Chapter 1

On the day the bonuses were released, the accountant handed me a fifty-dollar voucher for the burger joint downstairs.

He told me my CEO wife, Elena, had personally authorized this.

I couldn't believe my ears and went straight to her office to demand an answer.

"Did we not agree that whoever secured this project would receive a five-million-dollar bonus?"

"Stop making a scene! My sister's cochlear implant surgery is waiting for that money!"

Elena looked at me with a straight face, her eyes cold.

"Who's making a scene? That fifty-dollar voucher is enough for you to eat for a month. I wouldn't give that to just anyone."

"The company is short on cash right now. Besides, your sister has been deaf for over a decade. Another ten years won't kill her."

The very next day, she gifted the company intern a five-million-dollar supercar.

I saw her post on social media. She and the intern were sitting in the car, their smiles brighter than the sun. I casually gave the post a like.

Elena thought everything was settled once the contract was signed.

She failed to notice the additional clause on the very last page.

I picked up my phone and dialed her biggest rival.

"Ms. Sterling, are you interested in the East Side Development project?"

1、

I had just put my phone down when Elena called.

"Jax works so hard every day without a single complaint. That sports car was a reward I promised him a long time ago. What's with that passive-aggressive like on my post?"

I had simply liked the photo. How was that being passive-aggressive?

Before I could even explain, her voice sharpened.

"Your sister was born deaf. No matter how expensive that implant is, it won't change the fact that she's a lost cause."

"Instead of wasting money on a useless person like her, I'd rather reward my employees."

I trembled with rage at her words and couldn't help but sneer.

"By employees, you mean Jax Miller specifically, right?"

Elena sounded even angrier than me.

"Am I wrong? I saw everything Jax did for the company and his colleagues during this bidding process."

"If it wasn't for him, half the staff wouldn't even have had time to eat."

"As an executive, you're not only unsupportive of your staff, but you're also incredibly petty. No wonder nobody likes you at the office."

Then, Jax's voice came through the background.

"Elena, if Mr. Thorne is upset, I should probably return the car."

"If he holds a grudge and starts making my life difficult at work, I might lose my job."

Elena immediately jumped to his defense.

"You keep that gift. As long as I'm here, nobody will touch you!"

She then barked at me over the phone.

"Silas Thorne, don't forget that I'm the one who gave you the Vice President position. If I'm unhappy, I can have you packing your bags in a second."

My breath hitched. My heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles.

Vance Group only reached its current scale because I built it up for Elena, piece by piece.

To win this bid, I had led my team through a month of straight overtime.

Some employees had been unhappy, but they all received massive cash bonuses for their work.

As for Jax, his only contribution was ordering takeout for everyone and finding new ways to make Elena laugh.

Yet, in her eyes, he was the greatest hero of the company.

When I stayed silent, Elena let out a cold snort.

"If Jax hadn't talked me into it, I wouldn't have even given you that fifty-dollar voucher."

She hung up the phone.

As the dial tone hummed in my ear, I felt a total sense of despair toward this marriage.

Just then, my sister's doctor sent me a message.

He said if Maya didn't get the implant now, she might lose the chance to hear forever.

The deposit for the surgery was due by tomorrow at the latest.

Left with no choice, I called Elena again.

The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up.

I learned from her secretary that she had gone to a new upscale restaurant with Jax.

When I arrived, Jax was playfully feeding Elena shrimp with his own mouth.

My stomach churned. I felt like I was going to throw up.

But for Maya's sake, I swallowed my disgust.

I took a deep breath and walked up to Elena, my voice low and pleading.

"Elena, even if you won't give me the five million, just give me fifty thousand. I need to pay the deposit for the implant."

Elena didn't even look at me. Instead, she splashed a cup of hot tea right into my face.

"Silas, be a man! Is money the only thing in your head?"

"Marrying a man like you was the biggest mistake of my life!"

My face burned. Humiliation and rage flooded my chest.

At the company, I held the title of Vice President, but I hadn't taken a single cent in salary for months.

Jax sat there, enjoying my misery.

"Mr. Thorne, you're a high-level executive. How did you end up like this?"

"If you're that desperate for cash, I can hook you up with a quick way to make some."

"I hear there are plenty of wealthy older women at the clubs who like your type. Should I send them your photo?"

Elena gave me a look of pure disgust.

"Even an eighty-year-old woman wouldn't want him."

She pulled a hundred-dollar bill from her purse and slapped it against my face.

"Take this and get out of my sight!"

She linked her arm with Jax's and walked away, heading toward their flashy new supercar.

I clenched my fists, gripping that humiliating hundred-dollar bill.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated.

【Silas, you know how I feel about you. Are you sure you want to quit and bring that project over to my company?】

This time, I didn't hesitate.

【I'm sure.】