"James, let's get a divorce," James' wife, Lilian, spoke with a hard and cold tone.
James froze immediately after he heard those words; his fingers trembled a little as he continued cutting the cabbage that he had placed on a cutting board, trying to act as calmly as possible. A divorce? Why? What could've possibly gone wrong? "You can't be serious, right?" James asked with a chuckle, wishing deep inside of him that what she just said was a joke. "I am serious, James. I want a divorce as soon as possible" Lilian repeated, getting seriously pissed off. James paused, dropping the knife before turning towards his wife. "But....why?. Is there anything that you're upset about? You can tell me, and I will try to make changes. I will--" "James, I've had enough of this bullshit life we are living! Just take a look around! Does this place look big and beautiful to you? We've been living like this for four years!" Lilian yelled and James flinched. The house that the family of three was living in was a medium-sized house with two bedrooms and a living room. It took James, who was a delivery guy more than a year to build this house. When the house was still being built, Lilian was always unhappy and nagging about the littlest things. Lilian believed that James was just a poor guy her grandfather had forced her to marry. He had failed to move up to her expectations countless times. During her birthday, James decorated the whole house with love-shaped balloons and roses. He even cooked her favorite meal and bought her a diamond necklace worth $78. However, the moment Lilian entered the house, she went ballistic, smashing the roses with her foot and bursting the balloons. And when James offered her the necklace, she threw it out of the window and into a pile of mud at a corner. "I don't know what my granddad saw in you that he had to force me to marry a poor wretched thing like you! Have you ever been to Lucy or Joan's birthday parties? Their husbands throw a very massive, well-decorated grande party with a cake towering the height of up to 6 humans put together!" James apologized and promised to do better. James thought that things would change for the better after the birth of their daughter, Lily. How wrong he was. Things didn't change. Lilian and her family, except for Lilia's grandfather, still hated and disgraced him to date. Even after doing everything to make her happy. He did his delivery work, cooked, cleaned, took care of their baby, and tried his very best to provide for them but none of them moved Lilian. Just last week, her grandfather passed away and now, she was asking for a divorce. "What about our kid, Lily? You can't let her grow up without a father" James spoke softly. He knew how it felt to grow up without a father, heck, without a mother too! He didn't want his daughter to know that feeling. "What kid? Lily isn't even yours, so you shouldn't care about that," she said, her voice dripping with malice. James felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His eyes widened, and his breathing hitched. "What...what are you talking about?" he stuttered. Lilian's chuckle sent shivers down James' spine. She popped a gum into her mouth, chewing slowly as she continued, "Isn't it obvious? Lily looks nothing like us. You saw me pregnant, saw her born...but she's not yours." "Lily's father proposed to me last week after the death of my grandfather and we would be getting married next week. Isn't that great? He is 10 times richer than you could ever be in your next life, plus he has a great body, too. Let's get a divorce and ---" "When?" James interrupted with a question, making Lilian raise an eyebrow. "Huh?" "When exactly did you cheat on me?" James asked, anger and disappointment laced his voice. He clenched his fists beside him as his body quivered. Lilian grinned as if his pain and everything that was going on now were amusing. "Don't call it cheating, if not I would feel like a bad person" James gritted his teeth as his fist tightened more. It was his way of trying to stay calm and not give in to his anger. Lilian's gaze seemed to glaze over, lost in thought. "It was a month after we got married...I was with him." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "He came inside me that night. I thought it was just a mistake, that I wouldn't get pregnant." James' face contorted in anguish. Lilian's expression transformed, a sly grin spreading across her face. "But I did get pregnant. And when you asked me to go to the hospital, I lied. I told you it was just stomach discomfort. "I went to the hospital only to find out I was pregnant. I knew I had to do something. I wanted to abort Lily at first, but the doctor said my body was too weak for an abortion, so I decided to pin her on you. I got naked that night and we had hot sex for hours" Lilian smiled once again as she took sensual steps towards him before pressing her breasts on his chest. "There are only two things you got better than him, handsomeness and a nice big dick. Damn, you poor but you got some hell of stamina" Lilian touched his belt buckle with her fingers. "One last time, James. For old times' sake." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You might not get this chance again...in this lifetime or the next." James pushed her away from him before asking once again, "Who is Lily's dad?" "Mr. Bill," Lilian said and James gritted his teeth. Lilian's boss. James always suspected that they shared a relationship other than a boss-and-employee relationship when Lilian got promoted from a newcomer to a secretary the very first week after getting a new job, but he didn't want to accuse her without evidence. How stupid of him. Suddenly, the sound of a car honking was heard and Lilian jumped up, squealing like a little child who was just given candy, "Oh my, Bill is here to take me out for wedding ring measurements" Lilian took fast steps out of the kitchen and into the living room to find Bill already standing there. The man had a dark suit on and an expensive carate watch made out of pure Silver, costing more than $9, 000. He seemed to be a few years older than James. "Honey, James agreed to the divorce," Lilian said happily as she hugged Bill's right arm. "Oh? And here I was thinking he was not going to accept so easily. At least, he knows his place" Bill said with a chuckle, "Let's face it, James, you were never in the picture, not really. Lilian only stayed with you out of pity. She was waiting for someone like me all along—a real man who can give her everything she deserves" James stood motionless, his eyes fixed on Bill, but his face betrayed nothing. He didn't flinch, didn't blink. They just stared as though the words bounced right off him. "Lily's better off without a broke, loser dad like you. She deserves someone who can provide for her, not someone scraping by on tips. I'll show her what a real father is like" Mr. Bill clicked his tongue, clearly irritated that his jab hadn't gotten a reaction. He took a step closer, "Look at you—barely getting by. And then look at me—wealth, success, and now, your wife and kid. No wonder Lilian chose me. You're out of your league, pal" "Just a few more days after the divorce is finalized, and she'll be calling me dad. You know how easy it is to manipulate a kid like Lily at that age. She'll believe anything her guardian tells her. I could even convince her you're the villain in her story, like Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Imagine her hating you for---" Before Bill could complete his statement, a hard painful punch hit his jaw. The sound of the punch echoed through the now quiet living room, and Bill's head snapped back. Bill felt a wave of pain wash over him, his vision blurred, and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he struggled to speak. "Don't you ever call Lily's name with your vile mouth, if you do so again, I will kill you" Lilian took a step back in fear. For four years of their marriage, Lilia had done countless things to get James' pissed off. Ranging from destroying the necklace James had bought for her to even referring to him as her servant in an overcrowded supermarket, but he never snapped. Not even once. But this time...It seemed like James' punch and the sound of Bill falling to the ground were too loud cause they got the attention of Bill's bodyguards, who were standing outside the house. They all rushed in and attacked James who didn't hold back.But their numbers were just too much. After a few minutes, he was restrained and beaten up before being dragged to the police station, where he was locked up for assault. Bill didn't leave the police station without telling James, "I can give you a chance to get out of prison even though you hit me. All you have to do is bow your face to the ground in front of me and I will show mercy"Bill was just 30 years old but was already amongst the top 20 richest men in the country. He's handsome, popular, and has millions to his name along with powerful connections. James was the very first person to ever have the guts to hit him and it was like a huge slap to his pride. James slipped his hands into his pocket and walked into the prison cell, not bothering to g
Robert handed James a sleek black VIP card. "This is for you, Son. You can withdraw any amount, purchase anything you desire, and take care of your needs. The pin is 6438"James looked at the sleek black VIP card in his hand and then at Robert, "Tell me, what's the limit on how much I can buy with this card?" James asked.Robert smiled. "There is no limit, Son. This card grants you unrestricted access to my wealth."James raised an eyebrow. "No limits? That's impossible."Robert chuckled. "For you, Son, nothing is impossible. This card is linked to my personal account, and I've authorized unlimited transactions."James stared at the card, finding everything that had been going on for the past few days hard to take in. Robert assured him, "And you don't need to worry, the card has state-of-the-art encryption and security measures. You're safe.""This is...incredible."Robert continued, "And there's more. I want you to inherit XY Corps one day. You'll be the perfect successor."James s
"That was quick, not that I am complaining. This is great news!" Mr Robert was a little bit surprised but happy, nonetheless."I am free throughout today, so meet me at the address that I would send to you in a few seconds," He added, and the call ended. Soon after, a message containing the address popped up on James's screen.The address that was sent was the location of a very expensive 5-star restaurant, Celestial Bites. It was a restaurant James had taken Lilian to one day to cheer her up after losing a fashion design exhibition.To put it well, James wasn't the one who brought up the idea to go to Celestia Bites; heck, he didn't even know Celestial Bites existed until Lilian brought it up and coaxed him into going there.He had his suspicions when he arrived at the restaurant to see how large and way up high the building was. And when he entered the building, he didn't need an advisor to tell him that whatever he ordered, even though it was as little as an orange juice would dig
