Chapter 1

To ensure her beloved ex got promoted, the CEO's wife stole my proposal.

Then she had the audacity to accuse me of plagiarism, claiming I copied her ex's work, and demanded severe disciplinary action.

Her ex, Mason Rivers, smirked, looking smug.

“Liam Allen, I can’t believe you’d stoop to such scheming and dishonest tactics just to get a promotion. Mr. Harrison despises petty, underhanded people like you. Once he’s back, not only will you be kicked out of the company, but you’ll be blacklisted across the entire industry.”

I didn’t get angry. Instead, I just laughed and resigned on the spot.

My wife, Isabella Harris, seeing me so compliant, privately offered to put in a good word for me, assuring me that getting back into the company wouldn’t be a problem.

What they didn’t know was that Mr. Harrison was my dad, and he’d seen me write that proposal firsthand.

Once the truth came out, they wouldn’t just be utterly disgraced; they’d lose everything.

“Liam Allen, the company invested so much manpower and resources into training you, and you’re just walking away?”

“I can be generous and forgive your plagiarism. However, you’ll have to work as my assistant and learn what real decency and integrity means.”

Mason Rivers straightened his suit jacket, his face full of mockery as he stepped on the proposal I'd spent a week burning the midnight oil on.

I sneered back.

“Mason Rivers, you’re nothing but a kept man, clinging to a woman to get ahead, you shameless cheat. What right do you have to be yapping here? Have me as your assistant? Do you honestly think you’re worthy?”

Everyone present gasped, shocked that I, a failed candidate for promotion, dared to talk back.

Mason’s face subtly changed.

Isabella Harris, sitting firmly in the main chair, suddenly stood up. She grabbed the uncapped pen from beside her and hurled it at me.

“Liam Allen, you’re utterly insolent! This is Harrison Corp., not your living room! You plagiarized, and now you’re trying to turn the tables on us?”

I didn’t have time to dodge. The pen tip sliced across my cheek, leaving a thin line of crimson blood. The sharp sting made me wince.

Isabella’s long lashes fluttered, a flicker of something, maybe regret, in her eyes as she clenched her fists and spoke in a low, tight voice.

“Mason is being so kind to forgive you. You should be incredibly grateful. It’s not easy to find a job these days.”

I just curled my lips.

We’d been married for five years, and Isabella and I had worked tirelessly together at the company for five years.

She always said that once I became a Vice President, we’d go public with our marriage.

She kept climbing, her position getting higher and higher, but her heart drifted further and further away.

Every time a promotion opportunity came up, she ordered me to give it to someone else.

Those who joined the company before me needed stability; they deserved promotion.

Those who joined after me were 'talented'; they deserved promotion.

Mason Rivers had broken up with her in the past because she was 'poor.' Only after his family's fortunes crashed did he come crawling back. He joined the company a year ago and was fast-tracked for promotion three times. Isabella personally wrote glowing reports, praising him to high heaven.

I’d finally gotten to the point where I was about to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, but then she stole my proposal for Mason Rivers and accused me of plagiarism.

“Alright, Isabella, don’t be angry. I don’t blame him. After all, getting caught plagiarizing is quite shameful. But I’m kind-hearted. I can’t bear to see him homeless, so I’m willing to share the project results with him so he can make up for his mistake.”

Mason Rivers spoke up, feigning reconciliation, a smug look on his face.

“Mr. Harrison is still recovering abroad and doesn’t know what’s happened here. Liam Allen, I can put in a good word for you when he gets back.”

It was always like this. He’d push me to my breaking point, then hide behind Isabella, playing the victim.

It made everyone believe he was bearing immense humiliation and was genuinely kind-hearted, while I was petty and spiteful, unable to tolerate others.

Isabella nodded, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at Mason.

“Liam Allen, Mason is so excellent and has such good character. You’ll be lucky to work under him.”

Lucky?

Besides his sweet talk and empty promises, he knew absolutely nothing about corporate work.

If you looked at his achievements, they were all projects where Isabella had forcefully added his name, or projects he’d outright stolen from me.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to plagiarize me for a simple proposal.

Thinking of this, I scoffed.

“Work with him? That flawed, copy-pasted proposal of mine, riddled with holes? If he takes that out, he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t anger our partners to death. I don’t want to get dragged into that mess.”

Mason’s eyes reddened. He pulled off his employee badge and cried.

“Isabella, I know I’m new to the industry and don’t have Liam’s experience. I’ve tried my best to befriend him, but he still has such a big prejudice against me. I can’t do this anymore. Maybe I should just leave!”

If he hadn’t been clutching that badge tightly in his hand, I might have actually believed him.

Bang!

Isabella slammed her hand on the table, yelling furiously.

“Liam Allen, this is workplace bullying! Apologize to Mason right now! Don’t forget what I told you a few days ago!”

She winked at me, making a motion with her hand as if putting on a ring.

I knew. She was threatening me with our official announcement.

Everyone present, watching our dispute, unhesitatingly sided with the CEO.

“Liam Allen, you were about to be kicked out of the company. It was our VP Mason who was generous enough to let you stay. You should be grateful! Now apologize!”

“VP Mason is so dashing and talented. We’d all fight to be his assistant! You’re shameless enough to plagiarize, and you can’t even apologize? What’s with this 'integrity' act?”

My gaze swept over all those familiar faces.

Isabella had always treated me harshly at the company, exceptionally strict, making it known to everyone that she disliked me.

These opportunists usually disobeyed orders and left all the messes for me to clean up.

I endured it, waiting for the day I’d be promoted to VP and Isabella would go public with our marriage.

All I got was an empty promise.

Facing their coercion, I said calmly,

“Since VP Rivers is so excellent, why does he need me? I wish him luck in leading the company to greatness.”

Isabella saw I wasn't taking the bait. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she snapped,

“Liam Allen, you’re still so stubborn! When Mr. Harrison returns, it will be your downfall!”

I chuckled.

“More like your downfall.”

Only I knew that Mr. Harrison was my dad, and I was his only son, pampered since childhood.

When I was burning the midnight oil writing that proposal, he was sick, but he worried about my eyes so much it broke his heart. He even offered to write it for me.

I wanted to see who would really be in trouble once my dad came back.