I turned and walked out, but not before running into a few coworkers in the lobby who couldn't resist taunting me.

　　"Oh look, it's our former boss, Adam! What's wrong? Got kicked out even though you're good at living off a woman?"

　　"Frankie's gonna be our new boss soon. Next time we meet, we won't be on the same level anymore."

　　I looked up at these lackeys, a slow smile spreading across my face. "April Fool's Day is all about fooling idiots like you. Move it, or get out of my way."

　　"You—!" One of the men raised his fist, his face contorted with anger, but I wasn't afraid. After a moment, he lowered his hand. I had always been mild-mannered, so my sudden outburst left them speechless, their threats dying in their throats.

　　They were a bunch of cowards who only picked on the weak.

　　I sneered and left the company. Not long after, Aimee couldn't wait to post about our breakup on social media with the caption, "Finally single, time for some me-time!" There was even a faint silhouette of a man in the photo.

　　Her friends flooded the comments.

　　"I always told Aimee to dump that deadbeat. Cheers to freedom!"

　　"Frankie seems great—handsome and caring. Aimee, you should give him a chance."

　　Most of the comments were bashing me, painting me as a useless freeloader in their eyes. I felt disheartened, knowing Aimee had likely stirred up these opinions behind the scenes. Just then, my phone buzzed with a message.

　　"Mr. Barlow, I heard you've left your job. Would you consider joining our company?"

　　It was an offer from a leading firm, extending a warm welcome. I stared at my phone in silence. Aimee would never know that while she was busy tarnishing my reputation, my skills were already recognized in the industry. While she enjoyed her comfort, I was the one driving the company forward. Without me, the company was nothing.

　　I quickly accepted the offer. The terms were excellent, even better than my previous job by a significant margin. After finalizing my resignation, I soon started at the new company.

　　On my last day, Aimee sat there sipping soup, looking utterly content.

　　"Adam, thanks for leaving me. Now I can truly enjoy life. This soup was made by Frankie's mom herself—you wouldn't know how this feels. They've shown me so much love. It made me realize how worthless your affection was because you could never make me happy."

　　I shook my head, saying nothing, while she continued to gloat.

　　"You're such a loser. You can't even stand up to me now. You know, in a relationship, the one who isn't loved is the third wheel. You were always the third wheel in my life because I never loved you!"

　　Aimee's eyes blazed with intensity, her voice rising. I had to get to my new job and had no time for her rant. As for her and Frankie... Well, we're done, and she can live her life as she sees fit.

　　But just as I left, Aimee eagerly took Frankie out on a date. I stared hard at the upscale hotel, a place where Aimee and I had dined many times. Now, she and Frankie were walking in, holding hands like a couple in love. They practically clung to each other and smoothly booked a room.

　　I took a deep breath and drove home. The first thing I did was check the surveillance footage. Our shared apartment had cameras for safety, covering the entrance and the hallway.

　　I hit play, and soon enough, the sound of heavy breathing and moans filled the room.

　　"Babe, are you sure bringing me here won't get us caught?"

　　"If we get caught, I'll just break up with him. If it weren't for his usefulness to the company, I'd have left him already. I'm sorry I made you keep this relationship a secret."

　　And just like that, they didn't even make it inside the apartment before they were all over each other. In all our years together, Aimee and I rarely kissed, but she'd known Frankie for just two months.

　　The surveillance footage could be stored for fourteen days, and for ten days straight, Aimee brought Frankie to our place. While I was out securing a $5 million deal, she was with another man in our home.

　　How could I not be furious?

　　My phone lit up with a notification—$80,000 had been deposited into my account. A mere fraction of what the deal was worth, the rest of the money had clearly gone elsewhere. But I would make sure to get what was rightfully mine from Aimee.

　　Aimee, Frankie, and the company—I wasn't going to let any of them off the hook.

　　A year later, my career was thriving, and I had mastered the core technology of a new project that could potentially crush Grandview—my former company. However, it wasn't time yet.

　　Over the years, Aimee had handed over the company's reins to Frankie, even renaming the company Irwin Group. She distanced herself from the center of power, unaware that the company was teetering on the brink of collapse. Frankie had been siphoning off funds, gradually hollowing out the company's financial resources.

　　Now, they needed a substantial influx of cash to support the next project. They reached out to my current company, hoping for a financial injection.

　　As the person in charge, I had to attend the meeting in person, making it my first time stepping back into the company after a year.

　　"What are you here for? Sign in," the receptionist demanded, her tone condescending. She was one of the employees who had given me a hard time before.

　　"If you're here to beg for money, our CEO doesn't have time for you."

　　"I'm here for a partnership."

　　"A partnership? You think you're fit to partner with our CEO?"

　　Just then, Frankie and Aimee came down the stairs.

　　Aimee, visibly pregnant, looked tired but still had an air of smugness. Upon seeing me, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

　　"Didn't I give you $80,000 already? Have you spent it all? I don't have a penny for you. Get out."

　　Frankie let go of Aimee's arm and rushed toward me. "Aimee's my wife now. Stop pestering us! Where's security? Get this intruder out of here!"

　　Seeing my assistant behind me, Frankie became obsequious. "You must be the director we're waiting for. We're looking forward to this cooperation."

　　The employees around us sprang into action, pouring coffee and cutting fruit, ready to usher my assistant inside. No one paid me any attention.

　　My assistant finally snapped out of it and announced, "You've got it wrong. This is Mr. Barlow, our director, and I'm his assistant!"

　　"What? He's the director? Is this an April Fool's joke?"