The Unsaid Between Us

At the celebration dinner, my wife lifted her glass and drank on behalf of her male assistant. I overturned the table without hesitation, then walked out and called my lawyer to draw up the divorce papers. By that night, she had already received notice. She would be leaving with nothing. She called right away, fury in her voice. "Are you serious? You're divorcing me over a single drink?" "Yes," I said. "Over that one drink." I would not tolerate betrayal. Not even a hint of it. Chapter 1 My wife invited her new male assistant into a private luxury room. "Thanks to my assistant, Julian, we wrapped up last month's investment project with ease. I've seen how hard he's worked this past month." I was stunned. Everyone sitting at that table was a senior figure in the company. He was just a new intern. What gave him the right to stand out like that? However, my wife kept smiling as she went on. "While we're celebrating tonight, I want to make an announcement. I'll be transferring ten percent of the company's shares to Julian as recognition. From now on, we're no longer just an employer and an employee. We're partners." The moment she finished, the room exploded into noise, followed by loud applause. Julian Wallace's eyes turned red. He looked overwhelmed. My wife, Cecilia Shaw, gently handed him a tissue. One of the shareholders raised his glass with a grin. "Julian, congratulations. Looking forward to working with you." Julian awkwardly lifted his glass, but Cecilia took it from him with a soft smile. "I'm so sorry. Julian hasn't been feeling well lately. Let me drink this one for him." I watched as she tilted her head back and drained the entire glass without hesitation. At that moment, I knew. This woman no longer belonged to me. With just a few light words, she erased an entire month of my work and handed all the credit to another man. I remembered it clearly. Every time I came home after business dinners, she would make me sleep on the couch in the living room. She said she could not stand the smell of alcohol. Yet, she was drinking for another man without even flinching. When I looked at her again, she was about to place my favorite lobster onto Julian's plate. I shot to my feet. The table shook violently, glasses and cutlery clattering with a sharp, grating noise. "Sorry. I stood up too fast. Just deduct this from my paycheck." With that, I turned and walked out of the private room, leaving a wave of shocked gasps behind me. None of them knew. Back when I inherited my family business, I had been sponsoring two underprivileged college girls. In the end, I chose Cecilia to be my wife. To give her status, I even made her the company's CEO. As for myself, I only kept the title of sales manager. It worked out well. I could focus entirely on business. I never liked management anyway. However, over time, Cecilia really started to believe the company belonged to her. A poor student I once supported then dared to act like some domineering CEO, pulling that kind of stunt with her male assistant right in front of me. I loved her. That much was true. However, I was also clear-headed. When a marriage started to crack, I knew how to make a choice. After leaving the hotel, I dialed the number of the other girl I had once sponsored. "Hello? I made the wrong choice back then. I'm divorcing Cecilia. If you want to be the CEO, marry me." Then, I contacted my lawyer, drafted the divorce agreement, and sent it to Cecilia that very night. She called me immediately, her voice sharp with anger. "What are you doing? Are you seriously making a scene just because I drank for Julian?" I answered calmly. "Yes. Because you drank for Julian. "We've been married for three years. You should know me by now. I don't overlook even the smallest hint of betrayal. "Aren't you partners now? Then, go all the way. Marry him too." … The next day, I was in my office contacting clients when Julian stormed in. He pointed at me and shouted, "Cecilia's eyes are swollen from crying. Did you upset her last night?" What happened between Cecilia and me was none of his business. He was just an intern. Who did he think he was? I forced down my anger and told him, "Julian, when I have the time, I'll deal with you properly. Right now, get out." Chapter 2 Julian crossed his arms and let out a mocking laugh, the corner of his mouth curling up. "Kent, I don't think you understand the situation. "I'm the CEO's special assistant and a shareholder. And you're telling me to get out? "You should really take a look at yourself. If Ms. Shaw hadn't taken a liking to you, you wouldn't even be sitting in that sales manager seat. "Right now, go and apologize to Ms. Shaw. Then…" His voice grated on my nerves. I stood up and drove my fist straight into his face. He staggered and fell to the ground just as Cecilia pushed the door open. Her expression tightened instantly. She rushed over, pulled Julian into her arms, and asked if he was okay. Then, she looked up at me, her eyes sharp and venomous. "Kent, you've gone too far. Julian and I are just colleagues. "Even if you're jealous of him, you can't just hit him. Why can't you talk things out like a normal person?" Jealous? Cecilia had read too much into the situation. "Cecilia, you've got it wrong. I hit him because he wouldn't stop running his mouth. It was unbearable. "As for you, you're worth nothing in my eyes. I'm not about to get jealous over someone like you." The moment those words left my mouth, fear filled Cecilia's eyes. "You really see me like that? He hasn't even touched me. Honey, you've misunderstood us!" I sat back down in my chair and did not spare her another glance. "You're already holding each other. What's there to explain? "Sign the divorce papers. After that, you two can do whatever you want. "Now, both of you can get out of my office. I don't want to see either of you." Cecilia broke into sobs. Julian could only pull her along as they left, trying to comfort her. "Cecilia, you're the one in charge. Why are you scared of him? If he keeps this up, just fire him. He lives off you. What gives him the right to act like this?" … They had not even been gone ten minutes when Julian posted a message in the company group chat. [@everyone Sales Manager Kent has been fired!] I actually laughed. It was the kind of laugh that came from pure anger. He really