My CEO fiancée claimed company performance was down and cut my salary in half.
But then I saw her assistant, Jax, showing off on his social media.
“My boss not only gave me a raise, but also bought me a luxury car because she worried I’d be tired commuting. So thoughtful!”
In the photo, he and my fiancée stood in front of a brand new, million-dollar luxury car, looking blissfully happy.
I paused for two seconds, then hit ‘like’.
That evening, my fiancée called an emergency meeting. Using the excuse that I was “disrupting company morale,” she docked my entire month’s salary, giving it to Jax as “compensation for emotional distress.”
Everyone stared at me with sympathy, expecting me to throw a massive fit.
But I calmly packed my belongings from my desk and handed her my resignation.
“Just docking salary for bullying a colleague? That’s not enough. I’m taking my leave.”
**Chapter 1**
The words were barely out of my mouth when Jax spoke up, eager to interject.
“Caleb, how can you resign over such a small thing?”
“You’ve been with the company so long, and Amelia has always been so good to you. If you quit now, at such a crucial moment, what will everyone think of her?”
“Amelia, please, try to talk Caleb out of it.”
Amelia might have been thinking of persuading me.
But after hearing Jax’s spiel, her temper flared.
“Persuade him for what? If he wants to leave, let him. I’ve always conducted myself with integrity and had nothing to hide, so I don’t care what anyone says.”
She snatched my resignation, signed it, and then threw it in my face.
The surrounding colleagues watched, waiting for the drama to unfold.
But I didn’t argue like I used to. My expression remained calm as I picked up the resignation letter from the floor.
“I’ll hand over my work and then I’m gone.”
“No need for a handover. If you want to leave, get out now.”
Amelia pointed at the door, then seemed to remember something and added coldly, “Resigning yourself means no severance.”
Seeing this, colleagues who were close to me urged me to apologize and not act impulsively.
They all knew I had built this company from the ground up with Amelia.
Back when the company was short on funds, I drank myself sick, almost collapsing, just to secure investment. When we couldn’t meet deadlines, I led the team, pulling all-nighters for three days straight. I poured countless hours and emotions into every aspect of this business.
Leaving now meant giving up everything.
But my mind was made up. I thanked them, gathered my things, and walked out.
Before I left, I clearly saw a flicker of complexity in Amelia’s eyes.
I knew she didn’t think I’d actually go.
We’d had many arguments because of Jax before. The most serious time, Amelia publicly yelled at me and gave my entire year’s bonus to him.
I was furious and threatened to quit, but when it came down to it, I always held back. I’d go back to her, act like nothing happened, pleaded with her, and then worked as usual, pretending it was all forgotten.
She thought I’d rationalize it to myself again this time.
But she didn’t know my patience with her had run out.
Just as I stepped out of the company, a text message came through.
I opened it. It was a transfer from a friend.
That morning, when Amelia said company performance was bad and cut my salary, my first thought was that she was under too much stress. I immediately contacted Marcus, arranging for a loan of half a million dollars.
I’d intended to give it to her, but then I unintentionally saw Jax’s social media post.
That’s when I suddenly understood Amelia’s true intentions.
Yet, at that moment, my heart was strangely calm. I wasn’t sad, nor was I blinded by jealousy.
Perhaps it was because it had happened too many times.
For Jax, Amelia had done so many absurd things to me that I was beginning to lose track of who her boyfriend actually was: me or Jax.
I returned the money to Marcus, thanked him, and headed to the parking lot.
I found my old beat-up car, the one I’d driven for ten years, the paint peeling off in several places.
Next to it was a brand new Porsche, the very one Amelia had just given Jax today.
There were plenty of empty spots in the garage, yet he chose to park right there.
Clearly, it was a deliberate provocation.
I’d been with Amelia for ten years, yet I was worth less than Jax, who’d only been with the company for ten months.
I let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Without further hesitation, I pressed the accelerator and left the company where I’d worked for years.
But just as I exited the company gates, I was rear-ended.
I got out of my car, only to see Amelia and Jax emerge from the car behind me.
“Caleb, why did you stop so suddenly? I didn’t even have time to react.”
Jax said, walking up to his car and looking at the dented hood with feigned distress. “What a shame. Amelia picked this out so carefully.”
Amelia’s face grew even darker.
“Caleb, I saw you staring at Jax’s car in the garage. Be honest, was this intentional? Did you know Jax was behind you and deliberately brake hard to get revenge?”
I almost laughed at her.
It was always like this.
Blaming me without even bothering to hear my side.
Jax sighed dramatically.
