: 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."

: Taking Office

4

The next day, I brought the Divorce Agreement with me. It was prepared in triplicate, and I had already signed my copies.

Outside City Hall, I considerately handed Wyatt Gresham the agreement I had prepared. "All you have to do is sign. I only want 10% of the company's shares and the vice president position. I don't want anything else."

Wyatt Gresham's expression darkened. He held the pen but didn't sign. "Ashlyn Asher, you never used to be like this. I always thought you were so cultured and reasonable..."

"Cut the crap. Are you going to sign or not?" I'd run out of patience.

Wyatt Gresham's eyes narrowed dangerously. He took the Divorce Agreement and signed his name.

A one-month cooling-off period.

When I came out of City Hall, I got into a car. Shen Asher was already waiting for me by the curb. "How are you feeling?"

I knew Shen Asher was still worried I hadn't completely gotten over Wyatt Gresham.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'm not going to get torn up over a scheming scumbag. He's not worth it."

Shen Asher ruffled my hair, seeming to let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Do whatever you want, don't hold back. I'll back you up."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Er... actually, I think I can handle it myself."

Shen Asher chuckled, patting my shoulder before telling the driver to go.

...

Shen Asher offered me a company, but I turned it down, so he gave me his apartment near the Gresham Group headquarters instead.

I moved in that same day.

The next day, I officially went to the Gresham Group to assume my position as vice president.

I had just arrived at the office when some movers showed up.

"Vice President Lynn has already claimed this office. She doesn't like the current style, so it's going to be redecorated."

"Vice President Lynn?"

'The company only had one vice president before this. How is it that as soon as I assume the role, another one just appears out of nowhere?'

"Ms. Asher." Jade Lynn walked in. "My apologies, I had no idea you wanted this office, so I went ahead and claimed it."

'So, Jade Lynn is a vice president now, too. Well played, Wyatt Gresham. Instead of facing me himself, he propped her up. Does he really underestimate me that much?'

I gave an indifferent curl of my lip, not bothered enough to argue. "If you like it, it's yours."

'This wasn't the office I wanted anyway. The one I've had my eye on from the very beginning is Wyatt Gresham's.'

In the end, they stuck me in a small room. Both Wyatt Gresham's and Jade Lynn's offices had massive floor-to-ceiling windows. And then there was mine, with just one small window.

'I didn't really mind. It just went to show how petty Wyatt Gresham could be.'

Might as well make the best of it. I had someone tidy the place up a bit, then asked the secretary to bring me the project files.

But the secretary just sneered. "The former vice president's projects have already been handed over to Vice President Lynn."

I sized the secretary up. "You worked for the previous vice president, as I recall. Is that right?"

She replied coldly, "That's right."

"Since all of the former vice president's projects have been handed over to Vice President Lynn, you can go follow them."

'I didn't want any of their people.'

'Who knew if they would try to sabotage me behind my back?'

"Why should I?" she demanded, stomping her foot and huffing indignantly.

I smiled, my tone perfectly pleasant. "Because I'm the vice president, and you're not."

She shot me a glare, wanting to lash out but unable to do anything. In the end, she just had to swallow her frustration and storm out.

I thought for a moment, and someone suddenly came to mind: Cecilia Shaw, an intern from my old department. I had even mentored her for a while. 'The kid is pretty straightforward, a hard worker, and not afraid of a little hardship.'

I sought her out and asked if she'd be willing to be my secretary.

'From now on, I would only have people I trust working by my side.'

Cecilia Shaw clapped a hand over her mouth and stared at me in disbelief, sheer delight sparkling in her eyes. "For real? Does that mean I'm the vice president's secretary now?"

"Don't start celebrating just yet. There's a one-month trial period. If you do a good job, I'll keep you on."

'I had a good feeling about her, but she would still have to prove she had the skills to back it up.'

Cecilia Shaw nodded eagerly, full of drive. "I will! I will, Vice President! I promise I'll work really hard!"