I'll Make Sure He Hates You

Isaac's school was holding a parent-child sports day the next day.

Early that morning, as Amanda applied her lipstick, she straightened my collar and said, "Honey, someone has to keep an eye on the acquisition project today. You should focus on work. I'll take Isaac to sports day myself. You're already busy enough—don't wear yourself out trying to do everything."

Looking at the concern in her eyes, I laughed bitterly to myself.

In the past, she would avoid these kinds of events whenever she could, always claiming she was too busy. Yet this time, she suddenly seemed like the picture of a devoted mother.

"Alright. Thanks for handling it."

I did not expose her. Taking my briefcase, I turned and left.

Not long after I drove out of the neighborhood, I glanced at the back seat and noticed that Isaac's student ID had fallen into the gap between the seats. Without it, he would not even be allowed through the school gates.

So I immediately made a U-turn and headed straight to the school.

When I arrived at the athletic field, the events had not officially started yet. I found Amanda near the basketball court, but the moment I saw her, my footsteps stopped.

Because standing there were not just Amanda and Isaac. Connor was there too.

He was crouched down with Isaac perched on his shoulders, dressed in a white tracksuit that made him look young and energetic. Amanda stood beside them, holding a towel, her gaze full of unmistakable affection.

"Daddy, I want to go higher!" Isaac shouted excitedly.

But he was not talking to me.

For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong. But then Connor effortlessly lifted Isaac above his head and spun him around twice. "Hold on tight. I'll make you fly!"

Isaac burst into laughter and wrapped his arms around Connor's neck, nuzzling him affectionately. "You're certainly much stronger, Daddy Connor. Not like that bad daddy who always has a serious face and never plays with me."

Amanda smiled and ruffled Isaac's hair. Then she casually hooked her arm through Connor's and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for taking time off work for this. See? The kid's much closer to you. You're basically half his father already."

"It's no trouble at all. As long as you and Isaac are happy, I don't mind suffering a little."

Connor lowered his head shyly, and the three of them stood pressed together, looking every bit like a happy family.

Meanwhile, I stood some distance away, my chest tightening. I could not believe that in my own son's eyes, I was the outsider.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone and expressionlessly snapped more than a dozen photos.

Then, I strode toward them.

The moment Amanda saw me, panic flashed across her face. "Honey, why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be overseeing the acquisition project?"

Meanwhile, Connor quickly moved behind Amanda, a trace of smugness flickering through his eyes.

I let out a cold chuckle. "Mr. Lawson, it's working hours. The acquisition documents are still waiting for you to organize them. The company pays you to work, not to play nanny."

At my words, Connor lowered his head and sighed.

Patting Isaac's head, he said helplessly, "Ms. Sutton, I'm sorry… I just felt bad for Isaac being here alone. You've been so busy with work and haven't had time to look after him. Isaac said he wanted someone to lift him up, but no one would play with him. I felt sorry for him, so I couldn't help it."

Amanda's expression immediately softened. Stepping in front of Connor protectively, she glared at me. "Tobias Zeller, that's enough. Do you really have to be this aggressive? You're the one who's never around, and now you're upset because someone else is being kind to your child? Connor came because I asked him to. If you have a problem, take it up with me!"

"If you don't want your job anymore, you can quit," I cut her off calmly.

Then I looked at Connor. "Connor, since you enjoy taking care of children so much, there's no need for you to stay on this project. Instead of having you split your time, I'll simply terminate your employment and let you fully devote yourself to being a loving father."

"You're firing him?" Amanda stared at me in disbelief, as though I had gone insane. "Tobias, you're making this personal! Connor has spent six months on that project. It's in the final stage, and you're firing him now?"

"He's spent six months on it and still hasn't finished verifying the basic data, yet somehow he has plenty of time to play airplane with a child."

I sneered and let my gaze sweep across Connor's clean-cut, handsome face. "Zeller Inc. doesn't pay people to sit around. And it certainly doesn't pay employees who collect a salary while playing house with the boss' wife. Go to HR tomorrow and complete the paperwork."

With that, I turned to leave.

"Stop right there!"