James picked up the document, scanning the words carefully. Each line detailed the terms of his takeover of XY Corps, including his rights and responsibilities and a few clauses that pointed at the immense power that came with the position. His fingers brushed against the crisp pages as he read the final clause."You’ll have full control starting tomorrow," Robert said, leaning back in his chair. "But I have to warn you. The board, media, and even my rivals will watch your every move. Do you think you can handle that?"Before retiring and passing the reins to James, Robert eliminated Rowan Amber, his most influential rival from the Rowan family. Rowan was the one who caused Robert so much grief, and it took Robert 30 years to eliminate them from the business world. Now they were nothing more than lowly rats without influence, a stark contrast to the influence and wealth they had years ago. Even though Robert had gotten rid of them, he knew James would face further opposition in the up
"Don't worry, my legacy is safe and secure in his hands," Robert said, and James grabbed the remote, tuning to another channel. The same live broadcast was also being broadcast on countless other channels, even on a Channel that is exclusively for kids. James was forced to watch it till the very end. Soon after, he ordered enough food that he could eat. He grabbed a bottle of red wine and opened it before taking a sip.Just a week ago, he was struggling to make $20 a week and was constantly insulted by his ex-wife and 'ex' in-laws. He never imagined that such a blessing would come his way, not even in his next life. But here he was.James sighed as he removed his clothes and wrapped a white towel around his waist. He walked to the bathroom and took a warm shower. After drying himself off, he slipped into his pajamas. As he lay on his bed, he couldn't quite understand why he felt the way he did, but he knew that tomorrow would be a long day for him and the beginning of his story.The
James stepped out of his apartment. The tailored gray suit Bella had chosen fit him like a glove, exuding a confidence he didn’t quite feel yet. The new haircut and freshly trimmed beard transformed him into someone almost unrecognizable to his former self—a man who looked like he belonged in the world of billion-dollar deals.Bella, waiting beside a sleek black car, held open the door for him. "Let’s not waste any more time. The board meeting starts in less than an hour, and we need to get you prepped."James slid into the back seat, glancing at the folder Bella handed him. Inside were detailed profiles of the board members of XY Corps and a schedule of the day’s meetings.James flipped through the pages and frowned. "So, I just go in there, smile, and pretend I know what I’m doing?"Bella leaned against the doorframe, a sly grin on her face. "Pretty much. Just don’t smile too much—you might scare them. They’re not used to smiles and all that in corporate life."James snorted. "Great
(After the Meeting)The board eventually ended, leaving James and Bella alone in the room. James exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “That was... intense.”“You handled it well,” Bella said, handing him a bottle of water. “I am sure this would shut them up for now.”James took a sip. “Let them try. I didn’t come this far to be intimidated.”Bella’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “Robert wants to meet with you this evening. He said something about a personal matter.”James frowned. “Any idea what it’s about?”She shook her head. “He didn’t say, but it sounded important.”---Later That EveningJames arrived at Robert’s mansion. The grandeur of the estate was magnificent and breathtaking. Robert greeted him in the study, a glass of whiskey in hand.“Bella told me about the meeting,” Robert said, gesturing to a chair. “You handled yourself better than I expected.”“Thanks,” James replied, sitting down.Robert chuckled, his expression turning serious. “I wanted
(After the Meeting)The board eventually ended, leaving James and Bella alone in the room. James exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “That was... intense.”“You handled it well,” Bella said, handing him a bottle of water. “I am sure this would shut them up for now.”James took a sip. “Let them try. I didn’t come this far to be intimidated.”Bella’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “Robert wants to meet with you this evening. He said something about a personal matter.”James frowned. “Any idea what it’s about?”She shook her head. “He didn’t say, but it sounded important.”---Later That EveningJames arrived at Robert’s mansion. The grandeur of the estate was magnificent and breathtaking. Robert greeted him in the study, a glass of whiskey in hand.“Bella told me about the meeting,” Robert said, gesturing to a chair. “You handled yourself better than I expected.”“Thanks,” James replied, sitting down.Robert chuckled, his expression turning serious. “I wanted
James stepped out of his apartment. The tailored gray suit Bella had chosen fit him like a glove, exuding a confidence he didn’t quite feel yet. The new haircut and freshly trimmed beard transformed him into someone almost unrecognizable to his former self—a man who looked like he belonged in the world of billion-dollar deals.Bella, waiting beside a sleek black car, held open the door for him. "Let’s not waste any more time. The board meeting starts in less than an hour, and we need to get you prepped."James slid into the back seat, glancing at the folder Bella handed him. Inside were detailed profiles of the board members of XY Corps and a schedule of the day’s meetings.James flipped through the pages and frowned. "So, I just go in there, smile, and pretend I know what I’m doing?"Bella leaned against the doorframe, a sly grin on her face. "Pretty much. Just don’t smile too much—you might scare them. They’re not used to smiles and all that in corporate life."James snorted. "Great
