell over the room. All the employees kept their heads down. I clutched the patent agreement, now soaked, my fingertips ice cold. A wave of bitterness surged in my chest as I shot back: “Ethan, do you know what this project bonus is for? It’s to save my mother’s life. What could be more important than keeping the company from going bankrupt, more important than keeping my mom alive? Lily had low blood sugar, but her desk was full of soda and chocolate I gave her. Why didn’t she eat any of it? There were so many idle colleagues just now. Why did she specifically barge in to find me while I was negotiating a hundred-million-dollar project? Let me be blunt—I’m the Vice President of this company. Why should I buy breakfast for an intern?” Ethan’s face turned pale. He seemed at a loss for words, then let out a cold snort: “Since you want this money so badly, fine. I’ll tell you right now—I won’t give you a single cent of this project bonus. I’m awarding it all to Lily.” My whole body shook. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from my husband of ten years: “On what grounds?” His tone was cold, looking at me with contempt: “Your mom’s already got one foot in the grave. Does this money even matter? Lily is young with a bright future ahead. This money suits her better. It’ll also knock down that arrogant attitude of yours.” Those words stabbed into my chest like a knife. I steadied my trembling body as tears finally spilled down my face. This company survived until today not because of him, but because of the patent my mother developed by exhausting her life’s work. My mother contracted cancer precisely because developing that patent meant long-term exposure to experimental metal radiation. It was because of my mother’s sacrifice that I threw everything into securing this project. For this project, I pulled every string I could, drank until I had stomach bleeding at business dinners, just to connect with this well-established partner who could provide a hundred-million-dollar collaboration deal. But now... My voice trembled, tears beyond my control: “Ethan, have you forgotten how you begged my mother when you were penniless, begging her to give you the patent? My mom felt sorry for me, pitied you, and let the company use her core patent for over a decade for free—not asking for a single cent. Now you talk about her like this. Doesn’t your own heart ache?” Complete silence fell. My accusation echoed through the office. All the employees looked at me with sympathy, then began discussing in lowered voices. “Ethan went too far. How could he say something like that?” “Right? We were all free at the time. Lily didn’t come to any of us—why did she specifically go find Jordan while she was in the middle of a project meeting?” “So this company exists today because of Jordan’s mother. Ethan’s words are just too...”
The employees’ murmurs died down when they met Ethan’s dark expression. The whispered sympathy and indignation fell on his ears. Ethan’s face alternated between pale and flushed, utterly humiliated. Cornered by the accusations, Ethan’s tone softened for a rare moment: “Jordan, I... I didn’t mean it like that...” Before he could finish, footsteps echoed from the lobby entrance. Lily was being supported by bodyguards, her face pale, stumbling as she rushed in. Her voice dripped with theatrical grievance: “Stop fighting, please! It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have troubled the Vice President to buy me breakfast.” “A poor person like me isn’t worth anything. I don’t deserve to make you angry on my account.” “It’s all my fault. Please don’t fight because of me...” Lily cried while actually starting to kneel before me. “I was so thoughtless! I shouldn’t have asked the Vice President to buy breakfast. The Vice President did nothing wrong—it’s all my fault. Someone like me is worthless anyway. I might as well just jump out a window.” She screamed and rushed toward the window, acting like she wanted to end her life. Ethan’s face changed drastically. He immediately rushed forward and grabbed her tightly, pulling her back with force: “Lily! Don’t be rash! I’m here.” After some struggle, he pulled her back into his embrace. But during the scuffle, the top button of Ethan’s shirt popped open. From his neck down to his chest—covered in fresh and faded red marks. We’d been sleeping in separate beds for nearly a month now. His late nights coming home, the perfume smell on him, the mysterious expenses, how he never let his phone out of his sight. All the signs I’d ignored suddenly connected in that moment. He was having an affair. With this intern he held so precious. My whole body went cold. Even breathing hurt. Seeing me staring at his neck, panic flashed in Ethan’s eyes, quickly replaced by rage: “Jordan, what’s the point of dredging up your mother’s old business? I run this company now, and you need to listen to me.” “Stop trying to fool me. Your mother’s illness isn’t that serious. She said herself it’s nothing major. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Bitterness surged in my chest again. My mom had pretended she was fine so Ethan could focus on the company without distraction. But if he’d just asked at the hospital even once, he’d know my mom would die soon without surgery. Before I could respond, he continued: “You think being Vice President gives you some kind of superiority? Starting today, you’re demoted. You’ll be Lily’s assistant and learn how to be a decent human being.” That sentence ignited all the humiliation I’d endured today and my fury over Ethan’s affair. I couldn’t control myself anymore. I raised my hand to slap Lily across the face. Ethan moved quickly, immediately shouting: “Security! Hold her down.” Two large bodyguards instantly rushed forward, twisting my arms and pinning me so I couldn’t move. Ethan’s eyes turned vicious. “Still trying to hit people? Beat her. Beat her until she comes to her senses.” Slap after slap landed on my face. At least a dozen. My lip split, my cheeks swelled and burned, my ears rang, darkness crept into my vision. Ethan glared coldly at all the employees: “What happened today—anyone who breathes a word of this gets fired immediately and blacklisted permanently.” The bodyguards shoved me hard to the ground. Covered in filthy water mixed with tears and blood, I looked as pathetic as a drowned rat. I tried to push myself up. Ethan walked over and crouched down in front of me. “Jordan, if you dare call the police, I’ll stop your mother’s medication immediately and let her fend for herself.”
