My wife’s new assistant recently celebrated his birthday, and she splurged on a villa as a gift to him.

On the day he moved in, the assistant, Zachary Shaw, bragged on Instagram with a post and captioned: [Bagged myself a sugar mommy, just FYI.]

My wife, Ivy Bennett, commented on the post: [Happy birthday, my dear Zacky! 🫰]

The photo was Zachary wrapping his arm around my wife’s slender waist, looking incredibly intimate.

The work group chat blew up at once. Everyone expressed their envy toward Zachary, singing his praises for being so promising at such a young age.

Then, my childhood friend, Autumn Sinclair, tagged me in the group chat and teased, [Love is a blinding green light. Your wife’s cheating on you so hard it glows. Congrats, Julian!]

I smiled wryly and stubbed out my cigarette. Slowly, I typed my reply, [Want a house, Autumn? I’ll get you one too, better than her gift to him.]

The moment those words dropped in the group chat, the chat blew up with hundreds of messages.

[The deadbeat is spouting nonsense again hahaha]

[Only Autumn Sinclair, that fool, would be dumb enough to believe him.]

[It really does take all sorts to make the world. Can’t he pick a better time to brag?]

[This scumbag actually flirts right under Ms. Bennett’s nose. Imagine how wild he must be in private!]

Zachary Shaw, my wife’s new assistant, even lectured me with a superior tone: [Julian Ward, it’s been five years since you joined, yet there’s no progress!

[With a husband like you, even I’d feel ashamed if I were Ms. Bennett. Take a page from my book and step up your game.]

For all these years, to respect Ivy Bennett’s strong, independent personality, I had kept my capabilities hidden and quietly supported her in the company under the identity of an ordinary employee.

Leveraging my personal connections and private resources, she had closed deal after deal, climbing her way to where she was now as a director in the company.

On the other hand, I had earned the reputation of being a kept man.

Nevertheless, I never cared.

Never would I have imagined, though, that she would betray me one day.

Right then, Ivy publicly tagged me in the group chat with thousands of employees.

[Julian, take Shaw’s advice. He is, after all, better than you in every aspect.]

[Ms. Bennett’s words are telling! Does “every aspect” include that way too? Hahaha!]

[What a shame. Julian looks pretty muscular, yet he can’t perform in that department.]

[Looks like the Ward family line ends with him.]

The group erupted in laughter as the last comment hit the chat.

Several messages then appeared, each fiercer than the last.

Autumn Sinclair: [Bunch of fools.

[That old hag Ivy Bennett could fart and you lot would think it smells like roses.

[When she finally kicks the bucket, will you all line up to mourn her?]

I couldn’t help laughing at her messages.

Autumn had always been someone who couldn’t mince her words since we were young.

The group chat fell dead silent. No one had expected Autumn to actually unleash such bluntness here.

Ivy, however, was furious reading those messages, so livid she snapped: [Autumn Sinclair, you’re fired!]

I replied right after: [Since Autumn’s fired, I quit too.]

Everyone burst into another wave of laughter.

[What a pair of lovesick fools! Truly touching, hahaha!]

[This trash thinks he’s really something? Let me tell you, once you’re gone, our company will only thrive!]

[Hear, hear!]

Unexpectedly, three seconds later…

My phone rang. Ivy questioned me the moment I answered the call.

“Julian, what the hell are you doing? Delete your message immediately, and I can make sure everyone pretends as if nothing happened today.”

“There’s no need to delete. I genuinely want to resign.”

“Julian Ward! It’s only but a few things I said in public. Besides, Zachary is truly outstanding! Be a man and stop being so petty, alright?”

I was left speechless at those words.

After a brief pause, I made up my mind. “Fine, then I’ll be the bigger person. Let’s divorce, Ivy.”

This time, she fell silent for a moment.

Then, she let out a cold, contemptuous snort and said, “I’m warning you, Julian, don’t threaten me with divorce. I’m not falling for that!

“Anyway, I’m not coming home tonight. You stay home and reflect on yourself. Come back tomorrow once you’ve learned your place.”

She was as arrogant as ever.

As soon as she was done speaking, she hung up.

She seemed to have forgotten the person who had given her the ability to hold her head high and speak with such haughtiness in the first place.

The next morning, I arrived at the office early.

Everyone shot me a mocking glance once I stepped through the door.

“Yo, isn’t the kept man resigning? What are you still standing here for?”

“Yeah. Weren’t you pretty cocky yesterday? Thought Mr. Ward couldn’t be bothered to work with us anymore…”

Ignorance couldn’t be reasoned with; I had no time for these people.

Just then, Ivy’s personal assistant, Zachary, emerged from the office.

Bearing the tone of a superior, he said, “Tsk, little Jules actually showed up? As I said, youngins need to keep their cool. If there’s something to learn from others, then you should learn it.

“From now on, everyone should learn from our Julian here.

Zachary was currently Ivy’s pet.

Even though the other employees were annoyed by his bossy attitude, they still perfunctorily echoed him with nods.

Having basked in everyone’s approving glances, Zachary then looked toward me.

