Aaron’s eyes flashed with shock as he stared incredulously at the badge before looking back up at me.

Meanwhile, Allison’s brows slowly furrowed. “Eric, what nonsense are you spouting? You’re nothing but a failure who ruins everything.”

“What nonsense? Under the media’s spotlight, whose hands were intertwined, acting as though they wouldn’t take responsibility?”

Under my lead, the media zoomed in on Allison and Aaron’s clasped hands, startling Allison into quickly pulling her hand away. She glared at me in frustration. “And just because I said a few things, you’re already threatening to quit? Do you think the company will bend to your whims?”

I nodded with feigned seriousness. “Let me clarify—I’m not threatening. I’m formally resigning. Now that the company has gone public, reputation is everything. And obviously, someone like me—a disgusting voyeur—shouldn’t remain here.”

Hearing this, Allison’s face darkened.

Aaron hesitated but then started reaching for the badge hanging from his neck. “Eric, how can I make you stay? If you’re unhappy, we can compete fairly for the director’s position.”

His words sounded righteous, but he didn’t actually take off the badge. It wasn’t until Allison pressed down on his hand that he stopped. “What’s there to feel bad about? If he doesn’t care, why should you? Just keep it.”

As she said this, Allison stared directly into my eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was acting out of spite or genuine disdain, and honestly, I didn’t care anymore.

As I turned to leave, Allison called out to me, “The marketing department is still short-staffed. Don’t rush to leave yet. Next week, we have an important deal with a foreign supplier. Bring the team and secure the deal.”

I chuckled coldly. I’d never seen anyone ask for help with such an attitude.

I remembered that supplier well. They were extremely cautious with raw materials and had little exposure to the domestic market. Naturally, they were very selective about their partners, and every collaboration opportunity attracted fierce competition. Our company was no exception.

Previously, I handled this line of work, but now, I was exhausted. Therefore, I decided to toss the responsibility onto Aaron.

“Since Aaron’s so capable, he shouldn’t disappoint you.”

Before Allison could respond, Aaron immediately stepped up. “This will be my first project since taking on the role. I promise to lead the team to success and elevate the company to new heights!”

I found it amusing. Some people were foolishly naïve. He had no idea the supplier’s CEO was notoriously elusive. Many companies wanting to collaborate couldn’t even track him down.

What was more, the company was infamous for being picky.

Unfortunately for them, I’d happened to meet the CEO last month through sheer coincidence. He’d been impressed and expressed a desire to work with me personally, not the company.

Nevertheless, the oblivious Aaron approached me again with a glass of wine, his tone smug. “Eric, don’t worry. Once you leave, I’ll revamp the marketing department. I won’t keep any dead weight on the team. I’ll turn it into the company’s backbone and ensure you aren’t let down.”

I knew he was worried I’d leave spies behind to sabotage him later. I stayed silent. Upon hearing Aaron’s words, the nearby colleagues exchanged uneasy glances, clearly worried about their futures.

As Aaron raised his glass to toast everyone, I calmly walked behind him. Without hesitation, I pushed him straight into the nearby fountain pool.

“As your still-employed senior, let me teach you your first lesson. A new leader shouldn’t let their fire burn too brightly. Otherwise, they’ll need to cool off.”

Allison’s sharp voice rang in my ears. “Eric, are you crazy? How dare you push him in front of everyone?”

As she spoke, Allison hurried over to pull Aaron out of the fountain, but he floundered in the icy water for quite a while without getting up. It was winter, and the fountain water was freezing. Aaron sneezed several times, his carefully styled hair now soaked and disheveled. He looked utterly miserable.

Some colleagues even pulled out their phones and started taking pictures.

Allison still managed to throw a parting threat my way. “Eric, you uncivilized brute! I won’t let you get away with this!”

I ignored her, shoved my hands into my pockets, and walked straight out of the venue. Standing by the roadside waiting for a ride, I watched the rain outside grow heavier and felt a pang of nostalgia.

The first time I met Allison was on a rainy day like this. I’d been standing outside a convenience store, making a phone call. Just as I opened my umbrella and was about to leave, a spirited figure dashed out of the rain. She ducked under my umbrella, her eyes crinkling in a sweet smile.

“Hey, I forgot my umbrella. Mind sharing yours for a bit?”

