Chapter 1

At the club, as I negotiated a business deal with a client, my wife burst in, accompanied by her male assistant, demanding our private room. She was clearly intoxicated, leaning on the assistant, their gestures oozing intimacy. But before I could even question her, she accused me of stalking her, claiming the assistant was merely a subordinate, and berating me for being petty and misunderstanding them. My client tried to defend me, only to be cursed at by her and the assistant, nearly ruining a lucrative deal.

I said no more, immediately proposing a divorce. That’s when my wife’s entire family panicked.

1

“Mr. Davis, with your connections in the industry, yet still only a sales manager—I truly feel for you.” “As long as you’re willing, the president position of our group in the U.S. is waiting for you.” In a private room at the Grandview Club, my client, Mr. Thompson, raised his glass to me again, his words sincere. I smiled, raising my glass in response: “Mr. Thompson, let’s sign the contract first.” Closing this export deal would also allow me to take a vacation. Some things, it’s best to handle during time off.

Just then, the door to the private room suddenly burst open. “This is Katherine Hayes, CEO of Apex Trade. Can’t you even spare a private room at your Grandview Club?” The man speaking was tall and handsome, but with a certain slick, oily charm. The woman he was embracing was my wife, Katherine Hayes. She was clearly drunk, her eyes unfocused, her hand tightly clasped around the man’s waist—that man was her CEO assistant, Alex Stone.

“Arthur Hayes, what are you doing here?” Alex saw me, his tone accusatory.

“Business.” My voice was calm, a smile even on my face. A competent businessman must control his emotions, even if he’s being betrayed at this very moment. There had long been rumors within the company: Katherine Hayes had, under the company’s name, casually found an excuse to reward Alex Stone with a Maserati. I had asked her if she fell for someone else, to just tell me directly; we could have a dignified divorce. But she swore on her life that she and Alex were strictly professional, even threatening suicide to prove her innocence. I believed her, but the scene before me slapped me hard in the face.

Katherine heard my voice and frantically pushed Alex away, a flicker of panic in her eyes, but then she turned, enraged and humiliated, to accuse me: “Arthur Hayes, are you stalking me?”

“You need to stick to logic when you speak.” I pointed to the food and drinks on the table. “My client and I scheduled this business meeting here, and we’ve been here for nearly an hour. Do you think someone tracking another person would arrive before them?”

Mr. Thompson chimed in: “Indeed, Ms. Hayes. Mr. Hayes and I arrived long ago.” His tone was a bit awkward. After all, anyone could see my uncomfortable situation, but I could detect a hidden excitement in his eyes—he was probably hoping I’d divorce, so I’d join his company.

“Who do you think you are, Mr. Thompson? Does your status give you the right to interrupt?” Alex pointed at Mr. Thompson and cursed, then turned to Katherine. “Katie, it must be Arthur Hayes who knew you were coming and knew you liked this room, so he deliberately waited here to embarrass you!”

Katherine actually believed Alex’s words, pointing at me and cursing: “Arthur Hayes, you’re so sinister, it’s disgusting! How many times have I told you, Alex and I are just professional colleagues. Why don’t you ever trust me?!” Mr. Thompson’s face darkened, a fierce glint in his eyes—he was in import-export, constantly navigating turbulent regions abroad, and he’d built his empire from the ground up, starting from a place of raw survival.

I pressed Mr. Thompson’s hand, signaling him to keep calm, then rose and walked towards Katherine and Alex. Seeing me approach, Alex pointed at me and shouted: “Why are you getting so close? Did I hit a nerve? Are you angry because I spoke the truth?!” Katherine also glared at me: “Arthur Hayes, don’t you trust me?!” It had come to this, and she was still asking about trust?

“Trust is a minor issue.” I loosened my tie, my gaze icy as I looked at Alex. “Right now, the most important thing is that you need to apologize to Mr. Thompson!”

2

“Me? Apologize to him?” Alex scoffed. “I’m Ms. Hayes’s executive assistant, and he’s just a client of you, a small sales manager. Does he deserve an apology from me?”

“You will apologize.” My words hadn’t fully left my mouth when I swiftly grabbed Alex’s hair. With a slight tug, I flung him away. Before he could regain his footing, I kicked him behind the knee, forcing him to drop to his knees with a thud before Mr. Thompson. I smashed a wine bottle, pressing a sharp shard of glass against his face: “Last chance. Apologize, or I’ll cripple you!”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson!” Alex cried out in terror, even wetting his pants. Mr. Thompson said nothing. He stood up, adjusted his suit jacket, and gave me an appreciative look: “Mr. Hayes, my offer stands. You can contact me anytime. You should handle your family matters first.” With that, he left.