“It’s okay, Amelia. Let’s not blame Caleb.”
“He lost his job because of me, so it’s normal for him to be angry.”
“Ultimately, it’s my fault. If only I had been more careful.”
He said, clenching his fist and feigning hitting his forehead in exasperation.
But he deliberately eased his force just before contact.
Amelia, however, didn’t notice. She tenderly rubbed his forehead and cooed, “It has nothing to do with you. Don’t take all the blame yourself.”
Then she sharply poked my forehead.
“Can’t you be more responsible, like Jax?”
“He’s so humble, and you, after all these years, are still so childish and arrogant?”
I stumbled back from her push, then found myself almost laughing.
For the past year, Jax had been constantly stealing my credit, playing dirty tricks to pin the blame on me, and now he was the humble and responsible one, and I was the childish and arrogant one.
Knowing it would be a waste of my breath to talk further, I didn’t say anything and turned to leave.
But Amelia stopped me again.
I thought she would launch into another tirade defending Jax, but to my surprise, she pulled me aside.
She said earnestly.
“Caleb, I have high expectations for you, that’s why I’m so strict.”
“Why can’t you understand my good intentions?”
Listening to her soft words, I was momentarily confused.
But soon, I understood her true intent.
Amelia patted my shoulder.
“I’ll withdraw your resignation. Think about apologizing to Jax.”
“Also, you’re fully at fault for this rear-end collision. Transfer whatever he needs for the repairs.”
I finally understood.
I looked up at Jax.
He likely already knew what Amelia was saying, and his face was full of smug satisfaction. He rolled his eyes at me mockingly.
I scoffed.
“I won’t pay. Check whose fault the rear-end was yourself. If not, call the police.”
“I have other things to do. I’m leaving.”
I turned to walk away.
Amelia stomped her feet in anger behind me. “I’ve given you a chance, don’t you dare regret this!”
Regret?
Never.
I got back in my car and sent a message to Marcus.
“I quit. I can start at your company tomorrow.”
**Chapter 2**
Marcus called me back in less than half a second, his voice filled with surprise. “Are you serious?”
He sounded a little unsure. “What about Amelia?”
Marcus and Amelia had started their companies around the same time.
Compared to Amelia, who started from scratch, Marcus had more abundant resources and more attractive benefits.
He was desperately in need of talented engineers, so he offered me higher shares and profits if I came to help his company. He even made an exception, offering me a part-time position after he learned about my relationship with Amelia.
But for Amelia’s sake, I had always refused without hesitation.
Back when I was at my lowest, lying in the snow and almost freezing to death, it was Amelia who dragged me into the police station and saved my life.
I was incredibly grateful to her, so I gave up everything and dedicated myself entirely to the business, finding every possible way to help Amelia’s company grow step by step.
But now, it seemed she didn’t care.
Besides, after all these years, I had repaid her kindness more than enough.
I didn’t need to sacrifice myself anymore.
“No, I can make my own decisions.”
After chatting with Marcus for a bit longer and confirming the contract signing time, I drove home to pack my things.
Even though I had bought this house outright, it was filled with memories of Amelia and me, and I had no intention of living there anymore.
I started by cleaning under the bed and found many scattered paintings.
The girls in the paintings were smiling, melancholic, some peeling an apple, others applying makeup.
They were all Amelia, every expression vivid and lively.
I had painted them for her.
She used to love my sketches, treasuring them, framed and kept safe.
But ever since Jax appeared, she grew impatient, saying painting was old-fashioned, a waste of time, better to just take photos. She stopped liking me painting for her.
Even these paintings were carelessly thrown under the bed, the pages yellowed and faded, the portraits themselves discolored.
I gave a bitter laugh.
I tossed them into the basin in the bathroom and lit a corner.
The flames consumed the paintings completely, leaving only a handful of ashes.
Just like our love, which had been unknowingly burned to ashes.
After that, I cleared out everything I could throw away. I didn’t have many belongings, yet the room felt much emptier and colder.
I threw myself onto the sofa, grabbed my phone, and started looking for rental apartments near Marcus’s company.
But just as I opened my phone, I saw that Jax had sent a picture to the company’s SnapChat group.
It was a photo of him and Amelia, with an arcade as their background. Amelia was holding many plush dolls, smiling genuinely into the camera, her radiant smile shining brightly.
I rarely saw her smile like that anymore.
I had taken her to an arcade once, but after we’d just walked in and exchanged our tokens, she turned around and left, complaining I was childish and that she was too busy to waste time on such boring things.
She had no time for me.
But she had time for Jax.
I scoffed.
