At the end of the year, I was on the list of layoffs as one of the company's founders.

My boyfriend, as the biggest boss behind the scenes, looked at me with a smile and protected my cousin firmly behind him.

He sneered, “Katherine, you can't even compare to one finger of your sister, why should I keep you?"

Then, after I got home, my parents scolded, “Can't you learn from your sister? You are an adult now, so please stop being annoying, or no one will like you."

Well, the new year had not even started yet, but there were already cuckolding, layoffs and family turmoil happening one after another.

I suddenly realized, why should I be around them? I had my own life too.

But when I figured it out, they came to ask me to go back.

I cheerfully gave him a middle finger and said, “Sorry, I don't have time. I won't accompany you."

***

Because I was negotiating a cooperation, I did not attend the company's annual meeting.

The cooperation had just been discussed, so I was full of hope to tell them the good news as early as last year. But then I learned that I had been laid off.

Funny, right? I was one of the company’s founders, not just an ordinary employee, but in the end, I was the one who was laid off by the CEO.

I quickly sent a message to my boyfriend, Mike Vance, who was another founder of our company and also the powerful chairman.

[Katherine: Why did HR inform me that I was laid off? So suddenly?]

However, I got no reply to my WhatsApp messages nor answer to my phone calls.

After a long time, a message came.

[Mike: Let's break up.]

Break up? I was even more shocked. We had already discussed marriage a week ago, why did he suddenly break up with me?

I thought about it and continued in the original direction to the hotel where the company was holding its annual meeting.

As soon as I arrived, people around me casted different looks at me. On the other hand, Mike didn’t care about me since he was on the stage imagining the company's bright future. So, I walked up to the stage expressionlessly, asking him to give me an explanation.

He glared at me with a sullen face, yelling, “You can’t come here. Where is the security?"

“Why was I laid off? I need you to give me an explanation."

When I finished speaking, some employees in the audience burst into laughter and a few people whispered to each other.

“She really thinks she's the Boss. How dare she talk like that?"

“That's right, she's just a girl who relies on her boyfriend to get ahead. She really thinks she's so impressive when she puts on a dress."

My face turned even darker. But I had always maintained a gentle attitude in the company, so I didn't want to let that kind of person got over me that day.

Mike obviously heard my question, so he answered provocatively, “Yes, you were laid off, so you were not allowed to attend the year-end meeting. You are fired, Miss Avery."

Then, he continued, “Everyone, our company is about to go public. Only when the people who should leave the company leave can we get through this period smoothly. After all, everyone wants to get a raise and promotion, right?"

After Mike said those statements out loud, the security guards came. 

I knew that no matter how hard I struggled, my power couldn't beat them. So, I chose to walk out on my own feet.

But before I left, someone kicked my ankle and said in disgust, “Why are you pretending? Fortunately, our CEO is not a love-brained person. He is wise and brave. Also, without her, he will definitely help us make more money."

***

It was winter and snow was falling outside. I held the document in my arms, feeling cold, but my heart was even colder.

Once we graduated, Mike and I started Ritchie Group.

Over the past few years, I had devoted my heart and soul to the company.

In the end, because I had no shares and only empty power, I became a thorn in his side. So, when the company laid off employees, I was the first person he thought of.

Of course, I couldn't just walk away without knowing why.

I arrived at the company the next day, when a woman had already moved into my private office.

I actually wanted to take the boxes that contained my notebooks and personal belongings that day. But to my surprise, when I pushed open the office door expressionlessly, Camilla Avery, my cousin, looked at me with a smile.

“Katherine, it must be hard to have everything taken away from you, right?"

I didn't want to pay attention to her, but she was playing with a photo frame in her hand, which contained a photo of me and Mike.

She leaned back in her chair, rubbing the photo carelessly while saying, “What should I say? Congratulations on finally getting kicked out? Or should I congratulate your boyfriend for finding another girlfriend?"

I couldn't stand it anymore and slapped her.

She screamed, her face was red and swollen. 

Camilla was covering her face, looking very painful when yelling, “Katherine! Just wait, you have nothing now, I wonder what else you can use to fight me. We'll see."

“Haven't you ever heard that those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes?"

After saying that, I left the office and saw some employees whispering outside the door. They should have all been fired for being so gossipy.

I strode towards Mike's office, then kicked the door open.

Mike was startled by the loud noise. So, he stood up angrily and looked at me before asking, “What do you want? You're making such a fuss. Do you think you're still the same Ms. Avery?"

