Cyril's POV
My sister had come to the city that night, sent by our parents to talk some sense into me, hoping I'd stop being so stubborn. She arrived just in time to pull me out of a dicey situation with a group of women who clearly had other intentions. Who would've thought that taking me to a hotel to sleep it off would get twisted into this mess?
It made sense now. Ever since that night, Shirley's attitude toward me had been strange — hot one moment, cold the next. She'd kept it together long enough for me to land all those major clients for her, and to help her push the company to the brink of going public. Only now, on the eve of her big success, did she decide to strike.
Sure, her lack of trust stung, but she was the first woman I'd ever truly cared about. I didn't want a misunderstanding to tear us apart. More than that, I didn't want my parents to find out that my first real shot at love had crashed and burned. After all, I'd left my hometown to escape the marriage they'd arranged for me.
I wanted to choose my own path, to find someone to walk beside me as an equal, not be shackled to some business merger disguised as a relationship. I'd never told anyone, not even Shirley. I was afraid that if she knew I came from money, she'd feel insecure and overwhelmed by expectations.
Every woman I'd met back home only saw me for my status. But Shirley... when she looked at me, her eyes sparkled like I was the only person in the world. Remembering those moments brought a bitter smile to my face.
"What's so funny?" Shirley's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and laced with disgust. "You really think now is the time to laugh?"
I met her gaze, steady and unflinching. "Do you really believe I'm some gigolo who slept his way to the top?"
She scoffed. "What else am I supposed to think? Do you honestly believe there's anything about you worth respecting?"
Her words squeezed my heart like a vice. I took a deep breath, fighting the sting of betrayal. "The woman in that photo... she's my sister."
Laughter erupted around us, harsh and mocking.
"Your sister?" Digby sneered, then laughed hard. "What, every woman you sleep with is suddenly your 'sister'? Gotta admit, that adds a spicy twist to your sob story."
The crowd's jeers grew louder, someone even whistling in approval. Meanwhile, Shirley's eyes burned with contempt. "Enough! Take your severance and get out. From this moment on, we're nothing to each other!"
I clenched the dismissal notice in my fist, feeling a coldness seeping into my bones. Five years. Five years of hiding who I was, working in the shadows to help her build this empire, only to be cast aside like garbage the moment she no longer needed me.
Fine. If she wanted me gone, I'd go. I'd consider those five years a gift to a woman who never really saw me.
I turned toward her and, with a low and steady voice, said, "Shirley, you'll regret this."
But instead of taking it seriously, she simply laughed. "Regret? The only thing I regret is ever wasting my time on a worthless scumbag like you."
She then reached out to Digby and they exchanged smug smiles. Hand in hand, they made their way to the stage. Only then did I notice their matching outfits — his tailored suit and her plunging gown, a perfectly coordinated set.
Shirley raised their joined hands high, her voice ringing out confidently, "Tomorrow marks the most important day in our company's history — we're going public! But of course, none of this would've been possible without the hard work of everyone here. May we continue to achieve greatness together!"
As such, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
Cyril's POV
The sound of applause and praise for Shirley and Digby as the "golden couple" echoed through the hall, grating against my ears. Her gaze swept past me without a flicker of recognition, as if I were nothing more than a stranger.
Watching the woman I had loved for five years, I finally understood why my parents always said I had terrible judgment. Turns out, they were right — I’d been blind. I never noticed that Digby, her assistant, had been involved with her all along.
But just because I was blind didn’t mean I was powerless. As the eldest son of my family, I had the means to raise her up, but I could also as easily bring her crashing down. Let’s see how long this company lasts after it goes public without me.
Clenching the dismissal notice in my hand, I turned to leave this suffocating place. But before I could take a step, Manager Simon Richards from HR blocked my path, wearing that fake smile of his.
"Cyril, no need to rush off just yet," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose with a calculated smirk. "Company policy requires you to sign a declaration before leaving. It states that any actions you took while working here have no connection to the company. Oh, and there’s also a non-compete agreement you need to sign. Can’t have you running off and poaching our clients with underhanded tactics."
Once, everyone here treated me with respect. Back when I was known as Shirley's fiancé, the man who could land the biggest deals, people like Simon practically bowed in my presence. He even used to call me "boss" with his head down and voice low.
Now, he was looking down his nose at me, desperate to reclaim some sense of superiority. I scoffed, meeting his gaze coldly.
"A declaration? A non-compete? What makes you think I'd sign either?"
Simon's fake smile vanished and his voice sharpened as he shot back, "What makes us think so? How about all the shady things you’ve done? The company isn't even pressing charges. Consider yourself lucky. Don’t push it."
"Shady things?" I laughed dryly. "You got proof? Or are you basing this on a few misleading photos?"
"Proof?" A sneering voice cut in. Digby strolled over, pointing at my phone. "The proof is probably in there. Who knows how many client contacts you've saved, ready to lure them away the moment you leave?"
Before I could react, Simon lunged for my phone and yanked it from my hand.
"Give that back!" I snapped, but Digby took it from Simon, stepping back with a smug grin.
"Look how panicked you are. Seems like there really is something you don’t want us to see," he taunted.
