Three years ago, he abandoned his postpartum wife for being “fat and ugly.” Tonight at a gala, he walked in smirking with his new woman—until the entire ballroom rose to greet a stunning “female CEO” arriving beside a billionaire. He looked closer… and went cold: it was her.
Chapter 1: The Self-Confident Man
The crystal chandeliers of The Plaza Hotel reflected brightly on the expensive glass of Champagne Mark Sterling held. He was 35, the Vice President of Business Development at Apex Capital, a handsome man with a well-trained smile and a perfectly fitted Tom Ford suit.
Beside him sat Tiffany, a 23-year-old model, stunning in a deep-cut red dress. She was the “upgrade” Mark always boasted about.
Three years earlier, Mark had done what he considered “removing a tumor.” He had kicked his wife, Elena, out of the house just two months after she gave birth to their first daughter. The reason? He had told her straight to her face: “You’re fat, you’re ugly, and you’re embarrassing me in front of my clients. I need a woman of equal standing, not a frumpy stay-at-home mom.”
He recalled Elena’s image that night: disheveled hair, wearing oversized pajamas, clutching her crying child, begging him not to abandon her and their baby. He had thrown her a $5,000 check and slammed the door shut. Since then, he had cut off all contact, only sending minimal alimony through a lawyer to avoid legal trouble.
Tonight was the most important night of Mark’s career. Apex Capital was trying to sign a partnership with Vanguard Tech – a mysterious, newly emerging biotechnology corporation. Rumor had it that Vanguard’s CEO was a genius, and more importantly, incredibly wealthy.
“Honey, are you sure we’ll meet the CEO?” Tiffany asked coquettishly.
“Absolutely,” Mark said confidently, adjusting his tie. “I heard the CEO is with Arthur Vance – the veteran billionaire investor. If I can get close to Arthur, the deal will be in my pocket.”
The bell signaling the start of the ceremony rang. The lights in the hall dimmed, leaving only spotlights illuminating the stage and main walkway.
The host announced in a clear voice:
“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm round of applause to the Founder and CEO of Vanguard Tech, Woman of the Year, and our Senior Advisor, Mr. Arthur Vance!”
The entire audience rose to their feet. The applause was thunderous.
The large doors swung open.
Two people entered. A handsome, silver-haired man – it was Arthur Vance. But all eyes were on the woman beside him.
She wore a sleek, black velvet evening gown, its exquisite cut revealing her slender shoulders and perfect hourglass figure. Her chestnut brown hair was styled in a proud updo. Her face was lightly but sharply made up, exuding an irresistible coldness and power.
Mark narrowed his eyes. He felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine. That gait… that gaze…
The woman walked past Mark’s seat. She turned her head, her gaze sweeping across the crowd. Her eyes met his for a split second.
Mark dropped his glass. Crash!
Shards of glass shattered on the marble floor, but Mark didn’t notice. He stood frozen, mouth agape, his face drained of color.
It wasn’t a stranger.
It was Elena.
The “fat and ugly” wife he had discarded like trash three years ago.
Chapter 2: An Unbelievable Transformation
“Impossible…” Mark muttered. “She… she’s working as a waitress here? Or is she old Vance’s mistress?”
Tiffany winced as wine splattered on her dress. “What’s wrong with you? That’s the CEO of Vanguard! She’s so beautiful!”
Mark didn’t hear her. Questions swirled in his head. Elena? CEO? Billionaire?
How could a housewife who only knew how to change diapers and cook, someone he despised for not knowing how to make money, become this powerful woman?
Elena stepped onto the stage. She stood before the microphone, her confident demeanor overwhelming.
“Thank you everyone,” her voice rang out, deep, warm, and captivating. “Three years ago, I started Vanguard from a small idea in a dilapidated rented apartment in the Bronx, when I had nothing but a daughter and a broken heart.”
She looked down at the crowd, her gaze settling on the area where Mark was standing.
“I’ve learned that sometimes the greatest motivation doesn’t come from support, but from rejection. The contempt of others is the best fuel to ignite the fire within you.”
Mark felt his legs give way. He remembered the words he had spoken: “You’re useless. You’re a burden.”
After her speech, Elena stepped down, immediately surrounded by top businessmen eager to make acquaintance. Sir Arthur Vance stayed close to her, but not as a lover. He walked a step behind her – the position of a respectful advisor to his leader.
Mark took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. He was a shark. He knew how to turn the tables.
“Tiffany, you’re here,” Mark said. “I have to go greet them.”
He believed Elena still had feelings for him. Or at least, he could use her daughter – Mia – as a bridge. He was her father, after all. A successful woman certainly needed a worthy man by her side, not to remain a single mother forever.
Mark weaved through the crowd, approaching Elena.
“Elena?” he called, flashing his most charming smile. “You… you look amazing.”
Elena
She looked back at him. No anger. No distress. Just the indifference of looking at a stranger.
“Excuse me, do we know each other?” she asked politely.
Mark was flustered. “Come on, it’s me. Mark. Your… your ex-husband. Mia’s father.”
