At my brother-in-law’s wedding reception, my new sister-in-law suddenly went on the offensive, targeting me in front of everyone. "Chloé, it’s absolutely shameful how you and Liam have taken over Mom and Dad’s retirement estate since you got married. On top of that, you’ve monopolized their Maybach! It’s disgusting." "Today, with all our friends and family present, I’m calling for a formal separation of the family assets. We’re going to make sure you can’t leech off Liam’s parents anymore!" The room erupted into hushed whispers among the relatives. My in-laws looked beyond mortified, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. I took a slow, calm sip of my wine, then nodded with a smile. "Divide the assets? honestly, I’d love nothing more." It seems this incredibly self-righteous new sister-in-law of mine doesn’t actually know who pulls the strings in this family. The sprawling estate, the black Maybach, and even that glittering, publicly traded company they all rely on... The actual owner is me. 1. The once-boisterous reception hall fell instantly silent. Up on the stage, Tiffany didn’t get the satisfaction of seeing me fly into a rage. Instead, her own expression soured. Ignoring Liam’s brother, Caleb, who was frantically trying to pull her back, she gripped the microphone tightly and continued her public shaming. "Chloé Vance, I actually admire the sheer thickness of your skin." "We’re both daughters-in-law married into the Miller family. Do you really think nobody sees what you’re up to? Don't think you can just nod this away and pretend it's over!" She turned to the crowd, pointing a trembling, righteous finger at me. "None of you know just how awful my sister-in-law is. She lives in my in-laws’ house but insists on occupying the master suite. She doesn't lift a finger, expects to be waited on hand and foot. My mother-in-law kindly tried to tidy up the trash in Chloé's study last week, and Chloé didn't just show ingratitude—she screamed at her until my mother-in-law was in tears!" "And last month, when my father-in-law slipped at home and sprained his ankle, she didn't care at all. She actually drove off in the family Maybach, leaving him writhing on the floor in pain!" "It’s the same story at ApexTech. That’s clearly a Miller family business, yet she has the nerve to squat on the title of Executive Vice President. She shows up late, leaves early, and spends her time at her desk doing her makeup, eating snacks, and binge-watching shows. All she does is order her sister-in-law around!" Tiffany glared at me, then looked down at my husband, Liam, who was sitting beside me. "Liam, you need to say something today. Are you really just going to sit there while your wife rides roughshod over the entire family?" Instantly, every eye in the room focused on Liam Miller. Even I looked at him, genuinely curious to see how he would respond. When we first got married five years ago, the Miller family was practically destitute. Liam was the only saving grace, an Ivy League graduate. His younger brother, Caleb, and sister, Mia, had both dropped out of high school to work in factories. His parents did grueling manual labor on construction sites. Their combined annual family income back then wouldn't have been enough to buy my cheapest pair of shoes. In the five years since our wedding, I didn't just buy them a mansion and luxury cars; I fully funded and founded ApexTech. I taught them how to do business from scratch, using my money and my connections to land their first clients. No one else in that room knew the truth, but every single person in the Miller family knew exactly how they got where they were. Under the weight of countless scorching stares, Liam’s face darkened. His knuckles turned white as he gripped his wine glass. After a few excruciating seconds, as if making a monumental decision, he turned to face me. "Chloé, Tiffany isn't lying. You really were in the wrong for those things." "As the eldest sister-in-law, you should have set an example. You should have shown respect to my parents." "Today, in front of everyone, I want you to stand up, pour a glass of wine for Mom, Dad, and Mia, and give them a proper apology. We’ll let this go once you do." My gaze icy cold. The smile completely vanished from my face. These words might have sounded like he was trying to smooth things over, but in reality, he was confirming every single one of Tiffany’s accusations. He was branding me a sinner in public, forcing me to confess on the spot. But Liam seemed to have forgotten the night we got married. He had knelt before me, crying, saying I was the savior of his entire family. He swore that even if it cost him his life, he would never let me suffer a single moment of grievance. The promises were still ringing in my ears, but the man was unrecognizable. I turned my head, my eyes slowly scanning my parents-in-law, Mia, and then Caleb up on the stage. That time Tiffany claimed I made my mother-in-law cry? It was because she ignored my explicit, repeated warnings never to enter my study. She snuck in while I was out under the guise of "cleaning" and threw away the original, signed copy of a multi-billion dollar international merger contract, thinking it was scrap paper. Yes, I used harsh words then. And the sprained ankle incident? I had immediately canceled a meeting with a major client to call a high-end private ambulance. I didn't drive away until I saw my father-in-law safely inside the ambulance and on his way to the hospital. As for Mia, if I hadn't stepped in, her money-grubbing parents would have practically sold her off in an arranged marriage to a rich, older widower back in their hometown. I treated her like my own sister. I paid for her to go to a top tier business school abroad to broaden her horizons, and when she started working, I kept her by my side, teaching her everything I knew about running and managing a company. Even Caleb—every luxury sports car he owned, his racing gear, the house and car he bought for Tiffany, the massive dowry, and the entire cost of this wedding reception—it was all my money. Yet now, faced with this "sinner" label being slapped on me, every single one of them avoided my eyes. Not one person intended to speak up for me. I felt a chilling sense of ridicule. I looked at Liam, who was silently urging me to submit, and just curled my lip. "You want me to apologize? In your dreams." "I haven't done anything wrong, so I'm not apologizing to anyone." 