My CEO Wife Called Me a Creep on IPO Night, So I Walked Away with Her Clients

On the eve of the company’s IPO, my wife told me she had a surprise waiting for me. She asked me to make sure I was dressed in my absolute best. I thought she was finally ready to go public with our secret marriage. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep a wink all night. But the next day, in front of the entire press, she pointed at me and called me an obsessive, creepy stalker. She even stripped me of the promotion that was rightfully mine. Instead, she handed my manager position to Julian Vance—her first love, the golden boy who had just flown back from abroad. Everyone stood there, waiting to watch me fall apart. But I only froze for a second. Then, with a faint smile, I walked right up to Julian. I took off my employee ID badge and hung it around his neck with my own hands. "Congrats on the promotion. We should celebrate, shouldn't we? Why don't you two just get married? I’d be more than happy to officiate." My wife’s face turned icy as she told me to get lost and stop embarrassing myself. But what they didn't know was that I was the sole lifeblood of this entire company’s network. Now that I’m leaving, not a single investor will ever write them another check. The paparazzi's camera flashes were blinding. A few yards away, I watched Chloe Miller hand the gorgeous bouquet of roses I had carefully chosen to Julian Vance. Faced with the reporters' relentless questions, she let out a soft, beautiful laugh. "Everyone knows starting this company wasn't easy for me. But today, I want to say that if Julian hadn’t been standing by my side, quietly supporting me and pushing me to keep going these past few years, I wouldn't be here today." "Now that the company has successfully gone public, I’d like to take this wonderful opportunity to make an announcement." "I’ve decided to appoint Julian as our new Head of Marketing. He’s a brilliant Ivy League graduate who has managed massive campaigns overseas. I know that with him leading the team, our company’s future will be brighter than ever." The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. I stood in the corner, barely able to keep my balance. And to think, I had dressed up so carefully. On my way here, I had even stopped by a jeweler to pick up a stunning three-carat diamond ring. I had been waiting for the moment Chloe announced our marriage, hoping the cameras would capture the most beautiful moment of our lives. But I never imagined it was all just my pathetic, delusional daydream. No wonder she insisted on taking a separate car this morning. Right then, Julian’s eyes swept over the crowd and landed on me. He actually waved at me. "Ethan, why are you standing all the way over there by yourself? You're a part of this company too. Come on up for the group photo!" My legs felt like they were filled with lead, and my throat was incredibly dry. "A part of this company?" So, after all this time, that was all I was to her? I looked at Chloe with eyes full of hurt and betrayal, desperately hoping she would speak up for me. But she didn't. There was no rescue. Instead, she just stared at me with a cold, mocking smirk. "He’s just a pathetic loser who doesn't know his place." "He only knows how to be a creepy, disgusting stalker in the dark. Let's just ignore him and take the photo." The moment those words left her mouth, it was like throwing a boulder into a quiet pond. The whispers from my colleagues started instantly. "No way. Ethan looks so professional and handsome. Who knew he was a stalker? Looking at CEO Miller's reaction, he must have harassed her a lot." "And here I was, feeling bad that he didn't get the Head of Marketing job. A creep like him should be kicked out of the company immediately." My fists clenched tightly at my sides, my heart bleeding with every word I heard. So, in Chloe’s eyes, this was what I was? But she seemed to have forgotten. When she graduated college and said she wanted to start a business, absolutely no one supported her. To break her spirit, her parents completely cut her off financially. It was I who gave up a prestigious Ivy League scholarship abroad, choosing to stay by her side and build this company from scratch. It was I who got up every single night after she fell asleep, working under a dim lamp to write business proposals and hunt down clients. For three years, my nerves had been stretched to the limit. I kept telling myself that once the company went public, our lives would get better. I let her take all the spotlight, the glory, and the credit, while I happily worked in the shadows as a faceless, tireless soldier. I never complained. Every time she landed a new client and hugged my neck, kissing me excitedly, I felt like all the sleepless nights were worth it. But now... It seemed like those three years of devotion were nothing but a beautiful dream I had conjured up all by myself. I had poured all my time, energy, and soul into her. And in return, all I got was the label of a "disgusting stalker" and a look of pure, unadulterated contempt. The corner of my mouth twitched into a bitter smile. I had wasted three years of my life on the wrong woman. The group photo was over. Julian, standing at the dead center of the stage, took Chloe’s arm and walked toward me. My eyes locked onto Chloe’s hand resting on his arm, a wave of raw emotion crashing over me. She had taken off our wedding ring. Meanwhile, I was still wearing mine like a priceless treasure, terrified of scratching it. Before I could process the pain, the two of them stopped right in front of me. Julian reached out a hand. "We’re going to be working together from now on, Ethan. Be good to me, okay?" I stared at his outstretched hand and didn't move. I didn't believe for a second that Julian didn't know about our marriage. Yet, he had remained completely silent in front of the media. He was even patronizing me in front of everyone. To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to smash my fist into his smug face. But I couldn't. No matter what, I had watched this company grow like it was my own child. I couldn't bring myself to ruin it publicly. Seeing my silence, Chloe scoffed again. "Stop acting so cold and superior, Ethan. Do you really think landing a few big clients makes you some kind of hero? Do you expect everyone to worship the ground you walk on?" "Having an employee like you is honestly a curse." Julian smiled warmly, patting Chloe’s shoulder to soothe her. "It’s fine, Chloe. Ethan probably just didn't expect me to take the manager position. It's only natural he’s upset." "But we’re all doing what's best for the company. Ethan, if you have a problem, just take it out on me. Don't let it affect our business." He was the magnanimous savior, and I was the bitter creep from the gutters. Based on what? The sheer injustice of it made my blood boil. Watching them play their roles so perfectly, they looked exactly like a married couple. I let out a slow, quiet breath. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, I stepped forward. I reached up, unclipped my employee ID badge, and hung it directly around Julian's neck. "I don't think I'm qualified to be your senior, Julian. After all, you're an Ivy League golden boy. You better work hard. As for a 'creep' like me, I clearly don't deserve to stay in this company." "I'll be submitting my resignation today. But since you're the new boss, we should celebrate. Why don't you two just get married? I'd love to officiate."Shock flashed through Julian’s eyes. He looked down at the badge in disbelief, then back up at me. Chloe’s brow furrowed into a deep, angry scowl. "Ethan, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?" "Am I talking nonsense? In front of all these cameras, who was the one holding hands? What, you don't want to take responsibility now?" Following my lead, the reporters immediately zoomed their cameras in on Chloe and Julian’s intertwined hands. Panicked, Chloe quickly tore her hand away. She glared at me, her eyes spitting fire. "And another thing—just because I criticized you a little, you're throwing a tantrum and resigning? Do you really think the company will let you threaten us like this?" I nodded solemnly. "Let me make one thing clear: this isn't a threat. This is a very real, very official resignation." "The company just went public, and reputation is everything. A 'disgusting stalker' like me definitely shouldn't be staying around to ruin your brand." Seeing how easily I admitted it, Chloe’s face turned incredibly ugly. Julian reached up, pretending to take off the badge. "Ethan, I can't possibly take your badge like this. If you’re really that upset, we can just have a fair competition for the manager position." His words were pretty, but his hands didn't move an inch to actually take the badge off. Finally, Chloe reached out and pressed her hand over his. "Why shouldn't you take it? Since he doesn't care about his job, why are you being so polite? Keep it." As she spoke, Chloe kept her cold eyes locked onto mine. I didn't know if she was just trying to spite me or if she truly despised me that much. Frankly, I no longer cared to guess. As I turned to leave, Chloe called out to me. "The marketing department is short-staffed right now, so don't get too ahead of yourself with this resignation. We have a massive deal with a major European distributor next week. Take your team and secure it." I let out a sharp laugh. I had never seen someone ask for a favor in such a demanding, arrogant tone. I remembered that European distributor very well. They were incredibly picky about their suppliers, and since they hadn't fully broken into our domestic market yet, they were extremely cautious. Naturally, they had a lot of strict requirements for their partners, and dozens of massive firms were fighting for this contract. Our company was no exception. Up until today, I had been the sole manager in charge of this entire account. But now, I was done. I decided to dump the entire mess onto Julian's lap. "Since Julian is so brilliant, I’m sure he won't disappoint you, CEO Miller." Before Chloe could say another word, Julian eagerly took the bait. "This will be my very first project as manager. I promise I will lead the team to secure this