Amanda's sharp voice rang out behind me. She rushed forward and blocked my path, her face grim with anger. "Who exactly runs this family? And who has the final say at the company? I'm telling you right now—Connor isn't leaving. He's my personal secretary and a core member of this project. If you dare touch him, I'll pull my investment! And…"

Then, she lowered her voice and hissed viciously, "And Isaac only listens to him now. If you drive him away, I'll tell Isaac that you're the reason Connor left. I'll make sure he hates you for the rest of his life!"

My heart shuddered. I looked toward my son, who was glaring at me from a distance.

After a long silence, I finally yielded. "Fine."

Joy immediately appeared in Amanda's eyes. She offered a few perfunctory words of comfort before hurrying back to Connor's side.

Watching the two of them chat happily together, a chill spread through my chest. And for the first time, I finally felt relieved.

It seemed I no longer needed to show them any mercy.

This Company Bears the Name Zeller

When I returned to the office, the information my lawyer friend had gathered was already waiting for me. But the more I read, the more alarmed I became.

Three years ago, when I first sponsored Connor, his family had been dirt poor. They couldn't even afford his tuition. I still remembered meeting him for the first time. He had stood before me in a faded, well-worn shirt, nervous and awkward, but his eyes had been filled with ambition and hunger.

When he found out I was willing to fund his education, he was so moved that he cried on the spot, swearing that one day he would make something of himself. But now, he was dressed head to toe in designer brands, spending money freely and frequenting exclusive clubs.

His unemployed older brother had also somehow acquired a company under his name, along with multiple luxury villas and high-end cars.

My heart sank, and a bad feeling began to creep in.

As I continued reading, my suspicions were confirmed. Amanda had started secretly transferring assets as early as six months ago.

Using her position within the company, she had funneled corporate funds through shell companies and transferred them into overseas accounts. The recipient was none other than Connor. What she left behind for me was a massive financial hole.

Then, there was the guarantee agreement sitting on my desk, waiting for my signature. The moment I signed it, once the company collapsed, I would not just go bankrupt. I would be saddled with tens of millions in debt and might even end up in prison.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Connor had already completed their immigration paperwork. All they were waiting for was for me to take the fall. Once I was behind bars, they would take my money and live comfortably overseas.

Suppressing the fury boiling inside me, I texted my assistant. 'Make sure the renovation team finishes installing by tonight. Also notify the legal department to prepare the entire chain of evidence. I want to catch them red-handed.'

Before I could make my move, however, the company's million-dollar core project ran into a major problem.

While Connor had been busy flirting with Amanda in the break room, he had entered a decimal point incorrectly on the quotation sheet, instantly turning a profitable project into a massive eight-million-dollar loss.

I grabbed the contract and slammed it onto the conference table. In front of every senior executive present, I announced coldly, "Connor Lawson committed a major professional error that caused substantial losses to the company. Effective immediately, he is terminated, and the company will pursue legal action against him."

Connor's face turned pale as he stood in the conference room. He looked like the victim of some terrible injustice. "Mr. Zeller, I didn't do it on purpose… I was just exhausted. Besides, you reviewed it too…"

Amanda abruptly slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. "Tobias, nobody's perfect. Connor has been working overtime for this project day and night. A small mistake is completely understandable! The company can absorb the loss, can't it? Do you really have to push him this far? You're a grown man. Why are you picking on a kid who just graduated?"

The moment Amanda took a stand, several female employees who were close to Connor immediately spoke up as well.

"Mr. Zeller, Connor has been working himself to exhaustion lately. He's been so busy that he's developed dark circles under his eyes. Making a small mistake is only natural."

"If one mistake is enough to get someone fired, that's completely unreasonable. How are we supposed to work for the company without constantly looking over our shoulders?"

"Exactly. This is obviously because you're jealous of how close Ms. Sutton and Connor are. What kind of boss acts like this? Following someone so petty isn't worth it."

I almost laughed as I listened to them. Amanda was truly confident. She thought stirring up employee sentiment would force me to back down.

"If anyone doesn't want to work here, you're welcome to collect your paycheck from Finance and leave right now."

My gaze swept coldly across the room. "This company bears the name Zeller, not Sutton. And it sure as hell isn't Lawson."

Just Look Up

I thought things would quiet down for a while. Instead, the very next day, chaos erupted outside the company.

