My wife, Vivian Lane, is the wealthiest woman. Her assistant had made it clear he had three "do-not-disturb" rules: no messages after work, no calls on weekends, and absolutely no contact when he was in a bad mood.

Because of this, the company lost a major deal—one worth over a hundred million.

Yet the assistant looked completely unbothered. "Sorry, I had no idea one phone call could make such a difference. If something goes wrong and I have to be the one to take the blame, fine—I'm just another cog in the machine."

My wife snapped, "Who said anything about blaming you? You did exactly what you were told."

She shot me a look of pure irritation.

"You take the profits from the project, and when things fall apart, you dump it on the regular employees? Is that how you run a business? If your company folds over something this small, it just proves you're not fit to be in charge."

It suddenly clicked, and I let out a quiet laugh.

So she thought this project belonged to my company?

I didn't bother correcting her. To be honest, I couldn't really hold it against her—after all, it wasn't my company going under.

Seeing how composed I was, Vivian Lane hesitated for a moment. But in the next second, a smug, almost mocking smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Ethan, are you trying to act all noble in front of me, hoping I'll feel sorry for you? Don't think I don't know what's really going on. You've been pushing Lesley around behind his back—dumping all the grunt work and exhausting tasks on him. Classic workplace bullying. You're just another old-timer taking advantage of the new guys."

Lesley Gerard immediately played the victim, gently tugging at Vivian's sleeve in protest.

"Vivian, please don't say that. Ethan only does it for the company... and for you. I don't mind the hard work—I'm happy to help however I can."

Vivian shot me a look of pure disdain before turning to comfort Lesley.

"He's manipulating you, Lesley. Don't let him fool you."

Lesley widened his eyes in fake surprise. "Wait... I thought Ethan was just asking me to help out for the company's sake. I was even willing to take the blame for him if something went wrong. But to think he's actually that selfish..."

I rubbed my temples, already tired of this charade.

Ever since Lesley joined the company way ahead of schedule, he'd been making one mistake after another. Vivian, however, kept insisting I clean up his mess—and still acted like I was the problem.

She glared at me and spoke with the self-righteous tone of someone playing moral judge.

"Lesley works himself to the bone for this company. How dare you exploit him like that? You have a project bringing in nearly a million in profit. Hand it over to Lesley as compensation."

Like she had every right to make that call.

I couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

Give me a break.

That project? I had personally used my network to bring in an investor—someone who put in over a hundred million.

And now, because of Lesley's so-called "three do-not-disturbs," he missed the investor's call.

The investor was furious and pulled out. Without the funding, the project stalled, and every day of delay meant growing losses.

And Vivian wanted me to compensate Lesley with profits from another project?

Since this project belonged to Vivian's company, and I couldn't exactly take it back, I decided to let them deal with it.

I nodded and handed over all the project documents to Lesley. Then I passed the paperwork to Vivian.

"Still need your signature, Viv."

She frowned, clearly annoyed. "Isn't this your company's project? Why not just hand it directly to Lesley?"

So she wasn't completely oblivious.

I kept my expression neutral, though a cold smirk lingered inside.

"This project was funded with my personal capital. If the person in charge is changed to anyone other than me or you, we need your approval."

Vivian hesitated, her suspicious gaze scanning my face.

Meanwhile, Lesley was practically drooling over the five million investment figure. Still, he kept up his victim act.

"Ethan... are you really willing to hand over such a big project to me? All those late nights I worked on previous projects—I never got a single cent in profit sharing!"

Vivian's face darkened. She shot me another glare before grabbing the pen and signing the papers without a second thought.

Vivian looped her arm through Lesley's and strutted off with her usual arrogant gait.

I hung back for a moment, glancing down at her signature.

Bold, confident—scribbled without a second thought.

Vivian had no idea how to run a company. After we got married, she insisted on playing the part of a strong independent woman and started this business. But the moment things got tough, she'd pout and drag me in to act as her project manager.

Her mantra was always, "It's all marital property anyway—why be so particular?"

When I first stepped in, the company didn't have a single project worth mentioning. It was only by injecting capital from my own company and leveraging my connections that I managed to land this partnership deal.

And now? Her assistant had blown it all.

I wondered—when she finally realized everything was gone, would that smug smile still be on her face?

I sent out a company-wide notice: for any project-related issues going forward, staff were to contact Lesley directly.

The employees exchanged uneasy glances. Everyone had pinned their hopes on this project to turn things around. They'd poured in most of the company's liquid capital and even taken out bank loans. One wrong move and the company would go under.

But that was no longer my problem.

After leaving the office, I went to meet with the investors.

The moment I stepped out of the car, a message from Lesley popped up on my phone: [Thanks, Ethan, for working so hard to set me up. Now that you've handed this project over to me, you're facing bankruptcy and drowning in debt. What great news!]

I let out a cold laugh.

I'd still secure the investment—but I was done with Vivian.

…

The butler led me into the living room.

"Mr. Harrison, I'm truly sorry for all the trouble this has caused."

James Harrison didn't look angry, just disappointed—like he'd expected better.

"You owe me a favor, but your wife is far too irresponsible. I can't move forward with this investment. Ethan, I hope you won't hold this against me."