thought he mattered that much. I ignored it. After finishing my work, I went downstairs, planning to head home. Instead, I was surrounded. Reporters and self-media bloggers swarmed me the moment I stepped outside. "There are reports that Ms. Shaw of Ascendant Group is preparing to end her relationship with you and marry a newly hired intern. Is that true?" "Others say this may just be a misunderstanding. However, we've heard that, because you believed it, you cut off the medication for Mr. Wallace's mother, which led to her death. Is that accurate?" "Why would you make such a decision without verifying the facts?" "Ms. Shaw seems to have already cut ties with you and has fired you. What is your response?" The anger inside me felt like it was drilling straight through my chest, and I knew exactly where those rumors had come from, because I knew Cecilia well enough to know she simply did not have the guts. It was Julian. With security clearing a path, I barely managed to get into my car. On the drive home, Ascendant Group's scandal had already shot to the top of the trending charts. The comments online were tearing me apart. The company's stock price was crashing. Some of my clients even recognized my car on the road. They blocked my path just to shout insults, calling me cold-blooded, saying they were canceling all cooperation with me. The moment I pushed open my front door, I froze. A pair of unfamiliar men's dress shoes sat on the rack. If they were not Julian's, whose were they? That idiot Cecilia actually brought him home? I cursed under my breath as I changed into slippers and walked inside. In the kitchen, Julian was holding a piece of meat, feeding it to Cecilia. The smile on her face, soft and glowing, was the kind of look people had when they were in love. When she saw me, she panicked. "Honey…don't misunderstand. I didn't have a free hand, so I asked Julian to help me taste the seasoning…" I pulled the divorce papers out of my briefcase again. "You don't need to explain anything. Just sign it. And from now on, don't call me your husband anymore." Cecilia stared at me in disbelief, her eyes filling with tears. "Honey…are you really…divorcing me?" Before I could answer, Julian exploded, practically jumping into my face. "Kent! Do you have no shame at all?" Chapter 3 "Cecilia already lowered herself to cook for you. What else are you unhappy about?" Julian pointed at me and started yelling. "I even came to your house to apologize in person. What more do you want? I'm warning you; don't push your luck!" I laughed when I heard that. Then, I took off my tailored suit and my expensive watch. I did not want them to get damaged. As I walked toward him, I asked, "Julian, do you really deserve to use the words in person? Is your apology worth anything?" Julian did not care. He kept shouting. "Still better than you. If Cecilia hadn't lifted you up, you wouldn't even be qualified to talk to me!" Just as I was about to make a move, he suddenly dropped to a squat at my feet and grabbed onto my leg. "What? Are you going to hit me again? "Go ahead, hit me as hard as you want. The more you hit me, the more Cecilia will feel sorry for me. "And the worse you'll look in her eyes. She'll definitely divorce you. And when that happens, your wife will become my wife!" I actually burst out laughing. How could someone be that shameless? Cecilia stepped in front of me, cutting me off. She said that it was between us and told me not to make things difficult for her employee. I lost the urge to hit him. I did not want to dirty my hands. As I walked out, I reminded Cecilia, saying, "Even if you refuse to sign, I'll go through the courts and file for divorce." … After spending the night at a hotel, I arrived at the company early the next morning. An employee told me that our biggest client had come in for an evaluation and that I should head to the meeting room as soon as I arrived. What was going on? When I walked into the conference room, I saw Julian sitting in my seat, looking smug and full of himself. When I appeared, the shareholders looked at me with strange expressions. Then, I noticed a familiar face. Sarah Porter. She was one of the two girls my family had sponsored back then. She was also the woman I had called yesterday, the one I planned to marry after divorcing Cecilia. The reason I managed to close last month's investment deal was because of her help. She was the marketing manager on the client's side. Sarah gave me a subtle wink. I smiled back and nodded. I picked a random seat and sat down, then looked at Cecilia, who was sitting at the head of the table. "What are you trying to do?" The moment Cecilia saw me, she ignored the fact that clients were present and fixed her eyes on me. "Kent, I'm giving you two choices. Either you resign, or you stay married to me." "Divorce." I did not hesitate. Cecilia trembled with anger, but she still said, "Fine. Then, I officially announce that you are dismissed from all positions at Ascendant Group." As soon as she finished, Julian looked at me with open provocation. "Kent, Kent, now, do you understand what you are? "To the company and to Ms. Shaw, you're completely replaceable." The shareholders, not knowing what was really going on, pretended they had heard nothing. One by one, they kept silent. Only Sarah, representing the client, let out an icy laugh. "Wait, I came here today to evaluate your company's delivery capability. Why am I watching a divorce and a firing happen live? "This is honestly embarrassing. If this is how things are, I'll have to cancel our cooperation with Ascendant Group." Sarah started packing up her folder, ready to leave. Cecilia, already in a terrible mood from the divorce, actually snapped at the client representative. "Ms. Porter, you've already signed the contract with Ascendant Group. Production has already started. You can't just cancel like that. "If you insist, then you'll have to compensate us for all our losses!" Hearing that, Sarah paused. A playful expression crossed her face as she looked at Cecilia. "Ms. Shaw, I think you've misunderstood." As she spoke, Sarah pulled out the contract from her briefcase and tossed it onto Cecilia's face. "Take a good look. The contract was signed with Kent, not with Ascendant Group. "Now that Mr. Stewart has been fired, what does this contract have to do with you, Ms. Shaw?"