Chapter 1

After I brought in 300 million dollars in investment for his company, my fiance showed me the home we would share. I thought we would finally get married after eight years together, but instead, he turned on a building game.

“I laid every brick here. Once the company is listed, I’ll build you a house just like this one.”

I found him and his secretary showing off their love. He had bought her an expensive villa as a gift.

I sent the photo to my fiance.

“You can afford to buy someone a villa as a gift, but not our home?”

Displeased, he said, “Alyssa is the company’s backbone. I’m only giving her a villa to encourage the other staff to do better!”

But in the background, I heard Alyssa’s pleased laughter.

“Some people should really be more self-aware. Does she think getting some investment makes her the boss of this company?”

I did my best to suppress my anger.

I wanted to see just how long the company would survive if not for the investments I found!

Chapter 1

I sent a message to our partner company and postponed the contract signing.

Since Alyssa Cillian thought that I should be more self-aware, there was no point for me to perform such a taxing and fruitless task.

Half an hour later, Magnus Baird called me in a temper because he had not received the contract.

“Rhiannon Flynn, why haven’t you sent me the investment contract? That thing is worth 300 million dollars! Do you know how much the company will lose if the signing is delayed? Send it over to me immediately!”

His tone was urgent and pressing, but it only made me laugh.

“Mr. Baird, didn’t you say I should be more self-aware? In that case, there’s no point in me working myself ragged for you!”

In an instant, Magnus lost his cool. “Rhi, I was really only trying to motivate the staff. Once the company is listed, I’ll give you everything I promised!”

What a shame! This would be touching if I had the naivety to fall for all his empty promises.

I was tired from all the years of diligent sacrifice.

I was quiet. Meanwhile, Alyssa’s whiny and aggrieved voice sounded from the other end. “Mr. Baird, everyone’s calling me a mistress who slept my way to the top in the group chat!”

When I heard that, I opened the company’s main group chat. Everyone was indeed sympathizing with me.

[She works overtime all the time, but that’s nothing in the face of a beautiful woman with a silver tongue!]

[A certain someone is completely useless, but she can be the president’s secretary. She produces no results but ends up with a gigantic villa as a reward! I guess it’s my own fault that I don’t have the same capabilities.]

Magnus pushed down his rage and roared, “You will send a message to explain the situation immediately! If this gets out, it will ruin the company’s image. All my hard work will be wasted!”

Back when Magnus first hired Alyssa, it was clear that she was pretty and very good at playing coy.

He would rather have a useless pet than a graduate from an elite institution with excellent grades.

Back then, rumors had already been flying in the HR department. The HR Manager even sent me to check on Magnus and ask him to clarify.

However, Magnus had been critical and did not understand why I had questioned him. “I thought you knew me better than this, Rhiannon, but it seems that you’re just as small-minded as everyone else!

“When I started this company, I wanted to give chances to newbies who find it hard to get a job. There’s nothing else you can say to dissuade me.”

After that, the HR department hired someone with seven years of experience and a top sales record. Yet, all this got them was a public lecture.

“Do you think of our company as a recycling station? Will you hire just anyone?”

He was fair and just in matters of the company, except when it came to Alyssa.

Yet, he had the gall to demand that I pacify the staff at this moment. It seemed that Magnus had never cared about my feelings.

Chapter 2

I could not hold back from saying sardonically, “Everyone knows what’s going on. They know that they can’t compare to Miss Cillian, who is such an important member of the staff. There’s nothing to explain.”

Magnus roared in a rage, “This is an order, Rhiannon. Do it immediately!”

In the face of Magnus’ anger, I coolly recorded a video.

It showed me putting a contract worth 300 million dollars at the mouth of the shredding machine.

“Either you fire Alyssa Cillian or lose out on this investment. Make your choice!”

Half an hour later, I saw Alyssa’s dismissal letter in the company’s group chat.

I immediately completed the contract signing. “Magnus, you’d better remember where my boundaries lie. Don’t think that you’re my only option! If this happens again, you won’t like what comes next!”

Magnus did not respond for a long time.

I suppose that he was busy trying to win back his precious little Alyssa. He did not even consider how much pain I felt at this.

We had been dating for eight years. I built this company with him from nothing. I had given my best years to him and the company.

Before this incident, I thought that getting this 300-million-dollar investment and helping the company get listed would be the push to help us cross the finishing line to reach marriage.

After all, he had been the one to ask my parents for their blessing for our wedding, back when we graduated. However, my parents refused as Magnus had been poor.

At present, he was the owner of a company that was ready to be listed. He had long been able to impress my parents and get their blessing to marry me.

Yet, whenever I mentioned getting married, Magnus found all sorts of excuses to delay it.

