Chapter 3

"And yet, after working yourself to the bone for a decade at the Swansons, all you got was just this little bit of alimony. It's so not fair. I feel so sorry for you, Tammy," Melanie said.

It hadn't just been ten years of my life.

In my past life, Swanson Group once dominated the list of the top-performing companies in the country under my leadership. Yet, in my older years, I couldn't even afford to buy myself a box of painkillers.

Ultimately, I was even kicked out of the family by Kayla's children and died from an illness next to a garbage dump on a cold winter night.

The business empire I spent my entire life building ended up benefiting Kayla and her children.

At that thought, I downed the alcohol in my glass at one go, letting the liquid burn down my throat and ignite a fire in my chest.

I was going to show them.

Without me, they would not be able to continue living the life they were used to.

…

The next morning, news of my company registration spread like wildfire, and the industry was instantly abuzz.

Some investors sensed a golden opportunity and rushed in overnight with elaborate proposals, eager to invest in my company. However, many more just watched in amusement, observing the Swanson family's attitude toward the news.

I didn't know who started it, but the paparazzi's news was filled with articles calling me a fool, belittling me, and calling me overly smug and confident.

I just looked at the notifications on my phone and swiped them all away.

I just didn't expect to receive a call from Justin.

"Stop making a fool of yourself, Tamara Baldwin! Running a company is not child's play. Your bit of money won't last that long.

"I haven't removed your position from Swanson Group yet. You can come back instead."

I rejected him coldly and said, "There's no need for you to worry about me, Mr. Swanson."

There were a few seconds of silence on the phone. He was somewhat displeased, but he still tried being patient with me and said, "Can't you be more understanding of me, Tamara? I just met my true love.

"Also, isn't it better for you to stay here in Swanson Group than it is for you to start some stupid company of your own? You should follow up on that M&A project in Southon…"

I hung up on him right away.

Just as I thought, he just didn't want to lose access to using my abilities after all.

That project in Southon was a tough nut to crack, and it was something I'd spent nearly half a year working on before they finally awarded it to me. The Swansons had no way of getting it without me.

Even though I was supposed to be the CEO of Swanson Group, I only received a monthly salary of 3,000 dollars. That was because Harvey told me that we were family, and we shouldn't have to be that petty and calculating when it came to money matters.

I naively used to think that they were simply testing me. However, now that I thought about it, I was just a highly capable yet incredibly cheap labor force they managed to hire.

The more I thought of it, the angrier I got.

I made up my mind.

Regarding all those projects I once secured for the Swansons in my past life, it didn't matter if my new company wouldn't be able to handle them all. If it couldn't, I would direct them straight to Swanson Group's arch-rivals instead.

…

Justin was so mad at being hung up on that he angrily flung his phone to the ground.

He'd been so used to my docile obedience. I used to be at his beck and call. Thus, he felt embarrassed and humiliated to have been hung up on this time.

At that moment, his secretary, Nigel Browning, awkwardly knocked on his door with a pile of documents that Justin couldn't make heads or tails of for signing.

The past few days of hard work, coupled with his years of neglecting the company affairs, had truly left Justin feeling overwhelmed.

Kayla walked in as well and took his hand. She looked at him in concern.

"Don't overwork yourself, Justin. Let me join the company and help you share your burden with you."

Justin was a little hesitant about it. "You're still young and unfamiliar with the company's operations. Why don't you start from the bottom and learn from each department first?"

Kayla's eyes turned red at once. She demanded, "If Tamara could be the CEO last time, why can't I?"

Justin instinctively wanted to say that I was the top student from Alberton College in finance, but when he was met with Kayla's teary eyes, his sense of reason vanished at once.

His heart softened, and he nodded in agreement.

Kayla smiled through her tears and hugged him tightly. She said tenderly, "I'm just so worried about you. Look at you. You've already lost so much weight."