"Here's some money, enough to last you a few days. Stay out of my sight." She pulled Chad's hand and walked away in triumph.

I was so angry I couldn't speak. I wanted to chase after them and curse them out, but when I checked the time, I realized my wife's plane was about to land.

I used to always be late picking her up, which made her look at me with such disappointment. Today, I had been working out when I suddenly remembered to pick her up, so I rushed over, still panting, without even changing clothes.

Maybe it was because I was sweating all over and dressed in workout gear that Patricia thought I had come back to beg for a second chance.

I let out a long breath, gathered myself and walked into the terminal. I had a wife who loved me, why should I let two mad dogs ruin my mood?

But as soon as I entered the VIP lounge, I frowned. The usually clean and quiet lounge was noisy and chaotic today. Many people were talking loudly and puffing away on cigarettes, turning the whole lounge into a smoky mess.

Patricia stood at the center, surrounded like a queen by her courtiers, everyone fawning over her.

"Miss Walter is truly a woman among men, her business keeps growing stronger. She's even better than us guys."

"This time, Miss Walter's collaboration with the Alley Group is bound to succeed. She's sure to soar even higher."

"Miss Walter, once you land that Alley order, we hope you'll let us share a sip of the fortune too!"

Patricia was beaming with pride, smiling smugly. Standing beside her, Chad struck a pose like a corporate CEO husband, basking in the flattery.

I started coughing from the secondhand smoke.

A chubby man with big ears walked over and grumbled, "Hey, you're in the wrong place. This is the VIP lounge, not a resting spot for nobodies. Out!"

Unhappy, I pulled out my VIP card. "I'm not in the wrong place. I paid for this."

The man was about to say more, but Patricia came over. She said coldly, "Nolan, are you bleeding yourself dry just to beg money from me? You even shelled out for a VIP lounge?"

Before I could respond, she shoved a few bills into my hand and snapped my VIP card in half, "The money's refunded. You're no longer eligible to be here. So, can you leave now?"

I was so angry I nearly cursed. I called over a lounge staff member.

The staff looked me over and said coldly, "If you don't accept Miss Walter's refund, by regulation, you're allowed to remain in the VIP lounge."

I pointed at the no smoking sign on the wall, "Can you ask them to put out their cigarettes?"

The staff's tone turned even colder, "These bosses have paid the fine. For the next hour, they can smoke as they please. If you can't stand it, you're free to leave. Frankly, some places just aren't meant for ordinary folks."

I took a deep breath in anger, "I'm going to file a complaint."

The staff sneered, "Sir, the VIP lounge is for VIPs. Your status means even if you complain, your influence won't weigh much. To sum it up, I don't care, do as you please."

Patricia looked at me with utter contempt, "Nolan, it's only been three years and you've become such a pathetic joke?"

Chad chimed in with false concern, "Nolan, you should really leave. Staying here will only make you a laughingstock."

A nearby businessman asked Patricia curiously, "Miss Walter, you know this guy?"

The smile on Patricia's face faltered a bit. "Back when I was young and naive, I got involved with the wrong person."

The surrounding businessmen all nodded in agreement, "Totally normal, totally normal. Guys like that just love clinging to the rich.”

They said, "Who hasn't been fooled by a few scumbags when they were young? As long as you realize it, it's fine."

"Now that Miss Walter and Mr. Murray are deeply in love, she's just taken a detour and finally found true love."

"You have to know how bad a scumbag is to appreciate how good true love feels. So in a way, that experience wasn't totally useless." These people ridiculed me without restraint, belittling me.

Patricia, who had once been my wife and knew I had been wronged, didn't speak a word in my defense.

Instead, she pointed at me with disdain and said, "I don't even know how he found out I was meeting Miss Alley here today. Look at him, pitifully showing up to beg for money. It's shameless, absolutely disgusting."

The people around all looked at me with contempt and said, "Sir, a person needs dignity, just like a tree needs bark. You should leave."

"This is a high-end setting for business. Acting like this just repels people, you won't get a dime."

"You have hands and feet, why not work hard? Why always look to get something for nothing?"

I said coldly, "I didn't come here for money. I just happened to run into Patricia."

Patricia sneered, "Oh, so now it's a 'chance encounter'? You really think I'll fall for your pathetic mind games? Nolan, I used to love you, but you've long drained every drop of patience I had."

She wrapped her arms around Chad and looked at me provocatively, "I've found someone new. We're getting married soon. As for you, you're not my first love, nor my apple of my eye, you're just a passerby. Seeing you here today brings back no fond memories. All I feel is disgust at your underhanded tricks."

Someone started clapping. The room full of businessmen erupted into applause, admiration all over their faces.

"Miss Walter is awesome."

"Miss Walter defending her man, so fierce!"

The greasy, bootlicking scene made my stomach churn. I couldn't be bothered to argue with these pathetic people. I turned to leave.

But Chad suddenly stepped in front of me, "Nolan, you're just going to walk away like that? Don't you think you owe me an apology?"

I looked at Chad, confused, "What are you talking about?"

Chad pointed to his leather shoes, "These are custom-made, thirty grand. You stepped on them just now. The leather is scuffed."

