The Forgotten Engineer's Revenge

At the company's annual gala, my wife claimed I had achieved nothing. She demanded that I step down as Chief Technology Officer and hand all my research and development over to her first love. Furious to the point of laughing, I quit on the spot and slapped the divorce papers right into his face. "Working is so exhausting anyway. Why don't I be generous and let you take my place as the CEO's husband, too?" For a moment, every colleague in the room stared at each other, assuming I was just throwing a jealous fit. None of them knew that the company’s core technology lived solely in my mind. It could not be replicated, and no one could steal it. Without me, the entire product line was nothing more than a pile of useless code. And my wife would soon face tens of millions in damages and a complete corporate collapse. "Ethan, our business took off this year, and you truly deserve all the credit." "Come up to the stage. Let's take a photo together." My wife, Serena Vance, gestured proudly toward Ethan Hayes. Ethan hurried toward her, taking her hand, and together they stepped onto the podium. Side by side, they delivered the keynote address for the company's awards gala. Hand in hand, they handed out holiday bonuses to every employee, showering everyone with well wishes. They looked so intimate and in sync, practically glowing like a pair of lovebirds deeply infatuated with each other. Colleagues holding their bonus envelopes began teasing them: "Ms. Vance, Mr. Hayes, looks like congratulations are in order! Are we getting invited to the wedding anytime soon?" "Ms. Vance and Mr. Hayes are the dream team! We promise to work even harder for you both next year!" Someone else in the crowd started chanting, "Get married! Get married!" Standing at the back after arriving late, watching this picture-perfect scene, my chest tightened with a sharp, bitter ache. The pill bottle in my hand pressed painfully into my palm. Serena and I had built this tech startup from scratch. I handled all the core engineering and client channels, while she managed internal operations. Together, we had turned it into a thriving enterprise. However, because of the strict company policy forbidding workplace romance, we never announced our marriage. Not a single person in the entire firm knew that I was Serena's husband. I cared deeply about today's gala and had prepared for it for weeks. Right before it began, Serena realized she had forgotten her medication. She had suffered from chronic asthma for years, and worried about her health, I rushed all the way back to our apartment to grab her inhaler. Now, seeing Ethan sitting in the seat that belonged to me, the truth hit me like a slap. Forgetting her medicine was just an excuse. She had invented a convenient lie to get rid of me so she could bask in our hard-earned victory and glory alongside Ethan. In fact, the gala was supposed to start at nine, but to cut me out entirely, Serena had started the meeting early. Ethan noticed me standing there looking dazed. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, look who decided to show up! Sean, why so late? The meeting is almost over!" "We couldn't find you when it started, so I had to step in and take the stage. I'm really sorry about that!" As he spoke, Ethan put on a show of looking troubled, standing there awkwardly as if he were entirely blameless. Ethan was Serena's college sweetheart. Even though they had broken up back then, he remained the unforgettable first love in her heart. Because of that, Ethan never respected me. He constantly provoked me and undermined my authority. Yet in Serena's eyes, whenever I pushed back, it was just me being jealous and petty. Seeing Ethan's supposed embarrassment, Serena immediately stepped in to defend him, glaring at me with cold fury. "Sean Miller, do you ever have your priorities straight? Everyone had to wait around for you at such an important meeting. Aren't you embarrassed?" "As the Chief Technology Officer, you don't even have basic punctuality. In my opinion, you don't deserve the title of CTO anymore!" I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to tell her I was late because I went home to get her medication. But looking at her absolute, unyielding coldness, my lips parted, and I ultimately looked down in silence. Serena wasn't joking. She turned to Ethan and said softly, "Ethan, you graduated from a prestigious university abroad. You have top-tier credentials and brilliant technical skills. I'll have to trouble you to take over as CTO." She turned back to me, barking out orders, "Did you hear me? Clear out your desk immediately. Since you're not up to the job, step aside for someone who is." I looked up, stunned. "Ms. Vance, are you telling me to hand my position as CTO over to Ethan?" "Not just your position. Starting today, every single patent and piece of research under your name will be transferred to Ethan. Sean, you have disappointed me completely!" The words hit me like a physical blow. My face drained of color, and my body trembled. When we started with nothing, I gave up a secure, prestigious research position at a national institute just to support her dream from square one. I sold my family's old home, emptied my entire savings account to fund her company, served as the sole core engineer, and ran back-and-forth securing client pipelines just to pull this dying company back from the brink. Meanwhile, Ethan was just a parasite who snuck in through the back door. Every proposal he ever presented was stolen from a team of engineers; he was merely the handsome face reading the slides. Yet in Serena's eyes, he was brilliant, and I was entirely worthless. Every sign had pointed to this. Today, this relationship had finally reached its end. My heart went cold. I gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Fine. No problem. It's his." Ethan couldn't conceal the spark of triumph in his eyes, but he still put