I hesitated before speaking, since I didn’t expect Mike would be that cruel.

“Why did you fire me? Give me a reason."

“We have broken up. Do you understand? After the breakup, there is no place for you in this company."

A hint of resentment flashed across his handsome face.

“But I have done nothing wrong. Why are you firing me?"

“Of course, it's to make room for my new girlfriend. You know, right? Camilla and I are together."

“Camilla?" 

I was shocked when hearing her name.

Camilla had been uneducated since she was a child. She only relied on her mouth to coax the whole family to love her. 

As she and I were of similar age, we had always been the object of comparison among the elders. So, I knew everything about her.

Although I had good grades and never made people worry about my education, Camilla was sweet and could coax people, which made many people love her more than me.

That was why, although I started my own business right after graduation and had already achieved financial freedom, Camilla was still the most beloved person in the family. Even my biological parents loved her more than me.

Then, at that time, she even got my boyfriend’s love and became his lover.

“Camilla is in the same age as you, but she is more considerate than you. She never asks me to talk about work late at night, she also is not as unromantic as you. She will care about me in every possible way. The way that I will never get from you."

My boyfriend's answer left me stunned, as if I was back in my childhood when my parents frowned and scolded me for not being any better than Camilla.

I admitted that I was very busy when I first started my business and was always talking about work, which gave Mike the cold shoulder. However, I had never forgotten any of our anniversaries, I also spent almost all of my time with him whenever I had time.

But in his eyes, I was just a workaholic who didn't care about him at all, so that I was not even as good as Camilla's finger.

“The gift she gave you came from my work. The time she spent with you was earned by my crazy work," I couldn’t help but explain in an angry tone.

Mike frowned and looked at me as he said, “So what? No matter what you say now won't change my mind. Camilla is a thousand times, no, ten thousand times better than you."

I sneered in my heart, I would like to see how your Camilla could help you with the core project without me.

Then, I signed the resignation contract and walked away under Camilla's smug gaze.

But before leaving, I could still hear what Camilla said, “Baby, why did you make her angry and leave? You know, I can't tell my family about this."

Then, Mike replied, “Don’t worry, just tell me if they dare to make things difficult for you."

You two bastards, damn it!

On the way back, I was getting more and more angry the more I thought about it.

In the past, I was really blinded by so-called love, so I gave him whatever he wanted. But in the end, it benefited others.

When I got home, my parents had already learned from Camilla that I had been fired, so they were not in a good mood.

“Katherine, we know that you've never been as likable as Camilla since you were young. But how can you not even compare to her at work now?

"We really don't know what's the point of us taking you to college, if you act like this, Katherine. Start from now, since you are not working at that company anymore, don't be so stern when the relatives are coming, do you understand? 

“You better go and beg Camilla now, so maybe she will give you a small clerk position. We think it’s better than nothing."

If today wasn’t New Year’s Eve, I would definitely not return to that dilapidated home. But no matter how unwilling I was, I still had to face it in the future, so it was that time or never.

However, what I didn’t expect was that Mike was there too.

Camilla brought Mike to their seat, while I sat on the sofa, entertaining them with a fake smile.

They seemed to be a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, but not the good people I had ever known.

You should know that Mike and I had been together for five years, but he still didn't want to meet my parents and said that it was too early to know each family. 

At that time, I gladly agreed, since we were still young. But then, I started to regret my stupidity, because it wasn’t like he didn’t want to but was just reluctant to go.

The proof was in front of me at that moment. After being together with Camilla for only a few days, he was willing to come and even looked so happy with it. It was really unbelievable.

Camilla's mother smiled from ear to ear as she introduced Mike to us.

“Mike is the CEO of a big company, so you better call him President Vance from now on. He also is a top student and very capable, that’s why he is perfect to be my son-in-law."

Mike absolutely smiled shyly when he was praised like that.

After all, I was the only one who knew that Camilla's mother appeared to be kind and gentle on the surface, but in fact she was an extreme control freak towards her daughter.

Well, Camilla herself was no worse than others. She was a gold digger, hiding behind her beauty and innocence.

If Mike really married her, imagine how annoying that family would be then.

My mother quickly went forward to flatter Camilla. 

“Wow, Mike is the Chairman of the board? Camilla is so lucky to be his girlfriend. How could she find a CEO in her age, right? What’s more, he is really a handsome guy."

