Intern Swap System Malfunction: Now My Wife's Losing It

The intern whom my CEO wife, Gemma Hawkins, just promotes claims to be a corporate machine. Not only does Leon Hart stay energetic without sleep, but he also has an exceptional mind that can handle multiple roles flawlessly. He even manages to turn a random investment in a declining industry into millions in profit for the company. But I know the truth. His prodigal work ability comes from a linked exchange system that shifts all fatigue, damage, and financial risk onto me. As he gains fame and turns into an up-and-coming elite businessman, I grow thinner, my memory worsens, and I nearly die from exhaustion and anxiety. I go to Gemma and tell her my suspicions, but she lashes out at me, calling me crazy. "If you do not want to work, then resign and give your position to Leo. Don't be petty and slander him behind his back. You are embarrassing me!" To make it up to Leon, she takes back my shares and gives them to him. Then, she demands a divorce and throws me out of the house. After that, she spends 100 million dollars to buy him a house and a car. She even hands over all company investments to him. While all the shareholders wait eagerly, believing they will become millionaires with the company's dividends, I am beaten to death by loan sharks in an abandoned parking lot... When I open my eyes again, I return to the first day Leon makes an investment for the company. This time, I immediately take out a massive loan and invest in a dying industry! Chapter 1 "Dalton Brown! Do you have any idea how important this bid was to the company? And yet, you actually had the nerve to sing folk songs during the Q&A session! "Had Leo not been there to salvage the situation, who knows how much more of a fool you would've made of yourself and how much embarrassment you would've brought on the company and me?" My wife, Gemma Hawkins, fumed, pointing at my nose in my spacious office. Half an hour ago, Gemma and I had gone to the company's most important tender meeting of the year with an intern and my assistant. When it was my turn to present, I had, as usual, confidently taken the microphone. But when the client had asked a question, I, who should have answered it smoothly and professionally, had instead stumbled over my words before breaking into a folk song. The scene had stunned everyone in the room. Gemma's expression had hardened on the spot, and she had demanded to know what on earth I was doing. I had wanted to explain, but the second I opened my mouth, another folk song had escaped my lips before I could stop it. Left with no other choice, I had hurriedly passed the microphone to her, hoping she would take over. Little did I know she hadn't reviewed any of our tender documents. In that moment of crisis, Leon Hart—who had been standing beside us—extended his hand, grabbed the microphone, and answered every question clearly and methodically. His answers had been flawless. Not only had the client been impressed, but Gemma had also even beamed at him, risen to her feet, and applauded. I, on the other hand, had been rooted to the spot, feeling the blood in my veins freeze over, reeling in confusion. Leon was an intern who had joined the company less than a month ago. He hadn't been familiar with our business yet, nor had he ever been exposed to our tender documents. Yet, his answers matched the document I had spent six months of overtime meticulously drafting, word for word! Not only that, but the calm, composed demeanor and the logical thinking he displayed after standing up were identical to my own. Even my assistant had noticed it. Right before we walked into my office, he had quietly joked, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd possessed him, Dalton. Even the way he talks and his little habits are identical to yours." I was no fool. Of course, I knew something was wrong. However, no matter how much I thought about it, I still couldn't figure out where the problem lay. While I was still lost in thought, Gemma's voice pulled me back to my senses. "Spread the word. Leon has completed his internship and has been converted into a full-time, permanent employee effective immediately. He'll take over Mr. Brown's role as manager, so increase his salary accordingly. "Mr. Brown, on the other hand, is relieved of his position as of this moment and is expected to reflect on his mistakes. All of his current projects are to be handed over to Mr. Hart as soon as possible." The moment he heard he was getting promoted and receiving a raise, Leon had ped Gemma's hand in excitement and thanked her over and over. Chapter 2 Gemma, who had been furious just a second ago, had instantly switched to a bright smile as she praised Leon. "It's because you're capable that you saved our company, unlike a certain someone, who only knows how to drag everyone down…" In an instant, a tight, suffocating feeling had risen in my chest. Just as I had been about to defend myself, a sharp pain ripped through my head, followed by a flood of memories from my previous life, making my head spin. Instinctively, I had reached out to Gemma for support, but before I could even regain my footing, she had shoved me away and snarled, "Dalton Brown, I told you I hate it when people touch me! Get your hand off me right now!" Caught off guard, I had slammed straight into the corner of the desk. Warm blood had trickled down my forehead, and at