on a modest act. "Oh, come on, Sean, I'm just the new guy here. I don't have your tenure. How could I possibly push you out and take over as CTO?" "It's just... I heard you've been running into roadblocks on the new product pipeline. It's been nearly a year without any real progress. I only wanted to help carry the load for the company." Serena looked at Ethan with eyes full of tenderness. "Ethan, it's so thoughtful of you to care so much. Don't sell yourself short. Everyone here has seen what you can do. Our profits this year are thanks to you." "Besides, you're an elite graduate from overseas with incredible technical expertise. This role was made for you." Listening to Serena, I almost burst out laughing. When Ethan joined the company, I did a background check on him. He had attended a third-rate diploma mill overseas, dragging it out for five years before essentially buying his degree. And yet, Serena viewed him as an elite talent. Suddenly, I really wanted to see how big of a mess he would make once I wasn't there to hold up the ceiling.Serena wasn't done praising him. To emphasize the contrast, she turned her anger back on me. "Sean, this core project has been in your hands for nearly a year, and we haven't seen a single viable result. How much longer do you expect me to wait?" "What did you promise me when you took it on? If your skills are lacking, learn from Ethan instead of standing around making excuses!" I let out a quiet breath and said nothing. She seemed to have completely forgotten the endless nights I spent grinding out code and architecture in the early days. Back then, she leaned on me for every single decision, seeking my approval before taking a single step. Once I stabilized the company and turned it into an industry powerhouse, she took all the credit for herself. Intoxicated by everyone calling her a self-made corporate queen, she now couldn't wait to discard the "useless" husband who had built her empire. Serena kept lecturing me, her words dripping with disdain. I walked straight toward Ethan. The room instantly fell dead silent, the air thick with tension. Everyone thought we were about to throw punches. But I didn't raise a finger. I simply unclipped my company badge, pulled out the freshly printed divorce agreement from my folder, and slapped them both directly into Ethan's face. "Working is so exhausting anyway. Why don't I be generous and let you take my place as the CEO's husband, too?" The moment the words left my mouth, the room erupted into collective shock. "Ms. Vance is married? To Sean?!" "Oh my god... is this an office drama love triangle? Are we really allowed to watch this?!" In contrast to the chaos, my calm demeanor completely threw my colleagues off. They assumed I had been pushed past the breaking point and gone insane. After all, everyone had witnessed firsthand the blood, sweat, and tears I poured into this project over the past year. Yet no one knew that the core technology existed only in my head. No one on earth could replicate it. Serena's face twisted into an ugly grimace of pure contempt. "Sean Miller, what is the meaning of this? Do you have no professional integrity at all?" How hilarious. I was willingly stepping down for Ethan, clearing every obstacle in his career path, and even handing over all my intellectual property. Wasn't this exactly what she wanted? Ethan clutched my badge tightly, his eyes glued to it before he reluctantly looked up. "Sean... I had no idea you and Serena were married. It's my fault for not recognizing who you were. I apologize if I crossed a line." "Still, Serena never announced your marriage publicly. Maybe... she just never felt confident in you." "Of course, I don't mean anything bad by that! I can't accept the CTO position. Please don't take your anger out on Serena. Let me apologize on her behalf." He held the badge out to return it to me, though his hands moved at a snail's pace, clearly unwilling to let go. I gave a cold, detached smile. "You're joking. The position is yours now. It has nothing to do with me." I pushed the project folders straight into Ethan's chest. Serena eyed me suspiciously, but my expression was completely serene. In fact, a wave of pure relief washed over me. Seeing that, she nodded and told Ethan to take the files. "At least he knows when to quit. Since Sean is willing to step aside, everything is yours now. Congratulations, Ethan!" Ethan, having finally secured the position he had coveted for so long, thanked me repeatedly, the smug arrogance in his eyes impossible to hide. I didn't care in the slightest. The truth was, the breakthrough had already been achieved. I had planned to unveil the fully functional build at today's gala as a surprise gift to celebrate our milestones together. Now, there was no need. It took even me an entire year of non-stop mathematical modeling to solve those algorithmic bottlenecks. With his bought degree and non-existent programming skills, cracking the remaining core logic would be harder than climbing to heaven. Everyone thought being the Chief Technology Officer was easy—just delegating tasks and bossing people around. What they didn't realize was that the CTO not only architected the system, but also took full legal and technical liability when it failed. Without my proprietary core code, the millions of lines already compiled were nothing more than digital garbage. What was worse, the contractual delivery deadline with our top enterprise client was right around the corner. When the deadline hit, Serena wouldn't just face tens of millions in breach-of-contract penalties—her entire company would crumble. Seeing me stay quiet after stepping down, Serena seemed to feel a momentary pang of guilt. She cleared her throat and said awkwardly, "Fine, don't just stand there sulking. The celebration lunch is starting." "I specifically booked a private room at your favorite restaurant for today's banquet." She turned her head away with an air of