From Betrayal to Billions:Dismantling My Ex's Empire

"Ryan, the company isn’t doing well. Starting next month, your salary will be cut in half."

Vivian tossed the document onto my desk while I was reviewing the quarterly report. Her crimson-painted nails tapped impatiently against the surface, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I looked up at her. My fiancée of ten years was now staring at me with the cold detachment of a superior.

"Understood," I replied calmly.

She seemed taken aback by my lack of protest, her brow furrowing. "Aren’t you going to ask why?"

"The company is struggling. I get it." I closed the file and offered her a faint smile.

Satisfied, she nodded and strode away, her stilettos clicking sharply against the floor.

During lunch, I scrolled through my feed and saw Ethan’s latest post:

"The boss not only gave me a 50% raise but also surprised me with a Porsche because she was worried I’d get tired commuting. So sweet~"

The photo showed him and Vivian posing in front of the shiny new sports car, hearts drawn in the air with their fingers. Vivian’s smile was brighter than any I’d ever seen directed at me.

I stared at the screen for two seconds before silently hitting the like button.

That evening, Vivian called an emergency meeting.

"Someone has been spreading malicious rumors to disrupt company operations," she announced coldly, her gaze sweeping the room before landing on me. "Ryan, your entire salary for this month will be withheld as punishment."

Gasps filled the conference room.

"The deducted amount will be given to Ethan as compensation for emotional distress," she added.

Everyone looked at me with pity. In the past, I would’ve stood up and argued.

But this time, I simply packed my things from my desk and placed my resignation letter in front of Vivian.

"If bullying a colleague only costs a month’s salary, that’s too lenient. I’m resigning."

Ethan was the first to react. "Ryan, how could you quit over something so trivial? Vivian’s always been so good to you!" He turned to her, voice dripping with syrup. "Vivian, talk some sense into him!"

Her expression shifted. I knew she might’ve considered stopping me—after all, this was the company we’d built together, from a three-person startup to nearly a hundred employees. I’d poured my soul into it.

But Ethan’s words had successfully provoked her.

"Let him go if he wants to!" Vivian snatched the resignation letter, signed it with a furious flourish, and flung it at my face. "Voluntary resignation means zero severance!"

Colleagues urged me to reconsider. Old Zhang tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "Ryan, don’t be rash. The company needs you."

I shook my head, bending to pick up the letter. "I’ll finish my handover and leave."

"No handover!" Vivian pointed at the door. "Get out. Now."

As I stepped outside, my phone buzzed. A message from a friend: "Money transferred. Enough?"

I’d forgotten—earlier that morning, hearing about the company’s financial troubles, I’d immediately borrowed five hundred thousand to help Vivian through it.

Now, the thought was laughable.

I returned the money and headed to the parking lot. Next to my decade-old Toyota sat Ethan’s brand-new Porsche—his name even plastered on the parking spot.

I scoffed and drove off.

Just past the company gates, a deafening crash—I’d been rear-ended.

Stepping out, I saw Vivian’s car behind me. Ethan scrambled out of the passenger seat, fussing over the dent. "Ryan, why’d you brake so suddenly?"

Vivian stormed over in her heels, eyes blazing. "Ryan, was this deliberate? You were eyeing Ethan’s car earlier—was this your petty revenge?"