Chapter 1

Although the table was already full of dishes, I was still moving around the kitchen, putting on the finishing touches.

"Chicken pot pie, roasted salmon, mashed potatoes, clam chowder..."

I checked the table one last time. Everything was there—all of my wife, Madison's favorites.

When the meal was finally ready, I glanced at my watch, and then reached into the ice bucket for the red wine, now perfectly chilled.

Today was my birthday.

On a day like this, I just wanted a quiet celebration. Nothing extravagant; just Madison and me.

As I set the wine glasses down and reached for the corkscrew, my phone lit up. It was Madison.

She said, "I'm working late tonight. I won't be home for dinner." Her voice was flat, almost emotionless.

Before I could respond, the call had already ended.

I stood there, frozen.

The hope in my eyes drained away in an instant, replaced by a sinking hollowness, like a bucket of ice water dumped over me in the dead of winter.

Madison had forgotten today was my birthday.

And at that moment, it hit me. Maybe I was the only one who thought any of this still meant something.

*****

I sat there, nursing my drink and picking at the food, trying to make myself feel better.

Madison was a total workaholic, pouring all her time and energy into her career, always chasing promotions and raises, like that was the only way she could prove herself.

Since she was my wife, I should try to be more understanding.

As I was eating, my phone suddenly rang. It was my father calling.

"Happy birthday, son! Sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you. Make sure you eat something good tonight," Dad said, his voice full of warmth.

"Thanks, Dad..." I managed to reply, my voice trembling.

Tears streamed down my face.

Dad wasn't my father by blood, but he always loved me like his own.

After he took me in, he never got married, just so I'd never have to worry about being mistreated or left out.

I owed Dad more than I could ever repay.

Later, my birth father found me and wanted me to go back to his family, but I turned him down right away. Sure, he was some rich big shot, but after all those years with Dad, he was the only father I truly cared about.

My so-called birth father had never been there for me growing up. He was basically a stranger to me.

But Dad didn't hold it against him.

In fact, he even encouraged me to go back to my birth father.

He told me, "Son, you should think about forgiving your birth father. It wasn't his fault you were kidnapped. He never meant to leave you behind, and he's been looking for you all these years.

"Besides, I really can't give you much, but he holds the power to erase every worry, to secure your future beyond measure. Be good and try to accept him."

"Dad, after all these years, you're the only father that matters to me. I can't accept him for now. Let's just drop it, all right?" I said firmly.

After hanging up, I finished off the whole bottle of wine by myself. My face was burning red, the flush creeping all the way down my neck, and my head was spinning.

With my mind clouded by alcohol, I tidied up the table and stumbled into the bedroom to crash for the night.

I had no idea when Madison came home, or if she even came home at all.

By the time I woke up the next day for work, there was no sign of her anywhere in the house.

This wasn't the first time it had happened.

If work got too crazy, Madison would just crash at the office.

She was the Human Resources and Administration Manager, and now she was working even harder than ever, aiming for that HR Director spot.

When I got to the office and saw Madison, I felt a little relieved.

She looked radiant and full of energy, her makeup flawless. It seemed like she must have gone home to sleep and then left early this morning.

There was no way she could have pulled an all-nighter at the office and still looked this good.

I sat down at my desk, about to ask Madison on the company chat if she'd had breakfast. I figured I'd grab her some donuts from downstairs. She loved them.

But before I could, she sent me a formal email asking me to meet her in the conference room.

*****

When I walked into the conference room, I saw that Madison was the only one there. She was sitting up straight, looking all serious.

I teased, "Why do you need to send an email just to talk? Can't you just say it to my face?"

"This is a serious company matter. Don't joke around," Madison said sternly.

Shooting me a cold look, she cleared her throat.

"All right, what is it? Just tell me," I said.

Something felt off, so I wiped the smile off my face.

"With the economy tanking, the company's orders are drying up. To cut costs and boost efficiency, we've decided to lay off some employees," Madison said, pausing for a moment.

Then, she looked me straight in the eye, a hint of regret in her gaze. "Unfortunately, you're on the layoff list this time. Make sure you hand over your work today. You don't need to come in tomorrow."

Getting laid off was something every office drone had to face at some point.

But honestly, I doubted that anyone had ever had it sting as badly as it did for me.

Because the one breaking the news and ending my contract was none other than my wife.

"Dear, you can't be serious..." I managed, barely able to get the words out.

What Madison just said was like a bomb going off in my head, leaving me completely shell-shocked.