“There's no need to flatter me so much, Auntie. By the way, how's Katherine doing lately?" Camilla asked innocently.

I actually wanted to answer that question by mocking her, but my father glared at me and snorted angrily. He even said, “Forget it. Katherine is almost 30 years old, but never brought her boyfriend home. What’s more, she was laid off by the company yesterday. In fact, I feel ashamed of her when I tell you about it."

“Oh, so how about letting Katherine come to work in our company? Mike is a very nice person, he will definitely be willing to take her in," Camilla said and smiled gently with a malicious look on his face.

My mother looked at her gratefully and said to me quickly, “Oh, what a coincidence! Why don't you thank Camilla quickly? She is in the same age as you, but Camilla indeed knows how to treat others. You should learn from her."

Camilla's parents looked proud when they heard that, so it was their time to mock me.

"Yes, on your age, you should have a boyfriend, right? Well, although not everyone can find a boyfriend as good as Mike like Camilla, it is better to let your boyfriend go home to meet your parents, so that both of you can settle down as soon as possible."

Mike's face stiffened slightly and even Camilla, who was thick-skinned, couldn't bear it.

I nodded with a half-smile and said, “Thank you for your consideration, Uncle."

My mother just realized something and said quickly, “Yes, you've been dating your boyfriend for five years, why don't you bring him to meet us? Is he some kind of ferocious beast that can't be seen by others?"

“You know, my boyfriend's name is Mike, the same as his," I said in a calm tone.

The atmosphere suddenly tightened, but then my aunt laughed and tried to change the subject by saying, “Oh, what a coincidence. Isn't this just a coincidence?"

I nodded calmly and said, "It is not, since Mike I said is my cousin's boyfriend now.

“Oh, we just broke up. I should say my ex-boyfriend. Isn't that right, shameless man?"

After I said that, the house became completely quiet.

But then my mother suddenly got angry and slapped me.

It hurt so much, but not worsened than the betrayal my boyfriend and my cousin did. Sorry, I meant my ex-boyfriend.

When I still covered my face and felt it was swelling up, my mother yelled, “What nonsense are you talking about, Katherine? You just can't stand seeing your sister doing well, can you?"

Seeing my mother furious, Camilla pretended to hold her from behind and said innocently, “Auntie, please don't be angry. Katherine definitely didn't mean it."

I snorted coldly and pushed her aside.

“It seems like Camilla more suits your taste, right? So, let her be your daughter then."

Without waiting for them to say anything, I strode out of the house. I had been angry for more than 20 years, so I was really done with it.

***

When I returned to my own apartment, my mobile rang.

They were clients with whom I had just signed a contract. Since I was laid off, it was naturally impossible for us to continue our cooperation.

So, I chose to tell the whole story. I had been responsible for following up with the client after all. Fortunately, after I finished speaking, they still chose me.

The news of my dismissal had already been spread by Mike, so many companies called me at once. You know, I was the one who brought up Ritchie Group after all, so my abilities were obvious to all in the industry.

Finally, I chose an established company that I had wanted to apply for when I graduated. Moreover, the other party promised to double my salary and directly promote me to the position of Vice President.

Then, when I joined the company, we negotiated a new cooperation and became very popular.

The Ritchie Group still had a large order that had not been completed, but without the support of core technology, it was unknown how long they could last.

As it happened, I had a cooperation with Ritchie on hand and as the person in charge, I needed to go to Ritchie Group in person to sign the contract, generally speaking, as Party A.

Interestingly, the employee in charge of the interface, Amber, was new and didn’t know about the feud between Ritchie Group and me, so she left my name as General Manager Kattie in the list. As a result, no one knew that it was me.

However, the time I walked to the administrative desk, I was stopped. The person in charge at the front desk and I were old acquaintances after all, so she absolutely knew everything.

“Why are you coming here? Ritchie doesn't welcome you."

He was arrogant, just like Mike's tone, a bully relying on the power of others. But I chose to say nothing, since after that, I saw Mike and Camilla were just coming down hand in hand to meet the person in charge of the cooperation. 

I only casted my gaze on them in silence. So, when she saw me, Camilla frowned and said with disdain, “What are you doing here? You want to beg for money?"

Amber hurried down from the elevator, bowed and said, “This is Ms. Kattie from our partner. She is here to discuss cooperation."

“What?" Camilla cried out, her face turning red.