My Resignation Led to Her Downfall

At the annual company meeting, my wife, Rosalie Smith, claims that I've never made any contributions to the company, so she demands that I give up my position as the chief engineer and transfer all of my research findings to her first love, Harry West. Enraged by Rosalie's shamelessness, I quit my job on the spot before throwing the divorce agreement at Harry's face. "Working in this day and time is very difficult, you know! How about I just be more generous and let you take over my position as the CEO's husband instead?" For a moment, everyone swaps looks with each other, thinking that I'm merely jealous of Harry. But no one knows that I'm the one with the core technology of the company. No one can replicate it nor steal it from me. Without my core tech, the company's products are reduced to a bunch of useless codes. As for Rosalie, she will face massive debts and the crisis of her company going into bankruptcy. Chapter 1 "You contributed greatly to the company's success this year, Harry. Come up on stage with me. Let's take a photo together." My wife, Rosalie Smith, gestured for Harry West to join her. Harry hurried over to Rosalie's side. He held her hand as they went up on stage together. They delivered their speeches before handing out their gifts and blessings to the rest of the employees. The good rapport that they shared made them look like a couple who were passionately in love with one another. They were stuck together like glue. The employees who received the gifts from them teased them. "Should we expect good news from the two of you soon, Mr. West and Ms. Smith? I'm looking forward to attending your wedding." "You're awesome, Mr. West and Ms. Smith! I'll definitely work hard and live up to your expectations in the coming year!" The crowd began to chant, "Get married! Get married!" That was the scene I stumbled upon when I arrived late to the awards ceremony. A sour sensation spread through my chest. I gripped the medicine box tightly, causing it to dig painfully into my palm. Rosalie and I had built this company from the ground up. I was in charge of technology and distribution while she handled internal operations. The company achieved considerable success with us at the helm. Unfortunately, we couldn't announce our relationship since the company had a strict rule that employees weren't allowed to date each other. As a result, nobody knew that I was Rosalie's husband. I had been looking forward to the awards ceremony and had prepared for it beforehand. However, right before the ceremony began, Rosalie noticed that she had forgotten to bring her asthma medicine with her. Worried that she would suddenly have an attack, I rushed home to get her medicine, only to see Harry standing in my rightful spot when I returned. I finally understood what was going on. Forgetting her medicine was just an excuse for Rosalie to get me out of the picture. Harry was the one she wanted to celebrate her moment of glory with. Furthermore, the awards ceremony had originally been scheduled to begin at 9:00 am. However, to make sure I wouldn't get in her way, Rosalie had started it early. Harry arched his brow when he noticed my crestfallen expression. "Hey, Cam! Why did you get here so late? The awards ceremony is almost over! We couldn't find you anywhere, so I went up on stage with Rosalie. I hope you don't mind!" He fixed a troubled look on his face, pretending to be at a loss for what to do as he stood rooted to the spot. Harry was Rosalie's first love during her university days. The two of them eventually broke up for various reasons, but I knew that Harry would always be a special existence in Rosalie's heart. That was also the reason why Harry always looked down on me. He often provoked and opposed me. However, from Rosalie's perspective, I was just being jealous and petty. Rosalie immediately stepped forward to save Harry from his so-called predicament. Chapter 2 "You truly don't know your priorities, Cameron Patterson," Rosalie berated. "Don't you feel ashamed that you made everyone wait for you during such an important ceremony? "You have no sense of punctuality, even though you're the chief engineer. Maybe you should just quit being an engineer altogether!" I wanted to explain to Rosalie that I was only late because I had returned home to get her medicine. But when I met her unforgiving gaze, my mouth fell open slightly before I lowered my head. Rosalie hadn't been joking. She turned to Harry and softly said, "You graduated from a prestigious university abroad, Harry. You have an excellent academic background and outstanding skills. I'd like you to take over Cameron's duties as the chief engineer." She then turned to look at me to continue her rant. "Did you hear me? Make sure to clear out your office. Since you're unable to perform your duties, you might as well vacate the position to someone who's actually capable." I raised my head and stared at her in disbelief. "Are you telling me to give up my position as chief engineer to Harry, Ms. Smith?" "Not only your position, but also all your research and development results. All of it belongs to Harry now, from this day forth. You've disappointed me one too many times, Cameron." I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. My expression turned steely, and my body began quivering. When we first established the company, I quit my comfortable and stable job to support Rosalie as much as possible. We started from nothing together. I sold my old house and withdrew all my savings to support Rosalie. I also worked as the company's core technician and was involved in sales and distribution. The company had been on the verge of going bankrupt before I intervened and steered it back to the right