She Gave My Gold to Him

At the company's annual design awards, my wife, Susie Miller, gives the grand prize to her male assistant, John Walker, who has only worked there for three months. My coworkers gasp in disbelief. "Mr. Lloyd, how could your design not even make the cut? I could've sworn you had the most votes." I look at Susie, who looks perfectly composed. She calmly looks up. "I'm the chief judge, and I have veto power. I have to appear impartial. Otherwise, people would accuse me of favoritism. Besides, John's design has a lot of potential. He just needs more experience." I stare at her in disappointment. "So, you'd rather sacrifice me? I stayed up night after night working on that design!" Susie frowns. "It's just a design. You can make another. You're blowing things out of proportion." It's the same thing all over again. I'm just tired at this point. "If you're always going to put everyone else first just for the sake of appearing impartial, then there's no reason for you to have a husband either," I say hoarsely. "Let's get a divorce. From now on, we'll go our separate ways." Chapter 1 Everyone around me dropped their jaws at my words. As far as they knew, I had always indulged Susie Miller in everything. No one had ever imagined I would be the one to ask for divorce. She frowned. "What is it this time? I'm already working more than enough. I put in over ten hours every day, dealing with one problem after another. "I'm not asking you to be the most considerate man in the world, but at least don't make a fuss over something so trivial!" Trivial? Susie had been the one who told me the competition needed me there to draw attention and bring in an audience. So, as a renowned designer, I put my reputation on the line and designed a line of sexy lingerie, the kind most people would consider too racy and lowbrow for a top designer. To strike the perfect balance between sensuality and beauty, I buried myself in work night after night. The designs went viral and became a hot topic online, and the competition ended up attracting plenty of sponsors because of it. Then, at the very last moment, she gave the honor to someone else. I was so furious I felt steam coming out of my ears. My mother-in-law, Betty Graham, stepped in and pointed a finger in my face. "My daughter has worked herself to the bone for this family, and if you can't understand that, fine. But what kind of husband are you to publicly defy her?" My father-in-law, Andrew Miller, was just as displeased. "Exactly. When we married Susie off to you, you promised you'd take good care of her. But look at you now! "Not only do you rely on her for money, but you're also petty and narrow-minded! You've let us all down!" The employees started whispering among themselves. "Come to think of it, they have a point. Ms. Miller became a CEO in just a few years, while Mr. Lloyd is still only a low-level director. Isn't he basically living off her?" "No wonder he always does whatever she says. Turns out he doesn't have anything backing him to stand up to her." "How brazen of him to rely on his wife and still throw a fit. I seriously can't believe this." I turned to Susie when I heard that. Her expression was cold, and she didn't say a single word in my defence. My heart instantly sank. Susie had no idea how much I had done behind the scenes to help her become CEO. I came up with ideas for most of her proposals and stayed involved to make sure the projects were carried through. Now, she was resenting me for being inept. "Skyler, I really need the prize money," John Walker said guiltily, holding out the trophy. "But if it really bothers you, I'll just give the award back." "See? At least John knows how to behave, unlike you, who always made a scene over the smallest things," Susie complained. I thought it was ironic. Did she conveniently forget that I was the one who had brought in most of the sponsors in this room? John strode toward me, looking smug. "Mr. Lloyd, no matter how much you've done, it's not enough. She doesn't even believe in you. Honestly, you're a sorry excuse of a man." I clenched my fists. "Shut up!" He immediately put on a wounded look, turning everyone around us against me. Susie was furious. She stormed over and shoved me aside. "You're the one who needs to zip it! John was only trying to do the right thing, yet you acted like a total asshole. Apologize to him. Now!" I stood my ground. "I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?" She slapped me across the face. "Because I'm your boss. If you don't apologize, I'll strip you of your position!" I covered my cheek and looked at her. The arrogance in her eyes shattered the little faith I had in her. "Fine. Go ahead. I won't be staying at this company once we've divorced anyway." Her face darkened. "Are you trying to threaten me with a divorce? Have you even looked at yourself? What company would even want you once you leave me?" Betty scoffed. "Right? Susie was kind enough to put up with you. Instead of acting so bratty and entitled, you should be grateful that she agreed to marry a nobody like you!" Andrew looked at me with contempt. "What are you waiting for? Apologize to Susie now!" "She doesn't deserve an apology from me." Chapter 2 "What's with that attitude, Skyler? You think I can't live without you? I've had enough of this! I've never met a man as petty and narrow-minded as you!" Susie snapped. John quickly stepped forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, and comforted her. "Don't get mad, Ms. Miller. You'll make yourself sick." She looked at him with obvious gratitude. They gazed into each other's eyes, standing so close they were practically up against each other without a care for who was watching. I remembered what I had accidentally come across on her phone a couple of days ago, and my stomach churned. "Seriously, Mr. Lloyd. This could've been resolved with a simple apology, but you had to make such a big deal of it. What good is threatening her? If Ms. Miller really divorces you, you'd have to cry and beg her to take you back." "A petty man is a hopeless man." Everyone was pointing fingers at me, but I merely scoffed. "I'm