After I closed a million-dollar deal right before Memorial Day weekend, the company followed tradition and handed out employee bonuses.

Everyone in my department got thick envelopes stuffed with cash.

Yet, all I found was a stack of fake money that looked like it came from a Halloween prank when I opened mine.

I went straight to my manager. "Was there a mistake with my bonus?"

She sneered and threw a termination notice in my face. "A cheap slut like you thinks you deserve a bonus?"

She looked me up and down with open disgust. "Fake money's still money, right? Maybe you can use it where you're headed. Since making money on your back must be exhausting, I figured I'd be generous and give you plenty."

Then, she pointed toward the door. "And this came straight from the CEO. Now, get out before you dirty our floors."

I stared at the contempt on her face.

Then, I laughed at her face.

I thought, 'The CEO's decision? Funny. Why did my brother tell me about this?'

They Fired the CEO's Sister

I pulled out my phone and quickly texted my brother, 'You're firing me?'

His reply came instantly. 'Who's firing you? I'm still out of town. Sit tight. I'm sending Ryan over to handle this.'

I had barely slipped my phone back into my pocket when someone shoved me hard from behind.

I stumbled into the doorframe.

Vanessa Cross stood there with her arms folded, one brow raised in mock amusement. "Oh? Calling for backup?"

Her smile turned nasty. "Let me guess. One of the men who pays for your time?"

Then, she sighed dramatically. "Avery, even though we used to be best friends growing up, I still have to say this."

She shook her head like she was disappointed in me. "You throw yourself at anything that moves. No shame, no dignity. The company is firing you because they're sick of you turning this place into a circus."

I stared at her fake expression and clenched my jaw.

Vanessa couldn't find a job when she graduated. She had cried and begged me for help. I was the one who put in a word with HR to get her hired.

When she wanted a promotion, I was the one who spoke to my brother on her behalf and helped her land the position she had now.

And this was how she repaid me.

A few of Vanessa's usual followers immediately joined in.

"Exactly! She uses her looks and sleeps her way into deals. Absolutely disgusting."

"She's always hanging around the executive floor. What, hoping to climb into the CEO's bed while his wife's away? Please. As if a man like him would look twice at her."

"I've heard she jumps from one man to the next. Clients, coworkers—it doesn't matter. She'll flirt with anyone. Trash like that deserves to be thrown out."

I listened to every insult in silence.

Then I looked past Vanessa, directly at Dylan Mercer. "Do you think that too?"

Every head turned toward him.

Their expressions were filled with pity and sympathy, as if he were the unfortunate husband who had uncovered his wife's betrayal.

Dylan ignored everyone else as he approached, stopping in front of me and looking down at me as if I were beneath him.

"What right do you have to stay here?" His tone was icy. "Every dollar this company makes is from people working themselves to the brink, except you. You rely on your looks and body to secure deals. It's pathetic."

He laughed bitterly. "We've been married all these years, and somehow I never realized what kind of woman you really are."

Then, he pulled out a stack of photos from his pocket and slapped them in front of my face.

The pictures spilled across the floor, showing me with various men—walking beside them or drinking together.

One shot caught my eye: a man with his arm around my waist as we entered a hotel. That man was my brother's assistant.

I'd been drunk that night.

I had meant to call Dylan to pick me up.

Instead, I accidentally called my brother.

He happened to be in town, trying to convince me to stop being stubborn with our parents.

He got there just in time to pull me away from a group of men who clearly had bad intentions.

Then, he told his assistant to take me to a hotel so I could sober up.

Apparently, someone had photographed the whole thing.

I opened my mouth to explain.

However, Dylan cut me off immediately, "Save it."

His expression twisted with disgust. "Go home. I'm sick of looking at you."

I was about to argue when my phone buzzed.

'Ms. Whitmore, the CEO is in a board meeting at headquarters. He's already investigating the termination. 'He'll be at the branch office in 20 minutes. I'm heading over now to deal with the rest.'

Ryan Lowe was my brother's right-hand man. He was also the only person in the company whom no one dared to ignore, except my brother himself.

The Husband Who Forgot Who I Was

I nodded and ended the call.

I couldn't shake the weight in my chest even though Ryan was on his way.

Dylan and I had been together for five years. Even if he didn't believe me, didn't I at least deserve a chance to defend my case?

I lifted my hand to knock on his office door when I heard Vanessa's sugary voice from inside. "Dylan, are you sure about firing her? What if she makes a scene?"