An elderly couple dressed in plain clothes kneeled in the small plaza beside the building's side entrance, holding a white banner with bold black lettering as they cried and wailed for everyone to hear.

Written across the banner were several eye-catching words. 'Heartless CEO Tobias Zeller Bullies Innocent Employee Out of His Job Out of Jealousy! False Accusations! Unforgivable!'

Connor's parents stood before the crowd and the media, tears streaming down their faces.

"Everyone, please judge for yourselves! Our boy has always been honest and hardworking. He was a model student growing up. That boss only targeted him because he's handsome!

"He's been making life difficult for my son at work every chance he gets. Now that a project went wrong, he's blaming everything on Connor and demanding eight million dollars in compensation!

"Even if we sold everything we owned, we couldn't pay that kind of money. He even threatened to send my son to prison if we don't pay. What kind of company is this? This is practically organized crime! He just can't stand seeing young people succeed!"

Connor hid behind his parents with disheveled hair and red, swollen eyes, looking every bit like a victim of workplace bullying.

Amanda stood nearby, her expression righteous and indignant. "As the company's VP, I honestly can't stay silent any longer. Mr. Zeller has allowed personal feelings to interfere with work and has deliberately targeted an outstanding employee. It's absolutely disgraceful! Even though I'm his wife, I have to stand on the side of justice. I won't protect wrongdoing just because we're family!"

Her statement exploded across the livestream. Within moments, hundreds of thousands of viewers flooded into the broadcast.

'Oh my God, this CEO is evil! Is he really that jealous? What, is he bald and can't stand handsome guys?'

'Capitalists are disgusting. Even his own wife won't defend him. That tells you everything.'

'I feel so bad for that guy. Is being good-looking a crime now? A company like this deserves to go under!'

The online abuse came crashing down like a tidal wave.

My phone was immediately flooded with calls. My inbox filled with curses, death threats, and edited funeral photos. Some people even showed up outside the company to throw paint and rotten eggs.

My assistant burst into my office, sweating profusely. "Mr. Zeller! This is bad! There are hundreds of people downstairs, and a bunch of influencers are livestreaming. They're all attacking you! The PR department can't contain it anymore. The stock price has already started dropping! You have to do something!"

A cold smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

I glanced at my phone. It was two in the afternoon. The brightest time of the day.

And also Amanda's usual "lunch break."

After waiting for more than an hour, the time had finally come.

"Let's go." I stood up and adjusted my suit. "Bring security. Let's go downstairs and meet these champions of justice."

When I arrived outside, the situation was even worse than I had expected.

The moment Connor's parents saw me, they cried even harder and lunged toward me, trying to scratch my face. "You heartless bastard! How dare you show yourself! Give my son justice!"

Camera flashes exploded nonstop. Microphones were shoved into my face from every direction.

"Mr. Zeller, why are you targeting Mr. Lawson?"

"You claim Mr. Lawson had an inappropriate relationship with your wife. Do you have any proof?"

"We've heard that you tried to ruin Mr. Lawson and his entire family. Is that true?"

Faced with the surging crowd, I remained calm.

"Everyone wants the truth, right?" I took a microphone from one of the influencers, my voice steady and clear. "To be honest, I'm curious too. Do these parents, who keep insisting their son is innocent and honest, actually know where their beloved son is right now… and what he's doing?"

Connor's father immediately shouted back, "My son has been devastated by your lies! He's too scared to even leave the house!"

"Is that so?" I raised a brow and looked around at the crowd. "If you all want evidence, I'll give it to you!"

I lifted my hand and pointed toward the rear side of the company building. "But instead of listening to me defend myself, why don't you all come with me? All you need to do is look up, and you'll know exactly who's lying and who's shameless."

The crowd immediately stirred.

"Fine! Let's see what trick you're trying to pull!"

"Everybody follow him! Don't let him get away!"

The massive crowd surged forward, carrying cameras, microphones, and livestream equipment as they followed me around to the side of the building, where a wide open lawn lay.

I stopped, turned to face the crowd, and pointed toward the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor. "Everyone, look up. That's Amanda Sutton's office. As for what's happening inside… I'll leave that for all of you to judge."

Instinctively, everyone raised their heads only to fall completely silent the next second, for in front of that enormous floor-to-ceiling window…