Acting as though he was concerned for my well-being, he patted my shoulder and said, “By the way, Jules, I’ve requested from Ms. Bennett that from now on, I’ll be mentoring you. I’ll try to get you more projects so you can climb the ladder.”

Sparing him no glance, I lit a cigarette and took a shallow drag.

“No need. What could you possibly teach me as an assistant? Besides, I’m resigning today. There’s no need to trouble you.”

The room gasped.

Someone couldn’t hold back laughter and blurted, “D*mn, bro, I gotta admit that I was way off about you before.”

“Holy crap, look at Zachary’s pale face flushing like crazy. It’s so d*mn satisfying!” someone whispered.

Another rejoiced and said, “Work’s annoying enough without j*rks like Zachary acting all high and mighty. Feels pretty good to see him get his comeuppance.”

Zachary was stumped by what I said, seething on the inside and unable to come up with a retort.

He could only stare at me with wide, furious eyes.

Ignoring him, I leisurely packed my belongings.

Seeing he couldn’t make a splash here with me, Zachary stormed off to Ivy’s office.

Soon after, Ivy strode out with her gaze coldly fixed on me.

I didn’t pay much mind and my packing was almost done. I lifted the storage box to take with me.

“Move. You’re in my way.”

Ivy raised an eyebrow, her tone icy as she said, “Resign if you want. I don’t need someone like you. But before you leave, apologize to Zachary.”

“For what, may I know?” I asked, puzzled.

“Zachary kindly offered to mentor you for a promotion, yet you responded with that half-dead attitude. Don’t you think you owe him an apology?”

Her voice rose as she spoke and the office was enveloped in pin-drop silence.

I didn’t feel like arguing. It was pointless anyway.

So, I turned to Zachary and said, “Sorry.”

As I turned back to leave, Ivy blocked my path and refused to let it go.

“Is that your idea of an apology?”

Zachary leaned in too.

“Jules, youngsters shouldn’t be rash. You gotta learn to be more composed.”

“My foot!”

These two were knuckleheads. I’d had enough and shoved Zachary aside.

I hadn’t used much force but he stumbled and fell to the floor with his face twisted in pain.

“Julian Ward!”

Ivy panicked and rushed forward to slap me across the face.

It stung.

She then shoved me away like I was nothing, and with a face of concern, she helped Zachary to his feet. He had clearly faked the fall.

“Zacky, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Should I take you to the hospital?”

I no longer had any idea what significance I held in Ivy’s eyes.

In the eight years of our marriage, I had never seen her look so worried.

Back when I was hit by a car and broke my leg saving her, she didn’t utter a single word of care. She even scolded me for not watching where I was going and that I deserved it.

Yet now, Zachary merely pretended to take a tumble and she panicked, immediately dialing 911.

Perhaps she genuinely cared for Zachary.

However, I no longer wish to delve into it.

“Ivy, the divorce papers will be delivered by my lawyer tomorrow. This is goodbye.”

With that, I turned and walked away without looking back.

The wind chill outside was bone-piercing.

My heart felt hollow, as if I had lost a harbor to return to.

That night, Ivy came home completely drunk and stumbled into the house in the wee hours.

“Zacky, hurry, let’s go to the bathroom…”

Ivy threw herself into my arms the moment I opened the door, as her overpowering perfume stung my nose.

She kissed my neck but all it did was make my stomach turn.

I shoved her away hard. Without support, she stumbled and fell to the floor.

“Why did you push me… Zacky?" she sobbed. "Don’t you know I’m carrying our baby now?”

She looked utterly aggrieved. “What if I hurt our baby?”

“What?!”

I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

“Ivy Bennett, say that again!!!”

“Zacky… our baby… Have you forgotten? That night…” Ivy mumbled as she recalled drunkenly.

When I thought nothing could stir my emotions again, at that moment, I had lost all reason!

I grabbed her collar, questioning her like a madman, “All these years of marriage, I’ve always wanted a child. You kept saying having a baby would affect your career and that we should wait. And I believed you!

“Yet you turned around and got pregnant with Zachary Shaw’s child! You took me for a fool!

“How could you do this to me?!”

No response came from Ivy.

She was drunk, completely wasted.

All alone in the living room, I heard myself sobbing and muttering, asking the same question over and over, “Why?”

Ivy lay passed out on the floor, and my voice grew hoarse from crying before finally quieting down.

Just then, two messages popped up on her phone and I caught a glimpse of my name.

I unlocked it to read.

[Zacky, don’t be afraid of Julian. He’s just a pushover!

[Once the baby is born, I’ll say it’s his, and he’ll dutifully raise the baby for us.]

Zachary replied: [So, don’t divorce Julian yet. Otherwise, who’ll raise our child?

[Or just abort it. I don’t want to be a stay-at-home dad. It’s a pain.

[Hehe…]

After reading these messages, I wiped the tears from my eyes and couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

“For eight long years, I’ve treated you with nothing but sincerity, Ivy.

“You wanted business, I got them for you. You wanted status, I helped you climb.

“Now, not only are you betraying me, but you’re also conspiring with another against me!

“Mark my words, your good days are over.”