The Empire She Stole, the Husband She Lost

The day our company’s stock soared, my wife called me a useless freeloader in front of the entire staff and demanded that I give her first love my position as general manager. Watching the contempt on her face, I finally gave up on her. With a bitter smile, I said, “I’ve held this position for seven years. I suppose it’s time I took a break.” Everyone thought I was just sulking over Claire Bennett. They urged me to reconsider. I had to be out of my mind to give up being the husband of Horizon Group’s CEO! What they didn’t know was that Horizon Group owed everything it had to me. I controlled all its core technology. Without me, the company was an empty shell, a house of cards. Just one hour after we signed the divorce papers, Horizon Group’s stock crashed, leaving Claire on the brink of drowning in debt. “Let’s hear it for the man behind Horizon Group’s success—Lucas Reed!” “Without him, Horizon wouldn’t be where it is today. Come on, raise your glasses!” I froze at the entrance to the celebration, watching Claire cling to her first love’s arm, her face glowing with happiness. They wore matching outfits and looked like the perfect couple. Everyone seemed to envy them. Employees rose to offer their congratulations and toasts. “Absolutely. Business has skyrocketed since Mr. Reed joined us.” “Our stock price is higher than it’s been in over a decade.” “Here’s hoping Mr. Reed takes us to even greater heights.” Laughter filled the banquet hall. All I could think was what a joke my life had become. The ring box in my hand suddenly felt ridiculous. The company had posted its best results in ten years today. Claire had told me she wanted to use the celebration to announce our seven-year secret marriage to the entire staff. I’d been thrilled. I started getting ready first thing that morning. A haircut, styling, choosing the right suit. But when I arrived at the venue, full of excitement, Claire said she’d left the rings on the couch at home. She had bought them especially for us. They were our first matching wedding bands, and they meant a great deal to both of us. With the banquet about to start, I told her to stay and host while I went back for them. I never expected to return to the sight of her playing the loving couple with another man. The rings had been an excuse to get rid of me. She wanted her first love to take my place. After their toast, Lucas looked up and spotted me by the door. He smiled. “Ethan! You’re late on such an important night. Three penalty drinks for you.” He spoke like he was the man in charge of Horizon Group and I was merely his guest. Without the slightest hesitation, he poured a glass and held it out to me. Yet he’d only joined the company a month ago. He hadn’t even finished his probationary period. He only dared speak to me, the general manager, like that because he had Claire, the CEO, backing him. When I didn’t take the glass, Lucas looked embarrassed. He glanced back at Claire with a wounded expression. She immediately stepped forward and kicked my knee. “What are you standing there for? He’s doing you a favor by offering a toast. Take it.” “You’re the one who’s late. You deserve the penalty!” “Have you been general manager so long that you’ve forgotten your place? If you don’t want the job, get out and let Lucas have it.” I smiled bitterly. Just an hour earlier, I’d been imagining how wonderful it would be to stop hiding our relationship and finally hold Claire’s hand at work. Reality had slapped me hard. Her kick hadn’t even been that forceful, but I trembled with pain, my eyes burning. When Claire and I got together ten years ago, she’d said she didn’t want to spend her life working for someone else for a fixed salary. So I quit my job, poured in all my savings, and started a company so she could be her own boss. While we were building it, I chased clients and projects, drinking at business dinners until my stomach bled. I lived that way for five years before the company finally found its footing. In just seven years, I took it public. Claire did nothing during that time. She spent her days drinking tea and reading the news in her office while I reviewed contracts behind the scenes and planned every move for her. She used to at least say, “Thank you, honey. You work so hard.” Then her first love showed up, reviewed a few contracts, and offered a few inconsequential suggestions. Suddenly, she thought Lucas could replace me. What a joke. With those two equally clueless idiots at the helm, the company would collapse within months. My chest aching, I looked at Claire. “You’ve wanted to replace me since the moment Lucas joined, haven’t you?” She said nothing, but I already had my answer. Three years of dating. Seven years of marriage. From twenty-three to thirty-three. Ten whole years together meant nothing compared to her first love. Swallowing the pain, I gave her a bitter smile. “I’ve held this position for seven years. I suppose it’s time I took a break.” A barely noticeable smile curled at the corner of Lucas’s mouth, but I caught it. He scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed. “Ethan, I honestly don’t care about the title. I just want to contribute to the company and help everyone make money.” “Claire was only joking. Don’t take it personally.” Claire gave a disdainful