Because of an accident, both of my legs were broken when I was hit by a car. During my recovery, I temporarily handed the company to my wife to manage.

Who would’ve thought she’d collude with my best friend, taking advantage of my time in recovery to trick me into signing a company equity transfer agreement?

They even bribed my shareholders and held a meeting in the conference room.

“Everyone, quiet down. From now on, I will be replacing Corbin Sinclair as the head of the company.”

“He has already agreed to sign the equity transfer agreement over to me. So now, you will refer to me as President Reed.”

My wife clung to Landon Reed’s arm, boldly demanding applause for the new Director, without the slightest hint of shame.

The shareholders who had been bribed clapped enthusiastically, while those loyal to me looked around in shock, refusing to agree.

My personal bodyguard pushed open the conference room doors, wheeling me in.

“You sure are bold, daring to collude behind my back.”

——

Instantly, the conference room fell into dead silence. Everyone turned toward the door, toward me.

“President Sinclair!”

“President Sinclair!” My loyal shareholders stood up excitedly to greet me.

Those who had been bought off scoffed.

“There’s only President Reed here. What President Sinclair are you all seeing? Got eye gunk blocking your vision?”

“Probably.”

“You… you…”

“What about us? We’re just speaking the truth!”

The room erupted into bickering over my presence.

I looked at Bianca Rowland; she bit her lip and avoided my gaze.

Seeing this, Landon grabbed her chin and kissed her hard.

“Darling, why are you still thinking about him? You’ll be divorcing him soon anyway.”

With that, in front of everyone and without a trace of shame, my so-called good brother pulled Bianca onto his lap and kissed her passionately.

Even the arguing shareholders fell silent, their expressions stiff as they turned away in discomfort.

“You shameless pair! President Sinclair trusted you and you betrayed him. You’ll be struck by lightning!”

Landon let go of Bianca smugly and signaled one of his men, who immediately punched one of my shareholders in the face.

“Whether I get struck by lightning or not, we’ll see. But I know one thing, you're all done for.”

A fury like never before surged through me. My hands, resting on my lap, shook from rage.

One was my closest friend. The other, the woman I had loved most.

I had always treated them well, but how could I have imagined they’d been fooling around behind my back all along?

My eyes, bloodshot, locked onto Bianca.

“Give me an explanation. When did I sign any equity transfer agreement?”

At first, she acted shy, staying silent, until Landon reached out and teased her thigh.

“Darling, you need to say it; don't avoid this. If you do it well, I’ll give you a good time in bed tonight.”

The moment he said that, Bianca threw herself into his arms.

“You promise!”

Then she stood and looked at me. The mocking look in her eyes, I knew I would never forget it, not even in death.

It felt as though someone had gripped my heart and squeezed until I couldn’t breathe.

That’s when I noticed her collar was tugged low and her neck was marked with blatant love bites.

It was clear just how wild they had been last night to leave such a trail.

I gripped the wheelchair’s armrest so tightly that my nails pierced into my palm, but it still didn’t hurt as much as my heart did.

In front of me, Bianca had always been reserved, shy, never daring to let go.

Every time we made love, she would close her eyes with embarrassment.

Just moments ago, she had dared to flirt openly with Landon in front of everyone.

Clearly, she had been pretending all along.

Bianca sashayed her hips and walked flirtatiously behind me, placing both hands on the back of my wheelchair, laughing with arrogance.

“Did you forget? A few days ago, I brought you a contract, saying it was for buying a house and asked you to sign it.”

“You didn’t even look at it; you just signed your name.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she burst out laughing triumphantly.

That’s when it hit me; she really brought me a contract a few days ago.

Back then, I had adored and trusted her so much that I never even imagined she’d deceive me.

I grabbed her wrist, eyes blazing with fury and questioned her, “Bianca, can you really justify doing this to me?”

To my surprise, she flung my hand away in disgust and even took out a tissue to wipe the spot I had touched.

After wiping, she tossed the tissue onto me.

“You have only yourself to blame for being stupid enough to fall in love with me. The one I love now is Landon.”

“He’s always lived in your shadow, always one step below you. He’s waited a long time for this day.”

Right after she said that, Landon walked over and pulled Bianca into his arms, speaking with emotion.

“Bianca, you’re so good to me. I swear, from now on, I’ll only love you.”

“You better mean it!”

“Hmm, I swear.”

Inside the conference room, the shareholders who supported me were boiling with rage after hearing all this.

“You shameless pair! So you tricked him out of his shares? Disgusting!”

“Exactly! Isn’t that illegal?!”

But Landon didn’t get angry; he just let out a cold laugh.

“So what? There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“This world is a survival of the fittest. The rich get to speak and the weak can only submit.”