petty? You know exactly what you've done." Guilt flickered in Susie's eyes. "What are you talking about? I don't get it." I pulled out my phone and showed her. Her face immediately fell, and she reached out to snatch it from me. "Skyler!" I swiftly raised the phone so everyone in the room could see. I had a photo of Susie and John in her office, wearing sexy lingerie and laughing together. Everyone gasped. "Damn. Who would've thought Ms. Miller was like that in private?" "No wonder Mr. Lloyd is pissed. No man could stand being cheated on." The employees began muttering among themselves. Susie's face went pale, then flushed with anger. She was eager to defend herself. "I was doing it for work! John and I were discussing product designs. I was helping him test some new styles so we could improve the company's sales. It's not as filthy as you're making it sound, Skyler!" Betty jumped to her defense. "Exactly! It's not her fault that you have a dirty mind. They were standing so far apart. So what if they were wearing a little less than usual? She has nothing to hide! "As for you, you're lazy and incompetent. What would you know about the sacrifices people have to make to get ahead?" Andrew chimed in righteously. "She works this hard to make money because you're incapable of providing for her! Instead of appreciating her, you accuse her of cheating. You don't deserve her!" Those who had been hesitant a moment ago suddenly sympathized with Susie. "I mean, yeah. People already gossip when you work in a company like this. If your own family refuses to understand you too, how are you supposed to keep going?" "You've got to make a living somehow. Life is hard." "Still, was it necessary for her to try on those samples herself?" The room filled with conflicting opinions. Seeing that most of the female employees were taking her side, Susie finally relaxed. Her arrogance soon returned. "Skyler, I'll let it go this time. But if you pull something like this again, I'll actually be angry." John looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lloyd. I was just too eager to improve. If Ms. Miller hadn't helped me test the samples, you wouldn't have gotten the wrong idea. It's all my fault…" "It's not your fault," Susie said sternly, her face scornful. "The one at fault is the one who never does any real work and constantly uses underhanded tricks to push others out. It's honestly so disgraceful." The others joined in, accusing me of smearing John out of jealousy and pettiness to sabotage him. My in-laws went even further, cursing me and saying how blind they were to ever marry Susie off to me. I looked around the angry crowd and let out a cold laugh inside. Just then, John hesitantly pulled out several pieces of lingerie. "Mr. Lloyd, Wendy gave these to me a few days ago. She said you used so-called research as an excuse to harass her. "She couldn't take it anymore, so she came to me for help. I don't believe you're that kind of person, so I'd like to clear things up while we're here." I froze. Suddenly, I remembered one of my employees, Wendy Sawyer, awkwardly asking me for some old designs a few days earlier. I thought the designs were flawed and was planning to throw them away anyway. Then I caught the gleam in John's eyes, and I instantly realized what this was all about—a trap. I was ready to say something when Susie flew into a rage. She grabbed the lingerie and hurled it at my face, her finger pointed between my brows. "What's there to clear up? Wendy was obviously telling the truth! I guess you've had ulterior motives all along! That's why you were so quick to suspect me! I really was wrong about you, Skyler!" Chapter 3 I smiled bitterly. "Since we got married, there hasn't been a single woman around me besides my mother and relatives. You know that better than anyone. Now you want to believe him over me?" "Who knows what you've been thinking behind my back?" Susie countered coldly. "You can know someone for years and still not know what's on their mind." "Skyler, you bastard!" Betty shrieked and clawed at me. "How dare you cheat on my daughter! What did she do to deserve this?" Andrew was livid. "Divorce him! Trash like him isn't worthy of my daughter!" My coworkers glared at me, saying they couldn't believe I was that kind of person. I watched the Millers perform their little choir while John grew increasingly smug. My heart turned cold. I thought that after all these years together, they would know what kind of person I was. I never imagined their trust in me would be so fragile. "You didn't have to put on a whole production just to force me out," I said sarcastically. "I'll gladly leave." Guilt flickered in Susie's eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're in the wrong, but instead of admitting it, you're twisting things around and blaming me. You've really let me down." "Exactly! You got caught with harassment, refused to admit it, and tried to pin the blame on my daughter. Are you even a man?" Betty spat the words at me, practically spraying me with saliva as she pointed in my face. John stepped closer, pretending to comfort me. "If there's anything you can say about yourself, do it now. That way, there won't be any more misunderstanding." I caught the smug look in his eyes and shoved him away with disgust. "Get away from me. I don't need your fake concern." John hit the floor with a painful cry. Susie rushed over and helped him up, fussing over him as if he were badly injured. She then turned and kicked me. Pain shot through my knee. She was too busy checking John over to notice he hadn't even scraped his skin. She whipped her head at me, hands on her hips, and screamed, "If anything happens to John, you'll pay for it!" I remembered how Susie used to defend me the same way. Once, when a local thug and his men had cornered me, she grabbed a brick and stepped in front of me like a heroine. "Anyone who lays a finger on my man will have to get through me first!" Now, she was protecting someone else against me. A deep, unbearable sorrow engulfed me. "I already had a fiancee back then, but you love-bombed me. After you stood by me through several crises, I was moved by