Called a Mooch, I Answered with Fire

Ryan lifted his glass above my head—then twisted his wrist. Red wine spilled down my hair, tracing my face and soaking through my suit. “This is your punishment.” He tossed the empty glass behind him and stood proudly like he’d conquered the world. Silence swallowed the entire hall. My eyes on Ryan turned to ice. Never in my life had I been humiliated like this. “Ethan!” Olivia rushed over, dress lifted in her hands, frantically wiping the wine from my face with tissues. For her dignity, I took a deep breath. After all, she brought Ryan into the company. If things got ugly, it would reflect on her too. But I didn’t expect Ryan to go even further. He jabbed a finger toward me. “Ethan Carter, she’s spoiled you. You can’t even wipe your own mess? You need her to clean up after you? Clearly, all you do is take—never give. People like you are what’s holding this company back!” Olivia’s expression darkened. “Ryan, that’s enough. There are things you don’t understand—” “Olivia!” Ryan’s voice cracked with injured pride. “Why are you defending him? What has he ever done for this company? Everything I do is for Evans Innovations!” Olivia rubbed her temples in frustration. “Ryan… this isn’t the time. I’ll explain one day.” Ryan clenched his jaw. “If you insist on protecting him… then I’m leaving. I quit.” He turned to go. I thought Olivia would let him. I was her husband. The one who built this company with her. Surely she knew where her loyalty should lie. But to my disbelief—she immediately grabbed Ryan’s arm. “Okay, okay. It was my fault. I’m sorry. Stay,” she pleaded softly. Ryan instantly snapped back to arrogance. “Fine. Then what about him?” Olivia hesitated. Then she looked at me. “Ethan… maybe you should apologize to Ryan? He really doesn’t mean harm. He’s just thinking about the company.” I stared at her, speechless. Those words—coming from my own wife—cut deeper than the wine. Ryan was “doing it for the company”? And me? I had rejected my birthright—the Carter empire—so I could help her build her dream. Using my family connections, I secured deal after deal for Evans Innovations. Five years of sacrifice— And tonight, Ryan humiliated me in front of everyone. She didn’t defend me. She wanted me to apologize. So what were the last five years worth? A joke? “Ethan…” Olivia whispered again, eyes pleading. And because I loved her, truly loved her— I nodded. Better me disgraced than her. “I’m sorry, VP Cooper. I’ll do my best for the company moving forward.” My fists were clenched so tightly my nails-dug skin felt numb. Ryan puffed up like a victorious rooster. “Good. Since you know your place, report to my office tomorrow. I’ll give you a new role.” I assumed the worst he could do was demote me to logistics—anything but business development. I was wrong.

I never expected Ryan Cooper would strip me of all authority and shove me to the bottom—turning me into the lowest-level sales rep in the building. “Ethan Carter, you’re nothing but a gold digger living off your wife. Without Olivia, you’re nobody. Today, I’m going to show you how worthless you really are—and how you can’t earn a single dollar on your own.” Ryan leaned back in the executive chair behind Olivia’s desk, looking down on me like a king passing judgment. His tone dripped with pure disdain. He snapped his fingers, and someone dragged in a huge box stacked with flyers—at least a thousand. “Evans Innovations is launching a new product. Your task today is to hand out all one thousand flyers. Fail, and you’re out.” I glanced at the heavy stacks of glossy paper, then lifted my gaze to Ryan’s sneering face. “And what if I get it done?” “Get it done?” He laughed mockingly. “Then that only proves you’re not completely useless. But listen up—I’ll have someone watching you. Try any tricks and you’re dead.” Tricks? Please. As the heir to Carter Global Holdings, I grew up surrounded by business. Street marketing is child’s play. One thousand flyers look like a lot, but with the right approach, they’re nothing more than a warm-up. But as soon as I walked out of Ryan’s office, rumors spread through the entire company like wildfire. A few star sales professionals—people I personally trained—rushed to my side, furious. “This is outrageous! Who does he think he is? I’ll go confront him right now.” “I’ll come with!” “No, confronting him is pointless. We should talk to CEO Evans. Everyone knows he only dares act like this because he’s riding on her position.” “Right. Let’s go to Ms. Evans!” I quickly stopped them. Olivia had caught a cold last night and woke up feeling even worse this morning. I wasn’t going to bother her with something this petty. “It’s just flyer distribution. I can handle it. Get back to work.” To me, Ryan’s little games weren’t even worth mentioning. But I underestimated him. Ryan secretly had someone record me handing out flyers on the street and blast it online—with a caption: “A gold digger needs to stay in his place. Living off a woman isn’t easy, huh?” The comments section was vicious: “So he’s a pretty-boy freeloader? What a waste of a good face.” “Pathetic. A grown man living off his wife? Shame on him.” “Good. Teach him his place. Even leeching off others takes effort.” The post went viral and quickly hit Twitter Trending. My parents, friends, and even CEOs who had been begging me for partnerships blew up my phone asking what the hell was going on. I was blindsided, scrambling to explain. When I finally logged online and saw the pinned post— “Gold Digger Gets What He Deserves — So Satisfying!” —rage shot through me so hard I nearly crushed my phone. I’d tolerated Ryan because of Olivia—again and again. Did he really think her protection meant he could walk all over me forever? Right then, Olivia called—her voice thick and nasal from her cold. “Babe, I’m calling on Ryan’s behalf to apologize. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, so don’t take it to heart. The post will be deleted soon.” She still had to worry about me while she was sick. My anger simmered, but I forced it down. “This is the last time. Tell him he better learn his place.” But the next morning… Ryan tried to fire me for “damaging the company’s image.” “Fire me?”