“Ah!” Katherine shrieked, rushing to Alex’s side and crouching down. She glared up at me, roaring: “Arthur Hayes, are you insane?! How dare you hit Alex?! Even if you’re jealous, there has to be a limit!”

“Jealous?” I sat in a chair, slowly wiping my hands with a silk napkin. “Katherine, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not jealous at all. I hit him because he offended my client. Every single one of my clients is a valuable connection. I must protect them, nothing more.” At this moment, I still felt no emotional fluctuation.

Did I not love Katherine? Of course not. Otherwise, after painstakingly building my company, why would I have made her CEO just to give her prestige? But I was also a very rational person. When impurity appeared in the marriage, I would cut it off immediately.

“Why aren’t you jealous?” Katherine asked, bewildered. I simply gave her a chilling look. “Katherine, when I loved you, you were the moon in the sky. Now that you’re tainted, you’re like filth in a pit. No one gets jealous over filth.”

“You called me filth?” “No, you mean… you don’t love me anymore?” Katherine’s eyes were wide with terror. I lit a cigarette, crossed my legs, and said, “Katherine, we’ve been together for seven years, haven’t we? You should know me at least a little. If my brother wears my clothes, I find them disgusting. What about a woman who’s been touched by another man? Do you think I’d find that clean?” With that, I stood up, intending to leave.

“I haven’t been touched by anyone else!” Katherine rushed over, embracing me from behind. “Darling, you’ve really misunderstood. Alex and I are nothing. I was just drunk, and he was just helping me.” I frowned in disgust, loosening my grip on the cigarette. The cigarette fell, touching her hand, and she cried out in pain, letting go. “You were embracing, and you still need to explain?” “I’ve been drunk on business deals countless times. Have you ever seen me being helped by another woman?” I scoffed, “I’ll notify my lawyer to draft divorce papers. Let’s get a divorce.” “No! I won’t divorce you!” Katherine sobbed, but lacked the courage to pursue me.

Alex rushed over, saying, “Don’t worry, Katie! You’re the CEO of the company. If he causes trouble, just fire him! What are you afraid of, a worthless good-for-nothing who lives off you?”

3

Before returning to the company, I called the shareholders. When I got back, I noticed the employees looking at me strangely. I paid them no mind and returned to my office. Mark Johnson, the Vice President of Sales, hurried into my office, holding out his phone. It was the company-wide chat. Alex Stone had @everyone with a message: Sales Manager Arthur Hayes has been fired. No wonder the employees looked at me strangely; that was why.

“I say, buddy, whose company is this anyway?” Mark said, clearly dissatisfied. “This company has been completely ruined by your wife, it’s a mess. Everyone in the company is saying you’ve been cuckolded, and that Alex Stone is acting like he owns the place. If this continues, my family will pull out their shares.”

“I can handle it. Go busy yourself.” I waved my hand. Mark then said, with some worry, “If you’re feeling down, I’ll join you for a drink.” “I’m not the one who made a mistake. Why should I punish myself with alcohol?” I chuckled. “Don’t worry, buddy. I can handle it. And on the way back, I already spoke with your father.” Mark nodded and left, but at the door, he suddenly said, “Samantha’s back in the country. I still think you’d make a good brother-in-law.” I ignored him and continued with my work.

After finishing, I had my driver take me home. The moment I entered the door, I smelled food. Katherine’s voice came from the kitchen: “Darling? Are you back? I made your favorite. Hurry and wash your hands.” I sneered, because I saw other men’s shoes by the door. It must have been Alex. Was this woman brain-dead? How dare she bring Alex home? I changed my shoes and walked in, only to see Alex in the kitchen, holding a piece of meat, feeding it to Katherine. Katherine was beaming, clearly in love.

“D-darling…” Katherine panicked when she saw me. “Don’t misunderstand. I was just tasting it. My hands were full, so I asked Alex to help.” “No need to explain.” “Just a reminder, you don’t need to call me ‘darling’ anymore.” I took the divorce papers from my briefcase. “Sign these, and we’ll get the divorce tomorrow.” Katherine looked at me, utterly incredulous. “Darling, are you really going to divorce me?”