She wasn’t complaining about it being childish; she just found *me* tiresome.
Many colleagues in the group were flattering her, complimenting Amelia on her beauty, calling her stunningly beautiful. Some even praised the photographer’s skill, and a few joked, asking if they were expecting good news (like an engagement or marriage announcement) soon.
They all knew I was Amelia’s boyfriend.
But they dared to make such jokes only because Amelia made no secret of her flirtation with Jax at the company.
Normally, I would have gotten angry and called Amelia to tell her to be more discreet.
But now, I felt completely calm. I pretended not to see it and continued with my task. Two minutes later, I checked again and saw that several messages had been unsent, even the photo Jax had originally posted.
I thought Amelia wouldn’t be back until late.
But soon, she walked into the living room, talking on FaceTime with Jax, a joyful expression on her face.
When she saw me, her face flickered with a fleeting moment of guilt, then darkened. She deliberately rolled her eyes at me and stormed into the bedroom.
I knew she was waiting for me to sweet-talk her.
Every time we had an argument at the office, I would try every possible way to apologize to her, begging for her forgiveness.
Even when she was the one at fault, I had to admit fault against my conscience.
Before, I thought it was my duty, whether to repay her kindness or to maintain our relationship, I should always pacify her.
But now, I just found it pointless.
I lowered my head and continued what I was doing.
Soon after, she emerged from the room, her face dark.
“Did you see the messages in the group?”
“What messages?”
I asked, feigning ignorance.
I didn’t look up, but I sensed her relief. “Nothing, just work messages. Sent it to the wrong SnapChat group.”
I found it amusing but couldn’t be bothered to call her out.
I just wondered how much she was hiding about her and Jax that I didn’t know.
“Jax’s car is fixed. Did you get yours repaired?”
Seeing my silence, Amelia spoke again.
I knew this was a signal to ease the tension between us.
In the past, I would have thought she had forgiven me and eagerly tried to appease her.
But now, I didn’t even lift my head, replying indifferently, “It’s just an old beat-up car. Nothing worth fixing.”
Amelia frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
I looked up at her, confused, not understanding what she was unhappy about.
This car had been scratched many times before, and when I suggested fixing it, she had said the exact same thing.
I expected her to lose her temper, but to my surprise, she exhaled.
“I know you’re still angry about the company, but Jax has been doing really well at work lately. I gave him the car to keep him as valuable talent.”
Hearing her say that, I almost laughed out loud.
Jax was hired by Amelia under exceptional circumstances, and his work ability was abysmal. The mistakes he made were countless.
From small things like serving clients plain water while ordering himself a fancy drink during meetings, to major errors like sending the confidential pricing list instead of the quote to a partner, causing the company hundreds of thousands in losses.
Keeping him was less useful than keeping a stray.
If I wasn’t clear about the company’s situation, I might have actually believed Amelia.
I didn’t say anything. Amelia continued, “You’re my boyfriend, and when we get married, the company will be yours anyway. Why do you care so much about salary or argue with him?”
“Caleb, everything I do is for the company. I don’t want other colleagues to think I’m playing favorites with you.”
I knew in my heart that these were just excuses.
At the company, colleagues all knew how Amelia treated Jax and me.
Projects I worked on for three days were, on a whim, handed over to Jax, who then just made a PowerPoint presentation, and it became his achievement.
Clients I’d spent days cultivating, just about to sign contracts, would be taken out to dinner by Amelia, who used my name but brought Jax along, and suddenly the contract was “negotiated” by Jax.
Such incidents were countless.
Over time, other colleagues simply thought Amelia preferred Jax.
They even thought Amelia didn’t like me, which led to me facing a lot of disdain and bullying at work. She saw it, but always pretended not to.
I didn’t want to explain; she would just say I was making excuses anyway.
“Oh,” I replied flatly. “You don’t need to tell me all this. I have nothing to do with the company anymore. Do whatever you think is best.”
Amelia didn’t speak.
Finally, she sighed.
She walked over to me, stood on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my neck, her warm breath gently caressing my cheek.
“Actually, I have a selfish reason. I wanted you to take some time off and think about our wedding.”
“When are you going to propose to me?”
She asked with a playful smile.
But I had proposed many times before, and each time, she had refused.
Every time we argued, she would use marriage to placate me.
Sometimes, I felt less like her boyfriend and more like a dog on a leash, being played with.
I didn’t say anything.
Amelia, as if teasing a dog, playfully scratched my chin.
“Don’t be angry, can you smile for me?”
Then, as if deliberately trying to please me, she leaned in to kiss me.
I smelled Jax’s cologne on her again.