what you did, and that's why we got together." Susie frowned in disgust. "Why are you bringing this up?" I smiled bitterly. "Later, I gave up the career I had trained for and switched to design so I could build a business with you. "When you insisted on entering an industry nobody understood or supported, I stayed by your side and helped you get where you are today." Her expression began to change. "You—" "Then you got busier and busier," I continued. "You even aborted our baby because of everything you were dealing with, and I never blamed you for any of it. When you told me you didn't want children, I respected your choice." Some people in the room looked visibly moved. "I thought we'd spend the rest of our lives supporting each other, but you let yourself drift further away from me for an assistant you barely knew. Let's just get divorced. From now on, we'll go our separate ways." I turned away coldly and limped out of the room. Susie stood there in a daze, her gaze following me. She stepped forward as if to say something, but John suddenly collapsed against her, groaning. "Susie, my head is spinning…" She immediately stopped and anxiously called for the doctor. That night, I went home in a terrible mood. When I checked my phone, I had many missed calls and texts from Susie. "The doctor says John has a concussion, and it's all your fault! Do you have any idea how humiliated I was today? I'm not letting this go so easily, Skyler. "Take a few days to think about what you've done, then apologize to John publicly. If you do that, I'll consider forgiving you and staying with you." She still thought I was just throwing a tantrum and didn't mean anything I said. I scoffed, deleted her messages, and blocked every number she had. Chapter 4 The next morning, my best friend bombarded me with calls until I finally woke up. That was when I found out the incident last night had blown up online. People were calling me all kinds of names for harassing a female coworker. I was being branded as a disgrace to the industry, and several companies had even blacklisted me. Worst of all, even my family was doxxed. I knew this was Susie's warning. Shaking with rage, I called home and ensured my family was okay. Only then did I sigh in relief. I looked around our once-cozy home, filled with memories of the life we once shared. Now, I felt sick to my stomach. I gathered everything that reminded me of her and threw it all away. Then I contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement as quickly as possible before storming back to the office. When I arrived, I was told that all my projects had been handed over to John, who had just been promoted to department manager. I even lost my title as the designer. "Sorry, Mr. Lloyd. From now on, all your hard work belongs to me." John had deliberately changed into a custom-made suit Susie had bought for him. He had gone from an ordinary nobody to a rising industry star practically overnight. He patted me on the shoulder, looking smug. Susie stood nearby, arms crossed. "From now on, you'll stay by John's side and handle the odd jobs. The shareholders are very upset with you after seeing the news. This was their decision. I had to avoid any appearance of favoritism, so there's nothing I can do." I sneered inwardly. "Something tells me you're actually thrilled about this." She shrugged. "That's your warning for not obeying me. If you just apolo—" I cut her off indifferently. "Forget it. Just remember to sign the divorce papers once I send them to you." John's eyes lit up. Then he put on a fake guilty look and looked at Susie. "Ms. Miller, I never meant to give him the wrong idea. Who knew he'd take it this far and get so worked up over it? Maybe I should give up the manager position." Susie's face darkened. "No. You've already been treated unfairly enough because of him." With that, she pulled out her phone and held it up to me. "Take a look at this." On the screen was a livestream. A crowd of reporters had surrounded my grandparents, bombarding them with questions about what they thought of having a grandson like me. Grandpa was so furious that he collapsed. I started shaking with rage. "Whatever problem you have with me, you come after me. Leave my family out of this!" "Weren't you so cocky when you shoved John yesterday?" she spat out icily. My eyes were red with anger. "Grandpa and Grandma have always been nice to you! Where is your conscience, Susie?" She didn't seem bothered in the slightest. "They're old. What's there to care about? This is the price you pay for laying a hand on John." Something inside me turned frigid. I stepped forward and slapped Susie across the face. "How dare you hit me?" She screamed in fury and called security to drag me out of the building. I laughed coldly and sent my resignation straight to HR. … A few days later, at the launch event for the company's new products, Susie walked onto the stage with John. She proudly presented several of the bestselling pieces I had designed. Sales numbers surged backstage. They were practically glowing with excitement. Somehow, she convinced herself that I would definitely get on my knees and beg her to take me back. Then the screen behind them flickered on. A video of them fooling around in just lingerie and underwear inside the showroom began to play. In the footage, their fluid sprayed everywhere. Susie's breathy voice came through the speakers. "Switching suppliers really did cut out costs by a ton. Skyler, that old-fashioned fool, kept going on about maintaining quality and whatnot. What an idiot." "Exactly," John replied. "And we can just pay some agency to fake those quality inspection reports when the time comes. Those clueless consumers will never know the difference." Onstage, Susie's face was deathly pale. Her whole body began to tremble. John panicked, too. "Turn it off! Where's the backstage crew! Cut the power!" Alas, it was too late. An assistant rushed over in a panic. "This is bad! We're trending online now. More than 90% of the orders have been canceled and refunded. We're also getting flooded with complaints. Apparently, someone called the Consumer Protection Agency."