Chapter 1
I had just wrapped up a project discussion with a client and stepped out of the meeting room when I saw Jasper at my desk changing his and Josephine’s baby’s diaper.
“Assistant Jiang, you’re really juggling a lot, working and taking care of the baby. Once CEO Shen finishes her postpartum recovery and returns, you definitely deserve a big promotion and raise!”
“Yeah, babies born in the Year of the Snake are considered destined for greatness. When they grow up, they’ll surely be exceptional individuals and company pillars, just like Assistant Jiang.”
The small five-square-meter room was packed with project team colleagues.
This used to be my office, but now it was filled with baby supplies and had become Jasper’s nursery at the company.
Even the awards I earned for the company that were on the wall had been replaced with photos of the baby from birth to the first month.
Actually, due to layoffs, there have been plenty of empty rooms in the company these years.
But Jasper claimed that a master advised him that only my office was suitable for the child’s growth.
Everyone could tell it was just an excuse Jasper made up to squeeze me out.
Yet Josephine, who usually has a firm belief in materialism, believed it.
She even wanted me to move to the small desk by the restroom to block some negative energy for her and Jasper’s child.
There was no hint of remorse for breaking the engagement she had with me long ago and marrying Jasper and having his child.
Coming back to the present, Jasper noticed the contract I had just signed in my hand and approached me with a smile:
“Really sorry, Director Ye.”
“I’ve been busy with the baby lately, and Josephine still needs a few more days to finish her postpartum recovery. I’ve been troubling you to run the business, but I’ll definitely tell Josephine about your contributions later!”
Although Jasper was polite, his right hand tried to snatch the signed contract from me.
Since Jasper joined the company a year ago, taking advantage of Josephine’s favoritism towards him, he had often stolen projects and achievements from me.
Before, I always compromised and indulged him because of my feelings for Josephine.
But now that Josephine had married him, I had no reason to tolerate it any longer and directly slapped his hand away.
“Jasper, you took my fiancée, and now you want the contract I closed?”
Before Jasper could respond, our colleagues rushed to defend him:
“What do you mean by ‘took’? Director Ye, your words are too harsh!”
“Exactly, Assistant Jiang was just too busy with the baby and had to hand over the project he brought in to you. You got an easy win and still complain. You’re just a freeloader with no right to bark here!”
I only found it ironic.
Yes, Jasper did bring in this project.
But to prove himself, he exaggerated the project proposal’s price to 60% of the original during a drinking session with the client.
He secured the business without considering its feasibility.
In the end, I had to work overtime, optimize the technology, and even use my own money to smooth things over with suppliers to barely reduce the costs.
Yet, the credit went to Jasper.
Seeing my firm stance, Jasper smiled and said earning money for the company was all that mattered. But when no one was looking, he pinched the baby in his arms.
The next moment, the baby started wailing, and poop and pee splattered all over me.
Even the contract I had just signed was stained and ruined.
“Oh dear, Director Ye, my apologies. It’s my first time being a dad, I’m inexperienced. My hand slipped, please forgive me.”
Noticing my dark expression, the nearby colleagues wouldn’t miss the chance to impress Jasper and chimed in:
“Ezra, are you seriously arguing with a baby just a month old? Have some shame.”
“With that bad temper, no wonder CEO Shen broke off the engagement. You can’t compare to Assistant Jiang’s gentlemanly demeanor.”
Hearing them mention the broken engagement, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly.
Josephine and I had been together for seven years, engaged, and were about to get married.
But a year ago, her ex, Jasper, suddenly appeared.
Josephine brought him into the company unusually, and before long, she hurriedly sent me on an overseas trip.
When I returned, I heard the news of their shotgun wedding.
Rather than a gentleman, “beast in a suit” suits him better.
But now I had more pressing matters and no time to bicker with them.
I calmly took a file from my drawer and threw the diaper Jasper had intentionally left on my desk back at him.
“Sorry, I’ve been working overtime a lot, and my eyes are blurry. I meant to throw it in the trash. My hand slipped too, forgive me.”
For a moment, a foul stench rose from Jasper’s expensive suit.
His face turned green, but I didn’t give them a chance to criticize me and left with my files, driving to the business registration office to hand the file to a staff member.
“Please register the shareholder information update for me.”
This was the share transfer agreement Josephine personally signed six months ago before I went abroad for negotiations.
It transferred all her shares back to me.
Actually, I had founded the company myself, with all the funds and technology being mine, so naturally, the shares were initially mine too.
A few years ago, when the company began to succeed, I gave her 51% of the shares to compensate for the hardships she endured with me, fulfilling her dream of being a boss.
During these tough times, I intended to take back all the shares to bear the risks myself and not let Josephine fall into debt.
I thought it would be difficult and prepared many excuses to persuade her, fearing she’d misunderstand my intentions.
But the day before I went abroad, when I approached Josephine, she signed without even looking and urged me to leave the country quickly.
At that time, I asked her if she wasn’t afraid I’d con her.
But she just smiled while packing my luggage, saying we were about to get married and were one family, so why differentiate between mine and yours.
Back then, I thought Josephine loved me deeply and left that night, determined to secure the deal and save the company.
After successfully securing the order and returning, I found she had married Jasper and even had a big baby boy with him.
Only then did I realize she hadn’t trusted me but was pregnant and eager to marry Jasper, fearing I’d discover her secret, hence the rush to sign and send me away.
But now it’s just right; at least the company is still in my hands.
After confirming the agreement, the staff suddenly asked:
“Mr. Ye, shareholder transfers are significant. Why didn’t Miss Shen come with you?”
I calmly shook my head: “She’s still in the postpartum recovery period.”
Hearing this, the staff was initially stunned, then congratulated me on becoming a dad and happily proceeded with the shareholder transfer procedures.
But I couldn’t smile.
Because I’m not the child’s father, nor am I her husband.
While waiting for approval and lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang.
It was Josephine calling.
As soon as I answered, a roar came from the other end.
“Jasper just dirtied the contract. Can’t you ask the client to sign again? Why are you acting up at work and scaring the baby?”
Before she could finish, the staff handed me the paperwork to sign.
“Signing?”
“Ezra, it’s work hours. Where are you instead of being at the company?”
After signing, I explained:
“I’m signing an agreement.”
On the other end, Josephine paused, then her tone softened considerably.
“That’s more like it. Seeing how eager you are to make money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly keep you in the company and give you a chance to take care of us.”
But I wasn’t listening to her words. Looking at the new shareholder list, with me holding 91%, making me the true CEO of the company, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Josephine, on the other end, misunderstood, thinking I was grateful to her, and smugly said:
“Look at you, all smug. Work hard, and when I return from the postpartum care center, I might consider promoting and giving you a raise.”
After a few more words, Josephine laughed and hung up.
But she didn’t know that in two days, once the review period was over, I’d be the new CEO of the company.
I wonder if she’ll still be able to smile then.