While I was negotiating with a client at a private club, my wife stormed in with her male assistant to take our private room. My wife was clearly drunk, leaning heavily on her assistant, their bodies intimately entwined. Before I could say a word, she accused me of stalking her. Then she insisted that she and her assistant were just colleagues, and my "small-mindedness" was causing me to misunderstand. My client tried to defend me and was promptly cursed out by my wife and her assistant. The deal, which had been going so well, was nearly ruined. I didn't argue. I chose to file for divorce. But that’s when my wife’s entire family started to panic. 1 "Mr. Harpster, with your network and reputation in this industry, it's a crime that you're still just a sales manager. Frankly, I feel insulted on your behalf." The client raised his glass to me again, his offer hanging in the air, sincere and tempting. "If you're willing, the position of President for our group's North American division is yours." We were in a private suite at The Gilded Pavilion, one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. "I'll certainly consider it," I said with a smile, clinking my glass against his. "But for now, Mr. McKinnon, let's get this contract signed." Closing this export deal would finally earn me a vacation. And I had a few other things to take care of during that break. Just then, the door to our suite was thrown open. "Don't you know who this is? This is Amelia Thorne, the president of Apex Trading! And you can't even find a room for her?" The man who spoke was tall and handsome, but in a slick, almost greasy way. In his arms was a woman—my wife, Amelia. She was obviously drunk, her movements loose and unsteady. I could see her hand wrapped tightly around the man's waist. He was her executive assistant, a guy named Leo. "Nathan, what are you doing here?" Leo asked, his tone dripping with accusation as if I were the one out of place. "Business," I replied with a calm smile, showing no emotion. For a successful businessman, emotional control is a fundamental skill. Even when you've just realized you're probably being cheated on. The rumors had been swirling around the office for a while. Amelia had, under some flimsy pretext, awarded Leo a Maserati in the company's name. I had confronted her about it, told her that if she'd fallen for someone else, she should just be honest so we could have a dignified divorce. But she swore she and Leo were innocent. To prove it, she'd even threatened to kill herself. I had believed her. And now, I was seeing this with my own eyes. Hearing my voice, Amelia quickly pushed Leo away, a flicker of panic in her eyes. But instead of explaining, she lashed out in anger. "Nathan Harpster, are you stalking me?" "Let's be logical," I said, gesturing to the half-eaten meal on our table. "I've been here with a client for almost an hour. Do you really think a stalker arrives before the person they're stalking?" Mr. McKinnon chimed in, looking awkward. "It's true, Ms. Thorne. Mr. Harpster and I have been here for quite some time." Anyone could see what was happening. But I could also see a spark of excitement in his eyes. He was probably hoping I'd get divorced so I'd be free to join his company. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Leo snarled, pointing a finger at Mr. McKinnon. "You have no right to interrupt when Ms. Thorne is speaking!" He then turned to Amelia. "Amy, he must have known you were coming here. He knew this was your favorite room and booked it on purpose just to humiliate you." "Nathan, you are so manipulative and disgusting!" Amelia immediately bought his story, her finger now pointing at me. "I can't believe how petty you are! I've told you a million times, Leo and I are just colleagues! Why don't you trust me?" Mr. McKinnon's face had gone cold, his eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. He was in the import-export business, a man who'd made his fortune in volatile, war-torn countries. He was not someone to be trifled with. I placed a calming hand on his arm and gave him a slight nod. Then I stood up and walked over to Amelia and Leo. Leo puffed out his chest. "What, you're going to get physical now that I've exposed you?" Amelia glared at me. "Nathan, do you not trust me?" After all this, she could still ask that question? "Trust is a minor issue right now," I said, loosening my tie. My gaze, however, was fixed on Leo, my voice turning to ice. "The major issue that needs to be resolved is that you are going to apologize to Mr. McKinnon." 2 "Me?" Leo scoffed. "Apologize to him? I'm Amy's special assistant. He's just a client of a low-level sales manager. He's not worthy of my apology." "I'll make you apologize," I said calmly. Then I moved. I grabbed a handful of his slick hair and threw him across the room. Before he could regain his balance, I kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel before Mr. McKinnon. I smashed a wine bottle on the table and held the jagged edge to his face. "One last time. Apologize. Or I'll scar you for life." "I-I-I'm sorry, Mr. McKinnon!" Leo blubbered, tears streaming down his face. He'd wet himself. Mr. McKinnon stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and gave me an appreciative look. "Mr. Harpster, my offer stands. Call me anytime. Please, take care of your family matters." He then excused himself. "Ah!" Amelia shrieked. She ran to Leo's side, kneeling beside him and screaming at me. "Nathan, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit Leo? There's a limit to your jealousy!" "Jealousy?" I sat back down, slowly wiping my hands with a silk napkin. "Amelia, you misunderstand. I'm not jealous at all. I hit him because he insulted my client. Every one of my clients is a valuable part of my network. I have to protect them. That's all." Even then, I felt nothing. Did I not love her? Of course I did. Why else would I have worked so hard to build a successful company, only to make her president just to give her a sense of prestige? But I am also a ruthlessly pragmatic man. When infidelity enters a marriage, I cut my losses immediately. "Why aren't you jealous?