path. Meanwhile, Harry only secured his position in the company because of his connections. He handled his projects by gathering everyone's ideas. He was only responsible for the presentations. However, everything that Harry did was spectacular in Rosalie's eyes. Meanwhile, I became someone who was utterly useless from her perspective. After so many signs, it seemed that our relationship had run its course. My heart suddenly felt incredibly hollow. I nodded and said, "Sure. I don't have a problem with that. He can take over my position." Although glee sparkled in Harry's eyes, he tried to reject Rosalie's suggestion. "No, Cam. I'm just an amateur with barely any experience. I wouldn't dare replace you as the chief engineer. "I just heard that you're having some trouble with your new product development. It's been a year since there's been any progress, no? I just want to do what I can for the company." Rosalie looked at Harry with adoring eyes. "You're so thoughtful, Harry. No need to be modest. Everyone here is aware of your capabilities. It's thanks to you that the company achieved such tremendous success this year. "Furthermore, you're an esteemed scholar from a university abroad. Your skills are outstanding. This position belongs to you and no one else." I nearly burst out laughing upon hearing Rosalie's words. I had investigated Harry's background when he first joined the company. The university where he furthered his studies was just run-of-the-mill. Although he studied there for five years, in the end, he had to pay the university to graduate. It was amusing to see Rosalie treat someone like Harry as an "esteemed scholar". Meanwhile, Rosalie didn't seem to be satisfied just singing Harry's praises. To emphasize the gap between us, she began criticizing me again. "You've been working on this project for almost a year, Cameron, but you still have nothing to show for it. How long are you going to keep me waiting? Do you even remember what you told me when you first accepted the project? "You should learn from Harry if you're unable to do your job. Don't just spend all day running that mouth of yours." I sighed quietly and didn't continue the conversation. Chapter 3 It seemed that Rosalie had forgotten about how I was constantly sacrificing sleep to work on projects during the early years of the company. In the past, she would consult me and rely on me during every step of the plan. After I steered the company in the right direction, she forgot that she wasn't the one who was responsible for the company's successes. She deluded herself into believing that she was the lady boss whom everyone praised her to be. And now, she wanted to kick me to the curb just because I was "useless" from her perspective. Rosalie continued to berate me. My colleagues tensed up when I approached Harry. They fell silent, thinking that I was going to escalate the situation into a fight. However, I did no such thing. I simply removed my work ID, pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared beforehand, and threw them in Harry's face. "Your job's not easy, huh? Why don't I do you a favor and let you replace me as the president's husband?" Shocked gasps erupted among the crowd. "Ms. Smith is married to Mr. Patterson?" "Oh, my God. What is this crazy love triangle? Can I really watch this drama unfold for free?" My colleagues were puzzled by how calm I was, assuming that I had gone mad from anger. After all, they knew that I had poured my blood, sweat, and tears into completing the project. However, none of them were privy to the fact that the company's core technology only existed in my mind. No one could replicate it. Rosalie's face twisted. Her eyes were full of disdain when she said, "What are you trying to say, Cameron? Are you not going to honor your contract?" How ridiculous. I was already giving up my position to Harry. On top of that, I was also allowing him to take credit for all my research results, clearing his path toward his guaranteed promotion. Wasn't I doing exactly what Rosalie wanted? Harry gripped my work ID and refused to let go of it. A long time passed before he finally averted his gaze and said, "I didn't know that you and Ms. Smith are married, Cam. I'm sorry for getting in your way. However, perhaps Ms. Smith never announced your relationship because she didn't approve of you. "Of course, I don't mean anything by saying that. It's just that I can't accept your position as chief engineer. I hope you'll stop fighting with Ms. Smith. Let me compensate you on her behalf." Harry tried to give my ID back to me, but his sluggish movements made his reluctance blatantly obvious. I burst out laughing. "You're quite the jokester. This position belongs to you now. I don't have anything to do with it." I then shoved the documents into Harry's arms. Rosalie eyed me suspiciously, but she didn't notice anything amiss with my expression. On the contrary, I looked quite happy. She nodded and told Harry to accept the documents. "At least he knows his place. Since Cameron is willing to step down, these documents belong to you now. Congratulations, Harry!" Harry had finally weaseled his way into the position that he had been eyeing. He thanked me profusely, his eyes shining with a triumphant glint. I didn't care. Truth be told, I had already completed my current research. I had planned to announce my success during the awards ceremony to deliver even more good news to everyone. It would also be the best present for Rosalie. But I didn't need to do any of that anymore. I had only gotten a breakthrough in my current research after tirelessly working on the project for a year. It was why I knew it would be impossible for Harry to achieve any degree of success, considering the standards