arrogant pride, acting as though extending an olive branch was an act of supreme mercy. When something reaches peak absurdity, you can only laugh. The mere thought of sitting at a table sharing a meal with these two revolting people made my stomach churn. I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit.Ethan rushed out to block my path. "Sean, you're not actually angry because you had to hand over the CTO role, are you?" "Serena was just speaking in the heat of the moment. She doesn't really want a divorce. You're misunderstanding everything—there is truly nothing inappropriate going on between Serena and me!" As he spoke, Ethan shoved me toward the banquet hall. "Sean, go in and eat. I'll take care of cleaning up the conference room." Oh, right. During our little confrontation, Serena had demoted me to the facility maintenance department. Ethan was deliberately reminding me that I was now nothing more than a janitor. He grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor with dramatic flair, making it look to everyone watching like I was being an ungrateful, petty husband throwing a tantrum while he was the humble, self-sacrificing peacemaker. Sure enough, Ethan playing the victim triggered Serena immediately. She marched over, snatched the broom from Ethan's hands, and looked at him with heartbreak in her eyes. "Ethan, why are you degrading yourself by doing this?" "You are the Chief Technology Officer! Your hands are precious—they are meant to build the future of this company! Doing menial labor like this is an insult to your talent." "It's fine, Serena. I just want to help Sean out with some chores. As long as he isn't mad at me, I'll do anything," Ethan said, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow with a look of quiet suffering. Serena couldn't stand it. She whipped around and shoved the broom hard against my chest. "Haven't you thrown enough tantrums today? Clean this entire room before you step a foot inside!" "Do your own job. If you don't finish sweeping, don't even think about having lunch!" It had always been like this. To prove she was impartial and maintain the secret of our marriage, she constantly ordered me around at the office like a servant. It was as if I were a stray dog she kept on a leash, rather than the husband who built her company from the dirt up. I was completely, utterly done with this life. While Ethan was dragging the mop across the floor, he deliberately swung the filthy, blackened mop head across the toes of my shoes. Those shoes were the birthday gift Serena had bought me years ago. Ethan immediately gasped, putting on a show of remorse. "Oh, Sean, I'm so sorry! I didn't see your shoes there. You won't hold it against me, will you?" His words sounded apologetic, but his eyes were filled with blatant mockery. It was as if he were whispering: See? I am the only one Serena actually cares about. Everyone in the hallway assumed I would swallow the insult like I always did. The next second, a muffled, agonized shriek echoed down the corridor. I shoved the filthy, dripping mop head straight into Ethan's open mouth. Ethan stumbled backward, gagging and spitting in pure rage. "Are you insane?! Are you that jealous that I took your job?!" I looked at him coldly. "When you're full of garbage, everything looks like trash to you. Why would I be jealous of a parasite?" "I just don't like clowns trying to lecture me. You make me sick." Ethan's face turned crimson with humiliation. He opened his mouth to shout, but I turned around and walked out the front doors. Staying in that building for even one more second felt like degrading myself. Breathing the same air as them made me feel dirty. Without realizing it, I wandered across town to our old college campus. That was where Serena and I had first met, right outside the university gates. Back then, she was the brilliant, untouchable campus queen, and I was just an ordinary guy from a small town working three jobs to pay tuition. A terrifying armed robbery on the street corner gave a nobody like me the chance to shield her. I threw myself in front of the blade, taking two deep stab wounds to protect her, nearly bleeding out on the pavement. As she shook in terror in my arms, the only thing I had on me was a small paper crane I had folded, which I pressed into her trembling hands to comfort her. At that moment, a quiet vow settled in my chest: I was going to protect this girl for the rest of my life. I survived, but I never imagined that someone else would steal that credit. Ethan, who was in the same engineering cohort, claimed he was the one who fought off the attacker and saved her life. He used that heroic lie to get close to her and completely won her heart. Only then did I learn that loving someone wasn't about watching silently from afar; you had to make your move. Watching Serena and Ethan look so radiantly happy together, I stepped back into the shadows, guarding her from a distance as nothing more than a casual acquaintance. I never expected that Ethan was only playing with her. Once he had her, he stopped caring entirely. When faced with the choice between staying with her or taking a scholarship to study abroad, Ethan abandoned Serena without a second thought. He even cruelly told everyone that their family backgrounds were too different for them to ever work out, claiming that ripping off the band-aid was better than dragging it out. After the breakup, Serena fell into a severe clinical depression. The smile vanished from her face, and she attempted suicide multiple times. I stayed by her side through every dark night, talking her through the pain, slowly pulling her out of that deadly emotional abyss. Eventually, our bond grew naturally, we got married, and I poured everything I had into helping her launch her startup. She once held me tearfully and promised that she would only ever love me for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, promises don't last forever.