To have a better life with my CEO boyfriend, I was still at the company working overtime on New Year's Eve. Looking out the window at the city lights, thinking that one of those glowing windows would soon be ours, I lowered my head to keep working. Just then, my phone pushed a trending post. It was a hot thread on how to manage employees, and one comment underneath was particularly jarring. [My husband's methods are truly masterful. He specifically targets capable female employees for secret office romances, using emotional manipulation (PUA) to make them work their fingers to the bone for the company.] [That woman dreams of becoming the boss's wife, but in reality, she hasn't taken a vacation in three years. She's even working overtime at the office on New Year's Eve. Right after getting laid, she's kicked out of bed to make PowerPoint presentations.] [Working like a horse and acting like a prostitute, in short: a workhorse prostitute.] Below, some people spoke up for the female employee, calling the original poster and her husband vicious. But she nonchalantly posted a picture in response. In the photo, a man wearing an apron was cooking in the kitchen, his back profile handsome and clear. The caption was a naked provocation: [What's the point of scolding me? She's still pulling an all-nighter at the office right now, unlike me, who only has to wait in our big mansion for the New Year's Eve dinner my husband is cooking~] My breath hitched, and my hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly. I could never mistake that back. The profile in the photo was undeniably my secret boyfriend of five years, the CEO. ... I flipped the phone face down on the desk and took a few deep breaths. Turning it back over, my fingertips trembled slightly as I zoomed in on the photo bit by bit. The navy blue apron the man was wearing was the New Year's gift I had bought him with three months' worth of saved bonuses. His sharp, short haircut was the exact style I had casually mentioned liking last month, which he had gone to the barber to get the very next day. Even the small red mole behind his right ear was identical to Arthur's. Someone in the comments asked, [This man is dating two people at once. Has the female employee never suspected anything?] She replied triumphantly, [Every time I call, my husband tells her I'm his mom. A few times, he even coaxed that stupid woman into calling me 'Mom' a few times. She doesn't even think about it—my husband's mother isn't someone she can just casually meet.] The cold light from the screen made my eyes sting. A few days ago, after Arthur answered a call, he suddenly smiled and said to me, "Chloe, my mom wants to say a few words to you." I froze for a moment, hurriedly took the phone, and softly called out 'Auntie' a few times. There was no response from the other end. Arthur stood beside me, smiling and teasing, "My mom wants a daughter-in-law. She's waiting for you to change how you address her." Although I felt it was abrupt, I couldn't resist his persistent coaxing and finally whispered 'Mom'. As soon as I said it, an uncontrollable burst of laughter erupted from the other end. The person said 'Good' three times and hastily hung up. I felt something was off at the time, but Arthur coaxed me with a few words, making me forget to look into it further. Only now did I realize that the person on the other end of the line that day was his legally wedded wife. My fingertips trembled uncontrollably as I clicked into that woman's profile. Her latest update was from two weeks ago: [New Year's gift from hubby. It's just too expensive, costs over seven figures~] But on that very same day, Arthur had told me, "The company isn't doing well this year. As the future boss's wife, you shouldn't ask for a year-end bonus. As for overtime pay, the company will make it up to you once things improve." My hands shook even more violently as I continued scrolling down. [Vacationing in the Maldives with hubby. Days without work are just too good!] But during that same period, I was pulling three all-nighters in a row to secure a major contract, ultimately drinking myself to a bleeding stomach at a business dinner. Even after the contract was signed, I pushed all the credit onto Arthur, who hadn't lifted a finger, just to establish his authority in the company. The next post down: [Moving into our new home! Hubby specially bought this big river-view mansion for me and the baby.] In the photo, the living room was spacious and bright, with a dazzling river view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. While I hadn't even been assigned a company dorm. In this city where land is worth its weight in gold, I was renting a remote, run-down single room, commuting at least two hours every day. It was laughable how much I trusted Arthur in the past. I easily believed his nonsense about the "company doing poorly and on the verge of bankruptcy." I didn't spend his money, didn't ask for a raise, and worked my life away just so he could have it a little easier. Five