Chapter 1

Tags: Scheming Secretary, Rigged Raffle, Anniversary Gala Drama, Revenge Resignation

At the company’s tenth anniversary gala, my husband’s secretary drew the raffle tickets.

When it was time to draw the grand prize, the secretary drew his own name.

My husband asked what prize he wanted. He pointed straight at the bracelet on my wrist.

I flatly refused. How could my personal jewelry be offered as a company prize?

The secretary immediately whined to my husband, "That bracelet is a limited edition. There's only one in the world."

My husband gestured for me to hand the bracelet over.

I stood my ground and argued back, but he slapped me across the face in front of everyone.

"It’s just a bracelet. Don't ruin the mood of the gala tonight."

I smiled faintly, took off the bracelet, and handed it to the secretary.

That bracelet was a wedding gift from my husband. I had treasured it for ten years.

Now, I was ready to throw away both the bracelet and him.

I forced a polite smile. "Have fun, everyone. I won't stay. I still have a contract to review, and the client is rushing me."

Under the scrutiny of everyone's eyes, I turned and walked away.

Behind me came Miles's mocking laughter. "A grown man, so petty he can't even part with an old bracelet."

Chloe asked with feigned distress, "Mr. Miller, do you think Isaac is mad at me?"

"He wouldn't dare," Miles declared arrogantly.

Stepping out of the banquet hall, I took a deep breath.

My chest felt crushed under a suffocating weight.

I never imagined Miles would humiliate me publicly just to indulge a secretary.

In his eyes, what was I even worth?

Back in my office, I numbly finished my pending tasks.

Then I dialed an old friend.

"Rachel, is your company still hiring?"

Her interest was instantly piqued. "Wait, are you quitting? You're welcome here anytime! Honestly, your talent is being wasted there."

Rachel and I used to be colleagues. Back when the firm had an open promotion, I voluntarily stepped aside.

Miles had just started his company and begged me to help him.

For his sake, I gave up my own career and became his most reliable right hand.

After years of hard work, the company had grown into an impressive firm, but I had been reduced to an unwanted veteran.

Miles complained that I was getting old, out of touch with modern trends, and he stopped assigning me crucial tasks.

Some employees even whispered behind my back, mocking me for riding his coattails to a position I didn't deserve.

Meanwhile, Rachel's career had soared. She was already an executive managing director.

On the drive home, the pale band on my left wrist left by years of wearing that bracelet was glaringly obvious.

A wave of bitter sorrow washed over me.

Miles had put that bracelet on me himself on our wedding day.

He said he had searched everywhere for it, hoping it would stay by my side and keep me company whenever he couldn't.

I treated it like a priceless treasure, never taking it off once.

Yet today, simply because Chloe asked for it on a whim, he demanded I give it away.

A ten-year marriage. In the end, I had nothing left to show for it.

If that was the case, there was no reason to waste my life staying by Miles's side.

The moment I walked through the front door, Miles called.

"I'm not coming home for dinner tonight. It's a company party. Just figure out something on your own."

I answered flatly, "Got it."

"Look, it's just a bracelet. Is it really worth pouting over? If you like it that much, I'll buy you another one later."

Before I could answer, he hung up.

He was right. It was just a bracelet.

Since his heart was no longer mine, why should I obsess over a piece of jewelry?

A bitter smile touched my lips. I opened a cup of instant ramen and poured boiling water over it.

Miles used to work tirelessly, often forgetting to eat.

I spent years finding ways to cook nutritious meals for him, nagging him to eat properly.

He always brushed me off, saying home-cooked meals were too much hassle and instant noodles were fine.

The pantry was always stocked with instant noodles, but I never let him eat them.

In the end, all those noodles went into my stomach.

Once, during a major company launch, the whole team worked late into the night.

There wasn't enough time to order takeout, so instant noodles were handed out to everyone.

The second Miles saw the ramen on Chloe's desk, he blew his top.

"Isaac, how could you feed Chloe this junk? He's a core member of this team!"

Before I could explain, Miles dragged Chloe out to a five-star hotel buffet nearby.

The noodles in my mouth suddenly tasted rancid. My stomach turned with nausea.

I dumped the cup into the trash can and cooked myself a proper, hearty meal.

From now on, I was going to take care of myself.