After this incident, Lauren was completely blacklisted across the internet. Used to being pampered, she couldn't handle the struggle of finding a job, so it was only natural that she moved in with Tom, living off him for everything.Tom's company was also severely affected by the incident. No other businesses wanted to collaborate with him, and it was on the brink of collapse."What's going on? You seem so happy today." Sun appeared in front of me, grinning and playfully pulling a piece of candy from his hand like some sort of magic trick. "Want one?" I smiled and replied, "I'm not a kid anymore. Eating too many sweets isn't good for my teeth."Sun paused for a moment, then looked at me seriously. "You're not old."I brushed it off and teased. "I'm six years older than you. You're just a kid."He placed the candy in my palm, his eyes avoiding mine as he said, "But I think you're… really pretty."I felt flustered and quickly made an excuse to leave. Months later, I was officia
Thanks to my past work experience, my career thrived, and I even took on a few interns. One young intern burst into my office, rushing over to me. "Zora! A creepy old guy is hanging out right outside our building, and he's been there for a while!"A creepy old guy? I didn't recognize anyone like that. Wait... A flash of realization hit me. Could it be Tom?"I knew you'd show up."His eyes were lifeless, as if he hadn't felt anything for a long time. He stared at me without blinking.We stood there in silence for a moment. After a moment, his voice trembled, and he looked completely defeated."My company's gone, my house was seized… Lauren, that bitch, took everything valuable from the house and ran off with it!"I stared at him blankly. "So what?"He suddenly collapsed to the ground, throwing away the last bit of dignity he had. He clutched at my pants, holding on with all his might."Zora, you're all I have left! Please don't leave me! Please give me one more chance! I was w
Years into our marriage, I stumbled upon something that shattered everything. The luxury goods, the car, the house—everything my husband, Tom Smith, had gifted me over the years—were fake.I carefully examined everything, and to my horror, I even discovered that our marriage certificate was fake. I took all the valuable gifts Tom had given me over the years to be appraised. As I waited for the results, I could hardly breathe.Tom and I had been together since college when he was just a broke guy with nothing to his name. But I didn't mind that at all. I encouraged him to build something from scratch and start his own business.After his business took off, Tom became busier and busier. There were times when he wouldn't come home for weeks and wouldn't even bother calling me. But when I felt lonely, he would always come home and surprise me with something to ease my worries.To me, it wasn't about the surprise—it was his thoughtfulness that mattered. But when the store clerk delivere
Lauren spent most of her time livestreaming, and every time, the top supporter—the one who gave the most gifts—was the same person.My hands trembled uncontrollably, and I couldn't help clicking on the profile of the top supporter account. The profile picture was a couple's photo—a yellow rabbit and a green frog, representing Lauren and her mystery person.What once seemed like a cute pair of animals now made me want to vomit.The platform required mobile verification, so I easily traced the phone number linked to the top supporter account; it was Tom's number. I could hardly breathe, so I had to lean against the wall, gasping for air.My best friend Sandra Reese's call came in."What's wrong with you? You've been ignoring me all day, and you didn't respond to any of my messages. What happened?"I bit my lip and told her everything that had been happening these past few days. Sandra was furious and nearly exploded."Those two are a disgrace! Pack your things now, and this aftern
Sandra's voice rang out from the other end of the line. "Zora, I'm coming to pick you up. Just grab a few things, and let's go."If you don't bring anything, it's fine! I'll buy you everything new! As a small business owner, I can easily take care of you!"Besides, aren't you a shareholder in our company, too?"I had almost forgotten about that. Right after graduation, Sandra and I started our studio.It grew and became more successful. Eventually, I decided to focus on family, but Sandra insisted on keeping a shareholder position for me.Tom had no idea about any of this. Sandra told me to keep it from him, saying that every woman needed a backup plan and that money was the only thing that could give me real security.I let out a bitter laugh. "What's the point of just having a shareholder title? I'm planning to find a job and re-enter society."Sandra said, "That's Fine. When you're ready to adjust to the business world, come back to the company."I'm here. Come down."I too
I hadn't even reached the elevator when Tom suddenly chased after me. He grabbed my wrist tightly."Where do you think you're going? Do you know we're legally married? If you leave, I can call the police and have them find you!"I scoffed, my voice calm but firm. "Tom, let go of me, or I'll call the police and charge you with assault.""Go ahead! You think you can do that?" His face was right up against mine as he gritted his teeth and said, "Let me remind you, I'm your husband. All these years, you've lived off me, used my money. Who do you think you are, trying to press charges against me?"I calmly pulled my wrist free. "You're not my husband."His expression froze in disbelief. "What did you say? H-how am I not your husband?"I smiled. "Mr. Smith, you know better than anyone whether we're married. Since we're strangers now, please get out of my way.""Wait!" He slammed his hands on the elevator door. "Give me back my things. Give me back my ring!"I stared at the delicate
I told Sandra everything that happened when I left, and she couldn't help but laugh in satisfaction. I smiled and said, "There's something even more satisfying. Do you want to hear it?"Sandra's company was about to launch a new product but was struggling with exposure and traffic.I proposed that she pretend to collaborate with Tom's company, using the opportunity to expose the ugly truth about Tom and Lauren. When the time was right, Sandra could end the partnership and cut him off completely.After hearing my suggestion, Sandra laughed so hard she slapped her thigh. "You're ruthless!"This would not only help Sandra's company gain exposure but also bring down Tom's company in one go.Sandra kicked back, leisurely crossing her legs, and said, "That's a brilliant idea. How come I never realized how ruthless you are before?"I chuckled. "He started it."It had been a while since I had such a relaxed moment. I kicked back on the couch, scrolling through my phone, when I accidenta