In the past, I thought that he was concerned about the company getting listed since we were so close. It was only later that I slowly understood that his heart had been split in two. The other half of his heart belonged to a woman he had barely known for half a year.

I thought that Magnus was smart enough to heed my warning and take back the seaside villa he had given Alyssa.

However, when I got to work the next day, I bumped into the real estate agent at the reception. He was there to sign the purchase contract.

Since he did not have an appointment, the agent was stopped at the reception.

When I passed by, the receptionist said, “Rhi, he’s here to see Mr. Baird. He says Mr. Baird bought a villa, and he’s here to get the contract signed.”

I took the drafted contract from the agent and saw that the value of the villa was 200 million dollars.

A vein pulsed at my temple. It seemed they had agreed on this price for the villa yesterday at 5 p.m.

Sensing that something was amiss, I quickly tracked the 300 million dollars from the investment contract.

In the relevant account, I found only 100 million dollars left.

I had toiled for three months and given speeches until my throat nearly went hoarse to get this investment contract, but Magnus had taken barely a second to give that money to Alyssa.

Rage burned within me as I sped straight to the president’s office.

When I opened the door, I saw the floor littered with discarded clothes.

Magnus looked ecstatic. His legs were wide open, as a supposedly fired Alyssa knelt between them.

I lost all rationality and rushed forward to pull the two apart.

“I want an explanation for this, Magnus!”

Magnus was taken completely by surprise. He did not even remember to put his pants on as he stood.

He said, “Don’t get the wrong idea, Rhiannon. I got a graze yesterday when I was out horseback riding. Alyssa was only applying some medication for me!”

I scoffed and said, “Do you think I’m a fool or do you think I’m blind? You should get her to clean her mouth before you lie to me!”

Alyssa’s face was crimson as she scrabbled for her clothes to flee the scene. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have come here! I’m leaving now!”

Her clothes were still a mess when she rushed out. The whole company would know that Magnus had cheated on me before lunch.

Chapter 3

This was a critical time for the company to be listed. A cheating scandal like this would ruin all our hard work.

I immediately called for Alyssa to stop. “Get your clothes in order.”

Alyssa turned back fearfully. When she did that, I saw a flash of gold at her neck.

The first year I was with Magnus, I spent half of my annual salary to buy a pair of luxury rings. It currently hung around another woman’s neck, like a sign that our relationship was nearing its end.

I could barely hold myself upright. “Isn’t it bad enough that you bought her a villa? You gave her your ring, Magnus?”

“That’s just a trinket. She said she liked it, so I gave it to her.”

Magnus’ answer was so impetuous. “If you don’t like it, I’ll make her take it off.”

Once upon a time, when he had received this gift, Magnus had sworn to me that he would wear the ring forever and would not take it off even after he died.

I scoffed at his change of heart. It had only been a few years, but he had given that precious ring to another woman.

I rushed forward to grab the ring and rip it from Alyssa’s neck.

Alyssa shrieked. Her skin immediately reddened from the impact.

“Ouch, that hurts! Mr. Baird, look at this! It feels like my neck was almost cut off!”

Magnus held Alyssa as if his heart ached for her. He shoved me angrily. “You’re both women, Rhiannon! How could you treat her this way?”

I stumbled and crashed into the corner of the desk. My back hurt so much that I could almost scream.

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Magnus, I won’t stop you if you want to break up with me. But don’t you dare make me watch this depravity!”

I could see panic flash past Magnus’ eyes. He looked like he wanted to hold me up as I staggered.

Alyssa immediately snuggled further into his embrace.

“It hurts so much, Mr. Baird! I won’t ever be able to wear your favorite spaghetti-strap dress again!”

Magnus looked worried as he said, “I’ll take you to the hospital! Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

After that, he picked Alyssa up and walked out of the office without even looking back.

The noise around me finally died down. Holding my aching back, I slumped to the floor.

My eight-year relationship had come to an end. The love I had poured in could not win against the wiles of a new woman.

For a woman he had known for less than half a year, Magnus had ruthlessly broken my heart.

This time, I would not just sit by and watch.

I typed up my resignation letter and took it to the HR department personally.

The news of my resignation spread like wildfire through the office.

“Oh goodness, will the company even be able to go on without Miss Flynn?”

“Without her pulling in investors, the company will fail sooner or later! I’m going to start applying somewhere else!”

Once Magnus signed off, I would be able to leave the company completely.

When I got back to the company’s rental apartment, I packed up my things.

For the past few years, I had been living in a cheap apartment building. I thought that I could hold out until Magnus proposed, but our relationship had ended in such a way.

I could no longer keep treating myself so poorly just for him.

Pushing open the door, I suddenly realized that something was missing from the place. “Beanie? Beanie, where are you?”

My pet dog of five years was missing!