"Don't worry, my legacy is safe and secure in his hands," Robert said, and James grabbed the remote, tuning to another channel. The same live broadcast was also being broadcast on countless other channels, even on a Channel that is exclusively for kids. James was forced to watch it till the very end. Soon after, he ordered enough food that he could eat. He grabbed a bottle of red wine and opened it before taking a sip.Just a week ago, he was struggling to make $20 a week and was constantly insulted by his ex-wife and 'ex' in-laws. He never imagined that such a blessing would come his way, not even in his next life. But here he was.James sighed as he removed his clothes and wrapped a white towel around his waist. He walked to the bathroom and took a warm shower. After drying himself off, he slipped into his pajamas. As he lay on his bed, he couldn't quite understand why he felt the way he did, but he knew that tomorrow would be a long day for him and the beginning of his story.The
James picked up the document, scanning the words carefully. Each line detailed the terms of his takeover of XY Corps, including his rights and responsibilities and a few clauses that pointed at the immense power that came with the position. His fingers brushed against the crisp pages as he read the final clause."You’ll have full control starting tomorrow," Robert said, leaning back in his chair. "But I have to warn you. The board, media, and even my rivals will watch your every move. Do you think you can handle that?"Before retiring and passing the reins to James, Robert eliminated Rowan Amber, his most influential rival from the Rowan family. Rowan was the one who caused Robert so much grief, and it took Robert 30 years to eliminate them from the business world. Now they were nothing more than lowly rats without influence, a stark contrast to the influence and wealth they had years ago. Even though Robert had gotten rid of them, he knew James would face further opposition in the up
"That was quick, not that I am complaining. This is great news!" Mr Robert was a little bit surprised but happy, nonetheless."I am free throughout today, so meet me at the address that I would send to you in a few seconds," He added, and the call ended. Soon after, a message containing the address popped up on James's screen.The address that was sent was the location of a very expensive 5-star restaurant, Celestial Bites. It was a restaurant James had taken Lilian to one day to cheer her up after losing a fashion design exhibition.To put it well, James wasn't the one who brought up the idea to go to Celestia Bites; heck, he didn't even know Celestial Bites existed until Lilian brought it up and coaxed him into going there.He had his suspicions when he arrived at the restaurant to see how large and way up high the building was. And when he entered the building, he didn't need an advisor to tell him that whatever he ordered, even though it was as little as an orange juice would dig
Robert handed James a sleek black VIP card. "This is for you, Son. You can withdraw any amount, purchase anything you desire, and take care of your needs. The pin is 6438"James looked at the sleek black VIP card in his hand and then at Robert, "Tell me, what's the limit on how much I can buy with this card?" James asked.Robert smiled. "There is no limit, Son. This card grants you unrestricted access to my wealth."James raised an eyebrow. "No limits? That's impossible."Robert chuckled. "For you, Son, nothing is impossible. This card is linked to my personal account, and I've authorized unlimited transactions."James stared at the card, finding everything that had been going on for the past few days hard to take in. Robert assured him, "And you don't need to worry, the card has state-of-the-art encryption and security measures. You're safe.""This is...incredible."Robert continued, "And there's more. I want you to inherit XY Corps one day. You'll be the perfect successor."James s
It seemed like James' punch and the sound of Bill falling to the ground were too loud cause they got the attention of Bill's bodyguards, who were standing outside the house. They all rushed in and attacked James who didn't hold back.But their numbers were just too much. After a few minutes, he was restrained and beaten up before being dragged to the police station, where he was locked up for assault. Bill didn't leave the police station without telling James, "I can give you a chance to get out of prison even though you hit me. All you have to do is bow your face to the ground in front of me and I will show mercy"Bill was just 30 years old but was already amongst the top 20 richest men in the country. He's handsome, popular, and has millions to his name along with powerful connections. James was the very first person to ever have the guts to hit him and it was like a huge slap to his pride. James slipped his hands into his pocket and walked into the prison cell, not bothering to g
"James, let's get a divorce," James' wife, Lilian, spoke with a hard and cold tone. James froze immediately after he heard those words; his fingers trembled a little as he continued cutting the cabbage that he had placed on a cutting board, trying to act as calmly as possible.A divorce?Why? What could've possibly gone wrong?"You can't be serious, right?" James asked with a chuckle, wishing deep inside of him that what she just said was a joke."I am serious, James. I want a divorce as soon as possible" Lilian repeated, getting seriously pissed off.James paused, dropping the knife before turning towards his wife. "But....why?. Is there anything that you're upset about? You can tell me, and I will try to make changes. I will--""James, I've had enough of this bullshit life we are living! Just take a look around! Does this place look big and beautiful to you? We've been living like this for four years!" Lilian yelled and James flinched. The house that the family of three was living