Chapter 1

On the eve of the company’s IPO, my wife told me she had a surprise waiting for me. She asked me to make sure I was dressed in my absolute best.

I thought she was finally ready to go public with our secret marriage. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep a wink all night.

But the next day, in front of the entire press, she pointed at me and called me an obsessive, creepy stalker.

She even stripped me of the promotion that was rightfully mine.

Instead, she handed my manager position to Julian Vance—her first love, the golden boy who had just flown back from abroad.

Everyone stood there, waiting to watch me fall apart.

But I only froze for a second. Then, with a faint smile, I walked right up to Julian.

I took off my employee ID badge and hung it around his neck with my own hands.

"Congrats on the promotion. We should celebrate, shouldn't we? Why don't you two just get married? I’d be more than happy to officiate."

My wife’s face turned icy as she told me to get lost and stop embarrassing myself.

But what they didn't know was that I was the sole lifeblood of this entire company’s network.

Now that I’m leaving, not a single investor will ever write them another check.

The paparazzi's camera flashes were blinding.

A few yards away, I watched Chloe Miller hand the gorgeous bouquet of roses I had carefully chosen to Julian Vance.

Faced with the reporters' relentless questions, she let out a soft, beautiful laugh.

"Everyone knows starting this company wasn't easy for me. But today, I want to say that if Julian hadn’t been standing by my side, quietly supporting me and pushing me to keep going these past few years, I wouldn't be here today."

"Now that the company has successfully gone public, I’d like to take this wonderful opportunity to make an announcement."

"I’ve decided to appoint Julian as our new Head of Marketing. He’s a brilliant Ivy League graduate who has managed massive campaigns overseas. I know that with him leading the team, our company’s future will be brighter than ever."

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. I stood in the corner, barely able to keep my balance.

And to think, I had dressed up so carefully. On my way here, I had even stopped by a jeweler to pick up a stunning three-carat diamond ring.

I had been waiting for the moment Chloe announced our marriage, hoping the cameras would capture the most beautiful moment of our lives.

But I never imagined it was all just my pathetic, delusional daydream.

No wonder she insisted on taking a separate car this morning.

Right then, Julian’s eyes swept over the crowd and landed on me.

He actually waved at me. "Ethan, why are you standing all the way over there by yourself? You're a part of this company too. Come on up for the group photo!"

My legs felt like they were filled with lead, and my throat was incredibly dry.

"A part of this company?"

So, after all this time, that was all I was to her?

I looked at Chloe with eyes full of hurt and betrayal, desperately hoping she would speak up for me.

But she didn't.

There was no rescue. Instead, she just stared at me with a cold, mocking smirk.

"He’s just a pathetic loser who doesn't know his place."

"He only knows how to be a creepy, disgusting stalker in the dark. Let's just ignore him and take the photo."

The moment those words left her mouth, it was like throwing a boulder into a quiet pond.

The whispers from my colleagues started instantly.

"No way. Ethan looks so professional and handsome. Who knew he was a stalker? Looking at CEO Miller's reaction, he must have harassed her a lot."

"And here I was, feeling bad that he didn't get the Head of Marketing job. A creep like him should be kicked out of the company immediately."

My fists clenched tightly at my sides, my heart bleeding with every word I heard.

So, in Chloe’s eyes, this was what I was?

But she seemed to have forgotten.

When she graduated college and said she wanted to start a business, absolutely no one supported her.

To break her spirit, her parents completely cut her off financially.

It was I who gave up a prestigious Ivy League scholarship abroad, choosing to stay by her side and build this company from scratch.

It was I who got up every single night after she fell asleep, working under a dim lamp to write business proposals and hunt down clients.

For three years, my nerves had been stretched to the limit. I kept telling myself that once the company went public, our lives would get better.

I let her take all the spotlight, the glory, and the credit, while I happily worked in the shadows as a faceless, tireless soldier.

I never complained.

Every time she landed a new client and hugged my neck, kissing me excitedly, I felt like all the sleepless nights were worth it.

But now...

It seemed like those three years of devotion were nothing but a beautiful dream I had conjured up all by myself.

I had poured all my time, energy, and soul into her.

And in return, all I got was the label of a "disgusting stalker" and a look of pure, unadulterated contempt.

The corner of my mouth twitched into a bitter smile.

I had wasted three years of my life on the wrong woman.

The group photo was over. Julian, standing at the dead center of the stage, took Chloe’s arm and walked toward me.

My eyes locked onto Chloe’s hand resting on his arm, a wave of raw emotion crashing over me.

She had taken off our wedding ring.

Meanwhile, I was still wearing mine like a priceless treasure, terrified of scratching it.

Before I could process the pain, the two of them stopped right in front of me. Julian reached out a hand.

"We’re going to be working together from now on, Ethan. Be good to me, okay?"

I stared at his outstretched hand and didn't move.

I didn't believe for a second that Julian didn't know about our marriage. Yet, he had remained completely silent in front of the media.

He was even patronizing me in front of everyone.

To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to smash my fist into his smug face.

But I couldn't.

No matter what, I had watched this company grow like it was my own child. I couldn't bring myself to ruin it publicly.

Seeing my silence, Chloe scoffed again.

"Stop acting so cold and superior, Ethan. Do you really think landing a few big clients makes you some kind of hero? Do you expect everyone to worship the ground you walk on?"

"Having an employee like you is honestly a curse."

Julian smiled warmly, patting Chloe’s shoulder to soothe her. "It’s fine, Chloe. Ethan probably just didn't expect me to take the manager position. It's only natural he’s upset."

"But we’re all doing what's best for the company. Ethan, if you have a problem, just take it out on me. Don't let it affect our business."

He was the magnanimous savior, and I was the bitter creep from the gutters.

Based on what?

The sheer injustice of it made my blood boil.

Watching them play their roles so perfectly, they looked exactly like a married couple.

I let out a slow, quiet breath. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, I stepped forward.

I reached up, unclipped my employee ID badge, and hung it directly around Julian's neck.

"I don't think I'm qualified to be your senior, Julian. After all, you're an Ivy League golden boy. You better work hard. As for a 'creep' like me, I clearly don't deserve to stay in this company."

"I'll be submitting my resignation today. But since you're the new boss, we should celebrate. Why don't you two just get married? I'd love to officiate."