2 Liam didn't expect that I, who always protected his ego in public, would completely humiliate him like this. His face went totally black. "Chloé, this is a major day for the Miller family." "For the sake of our years as husband and wife, don't be so immature. Show some class." Hearing his lowered, threatening tone, I actually laughed out loud. When we were dating, no matter how wild or impulsive I was, Liam accepted it all. He used to adore my stubborn streak, saying he loved how passionate and unyielding I was, like bright sunshine. But now, simply because I refused to take the blame for things I didn't do, I was labeled "immature." Looking at this man I had loved for nearly ten years, I realized for the first time just how hypocritical and selfish he was. He was frighteningly cold-hearted. "Show some class? Liam, who do you think provides the Miller family with the 'class' you have now?" Before I could finish, Liam interrupted me with an icy tone. "Enough, Chloé Vance. It seems I've spoiled you too much!" "I am announcing, as of this moment, that we are formally separating from my parents’ household!" "In the future, that retirement estate and the cars belong to them. You are not allowed to use them without explicit permission!" "As for ApexTech, you will surrender all the stock shares under your name. We are doing a clean break!" The mask was finally off. Only now, with the dagger pointed at me, did I understand the true purpose of this ambush. They wanted to seize the thirty percent of ApexTech’s original founders’ shares that I held. When Liam said those words, a look of cold, calculating greed flashed in the eyes of every single member of the Miller family. It was the primal, ferocious instinct of a pack of animals hunting together. Even though their prey was the very person who had dragged them out of poverty and completely changed their lives. In the second I recognized this, the last remaining shred of expectation and warmth I held for this family was extinguished. Ten years of devotion, five years of marriage. If I had fed my heart to dogs, it would have been more rewarding than this. "Liam Miller, have you really thought this through?" I turned my gaze squarely on him. Perhaps because he had never seen me look so cold and indifferent, Liam’s eyes flickered with a moment of uncertainty before he nodded firmly. "It doesn't matter if you agree. As the eldest son of the Miller family, the actual legal representative, and the CEO of ApexTech, I have the right to dispose of your shares according to the initial stock agreement." "Take the buyout money and walk away. This is the most dignified exit you’re going to get." "Otherwise, you will end up with nothing." As he spoke, he gestured to his secretary downstage. The secretary immediately brought up a document and handed it to me. Back when I helped the Miller family start ApexTech, I was fully aware of the small loop-hole in the stock agreement—it was enough for Liam to kick me out at any time. But back then, I believed love was worth more than gold. I didn't believe the day would ever come when my partner would pick up a weapon against me for profit. I see now how naive I was. According to the document, all the equity I held in ApexTech was to be transferred unconditionally to be shared among the three Miller siblings: Liam, Caleb, and Mia. Furthermore, the estate registered in my name and the Maybach were all to be unconditionally "gifted" to Liam’s parents. The clauses even stated that I voluntarily waived all rights to any future claims and would not interfere in any way, shape, or form with any Miller family affairs, including the management of the company. I really hadn't expected them to have prepared all this. It meant Tiffany’s sudden attack wasn't a spontaneous whim at all; it was a carefully calculated plot they had all agreed upon. Perhaps for a very long time, they had been plotting how to legitimately steal everything in my hands. 3 After flipping through the last page, I put the document back on the table and looked up, scanning the faces of the people in front of me. "Have you all thought this through? Are you sure you want me to sign this?" My mother-in-law was the first to speak. "Chloé, this is how it should have been. The Miller family didn't marry you so you could hoard the family assets." "Just sign it, and we can still be one big, happy family in the future. Wouldn't that be nice?" My father-in-law nodded, coughing once before adding, "Yes, we shouldn't keep secrets from each other in a family. These things should have belonged to the Miller family from the start. Give them back, and you’ll still be our eldest daughter-in-law. No one will think ill of you." Mia kept her head down, muttering softly, "Sister-in-law, just sign it. You’re so rich; these things are nothing to you." "But they are different for us. We need this." Caleb rushed to chime in, "Exactly, Chloé. You have your own massive family business; why do you care about this small stake? Just think of it as helping us out. We’ll definitely remember your