Abandoning his pregnant, overweight wife to marry a younger mistress, three years later the arrogant ex-husband goes to apply for a new job only to be shocked to discover that the director of a multi-million dollar corporation is the very wife he once abandoned and despised
The sound of the pouring rain that night was still etched in my memory like a cold blade. At that time, I was six months pregnant, my body heavy, and the first stretch marks were beginning to appear on my belly. Holding my bump, I went to open the door, waiting for my husband, who hadn’t returned home in days.
However, what Mark brought back wasn’t care, but a signed divorce paper.
Standing behind him was Chloe—young, stylishly dressed, her eyes scanning me with unhidden contempt. Mark threw the document onto the glass coffee table, his gaze chillingly cold.
‘I can’t stay with a woman as big-bellied as you, out of shape and reeking of medicated oil,’ Mark said harshly, each word piercing my heart like a knife. ‘Chloe is the woman who inspires me. We are getting married. Sign the papers, take a few thousand dollars in compensation, and pack your things out of here.’
Chloe smirked, stroking the diamond ring on Mark’s hand: ‘Chloe dear, as a woman, if you let yourself go like this, who else can you blame? Mark is a successful businessman; he needs a worthy partner in the business arena, not a chubby housewife.’
I looked at the man I had loved through four years of college and two years of marriage. When we married, Mark was just a penniless office worker. I had hidden my background to help him build a small trading company from scratch. In Mark’s eyes, I was just a poor girl from the countryside, an orphan living off a modest office salary. He had no idea that the father I rarely mentioned was the Chairman of Minh Phat Real Estate & Import-Export Group—a multinational corporation worth over 40 million dollars.
I didn’t cry, nor did I beg. I calmly signed the divorce papers, packed a few simple outfits, and walked out of the house that my own money had quietly helped down-pay.
—
Three years passed.
After the divorce, I returned to my father’s side. My family’s dedicated care and my iron willpower helped me give birth to a healthy baby girl, Lily. I threw myself into training, regained my graceful figure, and took over as CEO of Minh Phat. Under my leadership, the group not only expanded but also acquired a series of small and medium logistics companies.
As for Mark? After kicking me out, he used all his capital and borrowed funds to expand his own business to show off his status with his new wife. But Chloe was nothing more than a ruthless gold-digger. She squandered money on luxury brands, yachts, and lavish trips. When the market froze, Mark’s company plunged into a severe crisis. Chloe immediately fled abroad with all the remaining assets and her new lover, leaving Mark with massive debt and bankruptcy.
To survive and repay his debts, the once arrogant ex-husband had to apply for jobs everywhere.
—
On a Monday morning at the headquarters of Minh Phat Group.
Mark stood in front of the mirror in the 18th-floor restroom, adjusting his faded tie. Approaching forty, his face bore deep lines of exhaustion, and his hair had turned gray. He desperately needed the position of Regional Sales Director at Minh Phat—a vacant role with a billion-VND annual salary, enough to salvage his dark life.
‘Mr. Mark Miller? Please enter Conference Room 1,’ the secretary announced politely.
Mark took a deep breath and stepped in confidently. With his experience as a former business owner, he believed he could easily conquer the interview board.
However, as he passed through the high-end wooden door, Mark froze. The Chair of the interview board had her back turned to the door. On either side sat the HR and Finance Directors.
‘Welcome, Mr. Miller,’ a warm, familiar female voice called out, making Mark tremble all over.
The luxurious leather chair slowly turned around.
Mark’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his chest. The woman sitting in the highest position, wearing an elegant white suit, exuding authority, with a sharp, captivating face and a perfectly toned figure… was none other than Alice.
‘Alice… Alice? Why are you here?’ Mark stammered, almost dropping his briefcase. ‘Are you… working here as a cleaner or an employee?’
The HR Director beside her slammed a hand on the table, speaking sternly: ‘Mr. Miller, mind your tone! This is Ms. Alice—Chairman and CEO of Minh Phat Group!’
Mark’s face drained of all color. ‘Chairman… of a 40-million-dollar group? Impossible! You were just a poor girl…’
‘Do you think a poor person could quietly inject 200,000 dollars of startup capital into your business five years ago?’ I leaned back in my chair, smiling elegantly. ‘Mark, you always prided yourself on your judgment of people, but you never knew who my father was.’
Mark stood frozen like a statue. A mix of regret, shock, and humiliation made his head spin. He remembered the harsh words from three years ago: *’A woman as big-bellied as you, out of shape…’* Now, that very woman sat at the pinnacle of power, looking down on him as a fallen man at her feet.
Mark immediately dropped to his knees, his voice trembling: ‘Alice… I was wrong! Back then, I was blinded and bewitched by that fox, Chloe! I’ve always missed you and our child. Can you give me a chance to make amends? Let me acknowledge my daughter; I’ll work hard to make it up to you…’
I burst out laughing—a clear, melodious laugh, yet chilling to the bone.
‘You want to acknowledge your child? You want a job opportunity? That’s right, I didn’t call you here today to watch you perform, but to give you a **very big surprise**.’
I signaled to the secretary. The side door of the conference room opened.
A woman in a janitor’s uniform, holding a mop, walked in. Her face was weathered, her skin tanned, her eyes filled with weariness and fear. It was Chloe!
Mark gasped: ‘Chloe… Why are you here?’
Chloe glared at Mark with hatred: ‘It’s all because of you! You got into debt and dragged me down! Ms. Alice bought all our debts. I have to work as a janitor here for 10 years to pay it off, and as for you…’
‘As for you,’ I interrupted Chloe calmly, pulling out a thick file from the drawer. ‘Minh Phat is now the sole creditor for your former company’s 500,000-dollar debt. And the position I invited you to apply for today… is not Sales Director.’
I threw the file in front of Mark.
‘This is an indictment for financial fraud and tax evasion during your management of the old company. With this evidence, you’ll go to prison for at least 10 years. But I’ll give you a choice.’
Mark broke into a cold sweat, trembling uncontrollably: ‘What… what choice?’
‘First, sign a commitment to permanently renounce your paternal rights, never appear before my daughter again, and transfer all your remaining shares to Minh Phat to clear your debt. You will leave with empty hands and remain at the bottom of society.’
I paused slightly, a cold sharp glint in my eyes:
‘Second, you walk into prison today. And do you know what the biggest surprise is? Our daughter, Lily, was officially named the sole beneficiary of a 15-million-dollar family trust fund by my father last week. Your daughter is a millionaire at three years old, while her ‘distinguished’ father is about to become an inmate!’
Mark slumped onto the cold floor, swallowed by bitterness and despair. He had once abandoned a woman with the blood of a powerful dynasty, scoffing at the mother of his child to chase a hollow illusion. Only to end up kneeling before his ex-wife today, begging for mercy while his daughter possessed a fortune he couldn’t dream of in a lifetime.
Mark trembling hand picked up the pen and signed the agreement to renounce his paternal rights. Tears fell onto the white paper—not tears of repentance, but tears of a man completely ruined by his own betrayal and arrogance.
I watched him stagger out of the interview room, a subtle smile touching my lips. The rain outside the window had stopped, giving way to bright sunshine illuminating the entire horizon.