A wave of nausea hit my stomach. I pushed her away abruptly, frowned in disgust, and pulled out a wet wipe to clean my fingers.
**Chapter 3**
Amelia froze, as if struck by lightning.
“You’re disgusted by me?”
“I have to go out later. I’m going to change.”
I said calmly, then turned to head back to my room.
Amelia tried to follow, but I didn’t hesitate to close the door and lock it.
“Fine! Caleb, don’t you dare regret this!”
Amelia seemed truly angry. After her harsh words, she kicked the door hard and stormed away.
When I came out of the room, the living room was empty.
In the company SnapChat group, Amelia had sent a message, saying she was treating everyone to dinner and asking who wanted to join.
The whole group was silent.
Only Jax sent three “happy” emojis in a row.
I knew Amelia was deliberately trying to provoke me.
This had happened many times before. It was always the same: other colleagues weren’t interested, only Jax was enthusiastic.
In the past, I would have gotten jealous and followed them, only to be mocked.
Now, I couldn’t be bothered.
I changed my clothes, went to see the rental apartment, and after confirming it was fine, I paid the rent directly.
Then I contacted an agent to list my current house for sale.
Although I had bought this house outright and personally handled all the renovations, I had put the deed in Amelia’s name.
Back then, Amelia and I had barely any money between us. To give Amelia a sense of security, I used all my savings to buy this house.
Now that the company had grown to its current size, I doubted this house would even register with Amelia.
The agent told me that for the house to be sold, Amelia needed to be present, or she needed to sign a power of attorney if she was unavailable.
I had no choice but to message her again.
But after I sent it, a red exclamation mark appeared next to the message.
She had blocked me.
It used to be like this. When things got almost irreconcilable, Amelia would furiously block me and storm out of the house.
Worried about her safety, I would sometimes borrow a friend’s phone, humbly begging her to unblock me.
And she would condescendingly ask if I’d learned my lesson on the other end of the line.
Thinking back now, I realized how many things I’d said against my conscience just to placate her.
After a moment of thought, I still called her.
“Come home tonight. I need to discuss something with you.”
“What is it? I’m busy.”
Amelia’s voice was cold.
I pursed my lips. “We can talk when you get back.”
Amelia scoffed. “You push me away when you want to, and now you expect me to come back just because you say so? Caleb, do I owe you something? Is this how you apologize?”
“Have I been too good to you lately, causing you to forget how to apologize?”
Listening to her mocking tone, I still lowered my voice as I always did. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
I’d already apologized against my conscience so many times, one more wouldn’t hurt.
Besides, this apology was for a house.
Even though the house was mine, if Amelia really wanted to cause trouble and refused to sign, I couldn’t sell it.
Even with proof of my financial contribution, I would have to go to court.
Amelia could afford the drama; I couldn’t.
Sure enough, after my apology, Amelia’s tone softened a bit.
“Just wait.”
She then hung up the phone.
My heart remained calm. I listed the house online, and to sell it quickly, I significantly lowered the price.
After doing all that, I contacted Marcus and signed the contract.
Marcus was extremely excited, repeatedly asking if he was dreaming. He even threw a celebratory dinner just for me.
I had planned to go home early, but then I thought Amelia wouldn’t be back for a while, and there was nothing much to do at home anyway, so I agreed.
A few drinks in, when I went to the restroom, I heard familiar voices coming from the next private room.
I instinctively paused.
Through the slightly ajar door, I saw Amelia nestled in Jax’s arms. I don’t know what they were talking about, but Amelia was laughing so hard she was shaking.
Taking the opportunity, Jax quickly leaned down and kissed her lips.
**Chapter 4**
Amelia froze for a moment but didn’t push him away.
“Amelia, when are you going to break up with Caleb?”
“I can’t wait to be with you. Do you know how upset I get seeing you with him every day?”
“Do you still prefer Caleb?”
Jax whined, sounding wronged.
Amelia parted her lips, as if to say something.
Finally, she hugged Jax back, patting his back gently as if comforting a child.
“How could he compare to you in my heart?”
“It’s just that now the company is bigger. If I break up with him and get with you, I’m afraid people will gossip, and it might negatively impact your reputation.”
“Just wait a little longer.”
“It won’t be long.”
“Oh, so that’s it. I knew Amelia loved me the most.”
“…”
They were intimately embraced, looking exactly like a couple.
I scoffed, not bothering to watch any longer.
I went back to the private room, had a few more drinks, and we reminisced about old times. It wasn’t until past midnight that we finally dispersed. As we headed into the underground parking garage, Marcus suddenly pulled me to a top-of-the-line Porsche and asked if I liked it.