In a panic, I checked the security footage. I watched as Magnus used a sausage to trick Beanie into going with him.

Rage surged within me. I immediately called Magnus, but he had blocked my number.

I rushed outside anxiously and called for Beanie. I searched for a long time and finally saw that Alyssa had posted a video on her social media.

Chapter 4

Beanie was reluctant to follow Alyssa, but was dragged forward by the leash. Off-camera, she gave the leash a firm tug.

“Hey, why isn’t it going with me? Mr. Baird, what do we do now?”

Magnus did not care about the dog.

I raced to get a cab and headed to where Alyssa supposedly was.

‘Beanie,’ I thought, ‘I’m coming to save you. Please hold on a little longer!’

I rushed to the veterinary hospital. The moment I walked inside, I saw Beanie on the floor.

I picked Beanie up and left without saying a word.

Magnus called me and handed me a document.

“I’m planning on giving Alyssa 10% of the company’s shares. You need to sign off on it. Once she has the shares, no one can kick her out! After this is settled, you’ll both have equal standing in the company. Don’t cause any more trouble!”

A wave of icy coldness washed over me. I laughed bitterly as I flung the document away.

“I’d rather die than sign that! She’ll never have the same standing as me! She’s not worthy!”

After that, I left with Beanie.

When the company was established, Magnus and I went through a lot of challenges.

At one point, I was severely depressed. During those harrowing days, it was Beanie’s companionship that had helped me the most.

To me, Beanie was family.

After Alyssa bullied Beanie, I felt my heart turn stone-cold.

“I’ll avenge you, Beanie!”

After moving my things to a hotel, I lay down to sleep. The moment I did, I was disturbed by the incessant ringing of my phone.

One of my colleagues was calling me. “Miss Flynn, you need to check the city’s entrepreneurship group chat!”

Someone had reported me anonymously and alleged that I used seduction and illegal methods to profit while bringing in investments for the company.

There were even intimate photographs of me with several executives. The photos were very realistic.

I was shaking as I scrolled down. “This is impossible! These are all fake!”

In an instant, all the important people in the group doubted and undermined everything I had done in the past few years.

“It’s no wonder that she managed to win an investment from TR Group worth 300 million dollars. She must have slept with its president!”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before! Rhiannon looks so innocent, but who knew she was so wild? This photo shows six people in it, doesn’t it?”

Seeing all the gossip flooding in, I could barely hold onto my phone.

Half a minute later, Magnus texted me.

[If you agree to sign the document, I’ll undo what I did with the photos!]

It was Magnus! He had done this!

Who would have thought that Magnus would be capable of ruining my reputation for Alyssa?

I clenched my fists and fought hard to maintain my composure.

If this was the level Magnus was willing to stoop to, I would not hold back any longer!

Magnus thought that he could manipulate me, but I would show him who would come out on top. He would regret this!

Chapter 5

Three days later, we had the ceremony to formalize the partnership of our company with the investing company, TR Group.

The president of TR Group, Gabriel Montag, delayed the signing when he realized that I was not there.

Magnus’ face darkened. He was forced to wait along with Gabriel.

When I got out of the car, the crowd of reporters quickly aimed their cameras at me.

“Miss Flynn, are the photos in the entrepreneurial group chat real?”

“Was this partnership with TR also something you slept your way into?”

“We know that you’ve been in a relationship with Mr. Baird for eight years. Does he know what you’ve been doing?”

From afar, I saw Alyssa standing next to Magnus. She was smiling at me in delight. I knew she was trying to provoke me.

It was as if she were waiting for me to beg her for mercy.

Unfortunately for her, she would never see me debase myself like that in her lifetime.

I stepped over to Magnus’ side. When he looked over at me, his stern expression shifted. “It’s good that you’ve made the right decision, Rhiannon.”

Before I could say anything, Magnus stood up and announced, “Friends of the media, I hereby announce that Miss Alyssa Cillian will be the Baird Group’s vice president!”

As everyone snickered and enjoyed the show, I walked onstage with a neutral expression. I spotted Gabriel, who had been quiet all this time.

Then, I held my chin up and said decisively, “It is true that I have been in a relationship with Mr. Magnus Baird for the past eight years. However, we broke up two days ago.”

Instantly, the smile on Magnus’ face vanished. He rushed forward to shut me up, but Gabriel’s bodyguards stopped him and held him in place.

I smiled and met his furious eyes.

I continued, “As for the fake photos and rumors about me in the group chat, I will be reaching out to the justice system. I have already given the evidence to the police, and I’m sure I will be able to reveal the truth of the matter one day.”

When I finished speaking, Gabriel walked over to me. Without hesitation, he announced, “TR Group will be pulling the investment that it promised the Baird Group. We will also be completing a complete buy-out of the Baird Group within a month!”