Chapter 4 — Jilted at the Altar

I have stopped keeping accounts with you. That five hundred thousand yuan I spent on food yesterday was something I had to borrow from every online source available just to cover the advance.

You are going to transfer that five hundred thousand yuan to me immediately. After that, you will come home with me to apologize to my mother.

Yuan has already said she does not mind being the other woman. As long as you pay back the money, you will still be allowed to manage the household.

The lobby fell into an instant silence. Every colleague turned to stare at Ze with expressions one might reserve for an alien life form. The other woman? Is this man still living in the feudal era? I was so furious that I began to laugh. Without a moment’s hesitation, I picked up the iced coffee in my hand and threw it straight into his face.

Are you sober now?

If you are still confused, the security guards can escort you to the restroom so you can use the toilet water to wash your face.

Ze shuddered from the cold liquid, then immediately flew into a rage, stung by the humiliation.

Niem! Do not be ungrateful for the grace I show you! Do you really think I cannot survive without you? I am now the sales director at New Ray Technology!

New Ray Technology? I nearly laughed out loud. We had been together for three years, and yet he still did not understand my professional position or the nature of my work. I turned to my assistant, Trieu, standing beside me.

Trieu, go to my desk and bring me the renewal contract for New Ray Technology.

Trieu hurried off, and before long, returned with a thick file folder. I threw the documents directly at Ze’s chest.

Open your dog eyes and look clearly. I, Niem, am the project department director of Star Flower Corporation. The largest multi-million yuan contract New Ray Technology has this year is currently under my review.

Ze froze. He knew exactly what the Star Flower contract meant to his company. It was the lifeblood that the entire firm was counting on to survive the year. I took out my phone and, right in front of him, dialed the boss of New Ray Technology, putting the call on speaker.

Hello, Director Vuong? This is Niem from Star Flower.

Director Niem! It is a pleasure! Have you reviewed the renewal contract? If there is anything that needs changing, please, feel free to suggest it!

Director Vuong’s voice was so enthusiastic it bordered on obsequious. I glanced at Ze and said coldly, There is no need to sign the contract.

The line went frantic immediately. Please, no, Director Niem! Is our discount not sufficient? The price is still negotiable!

It is not a matter of price. I deliberately raised my voice. A sales director at your company named Ze has a corrupt character and serious moral failures regarding his personal life. Star Flower Corporation refuses to cooperate with enterprises that employ individuals with such severe ethical flaws. As long as Ze remains at your company, this partnership will not proceed.

Ze’s face turned whiter than paper. He finally realized how hard a stone he had kicked. There was a brief silence on the other end, followed immediately by a roar of fury from Director Vuong.

That bastard Ze upset you? Director Niem, please calm down! I am ordering human resources to process his termination immediately! Ten minutes—no, within five minutes, I guarantee Ze will be kicked out of New Ray Technology!

I hung up, feeling satisfied, and turned to look at Ze, who stood there like a wooden statue. You can get out now.

Ze was dragged away by security and unceremoniously dumped outside the office building. For the next half-month, my life was much quieter. Without the constant chaos caused by the Ze household, my projects progressed smoothly, and I even received a quarterly bonus.

One weekend, I took my pregnant cousin to the city’s Maternal and Child Health Hospital for a check-up. Just as I sat down with her lab reports, I heard a piercing, familiar voice.

What did the doctor say? Is it a healthy, sturdy baby boy? Our family has been the only line for three generations; everything is riding on the child in Yuan’s belly!

I looked up. Que Mai was carrying a thermos, circling around Yuan, who had just stepped out of the examination room. Ze followed behind, holding a stack of papers, his brow furrowed and his frame gaunt. It was clear that the dual blow of losing his job and carrying the five-hundred-thousand-yuan debt over the past two weeks had left him living in misery.

Yuan had sharp eyes; she spotted me sitting on the bench the moment she emerged. She stroked her belly, a provocative smile pulling at the corner of her lips, and said loudly, Mother, the doctor said the baby is very healthy—a boy who already knows how to cherish his mother even from inside the womb.

Que Mai followed Yuan’s gaze and finally noticed me. She strode over, looked down at me from her height, and scoffed coldly, Oh, if it isn't the young lady of the Niem family, whose temper is far larger than her abilities.