No wonder the guy looked familiar.

About six months ago, he botched a restoration on a limited-edition bag.

He had to pull some strings to get it sent to me, and I fixed it without much trouble.

Internationally certified restoration experts like me were rare. I couldn't believe Tom brought Stan in to replace me, having no fear that he would wreck Luxe Atelier's reputation.

Then again, once I was gone, that name wouldn't be worth much anyway.

I couldn't help laughing and said dryly, "Mr. Ford, didn't you just make yourself the industry's biggest joke earlier this year? What, memory of a goldfish now?"

A few coworkers covered their mouths, snickering.

"Why bring in someone with a stain on his record?"

"Yeah, his eye can't compare to Jake's. Don't tell me he's going to mistake fakes for the real thing."

They weren't being quiet.

Stan frowned slightly and said stiffly, "Jake, no matter how good you are, they can't beat a scalable model. I can serve high-end clients and also grow the mass market, blend the two together."

He lifted a brow, his tone sharp and mocking.

"People mess up when they confuse a platform's convenience with their own ability. You're about to get fired, and you still have the nerve to talk big?"

That actually made me laugh.

Other than the owner, no one here had the authority to fire me.

I looked him up and down until he started bristling.

"Is that so? As a craftsman, you can't touch me on skill, so all you've got left is a title to make yourself feel important. Don't pretend like you're in this position because of your ability. What a joke!"

I held his gaze. He swallowed hard, over and over.

The looks from everyone around were like knives, slicing straight through his vanity.

He fumbled for a cigarette, clearly flustered. His jaw bulged, his eyes burning like he wanted to tear me apart.

"I'll tell you this. Ms. Booth personally asked me to take your position. Next month, she and I are getting married. That makes me half your boss."

I froze.

So Tom and Stan dared to act this arrogantly because Christine Booth was backing them.

What no one here knew was that Christine was my wife. That was the whole reason I had stayed on as a regular employee in the first place.

Five years ago, the Booths tried to break into the fashion world and failed hard.

Christine's father, Ken Booth, panicked and leaned on an old college connection to find my dad.

They were alumni. Back in school, my family was broke. My dad lived on dry toast for three meals a day.

Ken covered my dad's breakfast and lunch for a full year. My dad never forgot it.

To repay that favor, he sent me to build up the secondhand luxury market.

People flocked in. Luxe Atelier became famous almost overnight, and Christine confessed her feelings to me.

I suspected the Booths wanted to bind me to them that way. I warned her again and again not to gamble her whole life on this.

She insisted on marrying me. I agreed to date her with marriage as the end goal.

And now, she was betraying our marriage, discarding me once I had outlived my usefulness, even replacing me with Stan.

So be it. I had misjudged her.

I clicked my tongue and looked at Stan, my words slow and pointed.

"Christine is my wife. Aren't you worried I'll make things hard for you?"

Stan dragged hard on his cigarette, amusement flickering in his eyes. "What a joke! You're just a low-level employee. Who do you think you're fooling?"

"Yeah," Tom chimed in right away. "Stop dreaming."

I was just about to speak when a BMW pulled up between us.

Christine stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, and walked straight to Stan. She took his hand, graceful and unhesitating.

"Stan has no reason to worry."

Christine curled her red lips into a smile and lifted her phone.

"I've been on the call with Stan the whole time. I heard every word you said. Jake, I'm not even going to bother making excuses anymore. I married you to use you. Luxe Atelier is already famous. I don't need you anymore, and I'm allowed to chase my own happiness."

Tom and Gavin exchanged a look, their grins barely contained.

Christine went on, "Marrying you was our fallback plan after the Booths failed to break into the fashion world. We pivoted to luxury goods instead. I'm the heir to the Booths. I get to be selfish. I'm not settling for a lifetime of compromise."

I had expected shamelessness. I just didn't expect her to say it so openly.

As it turned out, people could actually be this brazen.

I clasped my hands behind my back, digging my fingers into my palms until my fingertips went pale, forcing myself to calm down.

"Fine. Have Mr. Booth call me. I want to hear him say he's firing me himself."

Christine's expression tightened, fury flashing across her face. "We're adults. Don't pull that childish tattling nonsense. I'm the owner of Luxe Atelier. No one tells me what to do."

