She Mistook Me for Replaceable

While negotiating with an important client, I had my phone on silent all day.

Who knew that when I got back, I'd be stopped by my fiance Livia's male secretary, Parker:

You didn't reply 'received' in the work group chat today. That's a five-thousand-dollar fine!

I assumed he didn't know about my work schedule and paid him no mind.

The next day, Livia actually kicked me out of the company, with Parker fanning the flames on the side.

"The company has long had a rule that you must reply to work messages within two minutes. You're using your high position to break the law yourselfisn't that setting a bad example?"

Livia actually spoke up for him too:

"You're showing contempt for the rules! You're suspended. You'll stay suspended until you pay up!"

I looked down at the materials I'd worked so hard on for the bidding project and laughed.

Then I called my eldest sister, Porter.

"I've got a fifty-million-dollar winning bid project to give you. Also, I'm accepting that job offer you made before. I'll start at your company in three days."

"What's this? You've finally come around? Didn't you refuse to come back even when I offered you a million-dollar annual salary?"

Porter's tone was full of teasing.

Thinking of how Livia had made me leave the company because of Parker, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Don't even mention it. As long as your company doesn't have rules like 'get fined if you don't reply received in the work group within five minutes,' that's good enough. I'll report to your place in three days."

"Then it's settled. You can't back out this time!"

Not long after I finished talking with Porter, Livia called me.

"I left the bidding documents in my car. Come get them for me."

Parker's deliberately amplified voice came through.

"Ms. Livia, these tasks are what I, as an assistant, should do. How can we have Mr. Joseph do them? Mr. Joseph already resents me after being fined today. Let me go instead..."

That stern female voice didn't even think twice before comforting him.

"It's so hot out, and you have a weak constitutionyou're not suited for running back and forth. Besides, he showed contempt for company rules. You were just doing your duty by giving him a friendly reminder."

"Joseph, I'm only giving you ten minutes. If I don't see those documents, pack up your things and leave the company!"

The call was hung up mercilessly. I stood there stunned for a long time, then laughed at myself mockingly.

My fiance had scolded me without question for the sake of another man.

She'd even made me take over what should have been someone else's task because she felt sorry for him.

I still went to get the documentsafter all, I still needed to hand things over for my resignation.

Livia took the documents. I was about to bring up resigning when, without even looking at me, she handed the documents directly to Parker.

"I'm announcing something now. Because Joseph showed contempt for company rules, I've decided to demote him."

"From now on, Parker will take over Joseph's position. Joseph will be demoted to assistant to support his work."

Parker looked at her with flattered surprise.

"I... Ms. Livia, you're so good to me!"

"It's just a bit hard on Joseph. But you've been Vice President for several years now and had enough leisure time. You should work as an assistant for a while to get some proper training."

Listening to Livia heap praise on him, my heart felt as if it were being strangled by a pair of handsfor a moment, the pain left me unable to breathe.

Everyone at the company knew I was Livia's fianc, but under her management, I'd never received any special treatment because of that relationship.

On the contrary, she was even stricter with me than with ordinary employees. I started from the bottom, drank until I ended up in the hospital, secured countless projectsall just to make it to Vice President.

She always said, "I don't want you to be treated differently because you're my fianc. This is how I'm tempering you."

But when it came to Parker, her principles could bend again and again.

Parker's face was full of smugness as he pulled out several reimbursement forms.

"Joseph, when you're in a position, you do the work. So I'll have to enforce the rules. These are receipts from the hotels you stayed at on previous business trips."

"The company has long said we need to cut costs, yet you still stayed at five-star hotels. You're just an assistant nowthese expenses can't be reimbursed."

Livia snorted coldly and praised him.

"You've just taken over and already know how to create profits for the company. My judgment really is excellent."

My fingertips dug deep into my palms as I forced myself to stay calm.

"You can give the Vice President position to whoever you want, but I won't accept this assistant position."

