The Wolf of Wall Street's Wife Strikes Back

Outside the pantry, two new interns were showing off their pay stubs.

Mr. Carter is so generous! He gave us a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus!

I got ten thousand too! Sticking with Mr. Carter means eating well.

My hand, holding my coffee mug, froze in mid-air.

I had been married to Arthur Carter for seven years, and I had been his primary portfolio manager for those same seven years.

In the first year, I helped him earn back his family inheritance. My monthly salary was five hundred dollars.

In the second year, the company went public. He claimed cash flow was tight, so my salary was bumped to six hundred.

From the third to the sixth year, the funds I managed multiplied ten times over. My salary didn't increase by a single cent.

This year, the seventh year, he claimed the market was sluggish and wanted to cut my salary to three hundred.

Yet he turned around and handed out massive sign-on bonuses to two interns who only knew how to fetch coffee and water.

I pushed open the door, threw my employee ID into the trash can, and dialed that mysterious phone number:

"I agree to come home."

Outside the pantry, two new interns were showing off their pay stubs.

"Mr. Carter is so generous! He gave us a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus!"

"I got ten thousand too! Sticking with Mr. Carter means eating well."

My hand, holding my coffee mug, froze in mid-air.

I had been married to Arthur Carter for seven years, and I had been his primary portfolio manager for those same seven years.

In the first year, I helped him earn back his family inheritance. My monthly salary was five hundred dollars.

In the second year, the company went public. He claimed cash flow was tight, so my salary was bumped to six hundred.

From the third to the sixth year, the funds I managed multiplied ten times over. My salary didn't increase by a single cent.

This year, the seventh year, he claimed the market was sluggish and wanted to cut my salary to three hundred.

Yet he turned around and handed out massive sign-on bonuses to two interns who only knew how to fetch coffee and water.

I pushed open the door, threw my employee ID into the trash can, and dialed that mysterious phone number:

"I agree to come home."

...

After hanging up, I pushed open the door to Arthur's office.

Laughter echoed inside.

Arthur was sitting in his executive chair. That intern, Chloe Davis, was playing with his tie, half her body practically glued to his.

"Oh! Sis, what are you doing here?"

Chloe, like a startled rabbit, sprang away, her hand "accidentally" pulling the tie and choking Arthur slightly.

Arthur patted the back of her hand indulgently. When he looked up at me, the smile instantly vanished from his face, replaced by an impatient scowl.

"Don't you know how to knock? Have you forgotten company rules?"

I slapped the salary reduction notice onto his desk.

"Three hundred dollars? Arthur, are you paying off a beggar?"

Arthur frowned, picked up the notice, glanced at it, and casually tossed it into the trash can.

"Chloe Vance, are you done? The economy is bad, the whole company is tightening their belts. You're the boss's wife; you should lead by example."

"Lead by example?"

I laughed out of sheer anger, pointing out the door. "Just now in the pantry, Chloe Davis said she got a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus. Is this what you call tightening belts?"

Chloe's eyes immediately reddened. She hid behind Arthur, her voice laced with tears:

"Sister-in-law, don't blame Mr. Carter. My family is having a hard time, and Mr. Carter felt sorry for me, so he gave me an advance... If you're upset, I'll just give it back."

Saying that, she made a show of reaching for her phone to transfer the money, tears falling pit-a-pat.

Arthur's heart ached for her. He grabbed her hand and turned to yell at me:

"Chloe Vance! What are you picking on a recent grad for? It's not easy for her to make a living alone in New York. How can she compare to you? You eat my food, live in my house, have a car to drive, and a maid at home. That three hundred dollars is just for you to buy snacks! What more do you want?"

"Eat your food, live in your house?"

I looked at this man, suddenly feeling like my seven years of youth had been fed to the dogs.

"Arthur, every single core trading strategy at Carter Capital for the past seven years... which one wasn't created by me? Shorting Luckin Coffee last year, targeting Teda the year before... which time didn't I pull all-nighters to help you turn the tables?"

Arthur stood up abruptly, his gaze dark and sinister.

"Enough!"

He walked up to me, looking down from his height, his finger almost poking my nose.

"Chloe, know your place. I am the one who makes the final call on those strategies! The traders are the ones executing the orders! You just do some data analysis and organize reports. Without the platform I gave you, your stupid charts are worthless!"

He took a deep breath, as if granting a massive favor:

"Alright, stop throwing a tantrum. There's an investor cocktail party tonight. Go home, change your clothes, and don't embarrass me by dressing like some middle-aged housewife. Chloe Davis is going too, so teach her how to toast with the clients."

Chloe smiled through her tears, giving me a provocative look.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter! Sister-in-law, I'll be troubling you to teach me."

I watched their little performance, the last trace of warmth in my heart completely freezing over.

"Okay," I said flatly. "I'll teach her very well."

The evening cocktail party was held at the most upscale Marriott in New York.

I wore the black evening gown I bought seven years ago, looking a bit outdated.