“Arthur Hayes, you’re shameless!” Alex pointed at me, cursing. “My Katie has already given you face, humbled herself to cook for you. What else are you not satisfied with?!” “I personally came to apologize to you. What more do you want? I’m telling you, don’t push your luck!” Hearing this, I laughed. I took off my suit jacket, slowly removed my watch, then loosened my tie and asked, “Alex, are you perhaps overestimating yourself? What do you mean you personally came to apologize to me? Is your apology worth so much?”

“What makes you any better than me?” “I’m an executive assistant to the CEO! I’m second only to her!” “What are you? You’re just a sales manager!” “If you weren’t Katie’s husband, you wouldn’t even have the right to speak to me!” Alex said, then charged at me. I casually kicked him, but he charged again. This time, he grabbed my arm fiercely, gritting his teeth as he whispered: “Hit me! The more you hit me, the more pathetic you’ll look in Katie’s eyes! Then, when you divorce, I’ll take your place!” I laughed again, too lazy to hit him. Instead, I patted his shoulder and said: “Little brother, have you been watching too many brain-dead TV shows? Do you think the games of the elite are child’s play?”

“What do you mean?” Alex had no idea. I shook my head, laughing. “If that’s the case, then let’s get everyone here and talk.”

4

Soon after, Katherine’s entire family arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, her parents, had always been very good to me. Although I didn't come from a prominent background, everything I possessed now made me a part of the elite. Moreover, all I had was built by my own efforts, with no connection to the Hayes family. So, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes had always thought highly of me.

“Arthur, what exactly is going on?” Mr. Hayes rubbed his hands. He had heard I wanted a divorce, and his emotions were already somewhat agitated. I pointed at Katherine and Alex. “They’re involved with each other. This Alex, he just tried to provoke me into hitting him, wanting to make me look bad in front of Katherine so we’d divorce, and he could take my place.” Mr. Hayes’s face instantly turned cold. Mrs. Hayes pointed at Alex, cursing: “You worthless piece of trash, trying to cross class lines with such despicable tactics? You’re not worthy!” Mr. Hayes gritted his teeth and said: “I’d rather disown this daughter than let you enter the Hayes family’s door!”

Just then, Mark Hayes, my brother-in-law, arrived. He clearly already knew everything. With a cold face, he said to me: “Brother-in-law, leave this to me. I guarantee he’ll disappear!”

“Katie, say something!” Alex looked terrified. He hadn’t expected the Hayes family to be so protective of me. But Katherine ignored him, just crying and saying to me: “Darling, I really know I was wrong. Please give me a chance.” Alex, however, interjected first: “I’m not convinced. Arthur Hayes and I both came from humble backgrounds. Why can your family accept him, but not me?”

“Listen carefully!” Mark Hayes snapped. “My brother-in-law was already starting his own business when he was in college, even though it was small, he never accepted help from our Hayes family.”

“Later, when the business grew, my brother-in-law, to give my sister face, even gave up the CEO position to her!”

“We all watched how my brother-in-law went from a poor boy to where he is today!”

“And you?” “What are you?” “You want to climb the ladder by seducing a married woman?”

Mark Hayes scoffed: “Let me tell you something that will make you despair. Even if my sister were crazy enough to marry you, nothing of the Hayes family’s would be yours. Don’t forget, I am the heir to the Hayes family!” Alex’s face was filled with despair, and Katherine didn’t speak up for him.

I looked at him and said: “The elite are not brain-dead. People who lack ability and try to take shortcuts are useless in any class.” Then I told the Hayes family that the divorce was definite. They were helpless and could only temporarily take Katherine away. I could tell that Katherine actually didn’t want a divorce, but she realized her mistake too late. As for whether I felt sad? Years of feelings gone, of course it hurt, but I wouldn’t torture myself.

After resting for a night, I arrived at the company very early the next day. An employee told me Katherine had called a board meeting and that I should go to the conference room as soon as I arrived. What was she planning? I entered the conference room, only to see Alex Stone sitting in my chair. And the shareholders, too, looked at me strangely. I casually found a seat and looked at Katherine, who was in the main chair, saying: “What do you want?”

Katherine’s face was cold. She stared intently at me and said: “Arthur Hayes, I’m giving you two choices: either resign, or maintain our marriage!”

“Divorce.” I said without hesitation. Katherine trembled with anger, but still said: “Alright, then I announce, I’m firing you from all your positions at Apex Trade!” Alex Stone looked at me provocatively and said: “Arthur Hayes, Arthur Hayes, even if I get nothing from the Hayes family, this company will have my share in the future!”