“Does the whole world have to revolve around you?”

I freed one hand and rapped my knuckles on the desk.

“Cut the crap that has nothing to do with this project. A hundred and twenty thousand dollars. What's your plan?”

Her eyes were bloodshot.

“If taking the job means losing money, then we drop the project!”

I let out a cold laugh.

“Do you even remember how many drinks we downed, how many all-nighters we pulled to land this client?”

“And besides this project, we've got other contracts with them. If we walk away, how many more hundred-and-twenty-thousands do we lose?”

“Felicity, have you lost your mind?”

She shot me an impatient look and muttered “so petty”,

then

pulled out a bank card and flung it at my face.

“It's only a hundred and twenty grand. I'll cover it for him. Happy now?”

My cheek stung, but I was eerily calm.

Back when we were broke, Felicity used to complain that a twelve-dollar plate of fried rice was too expensive.

Now a hundred and twenty thousand didn't even make her blink.

She'd already forgotten how many people's livelihoods depended on us.

This was never just about money.

Or maybe she knew that. She just didn't care.

Since she didn't care about a hundred and twenty thousand,

what about a hundred times that?

I wanted to see if she'd still be this casual then.

I met up with my buddy Stanley Barnes for afternoon tea.

He hadn't even finished cursing Felicity out when I got a message from Kenneth.

“Mr. Whitfield, get back to the office now!”

The second I reached the office door,

I saw Julian directing people to haul my desk out.

Contracts, files, documents, all scattered across the floor.

Years of work. Every bit of it built from nothing, with my own hands.

Who the hell did he think he was?

“Put it all down. Now!”

I closed the distance in two strides and drove my fist straight into Julian's face.

“Who told you to touch my things?”

Julian clutched his cheek, but his eyes stayed defiant.

“Felicity said you blew a major deal. You don't deserve this office anymore. She wants you moved to one of the cubicles in the main hall.”

She must have heard the commotion.

Felicity showed up.

Her gaze swept the wreckage on the floor, and something flickered behind her eyes.

“Julian, I told you to notify him. Who said you could touch his things?”

Julian lowered his hand, revealing the fist-shaped bruise blooming across his cheek, and turned those pitiful eyes on Felicity.

She caved instantly.

“Ashton, the decision was mine. If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on me.”

“But rules are rules. Yes, Julian sent the price sheet, but it was one of your people who handed it to him. You bear direct responsibility.”

She sighed, placing both hands on my shoulders.

“I saw you booked a plane ticket.”

“I don't have time to go back with you, though.”

“Why don't you use this as a chance to take a few days off and head home? Hm?”

I shook her hands off.

“Who said I needed you to come? I'm going home because……”

She scoffed：“To get set up on a date and married?”

“Drop the threats already. Julian told me your village doesn't even have some tradition about going back to marry at thirty.”

Julian chimed in：“Ash, don't blame me for telling her. I just couldn't stand watching you lie to her anymore.”

I looked him over, slow and measured.

Designer suit. Hermès belt. Louis Vuitton shoes.

None of it matched his salary.

And it was a world apart from the kid I'd first met.

Back then, he'd been so grateful I'd paid his tuition that he could barely find words to thank me.

I bought him his first suit for college.

I went with him to open his first bank account.

The first time he ever ate at a buffet, I was the one who took him.

He told me once that when he made something of himself, he'd repay me.

And now here he was, holding my girlfriend,

dressed head to toe in clothes she'd bought him, telling everyone he felt sorry for her because I'd been stringing her along.

Even if it meant throwing away my own dignity, I was done protecting theirs.

I pulled a stack of printed pages from my bag.

And read them out loud in front of every single colleague：

“Three months ago, my girlfriend booked a hotel room for the two of you. The room and the protection came out to $5,800.”

“Two months ago, she bought you a limited-edition belt worth $10,200.”

“One week ago, she bought you a ring worth $126,000.”

……

“I have receipts and photos for all of it. So tell me, who exactly was deceiving whom?”

Whispers rippled through the office.

Some of my coworkers didn't even bother hiding their contempt.

Felicity's face went white, then flushed scarlet.

I told someone to help me move my things back to their original spots.

Felicity tried to stop them, but nobody listened.

Kenneth was the most ruthless：“Mr. Whitfield, let me spray some sanitizer in your office. Reeks of homewrecker in here. Can barely breathe!”