My chest constricted sharply. Sourness rushed straight to my nose. My mom spent her whole life as a professor—frugal and modest. Most of her savings went to Ethan’s startup, the rest to charity. She kept nothing for herself. I bit down hard on my teeth, unable to say a word. I could only swallow the choking bitterness in my throat. I stumbled out of the company and headed straight for the hospital. But just as I reached the inpatient building, the doctor called, his voice urgent: “Ms. Rivers, your mother’s medication has been stopped.” My whole body trembled. With shaking hands, I dialed Ethan’s number. The moment he answered, his cold voice came through: “This is your lesson. Behave yourself. Come to the company tomorrow to be Lily’s assistant, or your mother won’t last another day.” Through the receiver, I heard Lily’s sweet, cloying laugh: “Ethan, let’s go to that Japanese restaurant tonight, okay?” The call ended. I stood in the hospital’s cold corridor, watching patients’ families come and go, finally unable to hold myself up. I slowly sank to the ground and cried. I clutched the salary card I’d saved for ten whole years, my hands shaking as I handed it to the payment window. The nurse swiped it, then looked up at me with a gentle shake of her head, her tone sympathetic: “Ms. Rivers, this card has been frozen. The primary cardholder needs to unfreeze it before it can be used.” In an instant, all the strength drained from my body. Ten years of marriage. I’d stood by him from nothing to the brink of going public. In his eyes, I wasn’t worth a single cent. My mom was still in her hospital room waiting for life-saving medication. I had no choice. I wiped the tears from my face, gritted my teeth, and headed back to the company. By the time I stumbled back to the office, it was long past closing time. Only the top-floor executive office still had its lights on. Just as I reached the elevator, the head of security blocked my path, looking me up and down with disdain: “Ms. Rivers? Oh wait—you’ve been demoted. What are you doing at the company now? Planning to steal something?” I had no energy to argue with him. I shoved him aside and rushed toward the office. The closer I got to the door, the clearer I could hear the indecent sounds coming from inside. A woman’s sultry moans mixed with a man’s heavy grunts, along with the desk creaking under strain. “Ethan, slower... I can’t take it anymore...” “What if that shrew finds out? She’ll beat me...” Ethan’s voice came through between ragged breaths: “Don’t worry. She can only depend on me now. Without me, she’s nothing...” My mother was dying in the hospital, and he was here sleeping with his intern. Overwhelming fury and humiliation instantly clouded my judgment. I raised my foot and kicked the office door hard. “BANG.” The door flew open. The scene inside was obscene. Ethan immediately grabbed his shirt to cover himself, pointing at me and cursing: “Jordan! Have you lost your mind?! Acting like a total psycho—wasn’t the last lesson enough for you?!” My whole body trembled. Tears finally fell uncontrollably. I stared at him hard, my voice hoarse beyond recognition: “Ethan, what will it take for you to give my mother her medication?” He straightened his clothes, pulled a document from his drawer, and threw it on the desk. “Simple. Sign this patent transfer agreement. Transfer the core patent from your mother’s name to mine personally.” “The patent is still in your mother’s hands. I’m not comfortable with that. Sign it, and I’ll renew your mother’s medication immediately.” I stared at the agreement, my whole body shaking with rage. That patent cost my mother half her life’s work. She got cancer from radiation exposure developing it. It was her life. “I’ll never sign. This is my mother’s lifelong work. Don’t even think about it.”