Chloe, however, wore a white tulle dress from the current season's haute couture collection, and around her neck was the diamond necklace that had been sitting in my shopping cart for three years because I couldn't bring myself to buy it.

Arthur, with Chloe on his arm, chatted and laughed with the crowd.

"Mr. Carter, who is this?"

An investor, Mr. Wang, looked at Chloe with an ambiguous gaze.

"Oh, this is our company's new Operations Director, Chloe Davis. A very bright young lady." Arthur introduced her, looking incredibly proud.

"Operations Director?" Mr. Wang paused, his gaze sweeping over to me standing in the corner. "Then Mrs. Carter..."

The smile on Arthur's face stiffened for a moment before he waved it off casually:

"Oh, Chloe. She mostly handles logistics now. She's getting older, can't keep up with the market's pace, so she just enjoys a peaceful life at home."

My fingers gripping the champagne flute turned slightly white.

Logistics.

So my seven years of non-stop, day-and-night trading was just "logistics" in his mouth.

Chloe walked over with her wine glass, laughing uncontrollably.

"Sister-in-law, Mr. Carter just feels bad for you. Look at you, you already have fine lines around your eyes. It's better to leave this exhausting, public-facing work to us young people."

She deliberately emphasized the words "fine lines," causing a few wealthy wives nearby to let out low chuckles.

"Yes, Chloe, it's time for you to step back to the second line."

Arthur walked over, adjusted his tie, and spoke with a commanding tone:

"Mr. Wang wants a freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee. Go buy him a cup. Remember, half sugar, add milk, and the temperature must be exactly 150 degrees Fahrenheit."

This was a cocktail party. Where was I supposed to get freshly brewed coffee?

The nearest coffee shop was a mile away.

I looked at him: "I'm your wife, not your secretary."

Arthur's face darkened, and he lowered his voice:

"Chloe, don't be ungrateful. Mr. Wang is a key figure in our next round of financing. Chloe Davis is negotiating a multi-million-dollar project with him right now. What's the big deal about asking you to buy a cup of coffee? If you can't even handle this small task, what are you good for?"

Chloe chimed in, fanning the flames:

"Mr. Carter, let it go. Sister-in-law might be tired. I'll go buy it, even though it's a bit inconvenient in my high heels..."

She bit her lip, looking wronged, playing the part of someone enduring humiliation for the greater good perfectly.

Arthur grabbed her arm and glared fiercely at me:

"Let her go! If you're going to be a freeloader, you need to act like one! Go!"

The gazes around me pricked me like needles.

There was mockery, sympathy, but mostly, people just watching the show.

I took a deep breath and set down my wine glass.

"Fine, I'll go."

I turned and walked out of the banquet hall, the laughter behind me growing even more piercing.

Arthur, this is the last time you ever order me around.

I didn't go buy coffee.

I sat on the sofa in the hotel lobby for half an hour, looked at the text message reading "Come home," and replied with one word: Okay.

When I returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere was lively.

Arthur stood on the stage, holding the microphone, looking triumphant.

"Thank you all for your support. The achievements of Carter Capital over the past seven years are inseparable from the team's efforts. Especially this year, we successfully secured the management rights for the billion-dollar 'Smart City' fund!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

I froze.

The core algorithm model for the 'Smart City' project was something I had spent three full months building, losing handfuls of hair in the process.

I had just sent the final version of the proposal to Arthur last night.

Arthur continued:

"Here, I want to give special thanks to a key contributor. It was she who conquered the algorithm challenges with her unique perspective and astounding talent!"

My heart skipped a beat.

Did he finally find his conscience and decide to publicly acknowledge my contributions?

I instinctively smoothed my skirt, getting ready to go on stage.

"Let's welcome with warm applauseCarter Capital's youngest Operations Director, Ms. Chloe Davis!"

The spotlight violently hit Chloe.

She lifted the hem of her skirt and walked gracefully onto the stage like a princess, a shy yet triumphant smile on her face.

My feet were nailed to the floor, my blood running cold.

The audience gasped, followed by even more enthusiastic applause and whistles.

"What a genius!"

"So young and so capable, Mr. Carter has a great eye!"

Chloe took the microphone, tears in her eyes:

"Thank you to Mr. Carter for his guidance. Actually, I only provided a little bit of inspiration for this proposal; the main credit goes to Mr. Carter's excellent leadership..."

Arthur looked at her with eyes full of adoration, their hands overlapping on the microphone.

I stood in the shadows, looking at the glamorous couple on stage, feeling like a complete joke.

That algorithm model had a fundamental logic loophole known only to me, a backdoor left to handle extreme market risks.

Chloe couldn't even read a candlestick chart. What the hell kind of "inspiration" did she provide?!

After the cocktail party ended, in the underground parking garage.

I blocked Arthur's path.

"Why is the 'Smart City' proposal credited to Chloe Davis?"

Arthur impatiently loosened his tie, reeking of alcohol.

"Does it matter whose name is on it? It's a company project anyway. Chloe is the company's main focus for promotion right now; she needs this halo. We're an old married couple; why do you care about these empty titles?"