He doused both of them with it.

In the end, all Felicity could manage was sputtering, “Fine! Fine, all of you!”

Then she grabbed Julian and left.

I'd barely settled back into my chair when my phone rang. It was Elder Harmon.

“Ash, are you really coming home?”

“If it's for sure, I'll have the Pruitt girl meet you at the train station.”

I smiled for the first time in a long while.

“Already bought my ticket. But don't tell Granny yet. I want to surprise her.”

The Elder's voice lifted, warm and bright.

He said good, good, and hung up.

Our village didn't really have a rule about marrying by thirty, but Granny was eighty years old.

She couldn't wait forever.

After things blew up between Felicity and me,

the two of them only got bolder at the office.

Like they were relieved they didn't have to sneak around anymore.

Like they wanted to rub it in my face.

They were joined at the hip every day.

Whenever Felicity attended an event, the man on her arm was Julian.

He even started acting like he owned the place, barking orders at coworkers left and right.

Just waiting for me to walk out the door so he could take my seat.

Kenneth couldn't stand it. He vented to me more than once.

I clapped him on the shoulder.

“Hold steady. Let him run his mouth.”

By the fifth time Julian tried to provoke me and I didn't take the bait,

he finally cracked.

He barged into my office without knocking.

“Felicity's done with you. Why are you still hanging around like a stray?”

I reached over and casually smoothed a wrinkle on his brand-new suit.

Then spoke without looking up：

“Women follow the money. You know how it is.”

“You do realize I hold forty-nine percent of this company, right? How much do you hold?”

“How about a little bet? If she's willing to give you ten percent, I'll forfeit every share I own and walk out that door.”

“If she won't, you're the one who walks. Deal?”

The color drained from his face.

But he nodded：“Deal! Don't come crying when you lose!”

A few days later, Julian walked into my office with Felicity in tow.

He slapped a share-transfer agreement down on my desk.

I scanned the second clause: fifteen percent, transferred to his name. I laughed out loud.

“Drop the act, Ashton. Pack your things and get out!”

Felicity glanced at me, a flicker of something uneasy crossing her face.

“Ash, don't blame me for helping him. It was just a bet. Think of it as a consolation prize for the kid.”

Then her tone shifted.

“But we're business people, and our word is everything. A bet's a bet, win or lose.”

“But don't worry. Even though you're giving up your shares, I'll still marry you. You can be the man behind me from now on.”

“I'll make sure your monthly allowance is more than generous.”

“As for Julian, I won't let him show up in front of you or challenge your position.”

All these years, and the one thing she'd learned was how to have her cake and eat it too.

“Felicity, you really do have it all figured out, don't you? I'm supposed to give up my dividend-paying shares and go home to be your kept house husband with my hand out?”

“I'll pass.”

Julian pulled out a recording of me. My own voice played back clearly: I'd honor the bet, I'd give up my shares.

Then he handed me a voluntary share relinquishment agreement.

Kenneth's eyes went red. He lunged forward to grab it, but I stopped him.

Then I picked up the pen and signed.

Julian's face flushed with excitement.

Something complicated flickered through Felicity's eyes, but triumph swallowed it whole.

I set the pen down. ：“Satisfied?”

Felicity nodded and turned to address the room：

“From now on, Julian is my partner. He'll be taking over Ashton Whitfield's position.”

Some people felt the chill of knowing they could be next. Others were already scrambling to kiss the new ring.

“We'll follow Mr. Simmons' lead from here on out.”

“What are you standing around for? Get Mr. Whitfield's things out of here and make room for Mr. Simmons!”

The insulated mug Felicity had once bought me was knocked to the floor, its side dented on impact.

A model I'd built with my own hands hit the ground and got trampled underfoot.

Even the orchid I'd been growing lost a branch, snapped clean off.

I didn't stop them. I didn't get angry.

I just remembered the day we'd first moved in, the way she'd thrown her arms around me.

“Ashton, we did it! This is our empire!”

My vision blurred for a moment, then cleared.

I stood there, watching the place I'd poured years of my life into

get hollowed out piece by piece.

It wasn't until the nameplate on the door changed from MR. WHITFIELD to MR. SIMMONS

that I finally turned around

and walked straight into Felicity's office.

Sat down in her chair.

I said：“Felicity, you're fired.”