My wife gave my $600,000 mattress to her intern, Will. Will immediately posted a picture on his social media, a blatant, gloating display. “Thanks to Carol for looking out for me! No more sleepless nights. I’m going to sleep so soundly.” The moment I saw it, I sent a message directly to my wife. “Explain to me why my mattress has mysteriously appeared in another man’s bed.” Carol called me instantly, her tone breezy and dismissive. “It’s just a mattress, Nolan. Do you really have to be so petty?” “If you like it that much, I’ll have someone buy you a new one. Is that so hard?” I fought down the rage simmering in my gut, my voice dropping to an icy calm. “You have ten minutes. I want my property back. Now.” Half an hour later, Sterling Corporation’s stock had plummeted by ten points. If she wouldn’t listen to reason, I’d have to use a language she understood. 1 Sterling Corp’s stock was in a freefall, but the first people to call me were my parents-in-law. “Nolan, dear, have you and Carol had a disagreement?” “We’re so sorry on her behalf. Please, have mercy on us. Let the Sterling family off the hook this once.” I felt no sympathy, but I maintained a polite tone. “This is between me and Carol. Have her call me to explain.” “Otherwise, I’m not stopping.” They knew my temper. They knew further pleading was useless. “Find that wretched girl if you have to dig up the entire city!” I heard my father-in-law roar before hanging up. She didn’t respond to my messages, and I didn’t bother contacting her again. If she refused to do what I asked, someone else would make her. Sure enough, not five minutes later, my phone began to vibrate. I ignored it. I let it buzz again and again, letting the caller’s anxiety build with each unanswered ring. Finally, I answered. A furious shriek assaulted my eardrum. “Nolan Thorne! Are you insane? It’s a mattress! Are you really going to do all this over a damn mattress?” “I told you I’d buy you a new one! Did you have to orchestrate this attack on my family’s company?” “If my parents change their minds about me being the successor, you’ll lose out too!” She was threatening me. I hadn’t realized the sweet, pliable woman I thought I married had fangs she was willing to bare for another man. But she seemed to have forgotten why the Sterling family had chosen her as their heir in the first place. I toyed with the jade stone in my hand, its cool surface soothing my irritation. “That mattress was a bespoke, one-of-a-kind creation. There is only one in the entire world.” “Furthermore, you gave away my private property without my consent. To a man. Do you think that’s appropriate?” “You have ten minutes. Get my mattress back here, professionally cleaned, and in perfect condition.” “Or Sterling Corporation will lose a lot more.” There was a long silence on the other end, then a single word, bitten out through clenched teeth. “Fine.” In the past, whenever she was upset, I would have rushed to comfort her, cooked her favorite meal, bought her a limited-edition handbag just to see her smile. Now, I couldn’t be bothered. Ours was a marriage of convenience, a business alliance. I never expected undying love, but I did expect a baseline of mutual respect. Since she couldn’t even manage that, I saw no reason to indulge her any longer. The mattress was returned shortly after, meticulously cleaned. I didn’t coddle her. I walked to her closet, took several of her most expensive handbags, threw them in the trash, and sent her a picture. “Consider this a lesson.” She didn’t reply. She didn’t come home that night. It was a silent protest. And I couldn’t have cared less. 2 Thorne Industries provides the capital; Sterling Corp provides the proposal. In the conference room, as Will prattled on, I saw several of our shareholders begin to frown. I couldn’t believe Carol would entrust such a critical project entirely to this intern, only for him to make a complete mess of it. Our investors had only agreed to partner with Sterling Corp on this venture as a favor to me, to Thorne Industries. If this proposal failed, it wasn’t just Sterling Corp that would look incompetent. It would be a reflection on me. I stopped the meeting immediately and demanded that Sterling Corp replace the project lead. Not long after, Carol stormed into my office with Will in tow. She was radiating a fury I had never seen before. “Nolan Thorne, you are a manipulative, treacherous snake! How dare you sabotage Will like this!” “Do you have any idea how disgusting you look, using your power for petty revenge?” She didn’t even bother to get the facts, just pointed a finger at my nose and started screaming. I was baffled. We had only been married a year. How could she have changed so dramatically? Or was her past sweetness all just an act? Several of my secretaries rushed in, trying to block her and Will. “Please, ma’am, you can’t shout in here!” Carol, enraged, raised her hand to strike one of them, but a security guard intercepted her arm. “How dare you touch me! Do you have any idea who I am?” she shrieked. “I am the wife of the heir to Thorne Industries! Your future boss!” The guard glanced at me. I gave a subtle nod, and he released her. I had no intention of lowering myself to her level. I simply asked, my voice dangerously quiet, “You remember you’re my wife? From the way you’re acting, I thought you were a business rival.” “I suggest you ascertain whether Will is actually competent enough to lead this project before you come in here making accusations.” “Let’s talk about who’s mixing business with pleasure, shall we?” She was stunned into silence. A look of belated regret flickered across her face as she calmed down. I turned to Will. “Tell me your perspective on the Southern New City development project.” Will stammered, unable to produce a single coherent word. I then asked one of my secretaries the same question. As my secretary delivered a clear, concise, and insightful analysis, Carol’s face went from white to red, then to a mottled purple. It was quite a spectacle. Carol tried to save face. “Will is leading a project for the first time. He’s just nervous. He’s not usually like this. He’s very capable.” “Why don’t you give him another chance, for my sake?” I almost laughed. “If you insist on using him, then this partnership is suspended. Effective immediately.” The color drained from Carol’s face. She knew how important this deal was. The Sterling stock had already taken a massive hit because of her. If she lost the Thorne partnership on top of that, her position as heir would be untenable. As she hesitated, Will put on a pained expression, his voice thick with unshed tears. “Carol, it’s all my fault. I’m always being targeted. I’ve dragged you into this.” “I’ll just quit. It’s better that way. I won’t let you be put in a difficult position. Don’t worry about me.” Any lingering resentment Carol felt towards him evaporated, replaced by a wave of protective sympathy. I had no more time to waste on their melodrama. I had them escorted out. As she was leaving, Carol shot me a look of pure hatred, as if I were the one who had ruined everything. A sharp pain pierced my chest. For another man, she was truly ready to become my enemy. 3 Because of Will, I refused to cooperate with Sterling Corp. Left with no choice, Carol had to remove him as the project lead. But to make it up to him, she decided to buy him a gift. After browsing for some time, they ended up in the Vacheron Constantin boutique. Will stood transfixed before a custom, one-of-a-kind timepiece, his eyes gleaming with greed. “Carol, this watch is magnificent!” “The man who wears this must be incredibly distinguished. It’s probably not for me, though. Let’s forget it.” He said to forget it, but his feet were planted to the floor. “If you like it, it’s yours,” Carol said, puffing him up. “You are brilliant. You don’t need to be envious of anyone.” The sales associate glanced over, looking apologetic. “I’m terribly sorry, but that timepiece belongs to Mr. Thorne. It’s here for final adjustments. Perhaps you’d like to see something else.” “Nolan Thorne?” Will blurted out. “That would be me.” I hadn’t expected to run into them here. I had just come to pick up my watch. When Will saw me, he looked startled, and a flash of malice crossed his eyes before he quickly rearranged his face into a mask of pathetic humility. “Carol, how could a small fry like me ever compare to a man as distinguished as Mr. Thorne?” “No matter how hard I work, I’ll always be at the bottom, while Mr. Thorne was born in Rome.” “I’m not worthy of that watch. Let’s just go.”
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