snort. “Who said I was joking?” “Lucas, everyone has seen what you’re capable of. Since he’s admitted he can’t handle being general manager, you should take over.” “I believe in you. You studied abroad. How could you possibly be less qualified than someone with a degree from a local college?” Every time Claire mentioned Lucas’s overseas education, she looked so proud. I had no idea where she’d gotten the notion that a foreign degree automatically made someone better. Since when were our universities inferior? Besides, the place Lucas had attended overseas was nothing but a diploma mill. He was an empty suit. Only she treated him like a treasure. She reassured Lucas that he shouldn’t feel pressured about becoming general manager. Whatever happened, she would take responsibility. Then she made her announcement. “Everyone, during Ethan Grant’s years as general manager, this company has done nothing but stagnate.” “He no longer brings us any value. After careful consideration, I’ve decided that Lucas Reed will take over the position, effective today.” The room stayed silent for what must have been three minutes. Claire frowned and began clapping herself. Only then did thunderous applause follow. She had truly forgotten that every project lead at every one of our client companies was my personal contact. Now that money was pouring in, she’d lost all perspective. She thought she could sit in her office sipping tea and watch the cash fill her pockets. I looked at the ring box in my hand, then tossed it at Lucas’s feet. “Is general manager really enough for him?” “Why don’t I give him this, too?”Every eye immediately landed on the velvet box on the floor. Everyone seemed curious about what was inside. Claire frowned slightly. Ever since we’d gotten together, I had catered to her every wish. I’d never embarrassed her like this before. “Ethan Grant, who do you think you are? You can just throw away something that important?” For some reason, I thought I saw anger on Claire’s face. She was the one who’d arranged to replace me. Who was that expression supposed to fool now? Wasn’t she in love with Lucas? I was handing over not only my position but my wife, too. She ought to be secretly celebrating. Without me in the way, they could finally be together openly. Lucas went stiff, looking at a loss. “Ethan, I really don’t care about the position. Are you upset?” “Please don’t be angry. I’ll talk to Claire later. I don’t want your job, and I can’t accept whatever’s in this box, either.” “If I took it, what would everyone think of me once they found out?” As he spoke, he bent down, picked up the box, and handed it to Claire instead of me. So he knew all about our relationship. He even knew exactly what was inside. Claire tightened her grip on the box and glanced at me. Then she smiled and pushed it into Lucas’s hand. “He gave it to you. Take it.” “Ethan, I’m warning you. You gave it away, so don’t come crying and begging me to buy you another one.” I shook my head with a bitter smile. I’d always wanted us to have proper wedding rings. I’d brought it up countless times, but she always refused, saying wearing them at work would draw too much attention. Even this set had taken several requests before she finally agreed to buy it. I really had begged for them. So it was hardly surprising to hear her say that. With Claire’s permission, Lucas dropped the box into his pocket without another protest. “Ethan, from now on, you’ll be Mr. Reed’s assistant.” Mr. Reed? His assistant? Ridiculous. With my abilities, I was supposed to be his assistant? Claire was clearly trying to establish Lucas’s authority by grinding me under her heel. “Since I’ve stepped down and Horizon Group no longer needs me, its employees are no longer my responsibility, either.” Claire understood what I meant. Her face darkened, but she ignored it and immediately changed the subject. “Stop making a scene, Ethan.” “Come in and celebrate the success Lucas has brought our company.” She couldn’t get through a single sentence without mentioning Lucas. She was even giving him credit for everything the company had achieved. “Ethan, you’ve already kept everyone waiting long enough. Whatever the problem is, we can talk about it at the office tomorrow. Let’s eat.” “Don’t make everyone go hungry.” Watching them play off each other made my stomach churn. How could I possibly eat? I stayed where I was. Claire turned, grabbed my hand, and dragged me inside. She pressed hard on my shoulders, forcing me into a chair. Then she walked around me and sat beside Lucas. “Just eat. You never have time for company dinners. Now that you’ve finally made it to one, stop looking like we all owe you a fortune.” It wasn’t that I never had time. She scheduled every company celebration while I was away on business, so I always missed them. And now she was blaming me? As she spoke, Lucas turned the lazy Susan in the center of the table, bringing a platter of foie gras in front of me. “Ethan, Claire ordered this especially for me. It’s delicious. Have some.” Like Claire, I never ate organ meat. She knew that. Yet she didn’t say a word in my defense. She simply let Lucas pressure me into trying it. I didn’t touch my fork. Lucas and I remained locked in a silent standoff. Claire suddenly spun the platter toward herself. I thought she was going to help