After coming back from a three-year study trip abroad, my fiancée invited me to join her company.
But only a few days after I started, her assistant showed up with a compensation agreement and told me to sign it.
I frowned. “What’s this supposed to mean?”
The assistant gave me an impatient look. “Shouldn’t you take responsibility for the mess you caused?”
Thinking he must’ve confused me with someone else, I calmly explained, “I just got here. I haven’t even started working on any project. How could I have caused trouble already?”
When I didn’t sign, he slammed the papers onto the table, crossed his arms, and stared at me with a smug face.
“When I tell you to sign, you sign! Why are you making things difficult?”
Not wanting to waste time arguing, I called my fiancée directly. To my surprise, she answered in an annoyed tone.
“Reid caused some trouble a couple of days ago. Just take the blame for him.”
“I’m warning you, don’t make things worse. He’s the chairman’s son. If you don’t deal with this properly, both of us will be kicked out!”
When I heard that, I lifted my eyes to look at the proud man standing in front of me.
How funny, since when did my mother have such a son?
——
I looked down at the compensation agreement. It claimed that because I had leaked core project data, the company had suffered huge losses, and I was willing to take full responsibility.
What an impressive accusation.
When I had just returned from abroad, Dahlia Larson had warmly invited me to join her company.
With our wedding coming up, I took it as a chance to see her true character, so I agreed.
I never expected that she only wanted me there to take the blame for Reid Payne.
On the other end of the call, Dahlia must have noticed how harsh she sounded, because her voice softened.
“Weston, I’m doing this for our future. Reid is the chairman’s son; his record can’t have any problems. But you’re different. You’re new here. It’s only natural for you to bear a little loss.”
I interrupted her. “Dahlia, I suggest you think carefully before deciding this.”
Before she could reply, I ended the call.
Just then, Reid suddenly poured a cup of ice water over my head, and the freezing liquid ran through my hair and down my back, making me shiver.
He looked at me with pure contempt. “You, a graduate from some lousy foreign university, if it weren’t for Dahlia, you’d still be picking trash off the street!”
“Now the company asks you to make a small sacrifice, and you start dragging your feet? I’m telling you, if you don’t sign today, once the partners start asking questions and my mom finds out, no one will be able to save you!”
No one had ever spoken to me like that before. And somehow, my MBA from Stanford had turned into a lousy degree in his mouth.
Anger surged through me. I grabbed the cup of hot coffee beside me and, without thinking twice, threw it straight at Reid’s face.
“Ah!” Reid screamed, clutching his face in pain.
The office fell into chaos as everyone turned to stare at me. Whispers spread through the room.
“He’s President Larson’s fiancé who just came back from abroad? He’s got guts!”
“Offending Young Master Reid the moment he arrives, he’s out of his mind.”
“It’s over for him. He’s finished for sure.”
If I hadn’t known that my parents had always been close and had never spent more than a day apart, I might have actually suspected that Reid was my mother’s illegitimate son.
Until now, I hadn’t really taken a good look at him, but when I did, there was something strangely familiar about his face.
Reid wiped the coffee from his face with tissues, his hands shaking with anger.
“Weston Jensen, are you crazy?! Do you even know what you just did?!”
I looked at him coldly. “Of course, I know what I’m doing. I’m teaching a lesson to someone who made a mistake but still refuses to take responsibility.”
“You! Do you even know who I am?” Reid yelled.
I gave a faint smile. “I don’t care who you are. To me, you’re nothing.”
Just then, Dahlia walked in. When she saw Reid’s messy appearance, her face instantly darkened.
Ignoring me completely, she hurried over to him, holding his face with both hands, her eyes filled with worry as she checked him over.
“Reid, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?”
That soft, gentle tone, she had never once spoken to me like that. Even when I had a fever, all she said was, “Drink more hot water.”
Reid looked up at her with tears in his eyes and said in a trembling voice, “Dahlia, my face hurts so much. Did Weston really want to ruin my face?”
Then, without warning, he buried himself in Dahlia’s arms.
Dahlia froze for a second, and to my disbelief, a flicker of happiness appeared on her face.
