Chapter 3

I went back to my father's house that very night and told Dad that Nathan had cheated and I wanted a divorce.

Dad looked down at the documents in his hand, not even lifting his head:

"That just proves you're a woman without charm, unable to keep your husband, so your husband had no choice but to run to another woman's bed."

My breath caught. My heart grew even colder.

Years ago, when he cheated and abandoned my mother, did he say the same thing to her?

"Anyway, cheating doesn't hurt men. As long as he comes home, that's all that matters."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms painfully, and said word by word:

"I want a divorce."

"Don't even think about it. If you want to blame something, blame yourself for not having children yet. Hurry up and have a baby. Don't let some woman out there have his child first. Otherwise, you'll have to split the assets with some illegitimate kid."

My chest felt tight and stuffy. Through gritted teeth, I said:

"I'll agree not to divorce on one condition—give me the CEO position. You originally promised it to me..."

With a "whoosh," Dad grabbed the documents in front of him and violently threw them at my head.

"You? A woman? What ability do you have to inherit my company?"

"I told you long ago to stop daydreaming!"

Looking at the documents scattered on the floor, my heart grew even colder.

Those were the annual summary reports I'd stayed up several nights to write.

Summarizing my achievements over the past three years. Three years as sales champion.

The first year I won sales champion, at the year-end party, Dad had me sit beside him, served me food, and said many encouraging and praising words.

The second year I won, he gave me a thumbs up: "Worthy of being my daughter! If you win again next year, Dad's position will be yours."

This was the third year. Even after he changed the sales policies on me, forcing me to double my performance targets, I still became sales champion. But he went back on his word.

"At next week's shareholders' meeting, I'm handing the company over to Nathan. Don't you dare make trouble. Just stay home and have babies like a good girl!"

"It was you who insisted on marrying this poor boy in the first place. Otherwise, why would I have bothered training him?"

"Dad, why have you never considered training me?"

"Train you? What for? A woman should focus on being a good wife and mother at home. What business does she have showing her face in public all the time?"

"Back then, if your mother had been worth anything and given me a few more sons, would I need to train an outsider as my successor?"

I closed my eyes hard.

I didn't understand. I was his biological daughter, yet he'd rather trust Nathan, a complete outsider, than trust me?

Just because I'm not a man?