Chapter 2

He dismissed the special assistant I had carefully selected for him right in front of me. Replaced her with his favorite female secretary. Over the years, women had come and gone in his life.

Those brothers who called me a tigress patted him on the shoulder and laughed, saying, "That's what a man should be like!"

In the living room, the woman's voice was excessively loud. I never knew Lily was a girl who could show off and flaunt her abilities. I put on my earphones and said nothing.

After everything was over, Lily, wrapped in a towel, knocked on my door.

"Riley, I want to... explain something."

"Oh, no need."

I was about to leave when she hurriedly stopped me, "I used to really hate him! But..."

She paused. I stared at her.

She seemed to have made up her mind, taking a deep breath. "But one day I realized that what I had to risk half my life for, I could get by sleeping with him. And that's precisely what you can't give me. I did say I was upright and honorable, but my body is also a resource, why can't I use it?"

She looked at me after saying that, seemingly waiting for my answer. But I didn't. I just stared at her for a while. I Nodded. Then walked past her and left.

"Riley!"

Her voice came from behind, "Are you looking down on me and that's why you won't talk to me?"

"You're overthinking it." My tone was calm and indifferent.

Just like the first time I saw Jason bring a woman home. I calmly turned away. I chopped up the washboard he'd been kneeling on for five years and burned it. Then, while he was undergoing anesthesia for a gastroscopy, I ordered my men to damage his testicle as well.

Since I couldn’t stop people from changing, at least I want to protect some things that remain unchanged. Like power. Or wealth. And my son's inheritance. But Jason went a bit too far this time.

He found me and said solemnly, "I've thought about it. You'll hand over your Vice President's power to Lily."

My hand, which was processing documents, paused. "Her? A recent college graduate?"

"I know she lacks experience, so you stay by her side to guide her. Teach her what she doesn't know and if she makes a mistake, you won't cause any trouble."

I closed the folder. Now I understood a little. What was it that Lily meant by "risking half her life" to get? Indeed, this power I hold, I might actually get by sleeping with Jason. And that method worked for Lily too.

It wouldn't work for Jason and me, an old married couple. My only bargaining chip was our past relationship. So I started to cry. But I couldn't cry.

Then I started to recall the year I was fifteen, when my stepfather kicked me out of the house and the umbrella he held for me.

I recalled the day my mother died, when I had a relapse of depression and he took care of me, helping me wash and change.

I recalled the night my stepfather wouldn't give me food and he hid a scalding hot roasted sweet potato in his chest. His skin blistered from the burn, just so I could have a bite of something hot.

My tears fell onto the table. He was stunned.

I quickly wiped my eyes. "Jason, how did things come to this?"

"What do you mean?" Jason stood up, somewhat surprised.

I wiped my eyes more frequently, but my tone remained stubborn, "I thought we still had some old feelings for each other. As long as I didn't make a scene, I could at least stay with you until we’re turning grey. Now it seems I overestimated myself."