: The Poverty Alleviation Game is Over

On the day my husband's company went public, his old flame showed up with a Pregnancy Report.

Mrs. Gresham was beaming. "I'm finally getting a grandson!"

My sister-in-law sneered, "That country bumpkin should've been kicked out long ago."

In an instant, I became the talk of the town—the cast-off wife of a wealthy family.

When word got out, my four tycoon brothers were not pleased.

"Sweetheart, the poverty-relief game is over. Time to come home and inherit the family business."

1

Not only were many business partners at the celebratory banquet, but several media outlets were there as well.

For the occasion, I chose a crimson, mermaid-style evening gown and even wore my favorite and most treasured jewelry set, "The Galaxy."

The moment I appeared, Mrs. Gresham pulled me aside. She stared contemptuously at my jewelry. "Are you actually wearing fakes? Do you have any idea who's here tonight? Did you really think no one knows that set was auctioned off long ago? Take it off!"

"…"

It was true that "The Galaxy" had been auctioned off long ago. It had caused quite a stir and even made the news, but the reports only said it was bought by a mysterious individual. No one knew that person was me.

Collecting jewelry is a hobby of mine.

My sister-in-law, Ivy Gresham, came over as well, her face a mask of disgust. "I told you a country bumpkin would have no class. Given the Gresham Family's status now, we can't afford this embarrassment. Hurry up and get lost!"

I was already used to the harsh, biting words from Mrs. Gresham and my sister-in-law.

The only person I cared about was Wyatt Gresham. As long as I had a place in his heart, I couldn't care less what anyone else thought.

I said nothing more. Instead, I turned and went to Wyatt Gresham's side, linking my arm with his as I always did.

The media was in the middle of interviewing him, and I wanted the whole world to know that I was Wyatt Gresham's wife.

But Wyatt Gresham's body suddenly went rigid.

'What's wrong?'

I looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the entrance, where a slender figure in white caught my eye.

Jade Lynn.

My heart trembled. She was Wyatt Gresham's first love. I'd seen her photo in his wallet back when I was pursuing him.

I had asked Wyatt Gresham who she was, and he'd told me she was his ex-girlfriend.

I remember a sharp, prickling numbness spreading through my heart back then. But I told myself that since I'd chosen to be with Wyatt Gresham, I shouldn't dwell on the past.

I never expected her to show up today.

Wyatt Gresham's reaction annoyed me, but I still maintained a polite smile.

Jade Lynn walked slowly up to Wyatt, smiling as she handed him a small, exquisite box. "Wyatt, congratulations."

Wyatt stared at Jade Lynn for a moment, then glanced sideways at me before taking the box.

Jade Lynn smiled faintly. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Wyatt paused, then opened the box.

Inside was a piece of paper.

I furrowed my brow. 'What kind of gift is this?'

Wyatt slowly unfolded the paper, revealing a Pregnancy Report.

My mind instantly went blank.

Jade Lynn's gentle eyes were still smiling. "Wyatt, you're going to be a father."

Murmurs erupted from the crowd, and camera flashes went off one after another, raising the curtain on this drama.

And I was one of the main characters.

Mrs. Gresham hurried over, grabbing Jade Lynn's hand and staring at her stomach for a moment before beaming. "This is wonderful! I'm finally getting a grandson!"

Ivy Gresham scoffed from the side. "I knew this barren hen would be kicked out sooner or later. That country bumpkin should've been thrown out long ago."

: 2

2

In an instant, all the cameras at the scene turned to me.

I looked up and saw the malice in the eyes of Mrs. Gresham, my sister-in-law, and Jade Lynn.

Everyone else present looked like they were waiting for the drama to unfold.

Wyatt Gresham's interview was being broadcast live.

Now, everyone knew: Wyatt Gresham's old flame was back and pregnant with his child, while I, Ashlyn Asher, was being publicly jilted at the Gresham Group's victory celebration.

I said nothing, simply turning to look calmly at the man beside me.

I still remembered his promise to me—he'd said he would love Ashlyn Asher for the rest of his life and never let her down.

But now...

The man I had loved for eight years pulled me before the cameras without a shred of hesitation and calmly said, "Actually, Ashlyn and I have already signed the Divorce Agreement, so I'll take this opportunity to make it official."

He finished, then looked at me, giving me no chance to object as he continued, "Ashlyn, why don't you say something, too? After all, we signed the Divorce Agreement six months ago, didn't we?"

"???"

'What Divorce Agreement?'

'I knew nothing about it, let alone would I have signed it.'

Wyatt Gresham gave a faint smile and motioned for his assistant to hand me the file folder.

I snatched it and flipped it open. The signature was indeed my name, in my own handwriting.

'I understood. I'd been set up.'

'They had this planned all along, just waiting for this day to kick me out.'

'Heh, to think that I, Ashlyn Asher, could be so blind. It seems men really aren't as valuable a collection as jewelry.'

'But I've always been one to repay every slight. When have I ever suffered such a huge loss and done nothing about it?'

I felt my palm clench.

I lowered my gaze, reining in my emotions. I closed the Divorce Agreement, faced the media with a faint smile, and said, "Yes, that's right. Wyatt and I signed the Divorce Agreement six months ago. He gave me 10% of the company's shares and appointed me as its Vice President. Although we're divorced, we remain good business partners. From now on, Wyatt and I will manage the Gresham Group together."

When I finished, I turned to Wyatt Gresham with a smile.

Wyatt Gresham's expression darkened instantly.

"What's the matter?" I blinked. "Do you have any objections, President Gresham?"

Wyatt Gresham's lips twisted into a smile. "Of course not."

"Wyatt!"

My mother-in-law—

Ah, no, I mean Mrs. Gresham. She started to shout, "She's..."