Lauren suddenly shoved her face close to the camera and said coldly, "Zora, if you're watching this, then here's my message."This Friday, Sunset Park. I'll be there."Sandra's eyes widened in disbelief as she said, "How can someone so shameless even exist?"She glanced at me, asking, "Are you going?"If I didn't show up, wouldn't that just confirm the rumors that I was the mistress? I scoffed and replied, "Of course I'm going."…On Friday, I waited for Lauren at a cafe on the corner of Sunset Park. Lauren arrived in grand style, escorted in a luxury SUV. The click of her high heels echoed on the ground.I couldn't help but laugh. "Lauren, you usually build this image of being a disciplined, down-to-earth woman, but why all this extravagance?"Lauren rolled her eyes, then swiftly pulled out her phone and set it up to record."Hey, my lovely followers! It's me, Lauren, back with another treat for you all! Remember that mistress who tried to steal my husband a few days ago? "
Thanks to my past work experience, my career thrived, and I even took on a few interns. One young intern burst into my office, rushing over to me. "Zora! A creepy old guy is hanging out right outside our building, and he's been there for a while!"A creepy old guy? I didn't recognize anyone like that. Wait... A flash of realization hit me. Could it be Tom?"I knew you'd show up."His eyes were lifeless, as if he hadn't felt anything for a long time. He stared at me without blinking.We stood there in silence for a moment. After a moment, his voice trembled, and he looked completely defeated."My company's gone, my house was seized… Lauren, that bitch, took everything valuable from the house and ran off with it!"I stared at him blankly. "So what?"He suddenly collapsed to the ground, throwing away the last bit of dignity he had. He clutched at my pants, holding on with all his might."Zora, you're all I have left! Please don't leave me! Please give me one more chance! I was w
After this incident, Lauren was completely blacklisted across the internet. Used to being pampered, she couldn't handle the struggle of finding a job, so it was only natural that she moved in with Tom, living off him for everything.Tom's company was also severely affected by the incident. No other businesses wanted to collaborate with him, and it was on the brink of collapse."What's going on? You seem so happy today." Sun appeared in front of me, grinning and playfully pulling a piece of candy from his hand like some sort of magic trick. "Want one?" I smiled and replied, "I'm not a kid anymore. Eating too many sweets isn't good for my teeth."Sun paused for a moment, then looked at me seriously. "You're not old."I brushed it off and teased. "I'm six years older than you. You're just a kid."He placed the candy in my palm, his eyes avoiding mine as he said, "But I think you're… really pretty."I felt flustered and quickly made an excuse to leave. Months later, I was officia
A shout came from somewhere in the crowd, probably from someone wanting to make things more dramatic. The reporters at the exhibition quickly raised their cameras and began snapping pictures of the two of them relentlessly.Tom shouted, "Stop! Stop taking pictures!" He stood there, helpless and panicked, shouting out, "This is illegal! You're violating my privacy!"When I arrived at the venue, it was already packed. I couldn't help but marvel at Sandra's efficiency. I squeezed through the crowd, and Tom was frantically pacing in circles, completely overwhelmed.When he saw me, he looked like he had found a lifeline and pointed at me. "Please, help me! I beg you."I watched him coldly. "How do you expect me to help you?"Tom begged, "All you have to do is clarify that there's nothing between me and Lauren!"I sneered. "Why should I? You think you deserve that?"Sandra waved me over. "Zora! I'm over here!"In Tom's stunned gaze, I walked over with a smile. "How… how is this possi
On the day of the exhibition, Tom did indeed show up with Lauren, as the invitation specifically mentioned bringing his wife along.Despite all the drama about Tom and Lauren on the internet, the heat of online gossip never lasted long. These things were quickly forgotten, just a passing moment in the digital world.Lauren strutted in, wearing bright red high heels, her glamorous gown cascading to the floor like a waterfall. I couldn't help but marvel at how much Tom had spent on her—more than I had expected.Tom walked in like a proud rooster, holding his head high as if being seen with these influential people had somehow elevated his status. I was wearing the standard blue uniform of the exhibition staff, and I worked hard to ensure that the event ran smoothly."Where's the owner of this exhibition?" I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and met Tom's eyes, his gaze full of disdain. Without missing a beat, he sneered. "I forgot. How would someone like you, who does all the dir
After this whole fiasco, Lauren's account was completely ruined.Sandra asked me, "How does it feel? Satisfying?"I smiled and replied, "Not enough."Everything Tom had taken from me over the years, I was going to get them back.Sandra handed me an invitation and excitedly said, "Our new product is launching soon. I'm planning to hold an exhibition to boost traffic and exposure. You can take this invitation to Tom and have him and Lauren show up to embarrass themselves!""No need to give it to him," I said, mocking him with a grin. "His company is going bankrupt, and now he'll show up for anything that could help him make connections with other companies."A plan began to form in my mind. The exhibition preparations would take a while, so I decided to find a job in the meantime.Thanks to my previous work experience, I managed to land a position in the news industry again. Though I was just an assistant for now, as long as I had money in my hands, I had the power to fight back.
