Chapter 2

I took a deep breath, pushing the irrelevant thoughts from my mind. Arguing with these fools was a waste of breath.

I lifted my head, looked Kathy straight in the eye, and said calmly, "Well, you're here to pick me up, right? Let's go."

The air grew tense, and the hall fell silent. The group exchanged bewildered glances before erupting into even more exaggerated laughter.

Nate let out a scornful laugh, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Pick you up? Are you still dreaming?"

He pointed at the sign. "Open your damn eyes. We're here for a VIP from the Weyland Group. You've probably never even heard of them."

My wife was the sole daughter of the Weyland Group. How could I not know who they were waiting for?

"We are waiting for Ms. Weyland's husband! The queen of finance, known for her iron fist and ruthless tactics, who just happens to dote on her husband to an unbelievable degree. Everyone in our circle knows she was single for years, saving herself for the man who is now her husband."

"Everyone knows the fastest way to get to Rhea Weyland is through her husband. He's the person she values most."

Hearing them talk about Rhea, I couldn't help the gentle smile that spread across my lips.

In the five years we've been married, Rhea has not only expanded her business empire to its absolute limits but has also shown me what it truly means to love and be loved by a powerful woman, to support each other in a deep, mutual partnership.

Nate could never stand to see me happy and would never miss a chance to show off his "worldly knowledge."

"I heard that not long ago, President Weyland was at a top auction in St. Niva and, without batting an eye, bought a priceless sapphire watch, just to make her husband happy."

"That watch is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece worth a cool eight million dollars. The man is the envy of everyone in high society."

He was in the middle of his grand speech when his eyes inadvertently swept over me. His voice suddenly rose. "Wait a minute... That watch looks just like it!"

Everyone fell silent. They held their breath, their eyes glued to the watch on my wrist.

Seeing that I showed no sign of shame at being called out, Kathy's expression hardened. Without warning, she lunged forward, trying to grab my wrist to inspect the watch.

I was quick enough to step back, evading her touch.

Nate, seeing this, sauntered over for a closer look and sneered. "The craftsmanship is definitely better than those high-end replicas."

"A person should know their place. I wouldn't have the nerve to walk around wearing a fake like this, just asking to be ridiculed."

"What, are you going to claim you're the distinguished guest from the Weyland Group? The mysterious Mr. Weyland that President Weyland supposedly spoils rotten?"

As soon as he finished, the crowd erupted in another round of unbridled laughter. To them, the idea was utterly absurd.

Who was Rhea? A business legend who could turn the tides with a flick of her wrist, a ruthless and decisive woman who struck fear into the hearts of her competitors.

And me? In their eyes, I was just a pathetic wretch that Kathy had thrown out like trash five years ago.

In their minds, even if the world were to end, the names Rhea and Simon could never be connected in any way.

Nate smugly lifted his chin at me. "Simon, that replica is actually quite nice. Why don't you sell it to me? I'll give you double whatever you paid for it."

I watched them with cold eyes, hiding my wrist behind my back, and warned in a low voice, "Don't touch it. It was a gift from Rhea."

Before I could finish, Kathy, apparently taking my protectiveness over a "fake" as a personal affront, slapped me hard across the face.

I fought through the stinging pain in my cheek and stared at her with icy eyes.

"Shut up!" she glared at me. "Who do you think you are to say Ms. Weyland's name? Are you trying to start rumors and drag me down with you?!"

Her sycophantic followers chimed in, their eyes burning with hostility.

"Simon, have you lost your mind?"

"This is a huge day for our group. We need to make a good impression on Mr. Weyland for a massive collaboration between our companies! If you dare to screw this up, we'll kill you!"

"Kathy worked her ass off to get where she is. How dare a loser she threw away show up and pretend to be Mr. Weyland? Do you have a death wish?"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head to meet Kathy's gaze.

Perhaps my calm, cold stare unsettled her. She frowned, a flicker of unease in her eyes.

Nate, sensing the shift in atmosphere, raised his voice and cursed.

"Simon, you ungrateful bastard! Kathy was kind enough to offer you a lifeline, and this is how you repay her? Have you no shame? Even if you're still bitter, you don't get to joke about something this important!"

Listening to his twisted logic, I felt like I was back five years ago. Back then, no matter what I did, Nate was always there, fanning the flames and shifting all the blame onto me.

At first, Kathy would occasionally argue with him. But over time, she was completely brainwashed and started using the same tone to manipulate me.

Just like always, Kathy gave me a disappointed look and murmured, "You'll never learn, will you?"

But this time, she didn't launch into one of her endless lectures. After a pause, Kathy pulled out a check for two hundred thousand dollars and held it up to my face.

"For the sake of our past years together, I'll let what you did today slide. Take this money and go buy yourself some decent clothes. If you really don't want to be a bodyguard for the child, I'll have the administrative department find you a menial position in a few days."

"Take it. With my current status and wealth in the company, this little bit of change is nothing to me."

I glanced at the check. Then I looked at her.

The condescending posture, the stench of new money in her words... it all made me feel a little sad for her.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, I raised my hand and pushed away the hand holding the check.

I said flatly, "Keep your money. I don't want it."