I Sacrificed Everything, She Chose Her Assistant

At the company’s annual meeting, my wife and her male assistant drank from the same glass of wine.

I didn’t say a word. Quietly, I sent out a message. By the end of the evening, I had withdrawn completely from her company.

That same day, two-thirds of my wife’s business partners announced the permanent termination of their dealings with her, and all pending orders were declared void.

It wasn’t long before a divorce agreement landed on Natalie Cross’s desk. Enraged, she came to find me.

“I just took a sip of Brandon Knox’s wine—do you really have to go this far?” she asked, eyes blazing.

I looked at her, my voice calm. “Yes,” I said. “Absolutely.”

——

That night at the annual meeting, Natalie wore a striking red dress, bold and dazzling. She stood at the center of the stage, radiating confidence.

Brandon approached her and handed her a wine glass, one he had just sipped from. She accepted it without hesitation and drank from it in full view of the audience.

Around them, guests murmured. Under the warm lights and curious gazes, her cheeks flushed slightly. She looked at Brandon, her eyes gentle, even tender.

“This year,” she announced, “our company has reached a historic milestone. Our trade volume hit a record high, and our market value has doubled.”

She smiled at Brandon and continued, “The credit goes to him—Brandon. He led the team, followed through on every project, revised strategies night after night, and worked tirelessly to open new markets.”

“As a reward for his dedication,” she declared, “I am promoting him to Director of the Project Department and transferring 10% of my shares to him.”

The room erupted in shock. Ten percent of her shares—worth 300 million even at the current valuation—was an enormous gift.

What’s more, her shares came with management rights. With that single announcement, she had effectively named Brandon the director of the company.

Applause thundered through the venue. The crowd, shocked and envious, clapped so loudly it threatened to shake the walls.

I sat in the shadows, at the far end of the room, watching the scene unfold. My chest grew heavier with every second.

Years ago, when Natalie and I first spoke of marriage, my parents were skeptical. She came from a modest background, and her pride was hard to ignore. But I believed in her.

I stood by her, even broke ties with my family when they tried to oppose the marriage.

For the next five years, I poured myself into her dreams. I was with her every step of the way, helping her build her company from nothing.

I started at the bottom, taking on basic sales work. I helped her track every lead, follow up on clients, and secure orders.

There were times when I was traveling nonstop, living out of suitcases, surviving on a single cup of instant noodles a day. When I couldn’t go on, I would rest in a fast food shop, then get up and keep going.

I drank with clients, negotiated deals, and pushed past exhaustion. More than once, I landed in the hospital with gastric bleeding.

I gave everything I had to help her build this foreign trade company, brick by brick.

And yet, in front of all those people, she credited it all to Brandon—a junior assistant who had been with the company for just two years.

She handed him the role that should’ve been mine. She gifted him a seat at the table I helped carve.

Natalie has always been reserved, someone who keeps most of her emotions hidden. Even when her heart was stirred, she would barely show it on her face.

So when she asked, five years ago, to keep our marriage a secret from the company so she could focus on work, I agreed without a second thought.

I didn’t need the world to see us—I only needed her to stand with me.

But now, she was openly flirting with Brandon. Drinking from the same glass. Smiling at him the way she once smiled at me.

In one night, everything I had given her—my loyalty, my youth, my sacrifice—was crushed under her feet like dust.

I left the venue quietly, my heart already packed and gone.

Outside, I pulled out my phone and found a number I had long buried in my blacklist.

“Dad,” I said when he answered, “I’ve thought it over. I’m ready. I’ll come back and take over Whitmore’s from you.”

On the other end, my father burst into tears. He said “yes” over and over, voice trembling.

“Lucas,” he said, “I’m so glad you’ve finally come to your senses.”

“You’re my only son. I poured everything into raising you. I just want what’s best for you.”

“As for Natalie… we loved her because you did. Don’t worry. Now that you’re married, your mother and I will treat her with kindness, and do our best to meet whatever she asks.”