Chapter 2

“Evan, Tyler came from humble beginnings. He can’t afford to lose this once-in-a-lifetime chance to make a name for himself!

“The truth is, I was the one who leaked the data. But you’ll take the fall for me, won’t you?

“Don’t worry. We’ll get married once you’re out.”

Rosie spoke as though it were the most casual thing in the world. Her eyes were brimming with affection.

“Forget it. I’m not confessing to a crime I didn’t commit!”

The moment those words left my mouth, Rosie’s expression hardened. She looked at me like I was being completely unreasonable.

Without hesitation, she had me tied up and thrown in jail while she told everyone that I had tried to flee out of guilt.

Worse still, she handed over every one of my hard-earned achievements to Tyler.

Everything I had worked for my entire life was turned into a pathetic joke.

I could not accept it, but I was soon beaten to death in prison.

It was not until my final moments that I learned my parents, who had been fighting to clear my name, died in a car accident!

I hated her! I saved the company from disaster, yet Rosie had thrown me to the wolves, destroying my family and my life for the sake of a man she had only known for three months!

I would not lift a finger to save her this time. I wanted to know if she would still think Tyler was so amazing this time around.

“Wait! Tyler’s accusations don’t make any sense!”

Coming back to my senses, I saw Rosie’s pale face as she hurried onstage with the core research staff.

The moment Tyler spotted her, panic flashed across his eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure. His face twisted in anger as she spoke.

“Ms. Nelson! I can’t believe you’re still trying to twist the truth now. All the data was calculated by me alone!

“I even have the original drafts of the project. No matter how big your company is, you have no right to trample on my work!”

As Tyler spoke, he dramatically pulled a stack of papers from his bag. Those yellowed pages were covered in densely written calculations.

The sight instantly drew the looks of everybody in the room.

Rosie was so furious that she could not get a word out. She grabbed one of the researchers and barked, “Prove it! Prove that this research was developed independently by us!”

Still, the research had been split into phases, with separate teams working on different sections for efficiency.

Each group had tackled its own challenges and knew little about the others’ experiments.

Up against Tyler’s confident manner and his command of every detail, the research staff had no way to fight back. It took less than ten minutes for them to crumble.

The contrast was striking, and it sent a ripple of shock through the audience.

The reporters’ mocking voices echoed through the room:

“Can you believe this? The Nelson Corporation spent three years hyping up this project, and it turns out they plagiarized it! What a joke!”

“They couldn’t even hire someone competent to fake it. Look at them—they don’t have a clue. It’s embarrassing to watch.”

“Exactly! And I heard they even signed multiple big contracts based on this project. Looks like it’s all over now!”

Camera flashes exploded around Tyler, making him sound even more righteous—like he was a hero fighting for justice.

Meanwhile, Rosie stood frozen on stage. Her face shifted from red to white.

The researchers had long since slipped away, wearing awkward expressions after being caught off guard. They had left Rosie alone in the spotlight.

As I watched everything unfold, I felt nothing but cold satisfaction.

Rosie and I had been childhood sweethearts and were even engaged.

I used to think that even if there was no love between us, two decades of being together would at least count for some kind of bond. However, in the end, all I got was her ruthless betrayal!

Her welled-up eyes met mine. Her stubbornness was visible even as her body seemed ready to collapse. The old me might have thrown everything away to protect her.

This time, I simply gave her a cold, expressionless shake of my head and walked out of the press conference.

The news was already reporting on the scandal on my way home. The Nelson Corporation had become the biggest laughingstock in the industry overnight.

As I watched their stock price plummet, I did not hesitate to pick up my phone and make a call.

“This is the bank, right? I’d like to consolidate my assets and freeze my accounts as soon as possible. Yes! The sooner the better!”

Not long after I finished arranging my finances, Rosie’s name flashed across my phone screen. I frowned and reluctantly answered.