I let out a cold laugh. It was so absurd it almost amused me. “Ryan, if you hadn’t posted videos of me doing street marketing—and called me a gold-digging loser—how the hell would I damage the company’s image?” I stepped forward. “You’re the culprit here. If anyone should be fired, it’s you.” Ryan slammed his hand on the desk. “Ethan Carter, you’re just a bottom-tier salesman. Who gave you the right to talk back to me? Show some respect to your superiors!” I actually laughed—respect? Coming from him? That’s when Olivia walked in. After hearing what happened, she frowned at Ryan. “Ryan, you don’t understand the full situation. Don’t make rash decisions.” Ryan’s eyes immediately reddened, playing the victim. “Olivia, I’m only thinking about the company.” He jabbed a finger toward my chest. “What’s so great about him? He’s just a gold digger living off you! Why do you always defend him? If he’s gone, I can take this company to the next level!” I turned to Olivia and laughed under my breath. “I held back because of you. And this is how he repays that kindness?” I stared her straight in the eyes. “Olivia, I only want one answer. The company chooses me—or him?” Her brows knitted together, displeased. “Ethan… he just graduated. He doesn’t understand how the company works yet. Do you really have to be so harsh? Can’t you be more forgiving?” Forgiving? I let him humiliate me publicly at the gala—I forgave. He made me hand out flyers and called me a gold digger online—I forgave. How much more forgiveness did she expect? Should I clap for him when he fires me too? Olivia looked away, avoiding my eyes. Her silence poured gasoline on Ryan’s arrogance. “Ethan, Olivia only tolerates you because you’re her husband. Don’t push your luck.” He stepped beside her, practically pressing himself against her shoulder. “You’re just a leech. Want to force Olivia to choose? Fine. Olivia, it’s him or me.” Olivia looked between us—first at my calm, icy face… then at Ryan’s angry one. And then she stepped closer to Ryan. “Ethan, maybe you should take a temporary leave… cool off for a while?” My world lurched. I stared at her, stunned. “You’re really choosing him? He doesn’t know my value to this company—but you do.” Finally, she snapped—exhaling her frustration like she’d been holding it in too long. “What do you want me to do? You’re important to me, but he’s my closest college junior—he’s important too! I’m just one person. I can only choose one!” So she chose him. That moment… something inside me went silent. After a breath, I nodded. “Fine. I’ll leave.” She froze—mouth opening slightly—but said nothing. Ryan leaned in even closer, eyes filled with triumph. “You heard her, freeloader. Get lost.” I gave Olivia one last lingering look… then turned and walked out. Barely a minute after I stepped out of the building, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Olivia: "Babe, I didn’t mean what I said. Please don’t take it seriously. You have to understand me—I’m stuck between you two. Go home and rest. Once I calm Ryan down, I’ll make it up to you tonight… any way you want"