She quickly reached out and hugged him tightly in return, and the two of them looked almost like lovers.
Dahlia turned toward me and shouted, “Weston! Are you out of your mind? Apologize to Reid right now!”
I stood still, staring at her coldly. “Dahlia, he’s the one who poured water on me first. Why should I be the one to apologize?”
Her anger grew even stronger. She pointed at me, her voice rising as she yelled, “You hurt Reid, and you still dare talk back?! I must have been blind to ever fall for such a heartless man like you!”
Heartless?
So, in her heart, she had already decided long ago that I was just in her way.
At that moment, I felt both relieved and disappointed, relieved that I had never told her who I really was, and disappointed that I had once believed in her.
When we were together, I had only said my family was normal, letting her think I was just an ordinary second-generation rich kid. That was the only reason I got to see her true nature.
What I regretted was that before leaving for my studies abroad, I had even recommended her to my mother to be the branch manager.
Back then, I had sworn to my mom over and over that Dahlia was capable and trustworthy, but looking back now, it felt like a slap in the face.
“In that case, Dahlia, we’re done.”
After saying that, I stood up to leave. But Dahlia grabbed my arm angrily and snatched the compensation agreement from the table.
“Weston, trying to pull tricks on me? You think I’ll be scared? I’m telling you, you splashed Reid, this won’t end here! And this agreement, if you don’t sign it, you’re not leaving today!”
Maybe it was because of the ice water earlier, but my head was pounding. Feeling too tired to argue with her, I reached for the agreement, signed my name at the bottom, and tossed it back at her.
Dahlia clearly hadn’t expected me to give in so easily. She froze for a few seconds before quickly bending down to pick the paper off the floor.
Just as I stepped into the elevator, I heard Dahlia’s angry voice shouting behind me, “Weston! How dare you sign Reid’s name! Get back here!”
The elevator doors closed slowly, cutting off her furious yelling.
When I reached downstairs, the family car was already waiting. I got in, leaned tiredly against the seat, and said to the driver, “Go home.”
Spencer Payne, who had served my family for thirty years, nodded and drove away calmly.
My head ached, and I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep. When I opened them again, the car wasn’t anywhere near home; we were parked in front of a five-star hotel.
Spencer had been with my family for so long that I trusted him completely. That was why I could fall asleep so easily while he drove.
But right then, a bad feeling rose in my chest. I quickly asked, “Spencer, didn’t I tell you to drive home? Why are we here?”
Spencer turned his head toward me, and the kind look he usually had was gone. His face was cold, carrying a malice that made my heart sink.
“I’m sorry, sir Weston. As an elder of the family, I feel it’s my duty to teach you that you must take responsibility for your own mistakes.”
As I looked at him, I finally understood why Reid’s face had seemed familiar to me earlier; he was Spencer’s son.
I reached into my pocket to grab my phone and call the police, but Spencer was faster.
He snatched it away before I could react.
“Sir, don’t bother. It’s useless,” he said in a flat tone.
I glared at him. “Spencer, aren’t you afraid my mother will find out what you’re doing?”
He gave a cold laugh. “The chairwoman has been busy expanding overseas for years and rarely comes back. How would she have time to worry about small things like this?”
Then his eyes darkened. “But you dared to hurt my son, and for that, you must pay.”
With that, he yanked the car door open, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out with force. I tried to resist, but his strength was far beyond mine.
Still, I managed to quietly press the emergency button on my watch.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, trying to stay calm and figure out what was going on.
Spencer didn’t answer. Without saying a word, he pulled me into a private room and shoved me inside.
The room reeked of smoke. A fat man sat in the main seat, his face oily and smug, while Dahlia stood beside him, smiling as she poured him drinks.
Spencer bent down, bowing deeply. “President Hanson, I’ve brought the person you asked for.”
Reid stood up with a proud look on his face and pointed straight at me. “President Hanson, he’s the one who leaked the project data! I personally brought him here to apologize to you!”
President Hanson?
The name hit me, he was the head of our biggest rival company. August Hanson, in his fifties, is known for his disgusting hobbies and bad reputation.