“Then don’t blame me for forcing you.” Ethan’s expression darkened as he advanced toward me. I was about to step back when sudden, sharp pain exploded at the back of my head. My vision went black instantly. The world spun. I struggled to turn my head. The last thing I saw was Lily holding a black iron rod. Ethan’s icy voice reached my ears: “Let you experience what Lily went through. See if you still talk back.” With that, he intimately took Lily’s arm, and they turned to leave. I completely lost consciousness and collapsed heavily to the floor. When I regained consciousness, darkness surrounded me. The air reeked of mildew and dust. I was locked in an abandoned warehouse. Doors and windows sealed tight. I called for help, but no one came. I still wore that filthy water-soaked shirt, cold and stinking against my skin. My stomach growled with hunger. My lips cracked and peeled. Not a drop of water to drink. Cold, hungry, thirsty—I was on the verge of collapse. And all I could think about was my mother in the hospital without her medication. Was she in pain? Was she suffering? Was she... I didn’t dare think further. I curled up in the corner, breaking down. I don’t know how many times I passed out, only watching the sun rise and set through the window. Two full days and nights. I had no chance to call for help. Just as my consciousness was about to fade completely, the warehouse door suddenly opened. A longtime company employee passing by discovered me barely alive and got me out. The first thing I did was take a cab to the hospital, then borrowed the driver’s charging cable to charge my phone. The moment it powered on, a text message popped up. “Is this Professor Quinn’s daughter? I’m Professor Quinn’s former student. I heard Professor Quinn’s patent license to Gray Corporation has expired. Our Sullivan Group is willing to pay ten billion for ten years of usage rights, with 51% profit sharing. Would you be interested?” Before I could reply to that message, the car had already stopped at the hospital entrance. I stumbled inside, running straight into my mother’s attending physician: “Where’s my mom? How is she?” The doctor looked troubled. “Ms. Rivers, your mother was already discharged by someone else and transferred home. All treatment was stopped.” My head buzzed. “Who did it?” “A young woman. She said she was following Mr. Gray’s orders, that home care would be fine.” “I explained Professor Quinn’s serious condition to her. She said the family didn’t have money for hospitalization...” It was Lily. I ran home like a madwoman. The moment I pushed open the door, my entire world collapsed. My mother lay quietly on the cold floor, her face pale, no longer breathing. She was gone. While I was locked in that warehouse crying for help. While Ethan and Lily were enjoying themselves. My mother—who lived her whole life in modest poverty, who gave us everything—died alone. Without medication. Without treatment. Just like that, she was gone. I knelt on the floor, holding my mother’s gradually cooling body, sobbing until my heart shattered. Until I couldn’t make a sound anymore. Only suppressed whimpers remained. I couldn’t understand how everything had turned out this way. I didn’t notify Ethan. During those days handling funeral arrangements, I moved like a walking corpse. Until an elegant, dignified man entered the mourning hall to pay his respects. Afterwards, he turned to look at me. “Ms. Rivers, my deepest condolences. I’m Sebastian Sullivan, Professor Quinn’s former student and the person who sent you that message.” After I told him everything in fragments, his expression darkened bit by bit, the pressure around him becoming frightening: “I never imagined we’d meet under these circumstances. This is my fault. I sent the Professor messages recently that she never replied to. I should have looked for her sooner.” He lowered his head in self-reproach. I shook my head, indicating he shouldn’t blame himself. My mom didn’t want to make a big deal of her illness. She always thought of others first. She knew if her students found out she was sick, they’d visit every day. Sebastian understood my mother’s nature and sighed. I looked up at Sebastian with red eyes: “Mr. Sullivan, I wonder if you’re still willing to sign that licensing agreement?” This was something my mother paid for with her life. I would never let Ethan profit from it by a single cent again. Sebastian nodded firmly. Just as the pen touched paper to sign, my phone vibrated. A message from Ethan: “Have you thought it over? Sign the patent transfer agreement, and I’ll have the hospital give Mom her medication and surgery immediately.” Reading that message, my chest felt like it was being torn open, the pain suffocating. The hatred made my whole body tremble. My mom was already dead, and he was still threatening me with her life. Sebastian pressed his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be impulsive. For evil people to fall the hardest, you have to wait until they’re at their highest point.” He was right. I gripped my phone tightly but ultimately didn’t reply with a single word. On the other side, Ethan waited a long time without receiving my response. An inexplicable panic rose in his heart. He turned to ask Lily, who was nestled in his arms: “When you went to the hospital that day, did the doctor say how serious Mom’s condition really was?” Lily’s eyes flickered. She forced herself to stay calm: “Not serious at all. The doctor said it was just a minor issue that would get better with rest. Jordan was just making a mountain out of a molehill.” Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and sneered: “I knew it. She was just using her mother to manipulate me.” “But it doesn’t matter if she won’t budge. At the company’s IPO launch the day after tomorrow, I’ll publicly announce that the patent belongs to the company. Done deal. Anyway, my mother-in-law has always been fond of me. When the time comes, I’ll sweet-talk her a bit and she definitely won’t make a fuss.” Lily immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling: “Ethan, you’re so clever! Once we go public, we’ll be the envy of everyone.” The two embraced, fantasizing about their glorious success. Soon, Gray Corporation’s IPO launch event arrived as scheduled. The venue was brilliantly lit, packed with reporters. Ethan stood on stage, full of confidence, about to announce the company’s core patent and IPO news. Just then, his secretary rushed in, face deathly pale, voice trembling: “Mr. Gray! This is bad! Something terrible has happened.” Ethan frowned and snapped: “What are you panicking about?!” “Professor Quinn—your mother-in-law’s patent license to the company has expired! And also...” Before the secretary could finish, the venue erupted into chaos. Investors and partners’ faces instantly changed. Ethan waved his hand impatiently: “What’s there to worry about?! That’s my mother-in-law’s patent. One phone call from me and it’s settled. What’s the big deal?!” The secretary closed their eyes in despair. “Mr. Gray, Professor Quinn has passed away from illness.”
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