of his education. Everyone assumed that being the chief engineer was a walk in the park since I only had to bark orders at my subordinates. What they didn't know was that the chief engineer was both the initiator and the scapegoat if things were to go awry. Chapter 4 The codes that were previously calculated would become utterly useless without my core technology. On top of that, the contract's deadline was fast approaching. Not only would Rosalie have to pay an astronomical compensation fee, but the company would also be thrown into a crisis. Meanwhile, Rosalie felt a little guilty when she noticed my continued silence after I gave up my chief engineer position to Harry. "Alright. Don't just stand there. The luncheon is starting soon," she said coyly. "I specifically ordered the dishes from your favorite restaurant for this awards ceremony." She haughtily averted her gaze after she was done speaking, as if she was doing me a huge favor by offering me an opportunity to leave with what was left of my dignity. It was true that when a person was rendered speechless, they would suddenly be overwhelmed with the urge to laugh. Disgust roiled in my gut at just the thought of having to eat lunch with these despicable people. I turned around and headed for the exit. Harry immediately chased after me and blocked my path. "Are you angry because you were forced to give up your position to me, Cam? Ms. Smith was just speaking out of anger. She doesn't actually want to divorce you. It's all just a misunderstanding. There's nothing going on between her and me." He then began to usher me back inside, saying, "Go ahead and have lunch, Cam. I'll handle the cleaning." During our earlier argument, Rosalie had transferred me to the logistics department. Harry was essentially reminding me that I was nothing more than a cleaner now. He began diligently sweeping and mopping the floor, making it seem as if I was the one who was unreasonably causing a fuss while Harry did everything he could to appease me. As expected, Rosalie refused to remain on the sidelines and do nothing after she noticed Harry's pitiful appearance. She snatched the broom from Harry and said, "Why are you degrading yourself like this, Harry? You're the chief engineer. Your hands are precious treasures that will contribute to the company's success. Doing such things is beneath you." "It's alright, Ms. Smith. I'm just helping Cam out. I'm happy as long as he stops being angry at me," Harry replied, not forgetting to wipe the sweat from his brow to imply how hard he worked. Rosalie lost her temper and hurled the broom at me. "Are you done causing a scene yet? I want you to clean this place before you enter the hall. You should take responsibility for your own duties. You're not allowed to eat until this place is spotless!" Things had always been this way. To paint herself as a just and fair person and also to keep our relationship a secret, Rosalie always bossed me around when we were at work. She treated me more like her lapdog than her husband. I had grown sick and tired of tolerating her. When Harry had been mopping the floor earlier, he had "accidentally" dragged the filthy mop across my shoe. Rosalie had bought those shoes for me for my birthday. Harry had apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry, Cam. I didn't mean to dirty your shoe. You won't hold this against me, will you?" Although his words were apologetic, his eyes glimmered with a provoking glint. It was as if he was trying to tell me that Rosalie cared about him the most. Everyone assumed that I would let it slide. However, a pained yelp echoed around the hall in the next second. I had stuffed the filthy mop into Harry's mouth, causing him to stumble backward as he cursed up a storm. "Have you lost your mind?" he roared. "Are you that jealous that I took your place?" "Don't think that everyone's a piece of shit like you," I answered nonchalantly. "I have no reason to get jealous over a useless piece of trash like you." Chapter 5 "I just don't like it when a useless person tries to teach me how to do things. It makes me ill," I said. Harry's face turned a ruddy red. He looked like he had more to say, but I turned around and left. I didn't want to stay there for even another second. I would just be torturing myself if I did. In fact, I feel filthy just being around them. … My feet subconsciously brought me back to the university that Rosalie and I attended. We had seen each other for the first time at the university gates. Rosalie was adored by everyone, while I was just a nobody from the sticks. A shocking burglary gave me the chance to get closer to her. I threw myself in front of Rosalie to protect her, getting stabbed twice in the process. As I teetered between life and death, I could only use the single paper crane I had on me to soothe Rosalie's frazzled feelings. A sense of responsibility had also spread through my chest at that moment. I knew that it was my duty to protect her no matter what happened. My efforts had paid off in the end, but I hadn't expected someone else to steal my glory. Harry, who was in the same major as us, took credit for being her savior and successfully got close to her. Eventually, he managed to win her heart as well. It was then that I learned that if I loved someone, I couldn't just watch them from afar. I had to take the initiative to let them know about my feelings. I had no choice but to keep my distance as I watched Rosalie and Harry be happy together, silently protecting her from afar as her acquaintance. None of us expected Harry to just be fooling around with her. Harry didn't bother taking care of Rosalie after they got together. In fact, when he had to decide between furthering his studies or staying in the country