Trash Wife's Revenge- I Own The Empire Now

For five years, I'd bent over backward to please my in-laws. With their blessing, I finally married their only son.

He was nothing more than a spoiled playboy, but as his wife, I clawed my way up to become CEO of Cavendish Corporation. From then on, everything had been smooth sailing.

Then, at a banquet celebrating a major deal, he strutted in arm-in-arm with his pregnant first love, Arabella Kingsleigh, draped over him like a trophy.

"Marrying a nobody like you was me settling," he sneered, voice dripping with contempt. "Now that Arabella and I are back together, only the mother of my child deserves to run Cavendish. You're just used goods. You're fired. Get lost."

I glanced at my in-laws. They looked like they wanted to speak up, but in the end, they stayed silent. I let out a quiet sigh.

"You don't have the authority to fire me. I'll give you one last chance—have her end the pregnancy and cut ties. We can still pretend to be a happy family."

The room erupted in laughter like I'd lost my mind, as if I were some desperate fool clinging to scraps.

I smiled. Calm. Unshaken. "That's right. I do have the right to freeload."

The grand banquet hall fell into stunned silence.

Then the whispers exploded.

"Celestine Windsor must've lost it. Without the Cavendish name, she's nothing. Who does she think she's fooling?"

"Calling her 'President' is generous. She's just a washed-up ex now. Once she's out, she'll fade back into obscurity."

"Honestly, Celestine, just quit while you're ahead. The kid won't even have your last name. Why bother? If you're gonna play stepmom, at least enjoy the perks."

Griffin Cavendish frowned through the ridicule, that same arrogant glint in his eyes.

"Celestine, you don't get to act tough. You never had the standing. Without me, you're nothing."

I stared at that smug, handsome face, and for a second, memories of the passion we once shared flashed through my mind—sharp as a knife twisting in my chest.

"Three years of marriage, Griffin, and you think you can just toss me aside? You want me out of Cavendish, too? Have you even considered how you'll explain this to your parents?"

His expression darkened, disdain flickering in his gaze.

"If it weren't for you sucking up to my parents back then, you think you'd have ever married me? We were never equals. I can't live like this anymore. And you? What right do you have to stay CEO? My parents will side with me—of course they will."

"Is that so?" I crossed my arms, a cool smile playing on my lips. "Might want to rethink that."

My calm confidence sent a ripple through the crowd.

"President Windsor seems awfully sure of herself. Does she have an ace up her sleeve?"

"Think about it—Cavendish was just another mid-tier company before her. In three years, she turned it into a powerhouse."

"Exactly. That hundred-billion-dollar deal alone will keep them thriving for decades."

The murmurs slowly shifted in my favor. But as the tide turned, Arabella couldn't take it anymore. She scoffed, shooting me a look of pure venom.