years of sacrifice, and in the end, I was just making a wedding dress for him and another woman's happy life. Tears fell without warning. I hurriedly raised my hand to wipe them away but accidentally knocked over the cold takeout box on the table. Leftover food and rice spilled all over the floor, a complete mess. I finally couldn't hold it back anymore, crouching on the floor and crying loudly. Arthur was in his river-view mansion with his wife and child, eating a New Year's Eve dinner made of seafood and abalone. Perhaps after eating, they would cuddle by the window watching the fireworks bloom, or nestle on the sofa watching the lively Spring Festival Gala. While I was working overtime in a pitch-black office building. Not only was there no overtime pay, but even my meal was a ten-dollar cheap takeout. I don't know how long I cried before my phone rang. After connecting, Arthur's voice came through the receiver, "Chloe, Happy New Year!" "I'm still out of town securing investments. I'll handle the outside, you handle the inside. Next year, we'll work together to make the company bigger and stronger!" 2 I sniffled hard, pushing down the bitter lump rising in my throat. "What are you doing right now?" Arthur's voice carried its usual weariness and dependence, "Just finished a business dinner. My stomach hurts from drinking too much." "If only you were here." If it were in the past, hearing this would have made my heart ache terribly, and I would have immediately said, "I'm here for you." Then he would logically push a pile of even trickier tasks onto me. This time, I didn't reply. The phone was quiet for a few seconds before he took the initiative to speak, "By the way, Chloe, you might not be able to leave tomorrow either." "Mr. Wang from Goldstar Group is bringing his wife and kids to the city for a vacation on the third day of the Lunar New Year. We need you to host them the whole time." The train ticket I had booked to go home before the holidays had been changed and refunded, refunded and changed. I couldn't remember how many times my trip home had been postponed. I only remembered my grandmother asking cautiously over the phone multiple times, "Sweetie, can you come back this year? Grandma made your favorite cured meat." My voice trembling uncontrollably, I asked him, "Why is it me again? I work year-round with no days off. I haven't been home in a long time." "And Grandma is sick. You know I need to go back and see her." Arthur's tone instantly cooled a few degrees, reverting to his old rhetoric, "The company belongs to both of us. I'm out of town working my ass off securing investments, so of course you have to help me guard the home front." "Whether this partnership succeeds or not entirely depends on this hosting. I only trust you to do it." Seeing I didn't respond, he softened his tone and coaxed me, "Be a good girl. Once we secure this partnership, I'll go back with you." "Isn't your grandmother most hoping to see you settle down? Once we're stable, I'll take you back in style, okay?" Before I could say another word, the call was disconnected. This wasn't the first time he had made such a promise. In the third year of our secret relationship, after he learned I only had my grandmother to depend on, "Accompanying you home to see Grandma" became a permanent, unfulfilled promise he dangled in front of me. The summer before last, when he asked me to deliver a contract to the west side of the city in the pouring rain while I had a high fever, he said, "Deliver it, and we can sign the contract. Once it's signed, I'll go back with you to meet Grandma." During the Spring Festival of our fourth year, when he asked me to give up my annual leave, he said, "Work overtime this New Year's Eve. Once this busy period is over, I promise to go back with you." Even now, he was still saying, "Wait until we work hard enough to buy a house in the city and stabilize. Then we'll go back to see Grandma, and bring her here to live with us." But in reality, he already had a house. A big river-view mansion, brightly lit. And the woman of the house inside was not me. My phone suddenly vibrated, and a message from Arthur popped up on the screen. [Don't be unhappy during the New Year. Take this money and eat something good. I'll make it up to you when I get back.] [The company's accounts are tight this year, so you've been wronged. I'll definitely compensate you more next year.] Then a red envelope popped up. I didn't open it, but I knew the maximum amount couldn't be more than two hundred. At the same time, that woman updated her status: [Hubby deposited the entire net profit of his company for the year into my account, not a penny less~] The accompanying photo was a screenshot of her bank account balance. Behind the first digit, there was a neat row of eight zeros. A netizen who, like me, had dug into the woman's profile from the "managing employees" post asked, [If your husband made this much this year, how much did he give that female employee to make her work so hard?] She