“Young Master Reid, how thoughtful of you.”
August set down his wine glass and looked me up and down. “So this is the one who leaked the data? Not bad-looking at all.”
He stood and walked over slowly. “Pretty boy, do you even know how much our company lost because of your so-called leak?”
I let out a cold laugh. “When did I ever leak anything?”
Reid pulled out a document and waved it smugly. “Still denying it? Don’t forget, you already signed this!”
I looked down and froze. It was the same agreement I had signed earlier.
Only now, the name in the signature box, the one I had written as ‘Reid’, had been changed to ‘Weston.’
“You forged the agreement!”
“Forged?” Dahlia laughed coldly. “Weston, don’t make false claims. You signed this yourself, and there’s surveillance footage to prove it.”
The cameras in the office did exist, but they could only capture my hand movements, not the words I wrote.
“President Hanson, you see? He’s completely unrepentant.”
Reid added quickly, his tone full of fake outrage, “Just earlier in the office, he even splashed me with coffee! So arrogant.”
August looked at me with a sly smile. “Handsome boy, since you made a mistake, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
His eyes moved over me without shame, making my stomach twist.
“Mr. Jensen, you’re quite good-looking, even better than in the photos President Larson showed me.” He slowly ran his tongue over his lips.
Dahlia quickly nodded and bent slightly. “President Hanson, Weston is still young and doesn’t know better. He made a mistake this time. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“How about letting him join you for a few drinks tonight to show his apology?”
That woman not only wanted me to take the blame but was now pushing me toward this disgusting old man.
August lifted his glass and slowly walked toward me.
“Handsome boy, a smart man knows when to give in. If you serve me well tonight, we can talk about the compensation again.”
“In your dreams!” I pushed him away and rushed toward the door.
Two bodyguards immediately moved in front of me, blocking my way out.
I turned back and glared at Dahlia, my voice shaking with anger. “Dahlia, are you even human? After three years together, this is what you do to me?”
She gave a cold laugh, her eyes full of calculation. “Love? What is that compared to my future? And you’re the one who leaked the trade secrets, yet you still refuse to admit it?”
“I didn’t!”
“The evidence is right there, and you’re still trying to deny it?”
She pointed toward the door. “Bring him here.”
I fought with everything I had, but they forced me into a chair.
“Dahlia, you’ve been fooled by Reid! I’m Willa Jensen’s real son! If you hurt me, my mother will never forgive you!”
The room went quiet for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Dahlia slapped me lightly across the face, smirking. “You mean the Chairwoman is your mother?”
She gave a mocking laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. I see Reid riding in President Jensen’s car every day. Who else would have that right besides her son?”
“Since you refuse to drink nicely and insist on being punished, don’t blame us for being harsh.”
Dahlia grabbed my chin, lifted a glass, and poured the liquor straight down my throat.
“Drink it!”
The cold liquid burned as it rushed into my mouth. I shook my head hard, but the alcohol spilled down my chin, soaking my shirt.
Dahlia didn’t stop. One glass after another, she kept forcing me to drink. My vision started to blur, and my stomach twisted in pain.
“Enough!” I used the last bit of my strength and shoved her away.
Dahlia grabbed the whole bottle, forced my mouth open, and yelled, “Don’t want to drink? Then I’ll make you!”
The strong liquor burned down my throat like fire as the room spun around me.
August watched with excitement flashing in his eyes. “Not bad, not bad, now this is getting interesting.”
Seeing that I couldn’t fight back anymore, Dahlia took out a room card and handed it to August.
“President Hanson, Room 1208, it’s ready for you.”
August chuckled, patting her shoulder with satisfaction. “Hahaha, Dahlia, you’re quite smart. You’ll go far.”
Two men grabbed my arms and started dragging me toward the door.
I wanted to shout and struggle, but my body refused to move; the alcohol had already numbed everything.
Hopelessness crashed over me like a wave.
Suddenly, the private room door burst open with a loud bang.
A familiar voice roared, “You bastards! You dare lay a hand on my son? You’re all finished!”
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