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.

I had only ever acted in their best interests at heart. Was that wrong?

The human heart, why was it so complicated?

Seeing that I said nothing, Landon assumed I was looking down on him.

He flung me aside and grabbed Bianca.

“Looking down on me, are you? But in the end, I beat you. Everything you had is now mine!”

“Including this woman. You don’t even know how wild she gets under me. She said you were useless!”

“Beat him. Go for his broken legs.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you die.”

“Because later, I’ll put you on a leash like a dog and drag you back to our hometown. Let everyone see, Corbin is now my dog.”

Bianca gave him a coquettish glare and playfully punched his chest.

“Damn, you’re awful. Why not just tell him directly? I betrayed him. So what?”

“Baby, this way’s more fun!” Landon said gleefully.

At once, the bodyguard raised his leg and kicked at my injured leg, but Director Grant rushed forward to stop him.

“Stop!”

“Landon, don’t go too far.”

Seeing someone still stand up for me, someone who hadn’t betrayed me, only made Landon more vicious.

He sneered and threatened Director Grant that if he stayed loyal to me, he’d never work again.

Director Grant spat at him in disgust.

“You think you’re someone? Just because you pull strings in this city doesn’t mean you can do the same elsewhere.”

“Step aside!”

Director Grant tried to help me up, but Landon kicked him hard, knocking him away.

Just then, Bianca’s divorce attorney showed up.

She rushed forward with a smug smile, snatching the divorce papers from the lawyer’s hand.

She couldn’t wait to break free, not even willing to stay a moment longer.

Something inside me finally shattered. I closed my eyes in despair.

Everything I had believed in, every person I had loved, was a mistake.

“Corbin, hurry up and sign.”

“I’ll leave with nothing. Not like there’s anything worth keeping from you.”

“Consider it charity. I don’t want a dime. Save your coffin money for your hospital bills.”

I stared at the divorce papers in front of me and asked her one last time, my voice low.

“Bianca, do you really have to do this?”

“Yes. Just looking at you now makes me sick.”

If that was what she wanted, I’d grant her wish. I only hoped she'd choke on the consequences.

The moment I signed, Bianca eagerly scribbled her name down, like she couldn’t wait to erase me.

As soon as it was done, Landon stomped on the back of my hand with a smug grin.

“Oh, right, we didn’t finish last time. Want to know why your legs were shattered?”

“It was me. I told your precious bodyguard to run you over.”

“You’re pathetic. Always in the dark. Always lied to.”

“Landon, you’ll die a miserable death,” Director Grant gritted out.

Landon ignored him, lazily wrapping an arm around Bianca as he signaled his men to throw us out.

But the next second, I suddenly stood up, laughter echoing through the boardroom as I calmly dusted off my pant legs.

Landon and Bianca froze, eyes wide with disbelief. The room plunged into stunned silence.

“Your legs, they’re not broken?!”