kindness." Tiffany scoffed next to him, crossing her arms and looking at me disdainfully. "You hear them, right? The whole family says so. Stop putting on an act and sign the damn paper." "Don’t ruin our wedding reception and spoil everyone's mood." Finally, my gaze fell back on Liam. He looked at me, his tone softening slightly, as if he were coaxing a child, yet delivering an ultimatum. "Chloé, sign it. We’ve been married for so many years; don't we have at least this much trust?" "If you really love me, sign this to prove to me that you didn't stay with me just for the Miller family's money." When I heard that sentence, I finally couldn't hold it back. I burst into laughter. Apparently, loving someone meant handing over my entire net worth to their family, letting them take whatever they wanted, and still being accused of only wanting them for their money. I laughed for a long time before stopping. I looked at Liam. "Liam, these things are indeed worthless to me." "But are you sure you can handle them?" Liam’s face instantly darkened. He thought I was provoking him, that I was looking down on them. "Chloé Vance, what is that supposed to mean? I’m the one who runs ApexTech. I’ve been handling all the company’s business operations these past few years. Without you, we can still make this company thrive. Don't think too highly of yourself." "Fine." I nodded and picked up the pen to sign my name. As I finished the last stroke, I threw the pen back onto the table and pushed the signed document forward. Tiffany was the first to pounce on it. She picked up the file and flipped through it, her face filled with excitement. She quickly handed the document to Caleb, telling him to put it away safely, as if she were afraid I would regret it. The tension on Liam’s face finally relaxed slightly, and a look of unreadable emotion appeared in his eyes as he looked at me. I didn't give him a chance to speak. I simply said in a cold voice, "Liam, I’ve signed it. I’ve given you everything you wanted." "From this day forward, nothing concerning the Miller family has anything to do with Chloé Vance." With that, I turned around and walked straight toward the exit of the reception hall. Sitting in my car, I took out my phone and called my father's special assistant, Mr. Henderson. "Mr. Henderson, as of this exact moment, ApexTech has absolutely nothing to do with me." "Withdraw every single resource associated with the Vance family immediately." "Within one month, I want this supposed commercial 'miracle' to become nothing more than a permanent joke." Mr. Henderson was stunned for a second, but without asking a single question, he immediately responded with cool professionalism. "Understood, Miss Vance. I will see to it immediately." I hung up the phone and leaned back against the seat, looking at the imposing ApexTech tower across from the hotel. I curled my lip in a smile. Let the wildfire that is about to destroy everything burn as brightly as possible. 4 The very next morning, Liam had barely sat in the CEO's chair, not yet having the chance to fully savor the feeling of absolute power, when the building’s property manager pushed the door open and handed him a new rent notice. Liam looked at the number on it, and his face instantly turned pale. "What is the meaning of this? Wasn't the previous rent two hundred thousand a month? Why has it suddenly jumped to eight hundred thousand? This is highway robbery!" The head of property management crossed his arms, his tone flat. "Mr. Miller, you can't say that." "Your previous VP, Mrs. Vance, has a close personal relationship with our owner. That’s why we were giving you the friends-and-family rate. Now that she has been removed from your management team, we naturally have to adjust to the market rate." "Other comparable office buildings in this area go for this price. We aren't asking for a penny more." Liam froze in place, utterly speechless. The property manager looked at him and added one more thing: "Oh, and my boss said, either you pay one full year’s rent upfront at the new rate, or you move out by the end of this month." "The choice is yours." With that, the property manager turned and left. Caleb and the others rushed in as soon as they heard the news. "Liam, eight hundred thousand a month! That’s nine point six million a year! Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?" Caleb’s voice was shaking. Tiffany, however, was very calm. She had been the star of the show at the wedding reception yesterday, and today she had specially dressed up to come to the company as the legitimate second Mrs. Miller. She took the notice and glanced at it, then scoffed, throwing the paper back on the desk. "I thought it was some massive catastrophe. It’s just a rent increase. What are you panicking for?" "Eight hundred thousand is eight hundred thousand. We are the owners of the company now; we can't come up with this small amount? Isn't it just over nine million a year?" "We’ll make that back easily with one big contract. It’s no big deal. We’ll accept the increase; it’s just rent, we can afford it." As soon as she said this, Caleb and Mia seemed to find their backbone again and nodded. "Yeah, Tiffany makes sense. It’s just a rent hike. We own the company now; why are we afraid of this small amount of money?" "Exactly. The company made so much money every year before; this rent is nothing." Liam also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Tiffany was right. Before he could fully relax, Caleb’s phone rang urgently. Caleb listened for only two seconds before his face went entirely pale. His legs actually buckled, and he fell to the floor. "Liam! It's a disaster! Something major happened with the supply chain!"
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