Lauren suddenly shoved her face close to the camera and said coldly, "Zora, if you're watching this, then here's my message."This Friday, Sunset Park. I'll be there."Sandra's eyes widened in disbelief as she said, "How can someone so shameless even exist?"She glanced at me, asking, "Are you going?"If I didn't show up, wouldn't that just confirm the rumors that I was the mistress? I scoffed and replied, "Of course I'm going."…On Friday, I waited for Lauren at a cafe on the corner of Sunset Park. Lauren arrived in grand style, escorted in a luxury SUV. The click of her high heels echoed on the ground.I couldn't help but laugh. "Lauren, you usually build this image of being a disciplined, down-to-earth woman, but why all this extravagance?"Lauren rolled her eyes, then swiftly pulled out her phone and set it up to record."Hey, my lovely followers! It's me, Lauren, back with another treat for you all! Remember that mistress who tried to steal my husband a few days ago? "
I told Sandra everything that happened when I left, and she couldn't help but laugh in satisfaction. I smiled and said, "There's something even more satisfying. Do you want to hear it?"Sandra's company was about to launch a new product but was struggling with exposure and traffic.I proposed that she pretend to collaborate with Tom's company, using the opportunity to expose the ugly truth about Tom and Lauren. When the time was right, Sandra could end the partnership and cut him off completely.After hearing my suggestion, Sandra laughed so hard she slapped her thigh. "You're ruthless!"This would not only help Sandra's company gain exposure but also bring down Tom's company in one go.Sandra kicked back, leisurely crossing her legs, and said, "That's a brilliant idea. How come I never realized how ruthless you are before?"I chuckled. "He started it."It had been a while since I had such a relaxed moment. I kicked back on the couch, scrolling through my phone, when I accidenta
I hadn't even reached the elevator when Tom suddenly chased after me. He grabbed my wrist tightly."Where do you think you're going? Do you know we're legally married? If you leave, I can call the police and have them find you!"I scoffed, my voice calm but firm. "Tom, let go of me, or I'll call the police and charge you with assault.""Go ahead! You think you can do that?" His face was right up against mine as he gritted his teeth and said, "Let me remind you, I'm your husband. All these years, you've lived off me, used my money. Who do you think you are, trying to press charges against me?"I calmly pulled my wrist free. "You're not my husband."His expression froze in disbelief. "What did you say? H-how am I not your husband?"I smiled. "Mr. Smith, you know better than anyone whether we're married. Since we're strangers now, please get out of my way.""Wait!" He slammed his hands on the elevator door. "Give me back my things. Give me back my ring!"I stared at the delicate
Sandra's voice rang out from the other end of the line. "Zora, I'm coming to pick you up. Just grab a few things, and let's go."If you don't bring anything, it's fine! I'll buy you everything new! As a small business owner, I can easily take care of you!"Besides, aren't you a shareholder in our company, too?"I had almost forgotten about that. Right after graduation, Sandra and I started our studio.It grew and became more successful. Eventually, I decided to focus on family, but Sandra insisted on keeping a shareholder position for me.Tom had no idea about any of this. Sandra told me to keep it from him, saying that every woman needed a backup plan and that money was the only thing that could give me real security.I let out a bitter laugh. "What's the point of just having a shareholder title? I'm planning to find a job and re-enter society."Sandra said, "That's Fine. When you're ready to adjust to the business world, come back to the company."I'm here. Come down."I too