"She probably found out about Mr. Newman and came here to make a scene..."

"But she's just a housewife. How could she possibly go up against Mr. Newman? Honestly, she'd be better off pretending not to notice. At least, she'd still enjoy life as a rich wife..."

I kept walking as though I hadn't heard a thing.

Just as I was about to enter Ryan's office, someone blocked my path. It was a young woman I didn't recognize. She looked me up and down with open disdain.

"This isn't a place people like you can just wander into. Get out."

One of the nearby employees hurriedly tried to explain, "Jasmine, that's Mrs. Newman. Move aside quickly..."

Nevertheless, the girl called Jasmine showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, she gave me another slow once-over before sneering. "So you're Mr. Newman's wife? No wonder he's sick of you. You're way too old.

"This is an office, not some place where you can throw tantrums. If I were you, I'd go home before Mr. Newman gets here. Otherwise, if you anger him, he'll probably dump you."

Her words sent a wave of whispers through the office. While a few employees watched with sympathy, many others seemed to be relishing the unfolding drama.

I scoffed and gave a sharp nod to my bodyguards. They moved instantly, seizing Jasmine and pinning her where she stood. I stepped forward, raised my hand, and delivered a forceful slap across her face.

"Who are you to block my way?"

Jasmine stared at me in disbelief before letting out a shrill scream. "Who am I?! Do you even know who I am?! How dare you hit me! I'm Georgia's best friend! If she finds out you touched me, she won't let you off!"

She burst into arrogant laughter. "You're just afraid Georgia's going to replace you as Mrs. Newman, aren't you, you old hag?

"I am telling you, you would have been kicked out a long time ago if Georgia hadn't been so gracious as to allow Mr. Newman to keep you around!

"You actually had the nerve to strike me? Just you wait until my bestie returns! She will make sure Mr. Newman divorces you instantly and tosses you out without a single cent!"

A smile grew on my face. Then I lightly patted her swollen cheek. "In that case, you'd better call them right now and tell them to hurry over. I'm here to divorce Ryan today anyway. But I'm not the one leaving empty-handed."

The moment I stepped into the office, I knew someone had already warned Ryan.

The instant those words left my mouth, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Ryan arrived with Georgia rushing beside him. The moment he saw me, his expression stiffened for a split second. Then he immediately grabbed my wrist and tried pulling me away. "Whatever this is, let's go home and talk about it."

I violently shook off his hand. "We'll talk right here."

Georgia hugged the red-faced Jasmine and suddenly burst into tears. "Mrs. Newman, I know you're angry because I restricted your spending, and that's why you came here to stir trouble at the office...

"But you really are too extravagant! The company only makes a few million dollars in profit each year, yet a single necklace of yours alone costs over ten million!

"And you constantly swipe money from Mr. Newman's accounts to buy things! Today it's just coffee, but what about next time?

"If nobody stops you now, who's to say you won't eventually take tens of millions directly from the company accounts? What would happen to Sterling & Co. Holdings then?

"I know you're angry at me, and if you want to hit me or yell at me, I deserve it… But you shouldn't take your anger out on innocent employees.

"And you definitely shouldn't have taken revenge on my sick mother! How could you force someone to throw my mother out of the hospital?! Do you know she almost died?!"

The moment those words came out, the employees who had still felt sympathy toward me instantly looked at me with disgust instead.

"My God... she's actually that horrible?"

Ryan's expression darkened instantly. "Alexandria, have you caused enough trouble yet?! Georgia only restricted your spending for the good of the company! If you have a problem, take it out on me! Why are you making things difficult for her?! If you keep acting like this, I really can't stay married to you anymore."

I let out a cold laugh and threw the printed screenshots of Georgia's social media posts at him. "So is it the company that's making you unable to stay married to me...

"Or is it because you want your precious Georgia to replace me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Ryan barked angrily, though the panic in his eyes gave him away. "Stop spreading rumors about her!"

I pulled a pregnancy report from my bag and slammed it against his chest. "Georgia is pregnant. And the baby is yours. Are you still going to claim I'm making things up now?!

"You even signed an agreement promising that if she gave birth safely, the child would receive five percent of the company's shares!"

Ryan looked down at the pregnancy report in his hands, but there wasn't even a trace of guilt or embarrassment on his face. Instead, he sighed helplessly and looked at me as though I were the unreasonable one.

"Since you already know, there's no point hiding it anymore. Yes, Georgia is carrying my child. But I'm not divorcing you. Once the baby is born, we can just bring the child home and raise it together.

"And if that makes you uncomfortable, I'll arrange a separate place for Georgia and the baby to live. They won't get in your way.