“Ah,” Elena nodded slightly, her polite smile unchanged. “Mark Sterling. I remember now. The one who was three months late on alimony payments last year, right?”
Mark’s face flushed. Those around them began to giggle.
“Can we talk privately?” Mark lowered his voice, trying to sound intimate. “I… I miss you and our child very much. I know I was wrong. I was an idiot. But look at you, you’ve completely changed. I’m so proud of you.”
He was about to put his hand on her waist, a familiar possessiveness from the past.
But before he could touch her, Arthur Vance stepped in to block his way.
“Excuse me, Mr. Sterling,” Arthur said coldly. “Mrs. Vance is busy.”
“Vance?” Mark looked bewildered. “Isn’t her last name Parker?”
Elena smiled. “I changed my last name to my grandmother’s. The Parker name brings back unpleasant memories. And Mr. Arthur here…” she pointed to the elderly billionaire. “…is not my lover, Mark.”
“He’s my Chief Financial Officer (CFO),” Elena introduced. “I hired him two years ago to manage my personal assets.”
Mark was speechless. Billionaire Arthur Vance… working for Elena? This meant Elena’s assets were far greater than he’d imagined.
“Elena,” Mark said desperately. “I’m here to discuss the contract between Apex and Vanguard. My boss said…”
“The contract?” Elena interrupted. She took a phone out of her purse. “Ah, speaking of Apex Capital…”
Chapter 3: The Twist of the Game Controller
Elena scrolled through her phone, then held it up to Mark.
“Do you know why Vanguard Tech is interested in Apex Capital?”
“Because… because we’re a top investment fund?” Mark stammered.
“No,” Elena shook her head. “Because Apex is holding a huge amount of bad debt due to the misguided investment decisions of its Chief Operating Officer – that’s you, Mark.”
Mark felt a chill run down his spine. He had kept this loss a secret.
“This morning,” Elena said, her voice as calm as if she were ordering food. “I didn’t come here to sign a partnership agreement. I came here as the new owner.”
“What?” Mark shouted.
“Vanguard Tech just completed a Hostile Takeover of Apex Capital at 4 PM today. We acquired 51% of the shares from shareholders dissatisfied with your management.”
The entire banquet hall fell silent. This news hadn’t been announced yet.
Elena looked directly into Mark’s eyes.
“In other words, Mark Sterling. I am now the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of your company. And you… you are working for me.”
Mark recoiled, bumping into a waiter. He looked at Elena, at the woman he had once dismissed as a “parasite.” Now, she held his career’s fate in her perfectly manicured hands.
“You… you bought the company to get revenge on me?” Mark asked, trembling. “You still love me, don’t you? You want me back, that’s why you did this?”
Elena laughed. A clear, yet crystal-cold laugh.
“Mark, you’re still suffering from your delusions of grandeur, aren’t you? I bought Apex because it has potential, if we can get rid of the incompetent staff. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for profit.”
She turned to Arthur.
“Arthur, inform the Human Resources Department.”
Arthur nodded, pulling an envelope from his vest pocket. He handed it to Mark.
“What is this?” Mark asked, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold the envelope.
“A dismissal notice,” Arthur said. “Effective immediately. Reason: Lack of management competence and serious financial losses.”
“You can’t do that!” Mark yelled. “I’m the father of your child!”
“Yes,” Elena stepped closer to Mark, whispering in his ear, just loud enough for him to hear the sweet cruelty. “You’re Mia’s father. And that’s the only reason I didn’t sue you for embezzlement; I only fired you. I don’t want my daughter to have a father in prison. Thank her.”
Chapter 3: Late Regret
Mark stood alone in the opulent banquet hall. Tiffany had quietly left sometime earlier upon hearing the news of his dismissal. Colleagues and business partners turned their backs on him, surrounding “the new boss,” Elena, to toast.
Mark looked at Elena. She was smiling radiantly, raising a glass with the most powerful men in New York. She was beautiful, intelligent, and distant.
He remembered three years ago.
Elena wasn’t a freeloader. While staying home to care for their child, she had secretly developed a biological data compression algorithm. She had tried to tell Mark about it, but he always brushed it off: “Don’t talk about work; you don’t know anything about it.”
He had thrown away a rough diamond because he was too lazy to polish it, chasing after cheap, glittering imitation stones.
Elena turned back for one last look before leaving.
“Mark,” she said. “You once said I was fat and ugly. You were right. I was ugly then because I let a terrible man judge me. But thank you for leaving. Thanks to you leaving, I have time to love myself and build this empire.”
“By the way,” she pointed to his suit.
He said, “You should return this company suit before you leave. The security is waiting at the door.”
Elena turned and walked away, her black velvet dress gliding across the floor like the night swallowing the past.
Mark stood there, amidst the dazzling lights, realizing he had just lost everything. Not because he was unlucky. But because he had been blind to people.
He had seen an overweight stay-at-home mom. He hadn’t seen a phoenix waiting to be reborn from the ashes he himself had set ablaze.
And now, that fire had consumed him.