When I finally snapped out of it, I stared at her in utter disbelief.

If I really ended up on the layoff list, there was no way she wouldn't have known.

But she kept it completely under wraps and didn't give me a single hint.

Just recently, I led my team and pulled off a major project for the company.

That project was projected to bring in a whopping 16 million dollars in profits.

For two months straight, our whole team worked our butts off, bidding, drafting project proposals, navigating all the compliance procedures, and coordinating with suppliers to make sure everything shipped on time.

Everyone on the team was completely wiped out.

And now, just as the project wrapped up, I was getting the boot.

Worse still, it was my wife who was delivering the news.

This was so ridiculous that it wouldn't even happen in a dramatic movie.

I'd rather believe this was all just a joke.

Madison frowned, "We're at the office, so don't call me that."

She kept her face serious, her eyes icy, and her voice all business. "And I'm being completely serious. This isn't a joke."

Seeing the look on her face, I finally realized just how serious this was.

Even though I didn't want to believe it, I had no choice but to face reality.

"What about the project bonus the company promised our team?" I pressed, trying to keep my voice steady.

"What are you even talking about?" Madison shot back.

She scoffed, her eyes full of mockery. "Your whole team's getting cut. You really think there's still a bonus coming your way?"

I felt a surge of anger shoot straight to my head.

It was so obvious that the company just didn't want to cough up that huge bonus. The second the project was done, they tossed us aside like we were nothing.

But honestly, what pissed me off wasn't even the company's heartless move.

Bosses and workers were always on opposite sides anyway.

What really made me feel sick was my wife's attitude about the whole thing.

Her husband was the one getting laid off, and she didn't even bat an eye. She sided with the bosses, and I just couldn't understand what was going on in her head.

For the first time, I felt like the woman I'd been sharing a bed with for years was a complete stranger.

And then it hit me. There was no way this was just a simple layoff.

"Then what about my severance pay? I should at least get that," I said.

I forced myself to keep my anger in check, fixing my gaze on Madison with a hint of scrutiny.

To my surprise, she just shook her head. "No severance. Don't bother coming in tomorrow. Go pack up your stuff. You've got an hour to clear out. Your access card's already shut off. You can't even get into the restroom now."

"Do you really take me for some rookie fresh out of school?" I snapped, my anger finally boiling over.

I let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You really think you can just fire me with a few words? The company has to give me an official written termination letter, signed and everything.

If not, and I don't show up, it'll count as skipping work. They'll say I abandoned my job and fire me for cause, which means I won't get a dime in severance."

Madison frowned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and spoke in that cold, businesslike tone. "We can provide you with a written notice of termination of your employment contract.

"But there will be no severance pay. If you're not satisfied with this outcome, you can take it to arbitration or file a lawsuit. The company's legal department is fully prepared to deal with it at any time."

I sneered. "Let me guess. The company's pulled this off before, right? Got away with not paying severance a few times, so now you all think you're untouchable.

"You know lawsuits and arbitration take forever, sometimes months, even a year or more. Plus, people need money for a lawyer.

"You're counting on laid-off employees not being able to fight back, so you throw these crappy, one-sided agreements at them with no severance. Most people just suck it up and take the loss because they don't have a choice."

"I'm glad you understand," Madison said, not even bothering to hide it anymore. There was even a trace of smugness in her eyes.

She went on, "Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't take on the company. It's not worth it. Even if you win in court or arbitration and get some cash, it's not like that money will last forever.

"You'll still need to find a new job, right? And if you fail a background check, who's going to hire you?

"HR people talk, you know. They share information. Don't make things harder for yourself.

"If you want to make your job search easier, do yourself a favor and hand in your own resignation. That way, other companies will just think you left on your own, not that you got fired."

I stared at her, completely stunned. "I'm your husband, and you're scheming against me like I'm just some random employee. What do you get out of this? Even if you're just following orders, can't you think about my feelings?

"Is this job really more important to you than your husband and your family?"

I'd always known Madison was the career-obsessed type, fixated on work and moving up the ladder, but I never imagined she'd go this far.

Her loyalty to the company actually outweighed her feelings for our marriage. It was unbelievable.

Madison frowned again. "I've told you before. Keep it professional during working hours. Personal stuff can wait. The board decided on the layoffs, and I have to do my job.

"I can't give you special treatment just because you're my husband. That would hurt my reputation and go against my ethics."

It finally hit me.

Madison was making an example out of me to prove just how fair and selfless she was.

Me losing my job was just the perfect stepping stone for her to climb even higher in her career.