Chapter 4

I didn’t waste any time.

The day after I returned home, my mother began familiarizing me with the family business.

The Sterling family owned countless industries, and since I had been away for so many years, there were many operations I knew nothing about.

My first assignment was to inspect one of the companies.

I never expected the first company my mother took me to be the very one where Claire worked.

My mother received a phone call and told me to go inside first.

I didn’t think much of it. When I arrived at the building, I tried to use facial recognition to enter.

My access had already been deleted.

Claire had acted quickly.

She probably thought this was another way to force me to compromise.

She had done it countless times before.

She had never considered how hard I had worked to get that position or how much I had sacrificed.

She had never cared how I would survive without a job.

She only wanted to remind me of the distance between us.

I was about to call the general manager of the company when I ran into Claire and Ryan arriving together, laughing and talking.

When Claire saw me standing outside the building, her face stiffened.

Then she seemed to realize something and lifted her chin arrogantly.

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you wanted to support yourself? Why are you shamelessly trying to get back into my company?”

Ryan leaned forward with a mocking grin.

“You probably couldn’t survive out there and came back to beg her, right? Ethan, you’re a man. Do you really have no shame left after living off a woman?”

Claire snorted.

“If you want to beg, then act like someone who’s begging. Ethan, if you want to come back, get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness.”

Her voice was loud enough to draw the attention of the employees nearby.

“That looks like Director Claire’s husband, doesn’t it? The freeloader?”

“So the freeloader finally pissed off Director Claire? Serves him right. That pathetic loser only got promoted because of her. She should’ve kicked him out ages ago!”

Claire’s self-righteous attitude made me laugh.

“Get on my knees? Claire, stop pretending to be the victim. What exactly did I do wrong?”

Ryan scoffed.

“The freeloader has the nerve to talk back? If Claire says you’re wrong, then you’re wrong. Have you forgotten whose company this is?”

I looked at him coldly.

“Whose company is it? How come I don’t know?”

Ryan laughed disdainfully.

“Obviously, it’s Claire’s company. Otherwise, do you think you’d still be working here?”

Claire’s voice was full of ridicule.

“Ethan, think carefully. If it weren’t for me, would you have had such an easy life here?”

I smiled.

“Claire, you should think carefully. If it weren’t for me, would you have had such an easy life here?”

Ryan’s smile turned even more mocking.

“What a freeloader. He’s been a parasite for years and still thinks he’s entitled to anything?”

Claire called over a security guard and folded her arms as she looked down at me.

“You have two choices. Get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness, or I’ll make sure you never find another job for the rest of your life.”

Ryan stepped forward too.

“That’s right. I’m with her. Get on your knees, Ethan. Beg Claire for forgiveness. Maybe I’ll even toss you a little charity.”

The two of them looked down at me smugly, as if they could already see me kneeling and begging.

Then my mother strode through the entrance.

“What a bold claim. Let’s see who exactly thinks they can keep my son from making a living!”