I Was Fired, but Her Empire Turned to Ashes

Wendy strode into the conference room in a custom-tailored suit and heels. The room fell silent the instant she entered.Lisa hurriedly pulled out a chair for her, but Wendy didn't sit down right away. Instead, she walked straight up to me."Julian, stop scaring everyone with your doomsday talk. Your pretentious act only makes me feel disgusted!" she snapped.I was momentarily stunned. I'd assumed her earlier call-out was directed at Lisa, but it turned out she was talking to me.Before I could respond, Wendy continued, "I really regret letting you join this company. I still don't understand why Grandpa insisted on bringing in someone who's just a figurehead. "Who do you think you are, acting so high and mighty? Do you really believe this company can't run without you?"We'd been married for five years. Even if it was only in name, married couples were expected to keep up a veneer of harmony in public. Her relentless, humiliating criticism left me stunned, and my expression hard

I suppressed my rising anger and replied through gritted teeth, "Don't worry. I'm not that pathetic. Wendy, I just hope you won't regret this decision someday."But even after I said I would leave on my own, Wendy remained skeptical the entire time.I removed my ID badge, slapped it onto the conference table in front of everyone, and then turned to leave. Just as I did, she suddenly called out to me.For a brief moment, I thought she had come to her senses. Instead, she just said, "Since you've laid it all out, I won't pretend either. Let's get a divorce. Julian, I've never loved you. Not once, all these years."Hearing that, I let out a self-deprecating laugh."Relax. I'm not delusional enough to think otherwise," I responded.Her decision was exactly what I expected. How could Wendy possibly think that after everything she'd done, I'd still have feelings for her? Even if she hadn't brought it up, I would've filed for divorce tomorrow anyway.We'd been married five years, but i

My colleagues watched me pack up my laptop with barely concealed glee. Asher turned to Wendy, making his promise with absolute confidence."Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I can write code that's even better and more secure than his. Someone like him should've been weeded out years ago if the company hadn't been supporting him all this time. I don't know why he's still sticking around."Just from that one form of address, everyone in the room, sharp enough to read between the lines, realized the two of them had an unusual relationship.A faint blush appeared on Wendy's face as she nodded obediently. "I'm sure you'll do great. You're the new head of the Cybersecurity Department."My hands paused as I gathered my things. I had no interest in listening to their lovey-dovey talk and left.Just as I walked out of the company entrance, I heard someone call out behind me. I turned slightly and saw that Asher had actually followed me out, with a teasing smirk."You've figured

"That's impossible!"Asher couldn't believe it. His whole body began trembling slightly."I followed the course and the instructor step by step. There's no way it could go wrong.""Really? Which instructor?" I asked casually.His blood boiled over, and he roared at me, "Shut up! Who cares which instructor it was? Are you trying to kick me while I'm down?"I let out a derisive laugh. I didn't need to guess since it was obviously some random online instructor and a coding course. With just two days of lessons, his confidence had skyrocketed. His supposed company in Camberford was probably just for show."W-What do we do now?" Wendy panicked. Although she managed a tech firm, she had no real idea how any of it worked.In contrast, Michael looked even more distressed."The firewall is gone?"I saw he was showing signs of oxygen deprivation again and quickly stepped forward to support him."Mr. Shaw Senior, don't worry. The core files still have my defense system. The current th

Just a few days after returning home, Wendy showed up at my door again."What do you want now?" I asked impatiently as I opened the door.Her face looked pale and weak, and she hesitated for a long time before saying, "I received the divorce papers. How could you do this?"I leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow. "You cheated first. Of course, I'm filing for divorce."At that, tears immediately streamed down Wendy's face."Can't you help me one more time for my grandpa's sake? My company is really in trouble now…"I had known this was the reason she came today."Does he know you're here?" I asked.Wendy no longer had the arrogance she'd shown when firing me. She just shook her head slightly.I called Michael right in front of her, briefly explained the situation, and then asked for his advice.There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and then he let out a snort. I could tell he was still angry."Julian, you handle it however you see fit."After ha