"As for the shares, it's only security for their future. Don't worry. Sterling & Co. Holdings will still belong to our child in the end."

I laughed in sheer disbelief. "Ryan, who exactly gave you the authority to touch the company shares? I don't agree."

Ryan's expression immediately turned cold. "Then let's get a divorce. Don't forget. We never signed a prenup. If this goes to court, half the company and half the marital assets belong to me.

"You've been playing housewife for so long that you clearly haven't noticed I've already taken the reins of this company," Ryan sneered. "Your meager shares aren't nearly enough to oppose me anymore.

"When the time comes, five percent will be the least of your worries. I intend to hand the entire company over to Georgia's child."

I grinned. "You seem to have forgotten something. This was never a conventional marriage; you married into my family. My assets were never within your reach.

"I allowed you to work for me for five years, yet you've managed to forget who actually owns this company."

Then my voice turned ice-cold. "Ryan, we're getting divorced. And you're walking away with nothing."

I looked directly at the stunned employees surrounding us. "Right now, as the controlling owner of Sterling & Co. Holdings, I am officially notifying you both right now—you are fired.

"Security, remove these two from the premises immediately."

The office fell into a heavy, absolute silence for a single heartbeat. Then, the room erupted into total pandemonium.

"Wait... he married into her family?"

"Seriously?!"

"No wonder he became president so quickly..."

"So the company actually belongs to Mrs. Newman?"

Georgia's face visibly turned pale.

Ryan's fists clenched so tightly the veins in his hands bulged. He stared at me through gritted teeth, his voice practically forced out between them.

"Stop talking nonsense. When did I ever marry into your family? The law doesn't even recognize something like that."

Then he suddenly raised his voice, almost like he was trying to convince himself as much as everyone else.

"After we got married, all our assets became marital property. So even if you take this to court, the outcome won't change."

As he spoke, Ryan suddenly seemed to find his confidence again, like he'd finally grabbed onto a lifeline. He straightened his back and let out an icy laugh. "And besides, so what if the company originally belonged to you?"

His gaze swept across the office, deliberately looking at every employee around us. His voice carried the confidence of someone convinced he controlled everything.

"You've been away from the company for five or six years. During that time, who do you think has been at the helm? Who was the one steering the ship, making the hard calls, and ensuring everyone here stayed profitable?

"I was. Every person in this room owes their promotion to me. Do you honestly believe that after all this time, you can just walk back in, say a few things, and expect them to suddenly follow your lead?"

The air instantly turned tense.

Then, quietly, someone agreed with him.

"Mr. Newman does have a point..."

"He really has been running the company all these years..."

"She's basically just been a housewife..."

The direction of the conversation began to shift.

Georgia recovered quickly, too. The panic in her eyes disappeared in an instant, replaced once again by that delicate, innocent expression she wore so well.

She stepped forward and gently tugged on Ryan's sleeve. "Mr. Newman, please don't be angry..."

Then she turned toward me. Her eyes were slightly teary, but there was a subtle superiority hidden beneath her soft tone.

"Mrs. Newman, I know you're upset. Having remained at home all these years without any involvement in corporate affairs, it's understandable that this is hard for you to accept..."

She sighed softly, almost as if she were generously trying to understand me. "However, a corporation is not a playground. Emotional impulses have no place in business decisions."

She paused briefly, a faint smile touching the corner of her lips. "Besides spending money recklessly... it doesn't really seem like you've done anything for Mr. Newman or this company."

A few muffled laughs spread through the crowd.

Although her tone grew even gentler, the underlying venom in her words sharpened. "My intentions are different. I have no desire to usurp your title as Mrs. Newman. My only goal is to alleviate Mr. Newman's burdens and ensure the company is managed with the competence it deserves.

"So there's really no need for you to panic like this..."

Her demeanor shifted abruptly as she addressed the security detail with cold authority. "This woman is clearly unstable and making a spectacle. Security, don't just stand there. Remove her at once to ensure our operations are no longer compromised."

Several security guards exchanged hesitant looks, then slowly began walking toward me.

At the same time, the attitudes around me completely changed.

"Exactly. This is an office, not somewhere she can throw a tantrum..."

"No matter what, she shouldn't disrupt everyone's work..."

"Talking about firing Mr. Newman... she's lost her mind..."

I scanned the room, meeting their eyes one by one. The expressions were identical: frigid, derisive, and calculated as they signaled their allegiance.

I observed every individual with deliberate precision, etching each of their faces into my memory.

Then, without warning, a smile touched my lips. Without looking at anyone else again, I pulled out my phone.

Right in front of the entire office, I made a call.

"You can come in now."