I nodded, confused.
I thought it was his new car and was about to compliment him when Marcus suddenly slipped a car key into my hand.
“It’s for you.”
He winked at me.
“Your old car is a wreck. I’ve been meaning to get you a new one for ages.”
I was about to refuse, but he seemed to know what I was going to say and went straight on. “I heard Amelia got a car for that new guy at your company. If someone with his terrible skills can drive a luxury car, you certainly can’t be worse off.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve seen the stuff that new guy at your company produced. The style is different every time, clearly copied. I have no idea how he’s still at the company…”
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Marcus spoke without any filter, complaining endlessly about Jax.
I remained silent.
He was right. Those projects were all done by me and the other colleagues on our team.
Almost every time, just as they were about to be completed, Amelia would demand they be handed over to Jax.
That’s why Jax’s style was always inconsistent.
Marcus, who wasn’t even at the company, could see through it.
But Amelia, ironically, couldn’t.
I still wanted to decline the car, but Marcus feigned anger. “This isn’t a gift, it’s coming out of your future salary. You can’t waste my good intentions.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
The price of this car… if it really came out of my salary, it would take years to pay off.
Knowing it was just an excuse from Marcus, I no longer refused and thanked him.
After a few more casual words, we both called designated drivers and went our separate ways.
I thought Amelia wouldn’t be back by this time.
But when I opened the door, I saw her already sitting on the living room sofa.
“Where were you? Didn’t we agree to meet? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”
As soon as I walked in, Amelia asked me furiously.
I was a little surprised.
Normally, when she went out with Jax, she wouldn’t be back until three or four in the morning.
Her early return was truly unusual.
But thinking about it, the image of her and Jax embracing in the private room flashed before my eyes again.
A wave of nausea washed over me.
“I went out for dinner with Marcus,” I said flatly, walking into the living room and pulling out the power of attorney from my bag.
I had only taken two steps when Amelia suddenly stopped me, frowning. “You’ve been drinking?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to drink when I’m not around?”
I couldn’t help but scoff.
Her words implied I was only allowed to drink when I was entertaining clients for her.
I didn’t say anything.
Amelia, however, seemed to realize something and suddenly smiled, a hint of smugness on her face.
“You’re still angry about me going out with Jax, aren’t you? If you didn’t want me to have dinner with him alone, you could’ve just said so. Did you have to drink this much?”
“You’re overthinking it. My drinking has nothing to do with you two.”
I leaned on a chair and sat down, handing her the power of attorney for the house sale. “Take a look at this.”
**Chapter 5**
Seeing the document I handed her, Amelia raised an eyebrow, her voice a little smug.
“What’s this? A guarantee letter?”
“Let me tell you upfront, it’s too late to apologize now. I’m very angry about what happened this afternoon.”
“Don’t think a little trick like this will make me forgive you.”
Watching her smug expression, I found it amusing.
It was true.
Before, when I frequently angered her and she refused to forgive me, I had handwritten a guarantee letter to win her favor.
Looking back, she certainly had her faults, but back then, I had willingly handed over my self-respect for her to trample on.
Thankfully, it wouldn’t happen again.
“It’s not a guarantee letter. It’s a surprise.”
I said flatly.
Amelia raised an eyebrow, curious, and was about to open it when her phone rang.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the caller ID.
“Wait a second, I need to take this.”
Amelia said, picking up the call.
“Amelia, I accidentally hit someone while driving. What do I do? I’m so scared right now.”
Jax’s distressed voice came through the phone.
Amelia’s face grew anxious.
“Send me your location, I’m coming over now.”
She said, getting up to leave, no longer paying attention to me.
I quickly blocked her path, holding the power of attorney directly in front of her. I spoke succinctly.
“Let’s deal with my business first. I brought it up first, and this document needs to be signed. It’s urgent.”
Amelia froze for a moment, looked up at me, and sighed.
“Caleb, can’t you have some empathy? His situation is more urgent than yours.”
“Your jealousy right now is really unbecoming.”
I found it somewhat amusing.
I was “unbecoming,” but what about Jax, drunk driving?
But I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, I just kept the power of attorney in front of her, not pulling it back.
Amelia said nothing more, flipping through the document. But before she could read it, Jax’s scream came through the phone again.
“Ah! How can you hit me? Amelia—”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right there.”
She told Jax not to worry, but Amelia was visibly more anxious than him.
She didn’t even look at the content, hastily flipping to the end, scribbling her signature, and then quickly clacked out the door in her high heels.
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