"I came here specifically to resign. And Livia, let's cancel our engagement."

[Your onboarding procedures are all set. Just come report for duty the day after tomorrow.]

I received Porter's message while I was packing my luggage, preparing to leave what had once been our wedding home.

Livia came back with Parker. Seeing me at home, she frowned.

"Why are you here?"

My hands paused in their movement. I couldn't help but reply sarcastically.

"You must have forgottenthis is my home too."

She seemed not to have expected this attitude from me, who had always been so compliant. After a moment of surprise, she softened her tone.

"Parker's neighborhood has had security issues lately. He's now the company's Vice President with significant authority. As his superior, I should naturally show concern."

"So I've decided to let him stay at our place for the time being, until he's saved enough money to move out."

This was clearly an announcement, not a request for my agreement.

Parker stepped forward with fake sincerity.

"Joseph, I don't want to intrude on your and Ms. Livia's life either, but Ms. Livia was so worried about me being alone that she insisted I stay here."

"She even said that you're older and more tolerant, so you wouldn't mind these things."

Over these years, I'd heard countless provocative remarks like this, but this time my heart was already unmoved.

I picked up my luggage and said coldly.

"Do as you please. I already said the engagement is cancelled. Who you want to bring into this room has nothing to do with me."

Near the entryway, Livia suddenly grabbed my hand, saying with displeasure.

"A whole night has passed and you still haven't calmed down? Yesterday you embarrassed me in front of so many people and I didn't even make an issue of it. What exactly are you trying to pull?"

"Pull?" I laughed mockingly, pressing down all the questions I wanted to ask her and Parker.

Looking at this carefully decorated wedding home, I suddenly felt pathetically foolish.

In this house, she had once knelt on one knee to propose to me.

"Joseph, I promise youI'll never let you suffer even a little bit ever again."

In the past, whenever we had even the slightest conflict, she would immediately put down her work to comfort me.

But now, knowing full well that I was upset, she dealt with it by giving me the cold shoulder for a night to "calm down on my own."

I shook off her hand and said flatly.

"I'm serious about cancelling the engagement. I'll have you submit my resignation letter for me."

Parker suddenly rushed forward to block me, bowing and apologizing profusely.

"Joseph! This is all my fault! I shouldn't have come here and made you think I was taking your place!"

"I'll resign right now and never appear in front of Ms. Livia again!"

With those words, he rushed out the door.

Livia clenched her fists tight, pushed me away hard, and roared furiously.

"Joseph! Won't you be happy until you've driven Parker to his death?! The whole company has been talking about him because of yesterday's incident. He only fined you to set an example for everyone else!"

"If he doesn't live and travel with me, he'll be ostracized by everyone at the company! This is me atoning for your sins! There's nothing between Parker and mecan you please put away those filthy thoughts of yours!"

I crashed into the cabinet by the door, my lumbar vertebrae nearly breaking.

And she left with a slam of the door, not even looking back once.

I prepared my onboarding documents to go to Porter Group, but just before leaving, Livia's secretary called me.

"Mr. Joseph, Mr. Parker hasn't approved your resignation letter. He wants you to come to the company in person. This is also Ms. Livia's instruction."

Ms. Livia's instructionthis was clearly forcing me to go back.

Without the resignation procedures completed, the bidding project would still be with Livia's company. That project was something I'd negotiated by humbling myself countless times. Now that it had finally won the bid, I had to take it with me.

Parker looked down at me condescendingly and threw the resignation letter on the ground.

"Sorry about that, Joseph. You were Vice President for so many years and you still can't write a proper resignation letter? You didn't even clearly write out the project handover. I can't approve this."

Looking at the resignation letter that had been revised dozens of times on the floor, I clenched my fists and laughed mockingly.

"Deliberately targeting me? Parker, I just don't bother competing with you. Otherwise, with your qualifications, how would you even deserve to sit in the Vice President's seat?"