that moment, I was certain I had been reborn. In my previous life, Leon had claimed he was a corporate machine. He had claimed he never needed rest, could remain on standby 24 hours a day, and had the brainpower and knowledge to handle 50 projects at the same time. Initially, Gemma had been skeptical, but after today's Q&A session, she became a firm believer in Leon's words. She hadn't only suspended me and ordered me to hand over all my projects to Leon, but also approved tens of millions of dollars in funds for him to venture into investments. The moment he'd received the funds, he'd immediately invested in two dying industries. When I found out, I had done everything I could to persuade Gemma to withdraw the funds. Just as she was wavering, those two dying industries suddenly sprang back to life and made the company tens of millions in profit. Leon had been beyond smug. He had gone above and beyond and declared that he wouldn't sleep for a single minute for the next two months and would work himself to the bone for the company. Meanwhile, the projects I had previously invested in began to crash one after another, resulting in massive losses. Gemma had been so furious that she ordered me to serve as Leon's assistant so that I could learn how to invest from him. After I had started working under Leon, I'd realized he truly was a corporate machine. Even after going a full week without a wink of sleep, he'd remained glowing with energy, and his work efficiency had been as high as that of a machine. On the contrary, no matter how much I rested, it was never enough—my body felt as though it were being hollowed out, and on several occasions, I had nearly dropped dead from exhaustion. After being hospitalized a few times, I'd started to notice a pattern. Whenever Leon had worked at a high intensity, I would feel completely drained that same day and end up with a pounding headache. And if I forced myself to keep going without rest, he would eventually begin to show signs of fatigue as well. Consequently, he'd frequently urged me to go and rest. Gemma had caught me resting during work hours on more than one occasion and tore into me for it. Ever since then, I dared not slack off and worked even harder. Yet, no matter how much effort I'd put in, the projects in my hands had suffered loss after loss, while Leon could invest with his eyes closed and still make hundreds of millions of dollars. Sensing that something was wrong, I'd confided in Gemma about my suspicions. However, after hearing me out, she called me nuts. Then, she'd turned around and used my excessive losses as an excuse to transfer all my shares, along with my luxury car and villa, to Leon as compensation. And as the final nail in the coffin, she even filed for divorce and kicked me out of our house. I'd ended up homeless on the streets, and that was when the loan sharks came to me. I belatedly found out there were dozens of massive loans under my name, each worth tens of millions of dollars. They'd chopped off my fingers and beaten me half to death, demanding I pay them back. I had no other choice but to call Gemma for help, but she and Leon had been busy celebrating the hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends they were about to receive. In the end, I had been beaten to death in the dead of winter. Right before I lost consciousness, I had heard a cold, robotic voice. "Dalton Brown has lost all vital signs. Removing target from the exchange system…" The agony of the steel pipes shattering my bones had still been coursing through my body, and my whole body had gone cold. In this life, I was determined to figure out exactly how Leon had swapped everything with me! I swore I would never let history repeat itself! Chapter 3 "This is bad, Ms. Hawkins!" The atmosphere in my office had still been tense and awkward when my assistant came running in, panting. "The two projects Mr. Brown invested in have just crashed. The companies involved were sealed off a moment ago. Our losses are estimated to be over 20 million dollars at the very least!" My heart lurched. Had Leon already bound himself to me ahead of time in this life? Before I could dwell on that, several of the company's shareholders had already rushed in and swarmed me. Ignoring the blood running down my face, one of them yanked me by the collar and demanded, "Back then, you were the one who promised us that these two projects would be profitable! Now that tens of millions of dollars have gone down the drain, tell us, how exactly are you going to compensate us? "First, you pull that stunt at the tender meeting, and now you've caused us to lose this much; what exactly are you up to?! Are you trying to drive us to jump off a building?" While I was wondering how to explain myself, another shareholder suddenly stared at his phone and gasped. "What? The declining stocks Mr. Hart invested in yesterday have rebounded! Look at this limit up, we're probably going to make a fortune this time! "It looks like we really should give opportunities to the younger generation after all. I have to say, you were removed from your post for good reason, Mr. Brown!" After checking the stocks, Gemma sneered at me with utter disappointment in her eyes. "Dalton, you've been in this industry for a decade—you aren't a greenhorn anymore, yet you still managed to lose this much of the company's money! "If Leon hadn't made a profit on his investments this time