Tom rushed to curry favor, sneering, "Are you deaf? Ms. Booth told you to get out. What are you still standing there for?"

Gavin looked downright delighted. "Jake, stop blocking the entrance. The adult world is brutal. Don't embarrass yourself and give the neighbors something to laugh at."

I smiled faintly, my eyes ice-cold.

"Jake, don't think too highly of yourself. You're just the Booth family's guard dog. When your owners stop feeding you, you go beg on the street," Stan sneered.

"Damn it!"

I lunged forward, shoved Christine aside, and drove my fist straight into Stan's stomach.

Stan screamed. Christine slammed into me and spread her arms in front of him.

"Jake, if you're angry, take it out on me. Touch Stan again, and I'll make sure you won't get a cent from the divorce!"

I stared at the face I had looked at for five years, my stomach twisting.

In those five years, most of what she ever said to me was to send me on another business trip or tell me to work late and meet clients.

At dinners, she would push drinks on me just to make the clients laugh.

I used to think Christine was just a driven career woman who didn't know how to care about my feelings.

But now, she was standing in front of Stan, scolding me, her husband, with cold arrogance.

I clenched my fists, forcing down the nausea. "Christine, did you ever have any feelings for me at all for the past five years? You hid it well. Too well."

Stan shook his head, his expression still pained. With Christine shielding him, his bruised pride flared. He didn't dare throw a punch, but his mouth didn't hold back.

"Damn it! Do you know why you two never had kids in five years? Christine's been on birth control the whole time. She'd rather die than have your kid…"

Christine's eyes flickered, and she grabbed Stan's arm.

"Stan, stop!"

She knew I had gone to the hospital countless times these past years, all while she kept hinting that I was the problem.

"Christine," I asked quietly, "is it true?"

Christine knew she was in the wrong. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Yes. I didn't want to have your child. My body is mine. I have the right to decide."

I laughed out loud. Strangely, that sentence smoothed everything over in my head.

She had the right to choose not to have children and to cheat.

In that case, I had the right to destroy Luxe Atelier.

"Fine." I tossed my staff badge onto the floor and said flatly, "Then when you've got time, let's go file the paperwork. I'll give you my blessing."

The schemers exchanged looks, barely able to hide their delight.

"No need to wait. I brought the divorce papers with me."

Christine rummaged through her bag and handed them over. I skimmed them once.

"There's a problem with the asset split. I only get 200 thousand dollars? Who do you think you're fooling?"

She stiffened, bluffing through it.

"If you agree, sign now. I'll transfer the money immediately. Otherwise, we go to court. If you don't mind being a cuck and dragging it out, be my guest. Just don't delay my romantic getaway with Stan."

I felt sick. Goosebumps broke out all over me.

If this turned into a lawsuit with the two of them, my reputation would be dragged through the mud no matter what.

"I'll sign."

My coworkers erupted, furious on my behalf.

"You can't sign that! Even standard severance would be more than this. They're the ones cheating. Why should you agree?"

"If you're gone, I'm quitting too. Take me with you!"

Hearing them speak up like that sent Christine over the edge.

"Have you all lost your minds? I'm the boss! It's not your place to point fingers at me. Do you not want the free trip and the raise anymore?"

Her words didn't calm them down. They only unified everyone against her.

I pressed my lips together, holding back a laugh. Employees were people, not pets.

"Alright, alright. Nobody's leaving," I said.

"You're grown adults. There's no reason to turn down a raise that's being handed to you. Thanks for everything these past years. I hope our paths will cross again someday. Take care."

Three employees I had personally trained broke down in tears.

The new college grad was especially upset, her eyes red and swollen.

"Are you getting on the bus or not? If you don't want a paid trip, then get back to work. I've spoiled you all too much."

Tom rushed to prove his loyalty and climbed onto the bus first.

The others were angry, but they still had to make a living. One by one, they boarded, waving at me through the windows.

Two hundred thousand dollars hit my bank account. Christine shot me a cold look and pulled Stan onto the bus.

I took one last look at the Luxe Atelier sign. Saying I felt no regret would be a lie.

However, the fire in my chest burned brighter instead.

I really wanted to see what would happen when Christine realized she had fired her most important employee.

How exactly was she planning to keep Luxe Atelier alive after this?