"Empty titles?" I stared at him dead in the eye. "That was three months of my blood, sweat, and tears! You took my hard work to impress your little mistress?"

Slap!

A resounding slap landed on my face.

Arthur pulled his hand back, pointing at me and yelling:

"Chloe Vance, watch your mouth! What little mistress? Chloe is a talent! A dirty-minded housewife like you knows nothing about business strategy! Let me tell you, don't cause trouble for me, or you won't even get that three-hundred-dollar salary!"

Chloe sat in the passenger seat, rolled down the window, and looked at me with an innocent expression:

"Sister-in-law, please don't be angry. I really just wanted to help the company. If it bothers you, I'll go tell Mr. Carter to change the name back..."

"Change what back!" Arthur roared. "Get in the car! Let her reflect on her behavior alone!"

The Maybach sped away, leaving me coughing in a cloud of exhaust.

The next day was the company's seventh anniversary, and also the day Arthur promised to make up for our wedding.

Seven years ago, we got married with nothing. He promised that when the company went public, he would definitely give me a grand wedding.

In the company group chat, HR sent a notification:

Everyone must attend in formal attire. Mr. Carter has a major announcement!

I looked at the wedding dress sealed in my closet for seven years, laughed self-deprecatingly, and shoved it into a garbage bag.

I changed into a sharp white pantsuit, put on full makeup, stepped into four-inch stilettos, and headed to the company.

The anniversary venue was decorated exactly like a wedding, with flowers, balloons, and a champagne tower.

Arthur stood in the center of the stage, dressed in a white suit, looking like Prince Charming.

Chloe stood next to him, wearing that...

My pupils contracted violently.

She was wearing the exact wedding dress I had just thrown away!

Although the size was altered, I recognized it at a glance. I had hand-stitched the lace trim myself.

"Everyone!" Arthur's face was flushed with excitement. "Today is a double celebration. First, we are celebrating the company's seventh anniversary. Second, I am announcing that Carter Capital will award 5% of its founder's shares to the company's most outstanding employee!"

The entire room held its breath.

5% of the founder's shares was worth at least five million dollars at current market value.

Everyone looked at me.

After all, I was the veteran who built this company from scratch with Arthur, the undisputed boss's wife.

Even my own heart harbored a sliver of ridiculous hope.

Maybe... this was the surprise he had for me?

Arthur's gaze swept over the crowd, finally resting on... Chloe Davis.

"She isChloe Davis!"

Gasps.

The entire room was in an uproar.

Chloe covered her mouth, looking completely shocked, tears streaming from her eyes.

Arthur affectionately took her hand:

"Although Chloe hasn't been with us long, the vitality and innovation she brings are the company's most valuable assets. This 5% share is exactly what she deserves!"

He turned to look at me in the audience, his eyes as cold as ice:

"As for Chloe Vance, given her recent negative work attitude and repeated insubordination toward her superiors, not only will she receive no reward, but her performance bonus for this month will be docked. She is demoted to Administrative Assistant, responsible for cleaning and ordering lunches."

The room erupted in laughter.

Those employees who used to respectfully call me "Ms. Vance" were now whispering to each other, their eyes full of mockery.

"I knew it. An old hag can't compare to a young girl."

"Administrative Assistant? Isn't that just a janitor? Hahahaha!"

Chloe lifted the hem of her wedding dress, walked up to me, and condescendingly handed me a glass of wine.

"Sister-in-law... oh, no, Assistant Vance. The cleanliness of my office will be your responsibility from now on. I toast you with this glass. Thank you for taking such good care of Mr. Carter. From now on, I'll take over taking care of him."

She deliberately lowered her voice, speaking so only the two of us could hear:

"This wedding dress is a bit tight. Sister-in-law, your waist really is thick. And that 5% share? Mr. Carter said it's the dowry for the future boss's wife."

She tilted her wine glass, and the red wine poured down my white suit, like an ugly scar.

"Oh my! My hand slipped! I'm so sorry, Assistant Vance. You won't hold it against me, will you?" Chloe cried out exaggeratedly.

Arthur frowned: "You can't even hold a glass of wine. What a piece of trash! Go clean yourself up, stop embarrassing us here!"

I looked down at the wine stain spreading across my chest, then up at the "perfect couple" on stage.

The mocking laughter around me submerged me like a tsunami.

All my grievances, resentment, and anger peaked in this moment, and then

Instantly reset to zero.

I raised my hand, wiped the wine from my face, and slowly broke into a brilliant, dazzling smile.

I walked onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the MC.

"Arthur, weren't you going to announce some good news? As it happens, I have some too."

Arthur looked at me warily: "What are you doing? Get off the stage!"

I pulled a document from inside my jacket and threw it hard against his face.

The papers scattered, like confetti floating in the air.

"This is the divorce agreement, andmy resignation letter."

I stared into his shocked eyes and articulated every word clearly:

"Arthur, keep that 5% share. Use it to buy your coffin."