to cover for you, there's no telling how much the company would have lost!" As soon as her words fell, Leon scratched his head, feigning embarrassment. "You flatter me, Gemma. I don't know anything about investing. I was merely lucky this time." His humble demeanor evidently pleased Gemma. With a doting look in her eyes, she patted Leon on the shoulder before glancing sideways at me and snapping, "What are you waiting for? Leo is your benefactor. Get down on your knees and thank him right this instant! "If it weren't for him, our company's shareholders might truly have been driven to their deaths by you. Besides, he has done such a great job that you, as his mentor, should reward him. "Why don't you give him 5% of your shares? That way, you can make up for your mistake and ensure the company retains such talent!" I couldn't help but sneer inwardly as my gaze landed on their intertwined hands. Her claim about hating physical contact was nothing more than a pathetic excuse to brush me off. And all that talk about making up for my mistakes and retaining talent? It was nothing more than a ruse for Gemma to find ways to give Leon money. Unfortunately, I had been such a fool in my previous life. I had refused to accept that she had already fallen for someone else. I'd always believed that if I just worked a little harder, I could win her back. Little did I know that Gemma had only ever seen me as a tool. At first, I made money for her. Later on, I paved the way for Leon. Once I had been squeezed dry and of no further use, she decisively kicked me to the curb. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I nodded and agreed with her. "You're right, Ms. Hawkins. Leo has saved me twice, so I've decided to give him half of the shares under my name. " Right after my words fell, everyone in the room turned to look at me in bewilderment. Gemma, too, hadn't expected me to agree so readily. Her expression eased, and she immediately asked her subordinate to prepare the transfer agreement. When I signed my name without hesitation, Leon, standing beside her, couldn't hide the glint in his eyes. Still, on the surface, he wore a flattered look and politely began to refuse. "I was only able to achieve this because Dalton taught me well. I should be the one thanking him. How could I possibly accept his shares?" After saying that, he went back to his desk, grabbed a jar of coffee beans, and headed to the pantry. He returned a moment later and walked up to me with a steaming cup of coffee that looked a little off. "This coffee is made from beans my mother roasted by hand before she passed away. To me, they're the most precious thing in the world. I hope you won't look down on them, Mr. Brown. Please drink it as a token of my gratitude!" Chapter 4 Leon poured me a cup with a sincere expression, but alarm bells were ringing in my head. If I remembered correctly, everything had started going wrong in my previous life right after I drank his coffee. The more times I drank the coffee he served me, the worse my luck became. Initially, I had thought I was just unlucky or cursed. I had even gone to churches to pray for peace and protection. Looking back on it now, that must have been when he had bound me to the exchange system. So, his repeated attempts to bring me coffee afterward weren't out of respect—he was strengthening the exchange. Now that the suspicion had taken root, there was no way I would drink it. "Since your mother left these beans, you should keep them for yourself. It would be a waste to give them to me." The second I refused, tears welled up in Leon's eyes. He was on the verge of tears as he turned toward and asked weakly, "Gemma, does Mr. Brown think my coffee beans aren't good enough for him…" As soon as Gemma heard that, she shot me a vicious glare and kicked the back of my knee. Caught off guard, my knees hit the floor with a loud thud, drawing everyone's attention in the office. "Dalton! How could you be so ungrateful? Not only are you refusing to thank Leo, but you're even looking down on the coffee he's serving you?" she snapped. With one hand, she grabbed the teapot beside her, and with the other, she seized me by the hair, shoving the spout into my mouth. I choked and coughed violently, but she forced the entire pot of scalding coffee down my throat. In the end, she let go of me when there wasn't a single drop left in the pot. "You've already been dismissed, Dalton. Leo is the general manager now. If you dare disrespect him again, don't expect me to go easy on you!" Her voice, which used to be gentle and tender, had turned incredibly cold at that moment. My heart twisted in agony as I looked up at her, only to see her gazing with total admiration at Leon, who was looking immensely smug as he began to talk at length about his next investment plan. Meanwhile, the shareholders who had just been cursing me out had already gathered around him, showering him with praises and sycophantic smiles. "I have to give it to you, Mr. Hart. You're so young, yet you're already a master at investing, unlike a certain someone, who only knows how to lose money." "Exactly! He who is a failure should leave rather than hang around the company and be an eyesore every day. We'll be counting on you from now on, Mr. Hart…" Amid the rising chorus of people stepping on me to lift him up, I dragged myself to my feet and staggered toward the restroom. In my previous life, Leon