I looked at the crowd of self-righteous "defenders of justice" in front of me. I also took in the livid expression on Whitney's face and the smug satisfaction written all over Zach's. It all seemed like such a ridiculous farce to me.

I slowly approached Cindy and asked calmly, "Ms. Hurst, did my earlier actions count as sexual harassment against you? Do you need an apology from me? Or do you want to call the police?"

Cindy froze. She looked at me before glancing at the beady-eyed people around us—especially Whitney's murderous gaze. Her lips quivered, and she found it impossible to speak.

"Cindy! Don't be scared! Ms. Stuart will stand up for you!" Zach fanned the flames. "We mustn't let a scumbag like him get away with this!"

Whitney also snarled sharply, "Go on, Cindy! Tell us whether he forced himself on you! As long as you testify against him, I guarantee the company will give you a full-time position and the best resources as well! But if you don't tell the truth, you can forget about continuing with your internship!"

She was blatantly resorting to both the carrot and the stick.

Cindy paled, and her entire body trembled even harder. Looking at her, I spoke up again.

"Don't be scared. Just tell the truth. I'm here. I won't let anyone force you into doing anything you don't want to do."

Perhaps my calm, steady manner gave her a little courage. Or maybe it was her own defiant streak, buried deep within her, that had finally been awakened.

After taking a deep breath, she said, her voice soft and somewhat nasally yet impossibly clear, "H-He didn't force himself on me… H-He asked me for permission first…"

Even though her voice was barely above a whisper, in the silence of the room, everyone heard her.

"What did you just say?" Whitney couldn't believe what she just heard. "Cindy Hurst! I dare you to say that again!"

Zach got antsy as well. "Cindy! Did he traumatize you? Are you intimidated by him? Don't be afraid! Ms. Stuart is right here!"

Tears clung to Cindy's face, but there was now a trace of determination in her eyes.

"Ms. Stuart, Mr. Green, Mr. Lockwood was just following the rules of the game… and… he really did ask me first..."

Even though her voice kept getting softer, it was clear what she said.

"Why, you ungrateful little bitch!"

Whitney was so furious that she nearly fainted on the spot. She had never expected a lowly intern to dare defy her.

"You're fired, Cindy!"

Cindy instantly went pale, and she hurriedly waved her hands in panic.

"Ms. Stuart! I… I didn't mean to cause any problems. Mr. Lockwood must've had too much to drink, so that's why he… I never meant to ruin your relationship!" Cindy cried out.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Zach flashed a mocking smile. He reached out and jabbed Cindy hard in the shoulder with his finger. "Didn't you hear what Ms. Stuart just said, you ungrateful slut?

"You're fired. Get back to the office and pack your things at once. Don't forget to come to the company tomorrow to process your resignation. But if you're willing to testify that Simon sexually harassed you, I might consider not blacklisting you from the industry."

My eyes narrowed.

"I had no idea, Zach—since when did a mere assistant like you get to have so much say in not just Stuart Group but the entire industry as well?"

I pulled Cindy behind me and reassured her, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, nobody can touch you."

Zach immediately snorted jeeringly. "Are you serious? A pathetic freeloading leech like you?"

I nodded and looked at him calmly. "If you don't believe me, go ahead and test me."

Zach glanced at Whitney behind him, and she jerked her chin, as if commanding a dog.

"Fine. I shall see exactly how you plan to protect this woman!"

Chuckling, I remarked, "Sorry, but I'm not like you. I don't need to rely on a woman."

"Get a load of this guy. Here he is acting all high and mighty, but he's just a worthless dog living off the Stuart family!"

"He's nothing but the Stuart family's freeloading son-in-law, yet he still has the nerve to mock Mr. Green? He's just setting himself up for humiliation."

"You're right about that. Every single one of us here today has earned our place. He's the only one who's leeching off his wife, so what makes him think he can look down on others? Hahaha!"

I calmly cut in, "Sorry to interrupt, but it's not that I look down on Zach."

Zach scoffed mockingly. "Oh? Finally coming back to your senses, are you? Well, if you get on your knees and lick my shoes clean right now—"

I held up a finger and wagged it disapprovingly, cutting him off. "Nope. That's not what I'm saying. I just wanted to clarify that I treat all of you equally—I look down on every single one of you in this room."