me out, but a second later, she dumped the entire serving onto my plate. “One bite won’t kill you. What the hell is your problem, Ethan?” “Stop whining like a little girl.” “I told you to eat it!”I picked up a piece of foie gras with my fork. Claire smiled at the sight. “You were going to eat it anyway. Why bother making everyone uncomfortable?” She turned to go back to her seat, but I suddenly stood and caught her wrist. Claire looked back at me in surprise. I pushed the foie gras straight into her mouth. The instant it touched her tongue, she gagged and spat it out. “Ethan, are you out of your mind?” “We’ve worked together for years. Don’t you know I don’t eat organ meat, just like you?” Worked together. Not been married. Even now, she was determined to hide the fact that she had a husband. “Oh, really? So you do know I don’t eat it. I thought you’d forgotten.” Claire went pale. She hadn’t always been like this. She used to defend me. She used to care about my feelings. I first met her in our campus art club’s studio. I’d just turned down a girl who’d asked me out. After leaving, I realized I’d forgotten my backpack. When I came back, I reached the door and heard that girl talking trash about me to another student. “I don’t know why Ethan acts like he’s so special. So what if he gets good grades and has a pretty face?” “Everyone knows his family is dirt-poor. He has to scrape and save and work just to pay tuition.” “He should be grateful I was interested in him, but he had the nerve to turn me down.” “Does he realize one of my handbags could pay several years of his tuition?” Her words grew nastier. I was about to walk in when Claire suddenly stepped into view. She looked at the girl like she was a piece of trash. “Do you know why our campus heartthrob doesn’t like you?” The girl asked why, looking curious. “Have you ever met anyone who’s attracted to a total piece of shit?” “You!” The girl flushed with anger and raised her hand to slap Claire, but I stopped her. I picked up my backpack, took Claire’s hand, and led her out. Before we left, I made sure to say, “I guess I was too polite when I turned you down. She’s right. I can’t stand trash.” Claire burst out laughing. We gradually became friends. Later, I asked why she’d stood up for me. She said she simply couldn’t stand watching those girls tear someone down for no reason. Back in college, Claire was bright as sunshine. She felt like a beam of light pulling me out of the pit of my own insecurity. The more I got to know her, the harder I fell. One weekend, I enlisted her roommate’s help to get her off campus so I could tell her how I felt. I spent ages researching online, chose the most romantic spot I could find, and filled it with her favorite flowers. I waited from morning until night, but she never came. When I returned to campus, news about her was everywhere. She was dating rich boy Lucas Reed. His family hadn’t gone bankrupt yet. Back then, his parents’ money had made him something of a campus celebrity. I was miserable for a long time, but in the end, I wished them well. Loving someone didn’t mean selfishly insisting that she belonged to me. What I hadn’t expected was how quickly things would fall apart. Something apparently went wrong with Lucas’s family, and they all moved overseas. He didn’t even bother breaking up with her. After that, Claire became a different person. Her brightness vanished. Every day, she looked miserable. I tried to comfort her, but she cried and snapped at me. “Go away! Do you know the kind of food Lucas used to buy me? Now you’re bringing me these disgusting breakfast sandwiches? Are you feeding a beggar? A dog wouldn’t eat this!” I didn’t understand. Before she and Lucas got together, we’d eaten breakfast together all the time and talked about our dreams. Now everything seemed different. I started working harder to make money so I could take her to nice restaurants, take her out, and buy her pretty clothes. Little by little, she began to emerge from Lucas’s shadow. Eventually, we got together. She didn’t want to work for anyone, so I used every penny I had to start a company for her. As the company grew, Claire smiled more and more. I thought I could stay by her side forever—until Lucas came back a month ago. The look in her eyes changed the instant she saw him. She arranged his job and his place to stay. She personally handled almost everything for him. It was as if he hadn’t been the one who’d broken her heart. In Claire’s eyes, I would never be worth even a fraction of Lucas. “Ethan, how could you treat Claire like that? The whole company is here. You’ve completely humiliated her.” Lucas’s voice pulled me out of my memories. I should have understood long ago. I wasn’t the man Claire truly loved. “Ethan, you owe me an apology!” “Why should I apologize? I told you I wouldn’t eat it. You were the one who forced me!” Her eyes reddened with anger. Life had gone smoothly for her ever since we’d gotten together. After she became Horizon Group’s CEO, everyone treated her with deference. It had probably been years since anyone dared speak to her like this. “If you get on your knees, apologize, and make it up to me, I’ll forget you forced that disgusting stuff into my mouth.” “Otherwise…” She paused, stepped closer, and whispered in my ear, “Otherwise, we’re getting a divorce!”