For some reason, my heart skipped a beat, and my mind went blank. Without thinking, I agreed.

Later, I often thought that moment might have been fate—love at first sight. It was only after we got married that I learned she had someone else in her heart, a figure she could never forget.

She’d married me out of spite.

I once believed that if I treated her well enough, I could replace that person in her heart and carve out a bit of happiness for myself. Little did I know, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Lost in thought, I suddenly heard familiar voices behind me. It was Allison and Aaron.

Seeing the rain, Allison complained coyly, “Why did the weather suddenly change? And it’s raining so heavily. Did you bring an umbrella?”

Aaron glanced around and then locked eyes with me. “Wow, Allison, look how considerate Eric is! He knows you don’t like rainy days, so he waited here just for you. He even called a car for you!”

It was rush hour, and with the bad weather, traffic was congested, and rides were scarce. The car I’d ordered had just arrived.

Allison nodded in satisfaction. “Don’t think that calling a car for me means you can wipe the slate clean. You humiliated Aaron in front of the media, and I’ll deal with you for that later. But since you arranged a car for me, I’ll let it slide for now. As for your impulsive resignation, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

With that, she prepared to get in the car, gesturing for Aaron to join her.

Aaron glanced at me hesitantly and said with a smile, “This doesn’t seem right. After all, this is Eric’s car. Wouldn’t it be rude of me to tag along?”

However, Allison replied without hesitation, “It’s a big car, isn’t it? One more person won’t make a difference. Or do you want to stand here in the rain and wait forever? Eric can just flag another car down.”

Just as Allison reached for the door handle, I slipped into the front passenger seat first. “Who said this car was for you? Stop flattering yourselves.”

I then gave the driver my phone number to confirm the ride, and the car smoothly pulled away, leaving the two of them standing there, stunned in the rain.

I returned to the office to pack up my things and, on the spot, wrote a resignation letter to leave on Allison’s desk.

As I stood in the office I had personally designed, a wave of emotions washed over me. I wondered, how did Allison and I end up like this? Or perhaps, our love never truly began at all.

Just as I was about to leave, Allison burst in, dripping wet. When she saw me, her anger was palpable. She threw a cup of water at me with all her strength.

“Eric, what’s the meaning of this? You just left us to fend for ourselves and came back on your own? How selfish can you be?”

Selfish? If we were talking about selfishness, how could anyone compare to Allison?

I said nothing, adjusted my jacket, and prepared to leave.

Unfortunately, Aaron blocked my way, putting on a façade of concern. “Eric, this isn’t right. Even if you don’t like me and want to make things hard for me, you can’t just abandon Allison like that. She’s a girl! How could you be so heartless? As men, sometimes we need to be more magnanimous.”

Seeing him reach out as if to pat my shoulder, I slapped his hand away without hesitation. “If I didn’t act like this, how would your kindness stand out?”

Aaron seemed caught off guard by my lack of anger. All his provocations were like punches thrown at air, with no impact whatsoever.

Allison glared at me coldly. “Eric, you’ve completely let me down. Especially in a public setting like that today! Tomorrow, I’m holding a press conference, and you’d better clear things up for me. Otherwise, you can expect divorce papers!”

I nodded. “Alright, let’s get divorced.”

Allison froze, staring at me in shock. “What did you say? Eric, are you out of your mind?”

This marriage, long devoid of love, had no reason to continue. I was tired. I wanted to let go.

“And what will you do after leaving the company? Do you think I don’t know about your mediocre skills? What, you think acting carefree and asking for a divorce will threaten me?”

I found it amusing. Apparently, I’d spoiled Allison over the years to the point that she didn’t know her limits anymore. She believed that without me, she could conquer the world on her own.

However, she’d forgotten. In a company like this, resources reigned supreme, and I held all the resources in my hands. Once I left, it would cause a domino effect, and that would be the beginning of her downfall.

At that moment, her phone rang.

Allison glanced at the screen, then raised it triumphantly toward me, a smug look on her face.

“See this? William from the foreign supply company is calling me. So what if you resign, Eric? Without you, they’ll naturally come to me for collaboration. Too bad, it’s too late for you to change your mind now.”

She smiled as she answered the call, but her expression changed within seconds.

“What? They’ve chosen someone else to sign with?”