Whitney was seething. With an angry scoff, she growled, "You've got some nerve, Simon. One might get the wrong impression and think you're the CEO of Stuart Group instead!

"Since you're apparently so capable and so eager to play the hero saving the damsel in distress, then fine—I'll grant your wish! Here at Stuart Group, we have no interest in keeping useless trash around you. You can join her. Pack your things and get lost!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

With a malicious smirk, Zach threw a document at my face.

"You kissed another woman right in front of Ms. Stuart and humiliated her in public. What makes you think you can keep living off her? Didn't your parents ever teach you basic human decency?"

So this was what they were after.

Chuckling, I looked at Whitney and Zach. "Basic human decency?"

I paused, my gaze turning sharp.

"A CEO who kisses her subordinate passionately in public and a scheming assistant who relies on ass-kissing to get ahead, all the while seducing a married woman, are trying to lecture me about being decent? What gives you two the right, huh?"

"You!"

Whitney and Zach's expressions changed instantly.

"Don't even try to slander us with these ridiculous accusations, Simon!" Zach immediately fired back at me. "Ms. Stuart and I have a perfectly innocent relationship! You're the one with a filthy mind. Do you think we're all as depraved as you are?"

"Innocent, you say?"

I was even more amused now.

"Mr. Green, do you need me to remind you how long you stayed in Whitney's private lounge at the office last Friday night, after heading in there at 11:00 pm?

"Or the time you snuck into Whitney's room in the middle of the night during the company retreat last month? Should I tell everyone who the father of the baby Whitney accidentally miscarried last year was?"

"That's all bullshit!" Zach's face turned ghostly pale as he cut me off sharply. "Stop coming up with these wild lies, Simon! I can sue you for defamation, you know!"

Whitney panicked as well, screaming hysterically, "Shut the hell up, Simon! Say one more word, and I'll rip your tongue out!"

"You two know perfectly well if I'm just spouting so-called lies." I eyed them frostily.

"Whitney, I've tolerated you for a very long time. Did you really think you did such a good job hiding all your dirty little secrets? Did you seriously believe that I'm one of those blind, idiotic husbands you see in soap operas, the ones who have no clue their wives are cheating on them?"

My gaze swept across the room, taking in the people who'd loudly called for me to be reported to the police.

"I haven't forgotten about the rest of you. You're all pretending to be such righteous and decent people when you're just sucking up to those in power and trampling anyone beneath you. Do you think Stuart Group got where it is today because of parasites like you?"

"Simon Lockwood! You've gone too far!"

One of the senior executives who had always disliked me slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"You're just a useless piece of trash leeching off a woman! How dare you run your mouth here? Stuart Group belongs to Ms. Stuart. It has nothing to do with you, so get the hell out now!"

"Scram!"

"Get lost!"

"Security! Where's security? Have them throw him out!"

The crowd was in an uproar again, directing all of their hostility at me.

Whitney's expression flashed with malice and satisfaction as she watched while I was subjected to everyone's anger.

"See this, Simon? This is what happens when you offend me! If you get on your knees and apologize right now, maybe I'll consider letting you continue being one of my family's dogs. Otherwise, I'll make sure you can't survive anywhere in this entire city of Jessadorf!"

As I stared at Whitney's face, which was now contorted in arrogance and triumph, it felt completely unfamiliar to me. Out of nowhere, I was hit with a sense of overwhelming exhaustion.

Throughout our three years of marriage, I'd repeatedly compromised and put up with her nonsense, only for her to cross the line even further with the way she humiliated me and betrayed me.

I pulled my phone out and made a call. "Hey, it's me. Have him come over with the document. Bring it to me now. Yes, right this minute."

After ending the call, I ignored the scathing and humiliating remarks that were still being thrown at me. With a calm expression, I looked at Whitney and said, "You want a divorce, right, Whitney? Well, you're getting one today."

Whitney froze, clearly not expecting me to bring up divorce first. But within the very next moment, she looked positively thrilled, though her elation was soon replaced by suspicion.

"Divorce? Hah! So you've finally decided to stop pretending, huh, Simon? You want a divorce? Fine, but don't even dream about taking a single cent from the Stuart family! Don't think you get rich by cashing in on the divorce settlement!

"In fact, since you've been spending our money all these years, you need to pay us back!"

My lips curled. The Stuart family's money, huh?

Everything they had was mine to begin with.