Chapter 2

Thinking back on all this, I took a deep breath. Then, ignoring Mr. Blanchard's mockery, I turned to Gwen and said, "I have something for you."

Gwen froze for a moment, then smiled with relief. "Now that's more like it. You're finally starting to act like a father. Are you planning to give Quintin a gold pendant or a gold bracelet?"

I handed her my resignation letter.

The moment they saw the words "resignation letter", every face in the room changed.

Gwen's mother, Martina Jensen, slammed her glass onto the floor. "My daughter didn't go out there and build a company just so you could sit around at home, doing nothing and living off her! Why can't you be more like Keith?

"Just last week he helped Gwen close a major deal with a profit of at least a few million dollars. He's younger than you and has way more drive. You're too old to be this shameless. What good are you?"

I looked at the floor covered in shattered glass, and all I could do was laugh at how absurd it all was.

I was only a year older than Keith, yet Mrs. Blanchard made it sound as if I were some washed-up middle-aged man who had squandered his life away.

Besides, when it came to actual ability, Keith was nowhere near my level.

When Keith first graduated from college, he went nearly half a year without finding a job. In the end, it was through Gwen's connections that he even got a job at the company.

But he kept messing up even the most basic formulations. He was on the verge of being fired when he came to me, crying and begging for help.

He swore he had no more designs on Gwen and just wanted to earn money to provide for his parents. Only then did I start to guide him through everything, step by step.

But within just half a year, he decided he'd learned everything he needed from me and began spreading lies behind my back. The next thing I knew, I was being frozen out by everyone.

Just last week, he screwed up the project by entering the wrong data. Yet, he insisted I had deliberately altered the numbers to get even with him. The client terminated the contract, and we lost a deal worth well over ten million dollars.

Gwen didn't even give me a chance to explain. Without a second word, she demoted me and slashed my salary until I was earning less than the newly hired interns.

So, I simply handed in my resignation. Given my research achievements, even if I were blacklisted domestically, there would be plenty of companies overseas that would fall over themselves to hire me.

I figured this was as good a chance as any to make a clean break from Gwen.

Seeing that I remained silent, Mrs. Blanchard grew even more disdainful. "Are you deaf? I'm talking to you! Can't you see Quintin has soiled his diaper and needs changing? Hurry up and deal with it—are you trying to suffocate us with the stench?"

Only then did Gwen finally look up at me. "Don't upset Mom on such a happy day. We'll talk about the resignation next week when HR is back in the office. Just go change Quintin's diaper now."

Still, I didn't move.

Seeing the tension mounting, Keith glanced around shiftily and suddenly said with feigned concern, "Mrs. Blanchard, please don't be angry. Ernest must be worn out from work. I'm young—I've got plenty of energy, and I actually like doing chores around the house when I'm off work. Let me change Quintin's diaper."

But before he could even make a move, Gwen cut him off.

"You don't have to do that," she said, a pained look on her face. "You're Quintin's father; you need to stay and watch him. Since Ernest wants to resign, let him do the grunt work. It'll be a good cure for his laziness and teach him just how hard it is to earn a living."

All I could feel was how utterly absurd it all was. Keith was all talk; he couldn't even be bothered to empty his own trash bin at work. In fact, it would sit there overflowing for a week straight.

And what about all those years? Both Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard had been in poor health, constantly shuttling back and forth to the hospital. After Mr. Blanchard's stroke left him incontinent, even the hired caregivers couldn't bring themselves to handle it. It was me who personally took care of everything.

But now, just because I wouldn't change Quintin's diaper, I was suddenly branded a good-for-nothing lazy bum.

It was so painfully clear whether Gwen loved me or not.

Snapping back to the moment, I threw the clean diaper onto the floor and said firmly, "I'm not going to change his diaper. Whoever's kid it is can deal with it. Besides, it's not like—"

Before I could finish, Gwen slapped me hard across the face, cutting me off.

"Figures. What else do you expect from an orphan? No one ever taught you any manners. What gives you the right to talk back to my mother in front of everyone?"

When he saw me get slapped in public, Keith could barely keep from laughing.