Chapter 4
Veronica froze for a moment before slamming the divorce papers onto the shoe cabinet.
She let out a mocking laugh.
“Jackson, I thought you had something new to say, but it turns out you’re just pulling the divorce card.”
“Fine. What is it? You got a taste of success with one big project, and now you think you’re untouchable?”
“I’m busy. I don’t have time for your tantrums.”
I calmly picked up the crumpled divorce papers and held them out to her again.
“I’m not throwing a tantrum, Veronica. I’m setting you free. Now you can give Ethan the title you seem so eager to.”
Her face darkened as her brows furrowed. She snatched the papers from my hand, crumpling them further and tearing them into pieces. The shredded paper fluttered to the floor like snow.
She jabbed a finger toward me, her eyes cold and sharp.
“Don’t even try to deny it, Jackson. You’re just jealous! Let me warn you—don’t bring up divorce again.”
“My care for Ethan isn’t what you think it is. He reminds me of us back in the day. It’s admiration, not whatever filthy nonsense is in your head.”
“I was even planning to announce our relationship soon, but you’ve completely disappointed me!”
With that, she stormed out, her heels clicking furiously against the floor as the door slammed shut behind her.
I wasn’t surprised. I had anticipated this reaction and didn’t let it bother me.
If she refused to end things amicably, so be it. I called my lawyer to draft a formal divorce lawsuit.
After that, I submitted my resignation to HR.
The HR manager called shortly after, asking me to bring my credentials to finalize the paperwork in person.
When I arrived, I was greeted by the sound of enthusiastic coworkers flattering someone.
“Ethan, is that the latest Patek Philippe on your wrist? Veronica must really care about you!”
“Honestly, Veronica and Ethan are such a perfect match. With the two of you leading us, this company is only going to get bigger and better!”
I looked over to see Ethan smugly showing off his new watch, his hand casually brushing his hair as though he were embarrassed by the attention.
When he noticed me, his face lit up, and he hurried over, grabbing my hand as if we were old friends.
“Jackson! Finally, you’re here!” he said warmly. “Veronica told me the project is going to be tough, so she wants me to treat everyone to milk tea to keep morale up. What do you want? Just say the word!”
I yanked my hand out of his grip.
Before I could respond, Veronica stepped forward, positioning herself between us like a shield.
“Jackson,” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain, “you’re late. Do you really think you deserve milk tea?”
She crossed her arms and continued, her tone sharp:
“I’ll make sure HR deducts your attendance bonus. And someone as unpunctual as you clearly isn’t fit to handle an important project. From now on, stay out of it.”
“Maybe you should go back to the basics and start over as an intern. Learn the company policies properly this time.”
Ethan, playing the role of the humble underdog, tugged at Veronica’s sleeve and whispered, “Veronica, don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? The project’s almost done, and Jackson’s put in so much effort. Even if there’s no credit, there’s at least hard work…”
Veronica shot me a condescending look, her chin tilted high like a proud peacock.
“Effort?” she scoffed. “Effort isn’t enough. If everyone worked like him, this company would’ve folded years ago.”
Turning to Ethan, she added with a smile, “You’ll take over Jackson’s project from now on. You’re the real project manager.”
Ethan’s eyes gleamed with greed, though he feigned modesty.
“Veronica, I don’t know… I’m still young, and my experience is limited…”
The older employees, sensing Veronica’s disdain for me, quickly chimed in to curry favor.
“Veronica’s absolutely right! Jackson’s been getting a little full of himself lately. Didn’t work overtime yesterday, and now he’s late today. He needs stricter management!”
“Exactly. Ethan is such a natural talent. Jackson might have seniority, but he just can’t compare.”
Veronica raised her brows, pretending to hesitate before finally nodding.
“Well, if you can shape up, Jackson, maybe I’ll consider keeping you around. But you’ll have to prove yourself.”
I couldn’t stand their synchronized performance any longer and cut her off mid-sentence.
“I’m sorry, Veronica,” I said coolly. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here to work. I’m here to finalize my resignation.”
The room fell silent.
Veronica blinked, visibly stunned.
“What?” she asked, her voice rising.
The HR manager stepped forward and whispered something into her ear.
Her expression darkened. The lines on her forehead deepened as her fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms.
“Jackson, are you serious? Throwing tantrums about divorce one day and resigning the next? Have you forgotten the company’s about to go public?”
She scoffed, her tone dripping with disbelief.
“You’re walking away from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When we go public, every employee will get bonuses and stock options. People would kill to work here!”
I met her gaze with calm indifference.
“I know. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you could approve my resignation quickly. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to file a complaint with the labor board.”
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain how to react.
Veronica’s knuckles turned white as she tightened her fists, but she refused to back down.
“Fine. Go ahead and leave,” she snapped, grabbing the resignation forms from HR. “I’ll sign it myself! And once you’re gone, I’ll promote Ethan to project manager immediately!”
She scribbled her name onto the form with exaggerated force, her eyes locked onto mine as if daring me to react.
Seeing that I remained unfazed, she added with a sneer:
“When the company goes public, I’ll give Ethan a raise, a new car, and a house. That’s the kind of reward true talent deserves!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
She thought she could provoke me into backing down with her petty theatrics.
What she didn’t know was that the project partners had already contacted me. They were downstairs, preparing to file a lawsuit against the company for breach of contract.
Veronica’s eyes narrowed as she noticed my smirk.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
I stepped aside, gesturing toward the door.
“Why don’t you ask him?” I said, my voice laced with irony.
As I spoke, the door opened, and the lead representative from the project partners walked in, his expression grim.
“Veronica,” he said coldly, “we’re here to terminate all cooperation with your company and file a lawsuit for breach of contract.”