Chapter 1 — I Was Evicted From Home The Day I Lost My Job, 7 Days Later I Became Their Boss

The day I lost my job, my sister-in-law took my mother-in-law's arm and smiled coldly right in front of me.

“Mom, our family doesn't raise the kind that doesn't sit around.”

My mother-in-law immediately turned around and threw my luggage straight out the door.

"If you don't have a job, you don't have the right to stay in this house."

I didn't argue a word. Just quietly cleaned up, then left as if I never belonged there. Seven days later. My sister-in-law was fired on the spot by the new general director "falling from the sky" of a leading company in the industry. And that person who "fell from the sky"... was me. My mother-in-law led the whole family to stand in front of my new company building, crying and begging:

"Are you the general manager? Quick... quickly let your sister go back to work!"

As for me, I just stood there, looking at them. His eyes were calm, but cold to the bone. There are people who once threw me away like trash... you should know that when I come back - I will no longer be someone who is easily oppressed. I trudged back home with heavy steps like lead, clutching the cold termination agreement in my hand. It was just a few thin sheets of paper, but it felt like a giant rock pressing down on my chest, making it difficult for me to breathe. As soon as I pushed the door open, a strong smell of perfume mixed with the scent of food hit me straight in my face. In the living room, her sister-in-law - Chu Le - was happily showing off her newly purchased Chanel bag to her mother-in-law, the logo of the two C letters was so bright that it made my eyes hurt.

"Mom, look, isn't it beautiful? That's my bonus this month. I'm the only one in the whole room who reached the highest level."

The mother-in-law smiled until her eyes narrowed, her hands caressing the leather of the bag like a treasure: "My daughter is really good, unlike some people, who only know how to spend money without contributing at all." Her eyes glanced over Chu Le's shoulder, stopping precisely on me. The smile immediately disappeared, replaced by a cold, harsh scrutiny. Chu Le also turned to look at me, pretended to be surprised and then prolonged her voice: "Hey, our great mandarin has returned? Why did you come back so early today? Uh, what is that in your hand? You have such an unsightly face... aren't you being scolded by your boss, right?" She stepped closer, her eyes like a predator who had just discovered its prey, unable to hide her gloating look.

“Or… lost your job?”

She snatched the agreement from my hand. My fingers tightened until they turned white, but in the end I still couldn't keep the last bit of dignity. The mother-in-law also immediately leaned in, the two of them were head to head, as if watching a rare joke.

"Because the company was acquired, restructured, decided to terminate the contract..." The mother-in-law read each word, her voice becoming increasingly shrill.

The next second, she crumpled up a few pieces of paper and threw them right in my face. The edge of the paper rubbed against my cheek, bringing with it a slight burning sensation.

"You useless thing! What a useless thing! You can't even keep your job! Our Chu family is really unlucky for eight generations to marry a comet like you!"

The curses fell like hail, thick and cold. Chu Le immediately took her mother-in-law's hand and added fuel to the fire: "Mom, don't be angry, it's very bad for your health. My brother works so hard, you can't support someone who is idle. It's very difficult to find a job these days, who knows how long she'll stay at home? Our house isn't big, so one more mouth to feed is more pressure." The three words "I can't eat anymore" are like three red-hot needles, piercing straight into the heart I. For the past three years, I have worked conscientiously, handing over all my salary and taking care of the housework single-handedly. I never thought I was at fault with this family. But in the end, in their eyes, I was just an item that could be thrown away at any time when it was no longer valuable. My mother-in-law was excited by Chu Le, slapped her thigh as if she had just made an important decision, then turned around and rushed straight into mine and Chu Minh Hien's bedroom. Immediately after that, there was a chaotic sound of things being rummaged through. My clothes, my cosmetics, my books, even the wedding photo on the nightstand... she threw everything into a black trash bag. She dragged the heavy bag out the door, like she was dragging a real garbage bag, then swung her hand and threw it hard.

With a "bang" sound, the bag fell outside the door, the contents scattered.

My favorite beige dress was covered in hallway dust. The cosmetics set I had just bought had broken and one essence bottle was broken. The clear liquid spread to the floor, emitting an expensive, heart-wrenching scent that was suffocating. I stood there looking at that mess — that was all that belonged to me in three years of marriage. My heart felt cold as if a bucket of ice water had been poured on me, from head to toe I was stiff. Three years of trying, the nights I waited for him to come home with the light still on, the mornings I woke up early to prepare meals for the whole family, the times I swallowed tears because I wanted to keep the peace... all at this moment, turned into a complete joke. My hands shook, I took out my phone and called Chu Minh Hien. The bell rang for a long time before someone picked up. The other side was noisy, as if they were at a party.

"Hello? What's going on?" His voice carried a bit of frustration due to alcohol.

I said hoarsely: "Chu Minh Hien... your mother kicked me out." I thought he would at least be surprised, or ask a question. But no. The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then he sighed, his voice growing more and more impatient.

"You made my mother angry again, right? She's old and has a bad temper. It's not like you didn't know. Just hold back a little, obey her a little, and you'll be done. What's the big deal? Why make a big deal out of it?"

He continued, his voice superficial as if he were dealing with a trivial matter.

"Just go back and apologize to my mother. I'll calm her down a few words and she'll stop being angry. If you lose your job, find it again. It's not like the sky is falling."

I heard my own voice, cold and unfamiliar.

“To… which house?”

The other end of the line was silent again. That silence hurts more than any harsh words. It was like a dull knife, slowly cutting through my torn heart, one stroke at a time, silently and cruelly. I don't need answers anymore. I hung up. The phone screen went dark and then lit up. On it was a message from a headhunter named Ly, sent three days ago.

"Lam Van, congratulations! The position of Marketing Director of Tinh Dieu Group has been officially approved. Come to work next Monday, I have sent a confirmation letter to your email. You are the best planner I have ever met, this time there will definitely be a place to use martial arts."

“Marketing Director Tinh Dieu.”

Those eight words, in the dark hallway, emitted a strange light. I looked at the message, then glanced at the mother and daughter standing at the door with both disdain and satisfaction in their eyes. The corners of my lips couldn't help but curl up into a cold smile. There's no warmth at all. Just sarcasm and finality. I don't say one words, quietly sat down, started picking up each item they threw out like trash. My movements were very slow, very calm, as if what I was cleaning up was not my own self-esteem, but just an unrelated story. In the corner of their eyes, the gloating expressions of mother-in-law and Chu Le were clear in every detail. They think this is my end. But they don't know, this is just the beginning.