Dylan laughed. "What's she gonna do?"

His voice dripped with contempt. "She's had a comfortable life all these years because of me. She wouldn't even be able to hold down a job if it weren't for me. At best, she'd end up staying home playing house."

Ice flooded my body.

When I insisted on being with Dylan, my family opposed me at every turn. My parents were so angry they ended up in the hospital, and my brother… The same brother who always spoiled me had hit me for the first time in his life.

However, I remained firm on my choice.

So, I cut ties with my family and followed Dylan to this unfamiliar city.

Marriage turned out nothing like the dream I'd imagined.

Dylan always aimed high but never had the discipline to follow through. He bounced from job to job, never lasting anywhere.

I was the one juggling side gigs just to keep us afloat.

Eventually, my brother grew tired of watching me struggle. He left headquarters, set up a branch office nearby, and hired both of us. He provided opportunities for me to secure major contracts and enhance our lives.

I had kept quiet about being the CEO's sister because I didn't want anyone saying Dylan was riding on my family's name.

I tightened my grip on my phone, snapped a photo through the narrow crack in the door, and sent it to my lawyer. 'Draft the divorce papers immediately.'

Then, I texted Ryan. 'Terminate Vanessa immediately. Workplace misconduct and malicious defamation of a colleague.'

I had only been packing up my desk for a few minutes when Dylan stormed over. He looked furious.

He shouted, "Avery! Why did Ryan personally notify Vanessa that she was fired? Was this your doing? What exactly did she do that made you run crying to upper management?"

I blinked. 'Oh? Ryan works fast, huh?'

I looked him straight in the eye. "Vanessa hasn't landed a single meaningful deal since she got here. All she does is stir up drama and spread lies. Why shouldn't she be fired?"

I crossed my arms. "So let me get this straight. I'm supposedly damaging company culture, so I get fired, but Vanessa gets to spread malicious lies about me and keep her job?

"You're defending her awfully hard. Is there something going on between the two of you that I should know—"

I never finished.

Dylan's hand came down hard across my face.

Pain exploded instantly. My head snapped sideways, and a sharp ringing filled my ears.

Vanessa immediately grabbed his arm, putting on her pathetic act.

"Dylan, don't be mad," she said sweetly. "Avery's just upset because I exposed what she really is."

She lowered her eyes dramatically. "Now she's abusing her influence to get rid of me. I can't compete with that. Maybe I should just leave."

Dylan was already furious.

That speech sent him over the edge.

His face turned red as he snapped, "Avery! You're unbelievable! Your behavior is disgusting, and now you're trying to frame Vanessa?"

He stepped into my space, glaring. "Get on your knees and apologize to her right now. Do that, and I'll pretend this never happened. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

There was a time when Dylan would've torn apart anyone who insulted me.

I had once been harassed by some drunks while I was working a side job.

Dylan didn't hesitate to protect me.

They broke three of his ribs.

Still, he stood there covered in blood, smiling at me and telling me not to cry.

He remained ever attentive as his career improved.

So I never believed my colleagues when they whispered that he and Vanessa were growing too close.

When he told me that they shared a hotel room during business trips when they shared a hotel room to save money, I foolishly believed him.

When Dylan saw that I refused to back down, his expression darkened. He grabbed my arm and yanked hard. "Didn't you hear me?"

His grip was so brutal it felt like my bones might crack.

I fought against him with everything I had.

He was about to send me sprawling when Ryan's voice boomed behind us. "How dare you hurt her!"

The Secret He Turned Against Me

Ryan arrived in a perfectly tailored suit, radiating the kind of cold authority that made people instinctively step back.

"Vanessa's termination was made by the company. If anyone has a problem with it, you can take it up with me."

Everyone knew Ryan spoke for my brother.

The second his gaze swept the room, the same coworkers who had been screaming insults moments earlier suddenly lowered their heads and went silent.

Only then did Ryan step toward me. "Ms. Whitmore, do you need to go to the hospital?"

I shook my head.

I just wanted to leave.

Before we could do so, Vanessa's pitiful voice rang out behind us. "Mr. Lowe, you work directly with the CEO. Why would you personally come all the way here for some branch office issue?"

She bit her lip dramatically. "Unless Avery means something to you."

Then, she turned to the crowd. "Actually, I've seen them together before. They were alone, grabbing coffee and looking way too at ease with each other."