replied mockingly, [Two hundred is enough. I was the one who couldn't stand it and told him to send it to that overtime workhorse prostitute outside, hehe.] 3 I turned off my phone screen, wiped away the tear tracks on my face, and decided to head home first. The streets on New Year's Eve were deserted. The subway had stopped running long ago, and the buses were also out of service for the holiday. I stood on the roadside for almost half an hour, my hands and feet numb from the cold, before finally hailing a taxi. The driver rolled down the window and held up three fingers. "Holiday rate, add three hundred." The cold wind blew down my neck. I gritted my teeth and got in anyway. The warmth of the car's heater brought me back to life a little. I instinctively reached for my phone, wanting to send Arthur a message to complain, just like I had done countless times before. But my fingers stopped in mid-air. There had been situations like this before. Being overcharged for a taxi, having someone rudely cut in line, getting the wrong flavor for my takeout order. I would always go to him and complain, feeling wronged. He always brushed it off lightly with one sentence, "If you can make do, just make do. Be forgiving when you can." At that time, I always thought it was because he had a generous nature and didn't like to hold grudges. Until I saw that woman's profile. She complained about how hard it was to hail a cab, and Arthur turned around and bought her a car with a dedicated driver. She casually mentioned that a popular restaurant had too long of a line, and Arthur directly gave five hundred dollars to everyone in line ahead of her, so she could be the first to go in. As for takeout... She never had to eat takeout. Arthur felt outside food was unhealthy, so he specifically learned to cook for her, making three meals a day with his own hands. All the grievances that he told me to "make do" with were "major issues" that had to be resolved immediately for the person he truly loved. The line between love and not loving was so clear-cut. I turned my head to look out the window, watching the city lights blur past. Every household radiated the warmth of reunion. Only I was adrift and destitute. Tears could no longer be held back, falling silently. Eventually, I cried louder and louder, my whole body trembling. The driver glanced at me several times in the rearview mirror. When he finally stopped at the entrance of my apartment complex, he sighed. "Forget it, miss, it's New Year's Eve... I won't charge you the extra three hundred. Hurry home." Pity that even a stranger could give. But the man I had loved with all my heart for five years, who I considered my entire future. Watched helplessly as I worked myself to the bone like a fool for his and another woman's happiness, draining my youth. After washing up haphazardly at home, I was so exhausted I fell asleep as soon as I hit the sofa. As dawn approached, a frantic ringing of the phone jerked me out of a nightmare. I answered groggily, but the moment I heard the voice on the other end, I was instantly wide awake. It was Aunt Zhang, my grandmother's neighbor, her voice trembling with urgency, "Sweetie, you need to come back quickly!" "Your grandmother got up early to use the bathroom. The ice in the yard hadn't fully melted, and she slipped and fell! We just took her to the county hospital!" My brain buzzed, and my hands and feet instantly went ice-cold. With no time to think, I threw on a coat, grabbed a few pieces of luggage, and rushed to the high-speed rail station. The station was crowded. I squeezed my way to the ticket gate but couldn't swipe through the turnstile. After trying several times, the machine only repeated its cold automated message. I panicked and turned to the service desk, "Hello, could you please check my ticket?" The staff member took my ID, typed on the keyboard, and looked up at me, "Sorry, ma'am, we couldn't find any booking information under your name." I froze, then anxiously leaned forward, "How is that possible?" "Please look again carefully! I just changed my ticket a few days ago! It's the earliest train today!" The staff member checked again and shook her head, "There really isn't anything." My throat tightened, and I asked with a crying tone, "Can I still buy a ticket now? Any train is fine!" "Sorry, all trains are sold out." The people lining up behind me began to urge me impatiently. I shuffled my feet numbly, pushed around by the crowd. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head. My hands trembling, I pulled out my phone and dialed Arthur's number, "Arthur... my high-speed rail ticket, did you cancel it?" 4 On the other end of the line, Arthur seemed to be still half-asleep, mumbling an "um," "I knew you wouldn't give up on going home," "So I canceled the ticket for you. Staying in the city to handle the hosting is the important thing." I was so anxious my voice cracked, and tears immediately welled up, "Arthur, do you know my grandmother fell! She's in the hospital! I have to go back immediately!" The other side was silent for two seconds, followed by a short sneer, "Chloe, since when did you learn to use such lies to trick me?" "Making up an excuse like your grandmother being sick just to go home?" "I'm not lying! It was Aunt Zhang..." "Enough." He interrupted me impatiently, "Stop making a fuss and hurry up and prepare for the hosting. I was socializing until midnight last night and haven't even woken up properly." But before the phone was hung up, I clearly heard a woman's lazy, soft moan. Tears smashed onto the screen, blurring it. I paced frantically in the high-speed rail station lobby, my hands trembling as I opened every ride-hailing app. Going back to my hometown county was nearly three hundred kilometers. I kept adding tips, from two hundred to five hundred, then to eight hundred... The system constantly displayed "No drivers available." In desperation, I called Arthur's number again, wanting to beg him to drive me back. But the phone rang twice before being brutally hung up. Immediately after, a message popped up, the tone icy, [I have to go socialize soon, don't bother me. Pay attention to the hosting yourself.] Yet, the latest update on that woman's profile showed... Arthur accompanied her to watch a Lunar New Year movie and checked in at an internet-famous restaurant that requires reservations half a year in advance. He was meticulous in everything he did for her. But completely ignored me. I bit my lip, suppressing the sourness in my eyes. I first transferred a sum of money to Aunt Zhang, urging her to take good care of my grandmother for now. After agonizing until the afternoon, Aunt Zhang made a video call. On the screen, my grandmother lay in a hospital bed, her face a bit pale, but her spirits were okay. She tried hard to smile at me, her wrinkles bunching together, "Sweetie, Grandma's fine. The doctor said I can go home in a couple of days." "You focus on your work, don't rush back specially." Looking at her forced smile, my throat felt sour, and I could only nod vigorously, unable to say a single word. Hanging up the video, I opened the ticketing app again and unexpectedly managed to book a ticket home for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. My fingers paused, and a plan slowly emerged in my mind. On the third day of the New Year, I tucked away all my emotions. Following Arthur's instructions, I meticulously hosted Mr. Wang from Goldstar Group and his wife. I kept a smiling face the entire time, was detail-oriented and thoughtful, and didn't make a single mistake. Arthur was very satisfied with my performance. He proactively sent a message saying he had reimbursed my train ticket home. [See, it's not that I didn't want you to go back, otherwise I wouldn't have specifically reimbursed you.] [Keeping you in the city for a few more days was all for our company, so we can live a good life in the future.] I didn't reply a single word, just clicked to receive the money. On the fifth day of the New Year, clutching my ticket, I boarded the high-speed train back to my hometown on time. Returning to the county hospital, I stayed by my grandmother's side every step of the way, taking careful care of her. During those days, Arthur intermittently sent a few messages. On the surface, he was asking about my grandmother's health, but in reality, he was urging me to return to the company sooner. I ignored them all. He didn't seem anxious either. After all, in the past, no matter how bad the argument was, I would always obediently return to his side. Unfortunately, this time, his calculations were wrong. It wasn't until after the Lantern Festival that I returned to the company, after he had urged and pleaded multiple times. As soon as I entered the office, he knocked on the desk with a cold face, "Being late for so many days, your perfect attendance bonus for this month is gone. According to company regulations, your salary will also be docked." I smiled indifferently. I pulled a piece of paper from my bag and slapped it onto the desk with a "smack." "I'm resigning." "Also, my overtime pay, performance bonuses, and year-end bonuses for the past few years, compensate me for all of them." The paper crinkled slightly as he pinched it in his hand. He stared at the number at the bottom for a few seconds and laughed out loud, "Three point six four million? Chloe, there has to be a limit to your tantrums." Seeing my serious expression, his face slowly darkened, "You really want to resign, huh? Suit yourself. Do you think the company will stop running without you?" "But don't even think about getting a single penny of this money." Before he finished speaking, the office door was pushed open, and his assistant ran in with a pale face, "Mr. Vance, it's bad!" "The partners from last year all said they want to terminate their contracts, and Mr. Wang, who we contacted before the New Year, also said he won't sign the contract!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "394738", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel