After I Quit, My Ex's Company Went Bankrupt

After landing a huge project for the company, I received a ring from my boyfriend.

Excited, I posted it on Ins, thinking he was finally going to make our relationship official.

But then, his newly hired assistant slapped me, sending my workstation crashing down.

You're a director, for crying out loud! Stealing a gift my husband gave me? Have some shame!

My boyfriend didn't just stand there; he agreed, saying I was unworthy of the position.

Right there, in front of everyone, he announced that his assistant would take over the big project I'd just secured.

That's when it hit me. He wasn't going to make us official. It was her.

Suddenly, everyone in the office was holding up their phones, enjoying the drama.

But I wasn't angry. Instead, I just smiled, pushing my ID badge into the assistant's hands.

"Oh, so you're the CEO's secret weapon, his capable lady? Consider this director position my apology gift. May you two live a long, happy life together."

My colleagues stared, shocked by my bizarre behavior. Liam, my closest co-worker, grabbed my arm, whispering, "Don't be impulsive, Harper. A lost project is just a lost project; we can land another."

But he didn't know the full story. I wasn't being impulsive at all.

Yesterday, walking past Julian's office, I'd overheard his assistant, Chloe, clinging to him.

"Julian, I want to make something of myself. Give me this new project you've landed. I promise I'll do a great job and make you proud."

Back then, I just brushed it off.

Julian and I had been in a secret relationship for seven years. I'd turned down offers from big corporations to help him build this company from the ground up.

I'd secured ninety percent of all the company's projects. He knew better than anyone how tough the journey had been, and he was always so principled. There was no way he'd ever mess with something as important as a project.

Plus, he absolutely despised opportunists, having had a project stolen from him by a suck-up once before.

So, when I saw the ring Julian gave me today, I thought he'd finally realized I was the best for him, that he was ready to settle down and marry me.

I never expected Chloe to twist the narrative, painting me as a thief and completely humiliating me.

And I certainly didn't expect Julian to abandon all his principles for Chloe, who'd only been working here for a few months.

If that's how it was, there was nothing left for me in this dump of a company.

Julian still had no idea I'd seen through their childish little scheme. He probably thought I was just jealous.

He frowned at me. "What's with the snarky comments?"

Ever since Chloe showed up, he'd looked at me with this strange prejudice.

This time, I didn't waste my breath. I simply said, "Don't overthink it, Julian. I really did give it to her."

Both him, and the job. I gave them both to her.

I wasn't planning on sticking around, but just as I was about to leave, Julian, his face cold, dragged me into his office.

The office wasn't big, and the walls weren't soundproof.

The moment he closed the door, the employees outside, eager for more drama, started buttering up Chloe, chatting excitedly about when she and Julian would get married and have kids.

Chloe, feigning shyness, replied, "That depends on Julian. He hasn't officially proposed yet."

She was playing the part of his official girlfriend perfectly, and with Julian's silent approval, everyone believed her.

Julian, hearing this, paused mid-pour with a glass of water. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He usually acted so dominant, but now, he softened his tone, a rare occurrence, and tried to explain.

"Chloe's just a kid; she doesn't know any better. She probably said that just for fun. Don't take it to heart."

"She has relatives at the client company. We wouldn't have landed this project if it weren't for her."

I shot him a withering look. Unbelievable!

Thunder Corporation, our client, had a professional tech department. They didn't need outsourcing, which was why they'd initially rejected our collaboration.

It was me who wouldn't give up. I begged and pleaded, sending thoughtful gifts, just to get a meeting with their representative.

He generously gave me thirty seconds, and I seized that opportunity to pitch our product.

Seeing my expertise, he tried to poach me with a high salary. When that didn't work, he finally agreed to work with us.

I'd pulled all-nighters, traveled everywhere for this project, and he saw none of it. Chloe made one casual remark, and he believed her.

If he'd used even a tiny bit of common sense, he'd realize that if Chloe truly had such powerful connections, she wouldn't be working as an assistant in this small, struggling company.

Or maybe he knew all along and was just pretending to be naive.

Seeing my prolonged silence, Julian looked down for a moment, then stood up to make me a cup of coffee. He leaned close to my ear, whispering, "It's all an act with her. You're the only one I'll ever marry."

In the past, whenever we fought, his soft voice and promises would always make me forgive him, no matter what.

So, he probably thought it would be the same this time. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Just go back to work. I've got the project covered."

But what he didn't know was, I didn't want him anymore.

I scraped my chair back and stood up. "No need to go through all that trouble. I'm leaving."

With that, I pulled out a resignation form, filled it out quickly, and without a moment's hesitation, turned and walked out of the office.

Seeing me go, Chloe rushed to block my path, feigning distress. "Harper, I know you're an industry expert. You're right, I don't deserve this Head of Tech position. Here, take it back."

She grabbed the ID badge and tried to shove it into my hands.

I simply pushed her away gently, but she stumbled backward, knocking over a chair and sending a computer crashing to the floor, startling everyone.

Chloe got up, brushing off the concerned colleagues with a dismissive wave, saying she was fine.

Julian, disturbed by the commotion, sprinted over.

After making sure Chloe was okay, he glared at me, a frown on his face. "Harper, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're an old employee."

Hearing him, my colleagues, who'd been watching, immediately chimed in.

"That's right, Harper. Change is good for the company. You shouldn't bully new people just because you've been here a long time."

And the worst of it came from Leo, my apprentice, whom I'd personally mentored.

"So what if you've landed a few projects? You think you're the boss now?"

"Are you addicted to forming cliques? You even look down on a genius like Chloe?"

We'd worked together for years. I was the top salesperson. Everyone used to greet me respectfully.

Now, they were all staring at me with schadenfreude, practically wishing me gone.

Whatever. Let them say what they want. I wasn't sticking around to entertain them.

I walked out of the company without a word.

Julian jogged after me. Once we were away from prying eyes, he rubbed his forehead and said, "You've just been too stressed lately. I'll approve some time off for you. Take a break."

"Today is our seven-year anniversary. Wait for me at home, I've got a surprise planned."

Just as he finished speaking, the elevator arrived. I stepped in without saying a word.

Back home, I made myself something to eat. I didn't wait for him specifically, and he didn't come back until it was dark.

I put on my shoes, got ready to meet the client representative, but on my way, I bumped into a colleague.

This guy, somewhat slow on the uptake, hadn't distanced himself from me like the others. He greeted me warmly.

"Harper, are you going to the promotion party Julian is throwing for Chloe? Let's go together, we can split the ride fare!"

He happily mumbled about not having to squeeze onto the subway, but I shook my head. "No."

He looked at me awkwardly. "Julian didn't invite you?"

I nodded curtly and walked away.

I faintly heard him grumbling, "Julian always plays favorites," but I didn't look back.

He didn't play favorites. He just favored Chloe.

He'd do anything for Chloe, and breaking plans with me wasn't new.

Once, when I was hospitalized with pneumonia, he said he'd come visit after his meeting. I waited until dawn, but he only arrived late, claiming he was working late, when in reality, he was with Chloe, watching a movie.

Another time, we'd planned a couple's photoshoot. I waited in my dress until the studio closed, and he showed up leisurely, claiming he was delayed by work, but he was actually taking Chloe shopping for new clothes.

The list of such incidents was endless. Every time I questioned him, he'd act like "work is most important" and scold me. This kind of relationship was exhausting.

At the coffee shop, the client representative looked at the progress report I handed in and exclaimed, "Harper, are you really not considering a jump? I could offer you ten times your salary."

This time, I didn't refuse. The client representative happily told me we could negotiate any terms.

After discussing the benefits package, I returned home. Julian was already sitting on the sofa, waiting for me with takeout.

He'd stood me up again. Usually, he'd offer a million excuses, but this time he said nothing. After a moment of silence, he pushed the container towards me.

"You must be tired today, too. Don't bother cooking. Just heat this up; it's still good."

I glanced down.

Inside the plastic container, various dishes were piled together without any aesthetic appealsome stir-fried, some boiled, and even a soggy piece of what looked like day-old cake floating in soup.

Clearly, it was just leftovers, haphazardly packed.

He didn't even bother separating them, just crammed them into one big container. The sight alone was nauseating.

I waved him off. "No thanks, I've already eaten."

Julian looked at me deeply. Usually so cold, he now reached out, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I'm sorry. She just got promoted, and as her boss, I had to acknowledge it somehow."

"I know you felt wronged today. Let's go register our marriage this weekend."

I scoffed internally.

He made it sound so good.

When I was promoted to director, I excitedly offered to host my own promotion party.

But I waited anxiously in the private room, the waiters reheated the food five times, and not a single colleague dared to show up until the restaurant closed.

I sent message after message, but they all went unanswered.

A kind colleague discreetly asked if I'd somehow offended the CEO.

I was baffled at the time, only finding out later.

While I was out of the office, he'd coldly reprimanded every colleague who said they were coming to my party.

"Do you have too little work? Are you just idling around?"

"All you do is think about eating, drinking, and having fun? Is this company paying you wastes to sit around? You might as well just quit!"

The memory made me pull his restless hand from my waist. I spoke coldly.

"No need. Julian, we're done."

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.

Julian gasped, his suppressed emotions finally exploding.

"I did all this for the company's development! Other girlfriends would be thrilled, why can't you get it, Harper?"

I ignored his twisted logic.

He, however, continued to ramble on, as usual, about the importance of the company's growth, promising me a place once the company went public.

My ears were bleeding from his lectures. I raised a hand to cut him off.

"No need. I'm packing my things and leaving right now."

Julian had wielded his authority as a boss for so many years; this was the first time he'd ever been interrupted.

His face flushed with anger. He glared at me for a long time before snorting.

"Fine! Then I'll leave!"

He slammed the door shut as he left.

I didn't chase after him. I quietly packed my belongings.

The client had arranged a free, luxurious single staff apartment for me, ready for immediate move-in.

Just as I finished packing and called the moving company, I coincidentally saw Chloe dropping Julian off at his place.

They were walking hand-in-hand, laughing and chatting.

Julian had shed his usual cold, distant CEO persona, looking down at Chloe with utmost tenderness, completely smitten.

Chloe noticed me first and deliberately squeezed his hand tighter.

Julian sensed something was off, followed her gaze, and quickly released her hand.

He walked towards me, instinctively starting to explain, but when he saw me loading my things into the car, he paused, then changed his question.

"It's so late. Where are you going?"

Was he blind? Didn't he see the huge "Moving Company" logo on the truck?

I was about to continue moving my stuff.

But Julian blocked my path and suddenly shoved a bag of clothes he was carrying into my hands.

Seeing me unresponsive, he pulled out a shirt and held it up against me.

"I know you've been busy and haven't had time to shop. I just picked this up for you when I passed by the mall."

For me?

This designer shirt was clearly not my size.

A receipt peeking out from the bag showed Julian's credit card number and a price of over ten thousand dollars.

He hadn't "just picked it up for me." He'd specifically taken Chloe to the store to choose it!

He sure was generous.

Just two days ago, I bought a two-hundred-dollar shirt and asked him if it looked good.

He coldly lectured me for over an hour, calling me wasteful, rambling about how hard it was to make money, and saying that strong ability was more important than fancy clothes.

And now?

Now making money was easy, huh?

My hands in my pockets, I looked at them coldly.

"No thanks. As they say, 'clothes make the man, saddles make the horse, and a bell makes a dog run happily.' Keep such expensive clothes for Director Chloe."

Chloe, who had been holding the clothes, froze for a moment. When she realized what I'd said, she furiously threw the clothes down. "How dare you insult me?"

Her eyes red, she glared at me, charging forward to strike.

I didn't move. One slap sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Not just that. I dare to hit you, too."

Chloe's slender limbs were like matchsticks. The only reason she'd managed to hit me earlier was because I was caught off guard.

Now, I'd returned the favor.

Julian cried out, clutching Chloe protectively in his arms.

"Harper! Let's talk this out! Why would you hit her?"

"If you want to leave, then leave! Don't you dare come back!"

He didn't need to say it. I wasn't planning on coming back.

I turned and got into the moving truck, speeding off towards my new life.

After leaving, I joined Thunder Corporation directly, entrusted with a vital role.

Stepping into Julian's company again, this time as the client, I was welcomed by the receptionist.

As I reached the office area, I saw Chloe, wearing the director's ID badge, bustling between employee workstations, looking very important.

"Make this logo a bit bigger, but also a bit smaller at the same time."

"I told you to adjust the black, but not pure black. I meant that iridescent black, like a raven's wing."

"After looking at everything, the first version is still better overall. But I like the font from the seventh version, and the color from the sixteenth... Finish it today and send it to me."

The workstations were filled with resentment. Someone couldn't help but talk back.

"This design was already approved by the client. The main problem now is program stability."

Chloe snorted. "The client is just a nouveau riche. What does he know about true art?"

"I'm the director, you listen to me. With my superior aesthetic, the client will definitely be satisfied, and maybe even happy enough to give us more money."

Please!

Their company was developing a new system to provide convenience for users, not to host an online art exhibition!

And besides, with those garish, hard-to-read fonts, were they trying to boost business for eye doctors?

The fact that Chloe, with her level of competence, was given such importance explained why the company's performance was plummeting. The program crashed as soon as it ran, and the quality was a total joke.

Some colleagues noticed me. Their former hostile gazes had turned into pleading looks.

As for Leo, my apprentice who'd spoken such harsh words, he'd already been kicked out of the core creative team, relegated to buying coffee and running errands with his own money.

Chloe glanced at me with disdain. "I guess I'll have to suggest to Julian that we add a security position. Otherwise, any riff-raff can just walk into the company."

Mia, the receptionist, bowed slightly, about to remind her to watch her words, that I was here representing the client.

The next second, Julian strode past me, his leather shoes clicking. Assuming I was here to apologize, he scoffed.

"Well, well! If it isn't Director Harper! Realized it's hard to find work out there, did you? Thinking of coming back?"

Chloe snickered, feigning kindness. "I think highly of Harper's abilities. I believe we could give her a manager position. If she works hard under me, she'll surely achieve something great soon enough."

Julian crossed his arms, looking at me with contempt. "Manager? She doesn't deserve it!"

"Coming back isn't impossible, but she'll have to start from scratch as a basic employee, with half the salary and all performance bonuses cut."

The other colleagues gasped, quickly distancing themselves from me, afraid of catching bad luck.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Julian still had no idea that I'd transformed into his client, no longer the obedient tag-along he could order around.

Julian raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's so funny?"

I quietly pulled a contract from my briefcase and slapped it onto the desk.

"Let's reintroduce ourselves. I am Harper James, Head of Technology at Thunder Corporation."

"And I'm here to inform you..."

"Project suspended. Contract terminated!"