Chapter 3

I continued calmly, "Every exclusive supplier agreement was transferred to my new company yesterday. Your company and I have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Amber froze.

A few seconds later, she shook with rage. Shoving a finger in my face, she screamed, "Hector Malone! You ungrateful leech! You planned this all along! You used my platform, and now you're cutting me loose!"

In her world, she was the only one who could ever be right.

I didn't have the energy to waste words on her anymore.

Ignoring her screeching, I walked straight into the bedroom and grabbed the small suitcase I'd packed a while ago.

On my way out, I slid the wedding ring, which symbolized our love, off my finger.

Without a shred of hesitation, I tossed it into the fish tank.

The ring sank to the bottom, scattering the goldfish in a panic.

As I rolled my suitcase toward the front door, Amber's hysterical screams followed me from behind.

"Get out, Hector! Leave and don't you ever come back! Your company will go bankrupt by tomorrow! You and your dying mother will come crawling back to beg me on your knees!"

…

After pulling three straight all-nighters, I finally stepped out of my house, only for the entire world to start spinning.

A sharp, violent ringing pierced my ears. Everything went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

After who knew how long, the smell of disinfectant seeped into my nose.

I opened my eyes and saw a plain white ceiling.

Turning to the side, I saw Clara Bridges sitting on the nearby couch, elegantly flipping through some documents.

She was the CEO of Asteria Entertainment, the country's top multi-channel network agency, and Amber's biggest competitor.

Seeing her face brought back memories of the past three years.

Every single year, she had personally brought her team to recruit me, offering double the salary and highly lucrative equity.

Yet every single time, I had turned her down without a second thought because Amber would whine, "Honey, what will I do if you leave me?"

I used to think that was the devotion of a marriage.

Looking back now, I had just been a pet kept in a cage.

"You're awake?"

Clara set the files down. Her voice sounded cool and composed. "How are you feeling?"

I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My throat felt bone-dry. "I'm fine."

"The doctor said you hadn't been sleeping for days and were severely hypoglycemic. If we had found you any later, the consequences would have been serious."

There was no concern in her voice. She was simply stating facts.

I managed a faint, bitter smile. "Thank you, Ms. Bridges."

"Don't thank me. I just didn't want to see a brilliant streamer ruin his career for no good reason."

She stood up and walked over to my bedside. "I heard you terminated your contract with Amber."

I nodded. My voice was raspy but steady. "More than that. We're getting a divorce. I have nothing now. I walked away empty-handed."

Saying it out loud actually brought a wave of relief I hadn't felt in years.

A faint glimmer flickered in Clara's eyes before she quickly returned to her usual calm.

"Good. Hector, I'm going to ask you one last time. On behalf of Asteria Entertainment, I'd like to formally invite you to join us. Not as a streamer, but as our top-level strategic partner."

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt.

Strategic partner.

That meant I wouldn't just be an employee anymore. I would be an equal partner sitting across the table from her.

I looked at her, meeting the fierce confidence and genuine respect shining in her eyes.