contract and take our company to the next level!" I wanted to laugh out loud. Some people were just so beautifully, incredibly stupid. He had absolutely no idea that the CEO of that European company was notoriously elusive. Countless competitors couldn't even get a meeting with him, let alone a contract. Moreover, that CEO was famous for being difficult. But as luck would have it... Just last month, by a stroke of pure coincidence, I had met the CEO and helped him out of a tight spot. He had liked me so much that he insisted we must work together on his next big project. He didn't care about the company. He cared about "me". Just then, Julian walked over to me, holding a glass of champagne, a smug look plastered on his face. "Don't worry, Ethan. Once you're gone, I’m going to clean up the marketing department. I won't keep any dead weight around. I promise I won't let you down. I’ll make sure our department becomes the absolute backbone of this company." I knew exactly what he was doing. He was terrified that I would leave my loyalists behind to make his life difficult, so he was planning to fire them all. I said nothing. The surrounding colleagues who heard him didn't look happy at all. They were already worrying about their jobs. As Julian raised his glass and cheered, calling for everyone to join him in a toast, I calmly walked up behind him. Then, without a single moment of hesitation, I shoved him straight into the decorative fountain next to us. "As your senior who hasn't officially left yet, let me teach you your very first lesson." "Don't get too cocky. I’m just helping you cool down so you can think a little clearer."Chloe’s high-pitched scream pierced the air. "Ethan! Are you insane?! How dare you assault someone in public?!" Screaming, Chloe rushed over to pull Julian out of the water. But Julian was flailing around in the deep fountain, struggling to get his footing. It was the dead of winter. The fountain water was freezing cold. Julian sneezed repeatedly, his perfectly styled hair completely ruined and dripping wet. He looked like a drowned rat. Several colleagues even quietly pulled out their phones, snapping photos of his miserable state. Chloe turned to me, her face contorted with rage as she spat out a threat. "Ethan, you classless garbage! I will make sure you pay for this!" I ignored her. Putting my hands in my pockets, I walked out of the venue without looking back. I stood on the curb, waiting for a ride. Looking at the heavy rain starting to pour down, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The first time I met Chloe was on a rainy day just like this. I had been standing outside a convenience store, making a phone call. Just as I opened my umbrella to leave, a beautiful girl had run out of the rain. She had slipped right under my umbrella, looking up at me with a sweet, dazzling smile. "Hey, I forgot my umbrella. Mind if I share yours?" For some reason, my heart had skipped a beat, and my mind had gone completely blank. I just nodded like an idiot. For a long time, I believed that was fate. A perfect, magical love at first sight. It wasn't until after we got married that I discovered she had a first love—someone she couldn't forget. And she had only married me to spite her parents. I used to think that if I was just good enough to Chloe, I could eventually replace Julian in her heart. I thought I could build a happy home for us. But it turned out to be nothing but a pathetic joke. Lost in my thoughts, a familiar voice called out from behind me. It was Chloe and Julian. Seeing the heavy rain, Chloe complained cutely, "Ugh, why did the weather change so fast? It’s pouring. Do you have an umbrella?" Julian looked around, his eyes instantly locking onto me. "Oh, look, Chloe. Ethan is so sweet. He knows you hate the rain, so he’s been waiting here to call a cab for you." It was rush hour, and with the terrible weather, the traffic was backed up. It was nearly impossible to get an Uber, let alone a regular cab. But the car I had ordered had just pulled up right in front of us. Chloe nodded in satisfaction. "Just because you called a car doesn't mean I’ve forgiven you for what you did. You made Julian look like a fool in front of the press. We’ll settle that bill when we get home." "But since you were useful for once, I won't argue with you right now. And about your little tantrum earlier—I'll pretend I never heard you say you wanted to resign." With that, she reached for the car door, gesturing for Julian to get in with her. Julian gave me a hesitant, smug look. "Is this really okay? After all, Ethan called this car for you. It feels a bit rude for me to just hop in." Chloe didn't hesitate. "It's a big car, there’s plenty of room. Plus, how long are you going to wait out here in the cold?" "He can just call another one." Just as Chloe’s hand touched the door handle, I slid past her and hopped straight into the front passenger seat. "Who said I called this car for you guys?" "Stop flattering yourselves." I gave the driver the last four digits of my number, and the car smoothly pulled away, leaving the two of them standing frozen in the pouring rain.