Chapter 3

Did he really think I was an idiot?

I spread my hands and mocked, “If Ivy is really that capable, then by all means, hand everything over to her. I'll be waiting to hear about your success.”

My refusal only darkened Sean's expression.

“Olivia, you're unbelievable. If you're so determined to leave, then leave. But when you can't find another job, don't come crawling back and begging me to take you in.”

I smiled.

“Don't worry. That day will never come.”

What he didn't know was that the people who would soon be crying weren't me.

To protect the company's interests, the board instructed me on opening day to install monitoring software on every company computer.

The moment the chairman reviewed the system logs, their lies would fall apart on their own.

And when that happened, they wouldn't just be facing massive financial penalties.

They'd be facing criminal charges.

…

That night, I packed up my belongings and had my attorney draft a divorce agreement.

Once everything was arranged, I checked into a hotel.

I had just settled into bed and started scrolling through my phone, thinking about my next career move, when it suddenly buzzed several times.

The messages were from Ivy.

In the video, Ivy lounged comfortably on the couch. The coffee table in front of her was covered with fresh fruit, desserts, and snacks.

Sean, wearing an apron around his waist, was busy in the kitchen.

One dish after another made its way to the dining table.

As steam drifted through the screen, Sean's image slowly surfaced in my mind before gradually blurring into something unrecognizable.

A voice message followed.

“Olivia, so what if you're married to Sean? In his heart, I'm the one who matters most.”

“I only mentioned that I was hungry, and he immediately insisted on making me a late-night snack himself.”

“He was worried I'd get bored, so he bought all these snacks and fruit and even put on my favorite reality show.”

“You've been with him for so many years, but I bet you've never been treated like this, have you?”

She was right about one thing.

Throughout the ten years I'd been with Sean, even the smell of cooking oil was enough to make him nauseous.

He would rush to the bathroom and vomit until he was pale and exhausted.

To spare him the discomfort, I always opened every window and ran the exhaust fan at full power whenever I cooked.

I never allowed him anywhere near the kitchen.

The truth was, it wasn't that he couldn't stand the smell of cooking oil

He simply wasn't willing to step into the kitchen for me.

But none of that mattered anymore.

I downloaded everything Ivy sent me and saved screen recordings as evidence.

Then I opened a job-search app.

To my surprise, before I could even update my résumé, a message came through from Vanguard Group.

They wanted to meet with me the next day.

I thought back on my dealings with them over the years.

There had been very few.

Still, their reputation and influence were on an entirely different level from even our parent company.

After a moment's consideration, I accepted.

...

The next day, I arrived at the private lounge where we agreed to meet.

To my surprise, they already had a contract prepared.

Not only that, but after learning that I didn't currently have a permanent place to stay, they even offered me a company-provided apartment at no cost.

Every clause in the contract seemed tailored specifically to me.

The representative seemed to notice my confusion and smiled.

“Miss Lock, our company has been aware of your achievements for quite some time, and we've always held your work in high regard.

“The moment we heard you'd resigned, headquarters instructed us to expedite the hiring process.

“You don't need to worry about the rumors. They won't affect how this company values you.”