When Love Pays in Vouchers

On the day we receive our bonus, one of the staff members of the finance department gives me 500 dollars worth of vouchers for the fast food restaurant downstairs. He tells me that my wife, Jillian Dunn, who is also the company's president, specifically ordered him to do so. In utter disbelief, I seek out Jillian and question her. "Didn't we agree that whoever secures the project will get a 50,000-dollar bonus? Stop messing around! I still need to pay for Freya's cochlear implant!" "I'm not messing around with you," Jillian answers seriously. "These vouchers can last you for a whole month. I wouldn't even give them to you if you were anyone else. "Money is tight right now at the company. Besides, Freya has been deaf for more than a decade now. She can survive being deaf for another decade." The next day, Jillian gives one of the interns a sports car that's worth 50,000 dollars. I look at the photo she uploads of her and the intern grinning widely as they sit in the car and give it a like. Jillian must assume that everything is proceeding smoothly since she has signed the contract. However, she misses the additional condition that's printed on the last page of the contract. I dial her rival's number, asking, "Ms. Swan, are you interested in Project Charlie?" Chapter 1 I had just hung up when I received a call from Jillian Dunn. "John works so hard every day. I promised to reward him with a sports car a long time ago, so why are you being weird and liking that photo?" I couldn't understand her reasoning. I had just liked the photo. Why was she accusing me of being weird for doing that? Jillian didn't give me a chance to explain. "Freya has been deaf since birth. That's an irrefutable fact, no matter how expensive a cochlear implant is. Instead of wasting money on a useless piece of trash like her, I might as well reward my staff." Her words made me tremble with anger. Unable to help myself, I sneered, "By 'staff,' you mean only Jonathan, don't you?" Jillian bristled at my jab. "Am I wrong? John contributed significantly to the company and his colleagues during the bidding process. I kept a close eye on him. Considering how many staff members we have, the fact that everyone got to eat their meals on time was all thanks to him. "And you, even as the leader, showed no consideration for your team. You were petty and selfish. It's no wonder no one in the company likes you." Jonathan Porter's voice rang out from beside us. "I can give up on the sports car if Mr. Lennox isn't happy about it, Jill," he said. "I'm worried about losing my job if he holds a grudge against me. I don't want him making things difficult for me at the company." Jillian immediately defended him. "Rest easy and accept whatever I give you. No one will dare give you a hard time when I'm around!" Then she turned to me, her tone sharp and cold. "Don't forget, Felix Lennox, I'm the one who gave you the position of vice president. If you upset me, I'll strip you of it and kick you out immediately." Her words lodged in my chest like needles, leaving me breathless. Dunn Group had only reached this level of success because I helped Jillian expand the company little by little. To win the bid for the project, I led our team and worked overtime for a full month. She was right that some staff members weren't happy about being forced to work overtime, but in the end, they received generous rewards for their effort. As for Jonathan, aside from ordering food for everyone daily, he spent the rest of his time coming up with ways to coax Jillian. Despite contributing little to the team, he had become Jillian's most valued staff member. Jillian scoffed at my lack of response. "I wouldn't have given you those food vouchers if John didn't convince me to do so." She ended the call immediately after. The last sliver of hope I had for our marriage was extinguished as I listened to the beeping tone on the other end of the line. Just then, my sister, Freya Lennox's attending physician, sent a message to me, explaining that if we continued to delay her cochlear implant surgery, she would lose her last chance at restoring her hearing. I had to pay the deposit by tomorrow at the latest. Left with no other choice, I called Jillian again. The call rang and rang, but no one picked up. In the end, I found out from the secretary that she and Jonathan had gone to a newly-opened restaurant for a meal. When I arrived at the restaurant, I saw Jonathan feeding Jillian a shrimp directly from his mouth. My stomach turned, and I nearly threw up. However, for Freya's sake, I forced myself to swallow the disgust roiling inside me. Chapter 2 I took a deep breath before walking over to Jillian. "Jillian, if you're unwilling to give me 50,000 dollars, at least give me 10,000 dollars. I need to pay the deposit for the cochlear implant." Jillian responded by hurling a cup of hot tea into my face, right in front of all the restaurant's patrons. "Are you even a man, Felix? Why do you only talk about money day in and day out? Marrying someone like you must be the unluckiest thing that ever happened to me!" My face turned a ruddy red as humiliation and indignation surged through me. Despite being the company's vice president, I had never received a single cent for all the work I had done. Meanwhile, Jonathan watched with delight, savoring my disgrace. "Mr. Lennox, you're a high-ranking official in the company, so why are you behaving like this? Do you want me to introduce you to a quick way of making money since you're so strapped for cash? I hear the rich ladies at the club love your type. Should I send them your photo?" "Not even an 80-year-old hag would be interested in him with the way he is," Jillian retorted, looking at me with disdain. She pulled out a 100-dollar bill from her bag and flung it at my face. "Take the money and leave! Now!" She then locked arms with Jonathan before smugly getting into their sports car. I curled my hands into tight fists, clutching the 100-dollar bill in a death grip. Just then, my phone vibrated. "You know how I feel about you, Felix. Are you sure you want to transfer to my company with the project?" This time, I didn't hesitate for even a second when I replied. "I'm sure." The next day, I headed to Jillian's office with my resignation letter. She and Jonathan were sharing a heated kiss when I pushed the door open. I didn't say a word as I pulled out my phone and snapped several pictures of them kissing passionately. The sounds of the camera shutter snapped them back to reality. Seeing me standing at the door with my phone raised, Jillian shoved Jonathan away in a fit of panic, causing him to lose his balance and stumble to the floor. He looked rather pathetic as he crawled back up to his feet. A hint of jealousy flickered in his eyes when he looked at me. "Don't get the wrong idea, Mr. Lennox. Something got into Jill's eye, and I was just blowing it out for her." I scoffed as I pocketed my phone. "Well, I guess I've learned something new today. This is my first time seeing someone help another person blow something out of their eye by kissing them." Jillian's embarrassment morphed into anger. "What are you trying to say? John was just helping me blow the sand out of my eye. As expected, someone with a filthy mind will see everything in the world through a filthy lens. Also, why didn't you knock before coming in? Do you want to lose your job?" I arched an eyebrow. "Bingo. I don't want to work here anymore," I replied as I threw my resignation letter on the desk. Jillian glanced at it mockingly. "Are you changing tactics because you didn't get the money you wanted yesterday? It's a shame that playing hard to get doesn't work on me. "John left two project proposals in your office earlier this morning. If you're able to secure both of them, I'll give you all the money you want." I couldn't believe that Jillian was still making empty promises when the situation had reached this point. As expected, I was nothing more than a spineless, loyal lapdog to her. I inhaled deeply and looked at her calmly. "Aren't you always boasting about how good Jonathan is at his job? You should have him handle the two projects instead. Also, I'm not playing hard to get. I'm serious about resigning." Jillian frowned when she realized that I wasn't joking. "Felix, you know that I hate people threatening me the most." She retrieved 20,000 dollars from the safe and tossed it on top of my resignation letter. "You just want money, don't you? This should be enough to satisfy you, but you have to ensure that you secure those two projects." "Your resignation letter is worth 20,000 dollars," Jonathan chimed in mockingly. "You've certainly come up with an excellent plan, Mr. Lennox." I scoffed as I looked at the 20,000 dollars sitting on the desk. Without saying another word, I took off my work ID and threw it next to the two thick stacks of cash. Chapter 3 "Not only do I want to resign, but I also want a divorce, Jillian. I'll send the divorce agreement to you when the time comes," I declared. I ignored Jillian's furious shouts, slamming the door open and taking my leave. I had just exited Dunn Group's office building when I received a message from my bank. 50,000 dollars had been deposited into my account, no more, no less. My phone began ringing then. It was Elise Swan, the president of Starshower Group. "Did you receive the money, Felix?" "I did. Thank you, Ms. Swan," I answered lightly. I could hear her laughing on the other end of the line. "No need to thank me. I just want to make it clear that by accepting my money, you also belong to me now." Although I knew that she was just joking, I could feel the tips of my ears heating up. "Don't worry, Ms. Swan. I'll definitely show up at the office on time." Elise hummed in acknowledgement before asking curiously, "I contacted you so many times in the past, but you always rejected my offers, claiming that you were going to stay by Jillian's side no matter what happened. Why did you suddenly change your mind?" I let out a self-deprecating laugh before replying, "I just had an epiphany, that's all. I finally understand that some people don't deserve my blood, sweat, and tears." Compared to Starshower Group, Dunn Group was nothing more than a tiny and insignificant business. If given the choice to work for either company, any ordinary citizen would choose to work for Starshower Group. Elise had offered me a contract with incredible benefits that no sane person could refuse. However, because I loved Jillian, I had rejected Elise's offers ten times. Perhaps my unwavering loyalty was what emboldened Jillian to hurt and humiliate me without even batting an eye. Even a third-rate university graduate, who didn't have a clue about what he was doing and only knew how to coax women, was bold enough to trample all over me. I wanted to slap myself when I thought about everything that I had been forced to endure. After ending the call, I immediately headed to the hospital to pay the deposit for the cochlear implant. I then headed home after completing all the necessary paperwork. When I opened the door, I saw Jillian talking to Freya using sign language, which made me think I was hallucinating for a split second. Jillian pretended that nothing had happened between us when she spotted me standing at the door in a daze. She padded over to me and locked her arm with mine affectionately. Her voice was sweet when she spoke, devoid of any of the haughtiness that was present earlier in the afternoon. "Why did you just come back now, Felix? Freya's painting skills have been improving with each passing day. Oh, that's right. I told the maid to prepare a few more dishes tonight. It's been a while since the three of us had a meal together." Jillian and I had been married for five years. She had always thought of Freya as a burden and hated her with all her heart. She rarely even looked at Freya, let alone shared a meal with her. Yet, she had uncharacteristically struck up a conversation with Freya today. I couldn't shake the feeling that Jillian was plotting something. I retracted my arm and eyed her warily. "What are you up to? I'm warning you, Jillian. I don't care what you're scheming, but leave Freya out of it. I won't forgive you if you drag her into this." Jillian's smile stiffened when she noticed how discourteous I was being. A hint of impatience flickered in her eyes, but she suppressed the simmering anger within her. "Darling, are you still angry about what happened yesterday and this morning? I was just messing around with you. Once tomorrow's project launch meeting is over, I'll have the finance department send you the money you deserve, okay?" I immediately knew what Jillian was up to upon hearing her words. I was the manager of Project Charlie, so I knew the project's details like the back of my hand. Many key leaders and partners would be attending the project launch meeting the following day. If I were absent, the meeting couldn't possibly go on. I scoffed and said, "Ms. Dunn, I've already resigned. Your company's matters do not concern me." Jillian dropped the act completely. "Felix, I've already lowered myself to your level to talk to you, so you should know when to stop this nonsense too!" she roared. Chapter 4 "Don't think that you're the only person in the company who can take charge of this project!" Jillian exclaimed. I looked at her and smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Dunn Group has many talented employees. I'm sure that you'll find the best candidate to handle the project, Ms. Dunn." Jillian's expression turned steely. "Don't come crying to me later, Felix!" I nodded. "Don't worry. The one thing I regret the most is joining Dunn Group to help you. I don't regret resigning at all." "Great!" Jillian grabbed her phone and pointed at the time before hissing coldly, "I'm giving you five minutes. Take Freya and get out of my house now." My eyes widened as I stared at her with disbelief. "Have you lost your mind, Jillian? This is my home!" "But only my name is on the deed," she replied, her tone colored with self-righteousness. My eyes reddened as my chest heaved. To prove how much I loved her, I had written only Jillian's name on the property deed when I bought the house. I had no idea that there would come a day when Jillian would use my love for her against me to kick Freya and I to the curb. Seeing that I wasn't budging, Jillian grabbed Freya's sleeve and began dragging her toward the door. Her rough actions shocked Freya, who screamed. I hastily dragged Freya behind me and glared at Jillian with clenched teeth. "Don't touch her! Take out your frustrations on me instead!" Jillian let out a mocking laugh before saying coldly, "Do you think I would willingly touch her? I'm just helping you move out, that's all." She rushed into Freya's room and grabbed the only photograph we had of Freya and I with our deceased parents. My pupils contracted. "Don't touch that photo, Jillian!" I yelled, my voice trembling. Freya also began to shriek at Jillian, seemingly out of immense stress. Jillian glared at Freya hatefully. "Shut up! You're making too much noise! If I hear another peep from you, I'm going to burn this photo!" I immediately covered Freya's mouth with my hand. "I'll show up at tomorrow's project launch meeting as long as you promise to leave the photo alone," I said hoarsely. Satisfied with my response, Jillian dropped the photo onto the carpet. "If only you were this obedient from the very beginning. Freya wouldn't have had to experience such a terrible shock." She then smugly strolled toward the door. She stepped on the photo frame with her high heels as she passed, causing the glass to crack like a spider web. Before closing the door behind her, Jillian turned to look at me and said, "That bitch, Elise, will be present at the project launch meeting too. You'd better give your best performance tomorrow, or you can forget about treating Freya's ears." I curled my hands into tight fists as I stared at the closed door, a sense of loathing slowly spreading within me. The next day, I put on a tailored suit before heading over to Project Charlie's launch meeting. Jillian was holding onto Jonathan's arm as she enthusiastically introduced him to the guests. She had also given him the credit for the project proposal that I had painstakingly put together. Jonathan was the first to notice my arrival. He intentionally ushered Jillian over to me and said, "Mr. Lennox, Jill has promised to let me have full control over Project Charlie once the launch meeting is over." "John is still young, so he needs to be attached to some big projects to bulk up his résumé," Jillian explained self-righteously. "As for you, you can be his assistant." I scoffed, saying nothing. The happier they were now, the more devastated they would be later. Jonathan was grinning at me smugly when the host announced that the project launch meeting had officially started. Straightening her clothes, Jillian prepared to ascend the stage to give her speech. She didn't expect the next words that came out of the host's mouth. "Now, let us welcome Ms. Elise Swan, the person-in-charge of Project Charlie, to come up to the stage to give a speech." Meanwhile, Dunn Group's logo, which was originally projected on the screen, transformed into Starshower Group's logo.