She sighed. "I didn't say anything because we're coworkers, and I didn't want to ruin Avery and Dylan's marriage."

The room exploded.

Whispers of my supposed infidelity erupted in the office.

The looks people gave Ryan and me were pure disgust.

Dylan's face darkened with rage. He yanked his arm free from Vanessa and stormed toward me.

"Avery, you disgusting whore!" He pointed at Ryan. "So that's why you've been acting so smug? You dare flaunt your side piece right in front of me!"

At this point, I felt almost numb.

Ryan's expression turned thunderous. His voice cracked through the room. "Get your facts straight. Ms. Whitmore is the CEO's sister. I'm here because those are the CEO's orders."

Dylan froze before slowly turning toward me. "Avery... is that true?"

Before I could answer, Vanessa let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, please, Mr. Lowe. We're not fools. Look at her. She dresses worse than the cleaning staff."

She folded her arms and added, "She practically screams broke. You expect us to believe she's the CEO's sister? You definitely made that up to protect her."

Dylan immediately looked relieved.

Then, he gave me a once-over full of contempt. "She didn't even know proper etiquette the last time I took her to a fine dining restaurant."

He scoffed. "How could she be this embarrassing if she were actually rich?"

Pain stabbed straight through my chest.

I had dressed simply on purpose.

I knew Dylan was insecure.

Before we even got there, I quietly asked the restaurant manager not to reveal my identity. I even pretended not to recognize the place to keep Dylan comfortable.

Now, all those small efforts to protect his pride have turned into reasons to humiliate me.

I looked at the coldness in his eyes. Then, I noticed how he instinctively kept stepping in front of Vanessa.

Something inside me finally died.

My voice was steady. "Dylan, I want a divorce."

He blinked before exploding right then and there. "Really? You think threatening me with divorce is going to work?"

He stepped forward and grabbed my arm. "Not happening. Now come home and stop humiliating yourself."

Before he could drag me anywhere, Ryan shoved him back hard. "Mr. Mercer, this is a workplace, not your living room. Control yourself."

I rubbed my wrist, exhausted. "Ryan, let's just go—"

"No!" Dylan lunged forward and knocked over the box of my things.

Everything spilled onto the floor. Then, a paper drifted down—it was a pregnancy test report.

Dylan's eyes locked onto it. His pupils widened; his face lost its anger, replaced first by shock, then by wild hope.

He snatched it off the floor and grabbed my wrist. "Avery... you're pregnant?"

Vanessa's expression quickly shifted as her eyes filled with panic and turned red. She yanked the paper out of his grip. "Dylan, don't be foolish!"

She jabbed at the date. "That day, I saw her with Ryan in a cafe! They were sitting close. Talking privately."

Her voice rose. "Why do you think he's protecting her so hard today? That baby is his, isn't it?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "That meeting was about work!"

But Dylan shoved my hand away violently. "Work? You can't even lie properly! The doctor told you that you'd likely never conceive again after your miscarriage."

He threw the paper at me. His voice dropped, full of disgust. "So who exactly are you trying to fool? Are you expecting me to raise another man's kid?"

The words sliced through me.

There was a snowstorm that winter. Dylan told me he was working late and couldn't pick me up.

I was trying to save money, so I walked home alone through the freezing snow, pregnant and exhausted.

One wrong step was all it took.

I slipped and lost our baby.

When Dylan arrived at the hospital, he immediately blamed me for failing to protect the child, and I believed his accusation.

I held that tiny urn all night, apologizing to our baby.

After that, I secretly began trying again. I endured thousands of injections and hundreds of bottles of medication just to surprise him. But now, he didn't believe me for a second.

The stress became too much.

A sharp pain tore through my lower abdomen, and I grabbed Ryan's sleeve.

His face went pale with panic. He immediately bent down to support me. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Right now."

The second Dylan saw that, he snapped. He swung at Ryan. "This is all your fault!"

The two of them crashed into each other, causing chairs to overturn and desks to slam to the side.

I rushed forward to stop them, but Vanessa grabbed my hair from behind with force. Then slapped me across the face. "You little slut! Still trying to protect your side piece?"

Her nails raked across my cheek.

Hot pain lanced down my face, and tears sprang to my eyes. In my desperation, I screamed, "I am the CEO's sister!"

I glared at all of them. "If any of you touch me again, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives!"