"Mom." Wyatt Gresham turned to glance at Mrs. Gresham. She immediately fell silent, though she continued to glare at me with hatred.

...

After the banquet, back in the hotel suite...

I sat on the sofa, looking at the four people before me.

Wyatt Gresham's face was grim. "Ashlyn, when did I agree to give you shares, let alone make you the vice president?"

A corner of my mouth lifted. "And when did I sign this agreement? Wyatt, you know exactly how you got my signature, don't you?"

I had been working at the Gresham Group, signing no small number of documents each day. I personally reviewed every single file—except for the ones Wyatt Gresham gave me himself.

He used my trust in him to scheme against me, so I could use his own despicable methods to control him.

"You want our family's company? In your dreams!" Mrs. Gresham's voice was shrill, like a mother hen protecting her food.

"Fine by me. I don't have to take the shares. You can just have your son go tell the media that."

"Fine. I'll give them to you," Wyatt Gresham said in a low voice.

"Now there's a man who gets things done." I stood up and walked over to Mrs. Gresham, all my previous restraint gone. I smiled. "You should learn a thing or two from your son, ma'am."

"And another thing..." I glanced at the necklace around Mrs. Gresham's neck. "The Emerald Suite you're wearing now is a fake. If you can't afford the real thing, you shouldn't wear it. It's just embarrassing."

'The real set is with my mother. I inherited my love for collecting jewelry from her—she's the true expert in this field.'

With that, I walked past them and out the door.

Just then, my phone started to ring. It was a call from Shen Asher.

'Had he already seen the news?'

'Of course he had. The media thrives on speed; everyone wants to be the first to break the story and capture the biggest audience.'

I answered the call, and Shen Asher's voice came through. "Ashlyn, it's time to end this poverty-alleviation game."

3

When I got home, all four of my brothers were there.

Fourth Brother came right up, handed me a glass of champagne, and clinked it against mine. "Cheers! Happy divorce. And, here's your reward."

He handed me a car key. A Cullinan, and the latest model at that.

"When did you buy it?"

"It just arrived today. I was actually going to drive it myself, but since my sweetheart finally left that good-for-nothing moocher, I'm giving it to you." After he finished, Fourth Brother even gave me a wink.

'A little cringey.'

'But as expected of a top-tier race car driver, even Fourth Brother's gifts are cars...'

'So unoriginal.'

"I prepared a gift, too." Third Brother handed me a manila envelope.

I took it and opened it. Inside was the deed to a plot of undeveloped land.

Third Brother raised an eyebrow. "You can build a house on it or use it for a development project. It's up to you."

'That's right, Third Brother is a real estate tycoon.'

'Also not very original.'

I looked over at Second Brother.

'The lot of them have been waiting for me to get divorced for ages. They must have been shopping for divorce celebration gifts this whole time.'

Second Brother also handed over a manila envelope. This one was even more over-the-top—it was a small island.

"My latest design. It's yours now."

I quietly accepted it but couldn't help asking, "Second Brother, come on, you're a world-renowned architect! A designer! Couldn't you have gotten me a gift with a little more originality?"

Second Brother asked, "Then what do you want?"

"I want something original. Something personally designed by you, Second Brother."

'Now for my eldest brother.'

'If Second Brother's gift was this extravagant, what about Shen Asher?'

I walked up to Shen Asher. "Shen Asher, what gift did you get me? The stars from the sky?"

Shen Asher's gaze was dark and heavy. "You wanted shares? I could give you the whole company. Was it worth putting yourself through so much just for his 10% of the company's shares?"

A small smile played on my lips. 'So that's what had Shen Asher so upset.'

"With Gresham Corp going public, I've poured my heart and soul into it over the past few years. I have no intention of letting someone else reap the rewards of my hard work."

'What I'm taking back is everything I've invested. After all, Wyatt Gresham doesn't deserve it.'

Shen Asher slowly rose to his feet and walked over. "Ashlyn, you've finally grown up. I can finally hand over the company to you with peace of mind."

"..."

'Second, Third, and Fourth Brother's gifts may not have been original, but at least they were tangible. And then there's Shen Asher, who actually wants me to run the company.'

'Just as you'd expect from a top-tier billionaire. Offering up the company just like that.'

'But the family company is huge. That just sounds exhausting.'

'He's not giving me a gift; he's trying to put me to work.'

"I don't want it. I'm the vice president of Gresham Corp now, and I'm going to manage *my* company."

'My goal is to take over all of Gresham Corp. I'm going to kick Wyatt Gresham to the curb.'

Shen Asher was silent for a moment, as if he'd seen right through me. A smile finally touched his lips. "That's not a bad idea. I approve."

...

I went upstairs to my room.

News of the incident spread online quickly. It was obvious that even though Wyatt Gresham had come forward in a desperate attempt at damage control, and I had even played along and helped clear his name, Gresham Corp's celebration banquet had still become a laughingstock in our circle.

In reality, anyone with eyes could see that Wyatt Gresham had cheated on me during our marriage; he was just desperately trying to save face.

I, on the other hand, was getting a wave of public praise.

"If I were Ashlyn Asher, I'd take the shares too. What good are men anyway?"

"You're doing the right thing, Ashlyn Asher! Let's just be fabulous by ourselves!"

My lips curled into a smirk. I dialed Wyatt Gresham's number. "We're filing for divorce tomorrow."

Wyatt Gresham was silent for a moment. "Ashlyn, do you really have to be so ruthless?"

'I wanted to puke.'

'Who gave him the right to call me Ashlyn? He already has a child with another woman, and he has the gall to turn around and say *I'm* the ruthless one?'

"See you at City Hall tomorrow."