I picked up the letter and looked at him coldly.

"Speaking of which, you did remind me. The projects I've worked on over the years all involve the company's lifeblood. It really isn't your place to approve them."

Parker arrogantly blocked my way and stuffed a lacy lingerie nightgown into my hands.

"Oh, you're going to see Ms. Livia? Perfect. Help me return this nightgown to Ms. Livia. Last night, Ms. Livia saw I was in a bad mood and insisted on wearing this to cheer me up."

"Let me tell you, never mind firing you for not replying to a message. Even if I said you entered the company with your left foot first and that was wrong, Ms. Livia would listen to me and tell you to get lost!"

"Oh, I almost forgotthis outfit got dirty last night when we both got a bit excited. Joseph, wash it for me before you return it. You've done plenty of laundry and cooking anyway."

Rage surged from my feet to my head. I could no longer hold back and swung my fist at his face.

"Parker, you're actually proud of being a homewrecker?!"

The force clearly wasn't that great, yet he fell to the ground with a thud, covering his face and crying out in admission of fault.

"Joseph, I was wrong, but the resignation letter must follow proper procedures! Hitting me won't helpanyone would have to follow this process!"

Following his words came an aggressive sound of the door being kicked open.

Livia looked at him on the ground and, without a moment's thought, raised her hand and slapped my face.

"Joseph! You actually dared to hit Parker!"

A burning pain spread across my face. Looking at Livia's bone-chillingly cold eyes, it took me a while to realize what had happened.

"Apologize."

She spoke icily, looking at me with eyes like ten-thousand-year-old ice, piercing me until my whole body went cold.

"Won't you even ask what happened?!"

My eyes reddened. I felt my head splitting with pain. I could barely stand steady.

"You hit Parker and you still think it's Parker's fault?! You're being completely unreasonable now. Get out of my way! I need to take Parker to the hospital!"

She pushed me aside impatiently. With my ears ringing and head dizzy, her push actually made me fall to the ground.

She paused while holding Parker's hand, about to come help me up, when Parker suddenly cried out.

"Livia, what do I do? My head feels so dizzy. I don't know if Joseph's punch just now injured my brain!"

Anxiety filled Livia's eyes. She looked at me, then at Parker, and finally let go of me.

Before losing consciousness, what echoed in my mind was still that deafening slap.

And that hard-to-believe yet unavoidable truth.

The woman who used to make me breakfast every day had actually raised her hand against me for another man's sake.

When I woke up, I found myself carried to Livia's office, lying on the cold floor.

Parker was lying on the couch while Livia tenderly disinfected the minor scratches on his face.

Hearing me regain consciousness, she turned around, her tone unfriendly.

"The doctor already came by. Your punch almost gave Parker internal injuries. Parker is kindheartedhe's waiving the medical fees."

"You should apologize to Parker."

Parker's eyes were full of smugness.

"Joseph, I really can't speak up for you this time. The whole company knows you hit me. If there's no response, how can I establish my authority in the future?"

"I'm not asking you to do muchjust apologize. Tomorrow I'll post the video of your apology to the employee group chat, and we'll consider this matter closed."

I struggled to get up and handed the resignation letter to Livia.

"You really don't need to humiliate me like this. I won't apologize. Sign it."

She glanced disdainfully at the resignation letter and sneered.

"Still trying to use this tactic to threaten me? Where could you possibly go after leaving my company? Don't think I don't knowyou just don't want to apologize, so you're using resignation to scare me."

"Joseph, this is your last chance. If I really sign this, you'll regret it when it's too late."

"Apologize!"

Anger had already colored her face, but my attitude remained firm. My hand holding out the resignation letter hung frozen in midair.

She suddenly laughed coldly twice and snatched the resignation letter, signing it.

"Fine! Let's see where you'll find another place that lets you live such a life of luxury after leaving me!"

"Get out!"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone at Livia's company, I packed up my things and left without looking back.