had only made me drink it cup by cup. This time, however, Gemma had forced an entire pot down my throat. Hence, I needed to find a way to throw it up as fast as I could. Fortunately, there was hand soap in the restroom of the office building. I mixed a basin of soapy water and gulped it down. Moments later, my stomach churned violently. I vomited for two full minutes, and it wasn't until acid reflux kicked in and I threw up gastric juice that I finally felt at ease. However, right after that, everything went black. My limbs gave out, and I collapsed on the restroom floor. … When I came to, I was in the hospital. My friend, Shaun Guerrero, who had been watching over me by my bed, frowned the moment he saw I was awake. "I told you Gemma's ruthless, but you refused to believe me. If I hadn't happened to come looking for you this time, you might've died in that restroom, and no one would've known." Looking back on everything that had happened, I let out a bitter chuckle. "Sometimes, people just won't turn back until they've hit the wall." "Enough of that. What on earth happened? You've been acting really strange these last two days…" It turned out that a video of me singing folk songs during the Q&A session had been surreptitiously filmed and posted online. Shaun had come across it while scrolling through his social media feed and, sensing that something was wrong, came looking for me. That was how he discovered I had passed out in the restroom. Ever since I had devoted myself to work, Shaun was the only real friend I had left. After thinking it over, I decided to tell him a simplified version of everything that had happened. Chapter 5 After hearing me out, Shaun's expression became solemn, and he asked if I had a solution. I nodded. "Kind of. But I still need your help." Shaun, as loyal as ever, immediately patted his chest and said, "Just say the word." I already had a rough idea of how Leon's exchange system worked. However, just to be safe, the moment I was discharged from the hospital, I mortgaged all my assets overnight and took out a ten-million-dollar loan for investment. I split all of my money into two portions—one portion I had Shaun invest in declining industries on my behalf, while I used the remaining portion to invest in booming industries, just as I had in my past life. The following day, Leon somehow caught wind of the news regarding my investments. After seeing the amount I had invested, he immediately asked Gemma for tens of millions of dollars and began investing with absolute confidence. Half a month later, just as I expected, the booming industries I had invested in crashed again, and I took another loss. Meanwhile, the declining industries Leon had invested in failed to gain any traction, and his investment similarly went down the drain. The company's shareholders were furious and vocal in their complaints, and it took Gemma's personal intervention to quell the matter. With the results of my experiment confirmed, I happily invited Shaun out for drinks. At last, all the pent-up frustration I had been carrying came loose that night. I went home tipsy, only to find Gemma, who hadn't been home in ages, waiting for me on the couch. Upon noticing me return home reeking of alcohol, a look of disgust crossed her face as she interrogated me. "Why on earth did you go drinking? Thanks to you, I—" Before she could finish, she abruptly stopped herself. The very next second, she did something utterly out of character and came over to support me. "Never mind. Since you're in a bad mood, I won't hold it against you, but you aren't allowed to drink next time. It's bad for your health." Gemma had practically wished I would live at the dinner table to negotiate deals for her, and she never cared about my health. Yet, she was acting completely differently that day. Her unusual attentiveness made me wary, so I played along and pretended to be drunk to see what she was really up to. Perhaps she assumed I was truly drunk, for she let her guard down completely and headed into the kitchen to call Leon. "Are you sure this will work, Leo? I made him drink an entire pot the last time… Fine, as long as you're sure. Don't worry, once I coax him a little, he'll be as obedient as a dog. "There, there, dry your tears. I'm doing this for you, aren't I? Once he drinks it, you can go ahead and do whatever you want…" I smiled wryly. So, she knew everything all along. Not only that, she was in on it. At that moment, the last shred of hope in my heart died, and I finally came to terms with the fact that the eight years I had spent with her had been nothing but a long, absurd dream. Gemma emerged from the kitchen with a cup of freshly brewed tea and told me it was a hangover remedy she had made for me. Then she told me to drink it and said she had specifically come back tonight to spend time with me. I gazed at her trembling lashes while she lied through her teeth and chuckled. "In that case, why don't you take a shower first? I promise I'll drink it once you're done." Gemma didn't suspect a thing and went straight into the bathroom. The moment I heard the sound of running water, I hastily grabbed the tea, made my way out, and poured it into the garbage pile outside the villa. As I watched a few bold rats gather around and lick at the brown liquid, a faint sense of anticipation rose within me. I wondered if Leon would realize that he had begun exchanging with a few rats.