Everyone turned to look at me.

One of the rich businessmen said, "How can this man be so poorly mannered? Not just rude, but full of spite too."

Patricia glared at me, "Nolan, you're really becoming more and more vile."

I said, speechless, "I didn't step on him."

Chad gave a cold laugh, "So you're saying I'm lying? My fiancée is the CEO of a publicly listed company. Do you know what kind of status I have? What kind of position? You think I'd waste time making this up?"

After hearing that, Patricia looked at me even more coldly. She yelled at me, "Nolan, did you step on him or not? Stop lying and embarrassing me."

I spat, "Are you crazy? What does any of this have to do with you? How is it ‘embarrassing you'? Patricia, don't flatter yourself. I stopped loving you a long time ago and I didn't come here for you today."

Patricia's face darkened, "Fine. You don't know what's good for you, huh? Then I won't help you either. Pay up in full, or we call the police."

Everyone around them shouted in support of Patricia, "Yeah, call the cops! Teach him a lesson!"

I checked the time, I was late again for the airport pickup. I thought for a moment and said to Chad, "Thirty thousand, I'll pay you first."

"But this isn't over. I'll have the police investigate. If it's my fault, keep the thirty thousand. If not, you return the money and apologize in public." I took out my phone to transfer the money.

But Patricia reached out and slapped my phone to the floor. She pointed at my nose and said, "Thirty thousand? Do you even have that? Stop pretending to be rich. If you had thirty thousand, would you be here begging me for money today?"

"Nolan, don't tell me you're thinking of using payday loans? I didn't expect you to fall this far." She mocked.

The phone shattered. I tried to leave, but everyone blocked my way.

Even the staff locked the VIP lounge doors, saying the police needed to arrive and resolve the financial dispute before anyone could go.

I knew their fancy words were just an excuse to satisfy the needs of their so-called 'VIPs'. Everyone was accusing me.

I could only sit in the corner and silently wait for the police. Through the crowd, I saw Chad looking at me. His eyes were full of smug satisfaction.

I froze for a moment, did hurting his benefactor really make him that happy? I was Chad's benefactor. He used to say that all the time.

Ever since I funded his college education, he had always shown gratitude. Whenever he had time, he'd come to my house to clean, cook and wash dishes. Even though I had a maid, he insisted on doing everything. He even bowed to me during New Year.

When I tried to stop him, he said it was a culture in his hometown. I thought I was getting good karma, I'd met someone who knew how to be grateful.

But later I learned the truth, a small favor earns gratitude, but a big one breeds resentment. The more I helped Chad, the more jealous he became. The more I gave him, the more entitled he felt, even thinking it wasn't enough.

The more submissive he acted in front of me, the more he wanted to step on me, to reclaim the pride he thought he had lost. He wasn't just an ingrate, he was a venomous snake, full of ambition and schemes.

His frequent visits to my house gave him access to Patricia. I didn't know when they started cheating behind my back. By the time I found out, they had already been at it for a while.

At that time, I was gravely ill and desperately waiting for a kidney transplant. To focus on treatment, I swallowed my pride.

But I never expected that on the day of my surgery, Chad would stage a wrist-slitting drama, forcing Patricia to abandon me on an overpass... Those memories flooded my mind and I couldn't help but sigh.

At some point, Chad squeezed over to me. He whispered in my ear, "Nolan, tables have turned, haven't they? Everything you used to have is mine now. And you, you have nothing."

I nodded calmly, "Even Patricia, that piece of garbage, I don't want her anymore. She's yours. When I used to support you, you liked my secondhand clothes, secondhand shoes. I didn't expect you'd be okay with a secondhand wife too."

Chad's face cracked. He raised his hand to slap me but I blocked it.

He sneered, "Doesn't matter, I've already won. You're divorced from Patricia. Whatever share of her assets you wanted, forget it."

"By the way, Nolan, you probably don't know this," Chad said. "Back when I used to serve you tea and coffee, I was secretly putting small doses of poison in it. How do you think your kidneys failed?"

My mind buzzed loudly. I remembered the excruciating stomach pain day and night after I fell ill.

In an instant, fury exploded inside me. I stood up and slapped Chad hard across the face.

But Patricia rushed over. She shouted, "Nolan, how dare you hit someone?" She kicked me hard in the chest.

I was caught off guard, groaned and fell to the floor.

Patricia's bodyguards rushed over and stomped on me, pinning me down so I couldn't get up. She refused to let me go. She yanked my hair and snarled, "Apologize to Chad."

I clenched my teeth and said nothing.

Patricia said coldly, "Teach him a lesson."

The bodyguards picked me up and shoved me hard, slamming me into the corner wall.

I struggled to get up, but Chad kicked the back of my knee viciously. I lost my balance and stumbled to my knees, sharp pain shooting through them.

The surrounding businessmen all turned a blind eye. Some even looked eager to join in and take a swing at me.

At that moment, the VIP lounge doors burst open. The server exclaimed in an excited and fawning voice, "Miss Alley, you've arrived!"

Tears nearly welled up in my eyes. My wife had arrived.