“So what if I used these tactics to get everything I have now?”

“I have power and influence! I can buy anyone’s loyalty. The weak? They can only swallow it.”

His words pulled me back.

Back when he first entered the workforce, he had faced one failure after another.

The one high-paying job he finally landed was snatched away by someone using connections.

In despair, he had gotten drunk and confronted that person, only to be beaten severely.

As a college friend who had once helped me, too, I hadn’t been able to just stand by.

I had stepped in to help him and even gave him a job at my company.

I remembered how he used to dislike Bianca, saying she was fake, that she didn’t deserve me.

Yet now, here they were, conspiring together.

I let out a bitter laugh. No wonder, no wonder he always badmouthed Bianca in front of me.

Turns out, he wanted her for himself too.

Had I known it would lead to all this, I would never have helped Landon back then.

Everyone present was stunned into silence by his speech.

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

He had the company now, the money, the power.

Even if he used deceit to get it, no one could touch him.

Just look at the shareholders he had bought; the answer was clear.

People’s hearts couldn’t withstand temptation.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

“I advise you all: be smart, know which way the wind is blowing. Break ties with Corbin and join me.”

“If you refuse, I’ll make sure you’re completely ruined.”

Landon’s voice chilled, his eyes fixed coldly on the shareholders who had spoken on my behalf.

Two of them were wavering, torn by the lure of power and influence.

“President Sinclair, I’m sorry.”

“If you’re leaving, then go. I won’t betray President Sinclair.”

Director Grant slammed the table and stood up.

Among all the shareholders, he was the only one whose loyalty never wavered.

He walked up to me and looked me in the eyes.

“Corbin, from the day I, Zayn Grant, decided to follow you, I swore I’d never betray you for life.”

Hearing this, I was deeply moved.

Even in my current state, Director Grant still hadn’t given up on me.

His loyalty was something I could see with my own eyes.

Landon clapped sarcastically, a mocking grin on his face.

“What a foolishly loyal dog. Corbin’s become a cripple and you’re still so loyal to him.”

“But, what’s loyalty worth, huh?!”

“Can he put food on your table? Let you stand tall and proud in high society?”

As soon as he finished, everyone joined in laughing.

“Corbin, look at yourself now. You're stuck in a wheelchair and useless. What’s the difference between you and a cripple?”

Landon pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips.

A savvy shareholder immediately stepped forward and lit it for him.

He took a long puff, then blew the smoke directly into my face.

His arrogance was over the top and the dignified image he once had was completely gone.

Looking down at me, he sneered, lips curling with contempt. “Corbin, do you know why your legs were broken?”

I glared at him coldly, my lips sealed, saying nothing.

Landon suddenly kicked over my wheelchair. I crashed hard to the ground.

Laughter erupted around me.

“Look at that, Corbin really has become a cripple. Totally defenseless.”

“He can’t even stand up.”

Bianca stood beside me, frowning in disgust before kicking me again.

“Get lost, you crippled piece of trash.”

“Thank God, I don’t love you anymore. Otherwise, I’d be absolutely disgusted.”

“Damn lawyer, where’s the divorce agreement I asked for?”

“Loser!”

What puzzled me most was my personal bodyguard. He stood there, unmoving.

A moment later, he walked straight toward Landon.

And in that instant, I understood everything.

Even he had been bought off by Landon.

“Sorry, President Sinclair.”

“President Reed offered five times the price. People die for money; birds die for food. Of course, I chose the higher bidder.”

I closed my eyes in sorrow, clenching both fists tightly.

It was all clear now that Landon had been planning this for a long time.

He had started with those closest to me, breaking through them one by one.

“Corbin, you’re finished.”

“I want you to feel firsthand what it’s like to be betrayed by the people you trust most.”

“You beat him for me,” Landon ordered my bodyguard.

He wasn’t just my bodyguard. He had also been one of my good friends.

He didn’t hesitate. He walked right up to me.

“Landon, you’re truly ruthless.”

“I must have been blind to ever help you when you were in trouble.”

“Don’t act so noble.”

Suddenly, his eyes turned bloodshot and he kicked me hard.

“Every time we went back to the village, you basked in the spotlight while I was just your background.”

“You knew the villagers would praise you and belittle me, yet you still brought me back.”

“They laughed at me, said I’d always be your dog.”

“So tell me, how could I not hate you?”

He grabbed me by the collar, face-to-face.

But I never treated him like a dog.

It was because his parents hadn’t seen their son in years.

Their longing for him had taken a toll; their health was worsening day by day.

When I found out, I brought a reluctant Landon back home.

If I hadn’t, his parents probably wouldn’t have made it through that year.