로그인Three months later, all the dust settled.For the combined charges of commercial bribery and intentional assault, Zach was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. His dream of marrying into wealth had shattered completely, and upon his release, he would carry a criminal record for the rest of his life. His life was thoroughly ruined.Wendy had lost her job, her child, and her fertility.The luxury apartment was auctioned off by the court. Wendy, dragging her sickly body around, had to face endless online debts and relentless collection calls every day.Her snobbish mother could not handle the blow and suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed in bed.Ultimately, they paid a heavy price for their greed and betrayal.As for me, my decisive handling of Zach's bribery case minimized the company's losses, so I was officially promoted to Regional Director.At the end of the year, the company hosted a grand celebration banquet.Dressed in a well-tailored suit and holding a gl
How Zach managed to stumble out of my company, I did not know.But I knew that when he returned to that luxury apartment that could be repossessed at any moment and faced an equally desperate Wendy, it would truly be hell for him.I pieced together the rest of the story later through police reports and Mark's account.That evening, Zach returned home just as Wendy was arriving home after being fired, holding a cardboard box of her belongings."Wendy Sheppard, you penniless loser! You dirty liar!"Zach smashed the vases and cups in the living room into pieces, pointing at Wendy and yelling furiously."Why do you pretend to be rich when you have no money? Look at us now! The apartment is about to be seized, and because of you, Terrence is sending me to prison! I must have been blind to fall for trash like you!"Wendy was already stressed to her breaking point over the job loss and massive debts. Being yelled at like that completely shattered her last shred of self-esteem.Her eye
The storm at the dinner ended with Megan suffering a heart attack and being rushed to the hospital.I felt not a shred of sympathy. I simply watched coldly as Wendy frantically dialed 911 before calmly paying the bill and walking out of the hotel.The night breeze felt refreshing against my face, and for the first time in a while, I felt relaxed.While the sunk cost of seven years was certainly regrettable, cutting losses in a timely manner was the highest form of self-discipline for an adult.Meanwhile, Zach's good days had finally come to an end.According to an informant Mark planted in Wendy's company, after Wendy lost the bid for the major government project, her boss flew into a towering rage.I also reported Wendy to her company for the embezzlement of company funds and possible severe misconduct. Though investigations later revealed she had merely taken online loans, the reputational damage was catastrophic. To appease the client's fury, the company immediately gave Wen
Our two families were supposed to have dinner together three days later to discuss the final details of the wedding.Over these three days, Wendy acted like a madwoman, searching for me everywhere.She came to my workplace to look for me, only to be escorted out by security.She went to my apartment, but I had long since changed the password on the smart lock.She had probably received the lawyer's letter sent by Mark, saw the itemized list of claims totaling nearly $150,000, and panicked.Yet, she still harbored a shred of hope.She assumed that as long as she humbled herself in front of both our families, I would sweep the matter under the rug and let bygones be bygones so as not to embarrass both families.Therefore, on the evening of the dinner, not only did she arrive punctually at the private room of a restaurant in the city's most luxurious hotel, she also brought along her mother, who had always been unhappy with me for not prioritizing Wendy enough.When I pushed open
The next day, I went to the office as usual, as if nothing had happened.At 10:00 AM, I received a message on my phone.The profile picture was Zach's brightly-smiling selfie.I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was about to say. Then Zach sent a long message dripping with fakeness:"Terrence, Wendy has been feeling extremely remorseful since she got home yesterday. She didn't sleep all night. I know you're hurt, but matters of the heart really cannot be forced. Wendy said she's long stopped loving you, but she just couldn't find the right time to break up with you."Wendy is pregnant, and the doctor said she should avoid emotional distress. For my sake, she has already decided to transfer that luxury apartment entirely under my name."With your impressive qualities, you can easily find someone better. So please, stop bothering Wendy, okay?"Looking at the message, I almost wanted to applaud his low IQ.He probably assumed that my lack of emotional outburst at the hospital
Back in my car, instead of heading home, I drove straight to the workplace of Mark Gaston, my college roommate who had become a senior partner at the city's top law firm.Having dated Wendy for seven years, I knew her better than anyone.At her core, she was an immensely selfish and calculating person.The reason she never broke up with me wasn't because of lingering love, but because she couldn't bear to leave her free ATM and the social prestige of having a high-achieving fiance.Since she wanted to have her cake and eat it too, I would make sure she could do neither.In Mark's office, I laid out all the evidence across the table: the hospital footage, the post screenshot, the bonus breakdown provided by my insider friend, and our bank transaction records spanning the past several years.After reviewing the files, Mark slammed his hand down on the desk in a fit of rage, cursing furiously."What a vile woman! Back when she was cornered by loan sharks in an alleyway because she