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion. I gave her a chilling look. "Amelia, when I loved you, you were the moon in my sky. But now that you're tainted, you're just filth in a gutter. No one gets jealous over filth." "You're calling me filth?" Her eyes widened in horror. "You mean… you don't love me anymore?" I lit a cigarette and crossed my legs. "Amelia, we've been together for seven years. You should know me by now. I won't even wear a shirt if my own brother has worn it first. Do you really think I would touch a woman who's been touched by another man? Don't you think I'd find you dirty?" I stood up, ready to leave. "I haven't been touched by anyone!" she cried, running to me and hugging me from behind. "Honey, you've really misunderstood! There's nothing going on between me and Leo! I was just drunk, and he was helping me!" I wrinkled my nose in disgust and let the cigarette drop from my fingers. It landed on the back of her hand, and she yelped in pain, letting go. "You were in his arms. What's there to explain?" I sneered. "I've been drunk at business dinners plenty of times. Have you ever seen me being held up by another woman?" "I'll have my lawyer draft the divorce papers. We're done." "No! I don't want a divorce!" she sobbed, but she didn't have the courage to follow me. Leo scrambled to her side. "Don't worry, Amy. You're the president of the company. If he causes trouble, just fire him. He's just a useless freeloader. What are you afraid of?" 3 Before I returned to the office, I made a few calls to the other board members. When I walked back into the company, I noticed the strange looks the employees were giving me. I ignored them and went to my office. My vice president of sales, Ethan, rushed in, holding out his phone. It was the company-wide group chat. Leo had tagged everyone with a message: Sales Manager Nathan Harpster has been fired. So that explained the looks. "Dude, whose company is this, anyway?" Ethan complained. "Your wife is turning this place into a circus. The whole office is whispering that you've been cheated on. That Leo guy acts like he owns the place. If this keeps up, my family is pulling our investment." "I can handle it. Go back to work," I said, waving him off. "If you're feeling down, I can take you out for a drink," he offered, looking worried. "I'm not the one who did something wrong. Why should I punish myself with alcohol?" I smiled. "Don't worry, brother. I've got this. Besides, I already spoke with your father on the way back." Ethan nodded and headed for the door, but paused. "You know, my sister, Ivy, is back in the country. I still think you'd be a better brother-in-law for me." I didn't respond, just focused on my work. When I was done, I had my driver take me home. The moment I stepped inside, the smell of cooking filled the air. "Honey? Is that you?" Amelia's voice called from the kitchen. "I made your favorite dish! Come wash your hands." I smirked. I'd seen another man's shoes by the door. It had to be Leo. Is she an idiot? How dare she bring him into our home? I walked into the kitchen and saw Leo feeding a piece of meat to Amelia. She was beaming, the picture of a woman in love. "H-honey…" she stammered when she saw me, her face paling. "Don't misunderstand! I was just tasting it for seasoning, and my hands were full, so I asked Leo to help." "No need to explain," I said calmly. "And by the way, you can stop calling me 'honey'." I took the divorce papers from my briefcase. "Sign this. We'll finalize it tomorrow." Amelia stared at me in disbelief. "Honey, are you really going to divorce me?" "Nathan Harpster, you have no shame!" Leo shouted, stepping in front of her. "Amy is already humbling herself, cooking for you! What more do you want?" He pointed a finger at me. "I even came here to apologize in person! Don't push your luck!" I laughed. I took off my suit jacket, unclasped my watch, and loosened my tie. "Leo," I said slowly, "you seem to have a very high opinion of yourself. What exactly does it mean that you 'came to apologize in person'? Is your apology worth something?" "Are you any better than me?" he shot back. "I'm the special assistant to the president! Second only to her! You're just a sales manager! If you weren't Amy's husband, you wouldn't even have the right to speak to me!" He charged at me. I kicked him away effortlessly, but he came at me again, this time grabbing my arm and hissing, "Go on, hit me! The more you hit me, the worse you'll look in Amy's eyes! When you two get divorced, I'll be the one to take your place!" I laughed again, no longer bothering to fight him. I just patted his shoulder. "Kid, what kind of trashy TV shows have you been watching? You think the world of high finance is a playground?" "What do you mean?" He was completely lost. I shook my head and smiled. "Since you don't get it, let's just get everyone together and have a little chat."
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