Chapter 2

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Then, my dad's excited shout was deafening.

"You're finally coming around!

"I've already paved the way for you, but you chose to turn down a position at a global Fortune 500 company and insisted on starting a business at that unreliable little company!"

I listened to my dad's furious rant and awkwardly rubbed my nose.

Yes, the reason Ave's project had been allowed to be delayed repeatedly was because of my dad. The project's client was actually my father.

My dad was the head of the Valora region in his group.

Initially, Ave's company, due to its lack of technical and financial advantages, was on the verge of being eliminated from the market and going bankrupt.

I watched Ave every day, troubled and anxious, barely eating or sleeping, and I couldn't bear it.

Unable to watch her hard work go to waste, I proactively asked my dad for help.

That was how I managed to secure the project that saved Ave's company.

It was thanks to the group's investment that Ave's previously unknown company started getting noticed by clients.

Seeing Ave's company grow and seeing her smile again, I also felt satisfied, working tirelessly.

I thought we were building our dreams together, heading toward success.

I never imagined that in the end, due to a male assistant who had only been with the company for less than three months, I would be completely discarded.

"To keep that project, my bonus is being deducted!

"To keep this project moving, I've been negotiating with headquarters every day, coming up with all sorts of excuses!"

My dad continued to complain on the phone.

I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

My dad had worked so hard to help me.

Though he complained about Ave's unreliable company, he had always secretly been helping me.

He even sacrificed his own bonus just to secure the project for me.

And here I was, like a fool, being played by Ave and Ethan.

"Alright, alright, I got it, Dad. You've worked hard.

"Just cancel the project. I don't want anything to do with them anymore."

My dad quickly agreed.

He added, "I'll introduce you to some of my old friends when you're back. They're all industry elites and in the future..."

My dad began rambling about my future.

I listened, gradually calming down.

Ave's small company didn't have enough capital, and to keep the project afloat, she had borrowed a significant amount of money.

Without my connections, that so-called big project was nothing but a house of cards.

She would be unable to repay the loans when the project was invalidated, and she would never recover from it.

But right now, I didn't need to explain it to her.

I thought, "When disaster strikes, they will naturally realize who the real power behind this is."

With that thought, I hung up and began packing my things, preparing to sever ties with Ave completely.

When I got home, I opened the wardrobe and as I was rummaging through the drawers, a photo album hidden in the corner fell out.

In the photo, Ave was youthful and innocent, wearing a high school uniform, and smiling brightly.

And standing next to her was a tall, thin boy whose features, surprisingly, resembled Ethan's!

I froze, flipping through the album.

At the back of the album was a stack of love letters, with delicate handwriting. The recipient was Ethan.

I suddenly understood why, on one occasion, I was just looking for socks in the drawer, and Ave had gone into a furious fit, pushing me out and not letting me in for the entire day.

She was afraid I would discover her secret!

No wonder, with Ave's bad temper, every assistant, regardless of their education or ability, was fired after only a few weeks of being yelled at.

But Ethan, the rookie, had been promoted and paid generously, advancing fast.

It turned out he was her first love from school!

Well, that explained everything.

I sneered and closed the album, grabbing my nearly empty suitcase and leaving the cold, lifeless home.

I sent my luggage home via courier, then called my dad to come pick me up.

While waiting for the car, I saw a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts and thought it wouldn't hurt to grab a quick bite since I hadn't eaten all morning.

But the next second, I ran into Ave and Ethan.

At that moment, Ave, with a slightly drunken smile, looked at me smugly.

"Hey, weren't you so confident at the company earlier? Now you're just standing here, waiting to beg for my forgiveness?"

Hearing this, I was speechless.

She really had a vivid imagination!

I was the one who was unlucky. If I had known, I would've just taken a cab and left instead of indulging in my craving.

Ethan looked at the roasted chestnuts in my hand with a hint of disdain, then said sarcastically, "Hey, Ave, look at Daniel here, waiting outside in the freezing cold, buying you your favorite roasted chestnuts!

"Why not let him go back to the company? After all, Daniel's got the experience. I can just assist Daniel from now on.

"It's hard to find work at the end of the year. How's Daniel going to explain being unemployed to his family?"

Ave, full of herself, responded, "Fine! But someone like Ethan, such a genius, shouldn't just assist you. From now on, Daniel, you'll be running errands for Ethan!"

With that, Ave grabbed the roasted chestnut from my hand and took a bite.

I was furious, but I snatched the chestnut back and threw it straight into the trash.

"Such a self-righteous fool! If someone like you eats this, it'd be a waste of food!"

Ave immediately flew into a rage, pointing at my nose and shouting, "You! Who do you think you're talking to?

"Daniel! I want a divorce!"

This again.

Whenever we had a disagreement, if she couldn't justify her actions, she would throw out the divorce card to force me into submission.

But now...

I immediately started laughing and pulled out the divorce agreement I had prepared earlier.

"Great! I've been waiting for you to sign it!"