to be with her, he didn't hesitate for even a second to abandon Rosalie and move abroad. He told her that the disparity between their families was too big, so they wouldn't have a happy ending even if they stayed together. Thus, it was better for them to separate early instead of dragging things out. Rosalie fell into a deep depression after Harry broke up with her. She never smiled anymore, and she tried to end her life multiple times. I stayed by her side and guided her back to the light, pulling her out of the abyss of her heartbreak that nearly cost her her life. Eventually, we got married, and I dedicated my entire self to helping Rosalie with her business. Rosalie had once confessed that she would only love me for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, the wonderful days didn't last. … Harry returned to the country after his family declared bankruptcy. That was also when Rosalie began to show signs of hesitance. Her eyes were always brimming with heartbreak and sympathy when she looked at Harry. She also tried to curry favor with him whenever she spoke to him. She even went so far as to assign him a position in the company while bypassing all the usual employment procedures. Although Harry had hurt her so deeply in the past, she was more than willing to open her arms and accept him into her life again. She even made exceptions multiple times for his sake. Rosalie had never extended such privileges to me, even though I was her husband. A sour sensation spread through my chest at the thought. Truth be told, I should have known from the start that Harry's importance in Rosalie's heart had never diminished. She had simply carved out a tiny space for me. Unfortunately, my allocated space was too small. I was a greedy person and wanted to have a person's everything if we were together. Since I couldn't have all of Rosalie's heart, I might as well leave her now. "Weren't you acting all high-and-mighty earlier, Cameron? Are you regretting your actions now?" A sharp and mocking voice pulled me out of my memories. I frowned when I saw Rosalie's arrogant face. It was unbelievably frustrating to run into the two of them wherever I went. Rosalie called out to me when I turned around and prepared to leave. "Let's see how long you'll keep up your act. I can't believe you even ran away from home. In the end, you still came back here to reminisce about the past." Chapter 6 Playing the role of the mediator, Harry pretended to advise me as well. "She's right, Cam. It's time to stop causing a fuss. Ms. Smith didn't eat or sleep just to look for you. Don't you feel sorry for her?" He then approached me and tried to pat my shoulder, but I swiftly dodged away. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands," I said. Rosalie's temper exploded. "Don't be so ungrateful. Harry's being respectful." Her tone turned smug when she noticed what I was holding. "Stop making a fuss and come home with me. How can you claim not to miss me when you bought my favorite cake?" Rosalie approached me and tried to take the bag from me, wearing a coy expression. I didn't spare a glance at her when I tossed the bag into the trash, saying, "You're overthinking. I only bought the cake because I was craving it. Tell your dear Harry to buy it for you if you want to eat it." I hailed a cab and headed home after I was done speaking, ignoring Rosalie's hysterical cries that echoed behind me. … Rosalie kicked open the door minutes after I arrived home. Her eyes were bloodshot as if she had cried before coming over. "Do you have some loose screws in your head, Cameron?" she wailed. "Why would you corner me like that in front of all the employees? You even exposed our relationship. Did you even stop to think about how the employees will see me now?" Harry chimed in, "She's right, Cam. You were inconsiderate this time. Ms. Smith is already having a hard time keeping such a big business running smoothly. Why did you cause more trouble for her?" It was obvious that Harry's words aimed to praise Rosalie while belittling me, giving off the impression that I wasn't earning my keep. "Did you do what you did because of me, Cam? There's nothing going on between Ms. Smith and me. Maybe I should leave. I don't want the two of you to argue because of me. I'm sorry, Ms. Smith. I didn't mean to ruin your relationship. I should just move back abroad." I had to give it to Harry. His reverse psychology tactics were incredibly effective. Rosalie immediately panicked. She grabbed his hand and exclaimed, "Where are you going? You don't have to leave. The company is your home. This has nothing to do with you. It's Cameron's fault for being so petty." After comforting Harry, Rosalie turned to me and spat, "Can you stop being so petty, Cameron? You're a grown man. The way you're acting is ridiculous. If you continue behaving like this, I'm going to divorce you!" She gleefully arched her brow when I remained silent, assuming that she had gained the upper hand. It wasn't the first time Rosalie had threatened me by telling me she wanted to get a divorce. She started using this method against me about half a year ago when Harry first returned to the country. We often got into arguments after that day. Rosalie would threaten to divorce me every single time to force me to concede to her, and I would give in every time because I loved her too much. However, I didn't want to give in anymore. A sense of relief spread through me when Rosalie once again suggested that we get a divorce. Rosalie assumed that she had accidentally provoked me when she noticed my darkening expression. She said, "I don't actually want to divorce you, Cameron. I just—" I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "Let's do it. Let's get a divorce."