Chapter 2

Those words felt colder than the rain beating against my back.

A week ago, we had received the official nomination for the Global Game Awards—the highest hall of honor I had spent years dreaming of.

Yet Chloe flatly rejected my travel request. She ordered me to stay glued to my desk, demanding to see a complete design pitch for our next title the moment they returned.

Even when I practically begged her to let me go, she simply brushed past me and walked into Julian’s office.

She laid the design document I had poured my soul into right in front of Julian, her voice dripping with tenderness:

"Here’s the master pitch. Only a star producer with your face can pull in tier-one investors. I’m leaving this in your hands."

She knew damn well that pitch was the culmination of everything I had learned in my career.

Yet without even glancing at it, she handed it over to Julian, solely to polish his fake reputation as a genius producer.

I spent endless nights sifting through data, tweaking balance sheets, and scripting narratives, only for my work to be slapped with Julian’s name.

And this wasn't the first time.

Chloe completely disregarded my blood, sweat, dreams, and devotion.

Bit by bit, the fire inside me turned to ash.

Julian put on a mockingly humble act and spoke up, "Chloe, this doesn't feel right. Chase wrote the original doc after all."

"I’ve taken over so many of his pitches... Even though I had to rework them drastically, Chase still came up with the initial concepts."

"He’s our lead designer on paper. Maybe he should accept the award. I don’t think I’m qualified."

Chloe turned to him softly, her tone sickeningly gentle.

"Don’t say that, Julian. You’re our creative director. Everyone knows Chase’s raw drafts only become masterpieces once they go through your hands."

"You’re the real talent here. Don't be so modest!"

Then she whipped around to face me, her tone turning venomous.

"Chase, what good are you besides holding down a title?"

"Anyone on the junior team could come up with the basic ideas you pitch. If you want recognition, earn it yourself!"

"Do you really think this company grew this big without Julian’s visionary pitches?"

"If you lack talent, go study and practice. Stop trying to ride everyone else's coattails!"

She didn't sound like she was talking to her husband. She sounded like she was addressing an incompetent freeloader she kept around out of pity.

Maybe she had truly forgotten that I wasn't some kept man.

This studio reached its current heights off the back of every single hit game I personally designed.

Not one game under my direction had ever lost money. Both our critical reception and sales numbers were industry leaders.

The moment our studio had built up enough capital to attempt an ambitious AAA project, Chloe brought Julian into the company.

He used my design docs. He directed the team I built from scratch. Yet when the credits rolled, Julian was listed as the Executive Director.

He had no real skills; Chloe had carved out a custom executive role just for him.

He knew nothing about game mechanics. Aside from skimming my design bibles, he was utterly clueless.

And now she wanted him to stand on the world stage in my place?

Everyone in the room knew how humiliating this was. They were certain I’d push back.

Aside from the few early hires I personally mentored, who kept their heads down in silent shame, the rest of the staff wore smug grins, ready for the drama.

I looked at the two of them, cuddled up together, and took a deliberate step forward.

They clearly expected me to lose my temper, maybe even throw a punch. Several of Julian’s sycophants had already raised their phones, ready to record my meltdown.

As I closed the distance, Julian instinctively pulled Chloe tighter into his arms.

"Don't be scared, Chloe. I'll protect you. I won't let him hurt you!"

The hero act rolled off his tongue so naturally.

Instead of swinging, I reached into my coat, pulled out the employee badge I hadn’t had time to drop off at the office, and shoved it hard against Julian’s chest.

"Why stop at accepting my trophy? From now on, you're the lead designer. I resign."