I kept my expression calm and let out a quiet chuckle.

"That was my mistake. The project plan is mine. From now on, any cooperation will be handled solely by me and my team—I promise you won't regret it."

By "my team," I meant my own company's employees. James caught my meaning, nodded approvingly, and signed off.

With the funds transferred, I returned to my office—only to run into Vivian and Lesley.

Lesley grinned and slid a flyer across the desk toward me.

"Your company must be desperate for cash right now. I found a wealthy woman looking to invest—you should give it a shot. Maybe you can use this money to make a comeback."

I turned coldly toward Vivian.

"Are you really going to let your assistant humiliate your husband like this?"

She frowned slightly, visibly annoyed.

"You couldn't even keep the company from going under on your own. Lesley's just trying to help. Do you really want to end up buried in debt—or worse?"

I paused, remembering how things started. When she first launched her business, she said she wasn't some delicate flower—that the company she built would be my strongest support.

But now, she was letting Lesley's incompetence destroy "my company" and letting him mock me. The disappointment hit me hard.

I asked, "We're married. As my strongest support, shouldn't you be helping me right now?"

Vivian's expression shifted instantly. Her face flushed with rage as she snapped back.

"Ethan! I knew it—you've been scheming this whole time, counting on my money like some kind of leech. What kind of man does that?"

She slapped her hand down hard on the flyer.

"Don't you know some skilled old-school doctors? Lesley was just trying to connect you with a wealthy investor. This is the last chance I'm giving you."

Her tone was commanding, dripping with superiority.

"Your incompetence has nothing to do with me. Don't think you can drain me dry. Go secure the client Lesley found for you and cut your losses. Otherwise... we're getting a divorce."

"Fine. Divorce."

I cut her off flatly, my expression unchanged.

"But when your company hits a wall, I hope you can keep that same energy about keeping business and personal life separate."

Lesley was practically doubled over laughing. He pulled Vivian close and planted an exaggerated kiss on her forehead.

"Vivian, Ethan's joke is hilarious," he said. "Without him, your company is only going to thrive. What could possibly go wrong?"

Vivian joined in, her laugh sharp and mocking.

"He's never had any self-awareness. The guy can't even face clients anymore," she sneered. "Not like you—ever since you walked into the company, you've brought in one big project after another."

A wave of disappointment washed over me. I reached into the drawer, pulled out the divorce papers I'd prepared long ago, and tossed them onto the desk.

"Then let's sign. Right now."

"You're actually divorcing me?"

Vivian's eyes went wide at the sight of the papers. A derisive laugh escaped her.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

She shot me a smug look, then grabbed a pen and signed.

"Ethan, there's still a thirty-day cooling-off period. If you come crawling back, I might just forgive you."

She turned, linked arms with Lesley, and walked out.

I took the signed divorce papers straight to the courthouse.

To sell the story that my company really had gone under, I decided to play along and check out the address on that flyer.

By nightfall, I was standing in a room full of male models, facing a woman with a sharp waist and an even sharper attitude.

"I'll buy your company for twenty thousand—but you spend the night with me. If I'm satisfied, I'll sign," she said.

I let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh.

Even if Vivian's company went bankrupt tomorrow, it still took me three years to build. It was worth over ten million.

And now she wanted me to sell it for twenty grand—and pay for the privilege?

The insult stung.

I snorted and turned to leave, but Lesley shoved the door open and blocked my path.

"Ethan, how's that deal going? Can't even close a twenty-thousand-dollar sale? Pathetic."

My eyes went cold.

"Does Vivian know you're here?" I asked quietly.

Lesley's eyes gleamed with malice as he shoved me hard.

"Still hiding behind Vivian's name? Keep dreaming."

"She knows, of course," he sneered. "That twenty thousand? That's her valuation. She even suggested we use you as bait to get a better price for the company."

He waved his hand arrogantly. Behind him, his bodyguards moved in and pinned me down. All of this—the muscle, the attitude—was bankrolled by Vivian's money. His audacity had a price tag.

"I'm here to make sure you sign," Lesley growled.

The bodyguards forced my hand toward the papers. I glared at him, fighting with everything I had.

He frowned, stepped closer, and grabbed my chin hard.

"Refuse to sign? Then don't plan on leaving this room."

I met his threat with a cold laugh.

"You're nothing but a lapdog Vivian keeps. How dare you speak to me like this?"

"Ethan, you son of a bitch—"

His hand tightened around my throat, and he slapped me across the face.

"Strip him! Let Lisa inspect the merchandise first," he barked.

The bodyguards tore at my clothes. When I fought back, they kicked me in the stomach—again and again. Pain exploded through my body. I coughed up blood, a wet, rattling sound.

Lesley planted his foot on my back and pressed down harder.

"Ethan, your body's not worth much. Ms. Moore says ten grand—so that's the price for your company. Sign now, or you'll regret it."

Everything blurred. My hands shook as I fumbled for the pen. Gritting my teeth, I muttered, "I'll sign..."

After I signed, Lesley forced me to hand over the company seal and stamped it without even glancing at the papers.

He patted my cheek smugly. "That's more like it."