He tried unlocking my phone, guessing at the password. Shirley joined him, suggesting combinations of birthdays and anniversaries, but none worked. Frustrated, she grabbed the phone herself and ordered security to hold me still while she tried using facial recognition.
But after too many failed attempts, they finally realized only the password could unlock it.
"What’s the password?" she demanded.
Since we became a couple, my phone's password had always been the day I initially declared my love to her.
It was amusing how she forgot. But it wasn't no longer surprising.
The longer she couldn't unlock my lock, the more embarrassed she got.
Now vexed, she tried turning the tables on me, accusing me, "You kept denying the photos, then why did you change your password?"
But instead of feeling on edge, I only stared at her, feeling a strange emptiness. "It’s the date I first confessed my feelings to you."
She froze for a long time. Clearly, she couldn't remember it.
While she stood there, stewing in embarrassment, I wrenched myself free from the guards and snatched my phone back from her hands.
Cyril's POV
Shirley watched me unlock my phone, her eyes flickering with mixed emotions. Her lips parted as if to say something, but the next second, she snatched the phone from my hand again, frantically scrolling through it, desperate to find proof of my so-called betrayal.
When she stumbled upon a selfie of me and my sister, her face twisted with rage. “Cyril, you really are something else! The evidence is right here. What do you have to say now?”
“I told you, she’s my sister! Give me my phone back!”
I struggled to reclaim it, and anger started boiling inside me. “This is robbery. You’re also spreading lies and invading my privacy!”
To my surprise, she raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face, the sting burning deep into my skin. Before I could react, she hurled my phone to the ground, causing the screen to shatter into pieces.
Clutching my throbbing cheek, I lunged toward her, but the security guards grabbed me and pinned my arms behind my back.
Fueled by my resistance, Shirley's voice dripped with venom. “Don’t act so innocent, Cyril. You think your past successes weren’t because you groveled at those women’s feet? Spare me the excuses. Don’t tell me you slept around for my sake. That’s disgusting.”
I looked at her, disbelief and pain tightening my throat. “Do you really have to humiliate me like this?”
She let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “Humiliate you? Don’t flatter yourself.”
Her accusations stung more than the slap. I clenched my jaw, swallowing the pain. “Fine. Since you refuse to listen, let’s call the police. We’ll see who’s really lying.”
“Call the police?” She sneered. “Do you honestly think you stand a chance? You might not care about your reputation, but I do.”
She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper. “You know what? I’m glad we never got married. If ever, you would’ve been the greatest embarrassment of my life.”
My gaze dropped to my shattered phone, rage simmering beneath my skin. “Shirley, if you dare treat me like this, don’t expect your precious company to make it past tomorrow.”
Hearing my words, laughter erupted around me.
“Cyril, have you lost your mind?” Digby doubled over, clutching his stomach. “What makes you think you have that kind of power?”
Shirley scoffed. “You really think you can stop my company from going public? Who do you think you are, some rich heir from Washington?”
I straightened up, locking eyes with her. “Actually, yes. I'm a rich heir from Washington. And the woman in those pictures? That’s my sister, Tiffany Martin.”
However, the laughter only grew louder.
“Cyril, are you serious?” Manager Simon smacked the table, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. “If you’re a Washington elite, then I'm the CEO of Martin's Corporation, Orson Martin.”
“Exactly!” someone chimed in. “If he’s some bigshot, we’ll eat shit!”
I stared at them coldly, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Orson Martin is my father, not a fool like you. You don't believe it? Well, that makes sense, with the garbage coming out of your mouths, it wouldn’t surprise me if you already had shit for breakfast.”
That struck a nerve.
“Believe what?” someone spat. “That you whored your way to the top?”
The room roared with laughter, the humiliation cutting deeper than any slap. Shirley shook her head, a mixture of pity and disdain curling her lips. “Cyril, get out. Don’t dirty my floor with your presence, and don’t you dare claim we ever had anything to do with each other.”
Hearing her dismissive tone, I clenched my fists so tight that my nails bit into my palms. The fire in my chest burned hotter with every second, but I held it back. Not now. Not yet.
“Fine. I’ll go. But remember this — the humiliation you showed me today? I’ll make sure you pay for it. Twice over."
Cyril's POV
But then, my words only got another round of laughter.
"Pay you back double?" Digby scoffed, wrapping an arm around Shirley as tears of laughter filled his eyes. "Cyril, have you been binge-watching too many dramas? What do you think you are — the main character with plot armor?"
Shirley waved her hand dismissively as if shooing off a beggar. "Alright, enough with the pity act. Just get out already. Don’t ruin our celebration."
For one last time, I glanced at her before turning and walking away. The mocking jeers and insults followed me out of the banquet hall, but I couldn’t care less anymore.
After leaving, I bought a new phone and dialed a familiar number. "Before the company goes public tomorrow, I want Shirley left with nothing."
There was a pause on the other end before a deep voice replied, "Understood, sir."
I ended the call and looked up at the night sky, a cold smirk curling at the corner of my lips. Shirley, you think you’ve won? Too bad the game has only just begun. You showed me no mercy. Don’t expect any from me.
