My Wife Thought I Was a Nobody and Offered Divorce

The jeers and insults grew louder, but I remained indifferent.

Because every word I said was the truth.

Whitaker Group of Companies’s rise—from a small firm with just a handful of employees to a listed corporation with tens of thousands—was not thanks to Everett, as they all seemed to believe.

It was because of me. Or rather, the power behind me.

Theodore Whitaker, the true founder of Whitaker Group of Companies, had once traveled all the way from New York to London, just to ask me to marry his granddaughter. He held a marriage certificate in his hand—one that bore my grandfather’s signature.

I was young then, too naïve to understand love. I only thought that if my grandfather arranged it, he must have had his reasons.

Never did I expect that after supporting Whitaker Group of Companies’s meteoric rise, I would be cast aside as a useless burden.

The thought alone sent a surge of anger through me.

Fine. If that’s how they wanted to play, I’d go straight to Theodore himself and ask—was the Whitaker Family truly willing to turn against me?

And if he insisted on letting Everett remain as chairman… then I wouldn’t hesitate to drag the Whitaker Family back to where they were three years ago.

I turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Gideon’s voice rang out behind me.

"Mr. Delaney, you’re just walking away like that?"

Slowly, I turned back toward the stage, meeting his smirk with a calm gaze.

"What? Gideon, are you planning to treat me to dinner?"

He stared at me for a long moment before speaking.

"Before you go, leave behind everything that belongs to the company."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I already handed over my work badge. What else could I possibly have?"

Gideon sneered and raised the microphone.

"Take off your work uniform."

The room erupted once more.

Laughter, jeers, mocking whispers filled the air. Most of the employees watched with gleeful anticipation, while only a few—those who had once been close to me—cast uneasy glances my way.

It was pathetic. Just moments ago, these people called me "Sir Desmond." Now, not one of them had the guts to stand up for me.

So this was the so-called professionalism of employees in a top-listed company?

In my opinion, the Whitaker Family’s rapid rise over the past three years had been far too easy.

Gideon, growing impatient at my silence, clicked his tongue.

"Hey, Des! I’m talking to you. Are you pretending not to hear me?"

I smiled, looking at him with complete composure.

"What if I refuse?"

A flicker of irritation crossed his face before he scoffed, his eyes brimming with arrogance.

"You're the first person who's ever dared to talk back to me. I don’t know who gave you the courage."

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to a condescending drawl.

"Boy, even your wife doesn’t want you anymore. What right do you have to act high and mighty in front of me?"

I chuckled.

"Who told you that I needed to rely on Everett?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, Gideon’s lackeys immediately jumped in.

"Ha! Listen to this guy—talking big like he’s someone important!"

"Right? If you didn’t have Everett, you'd be nothing but a stray dog!"

"If Everett hears this, you’ll probably have to kneel on a washboard all night when you go home."

They laughed, enjoying the spectacle.

I said nothing. Instead, I calmly memorized every single one of their faces.

Then, I turned to Gideon, my expression unreadable.

"If I’m not mistaken, you and these clowns… you’re all in the same group, aren’t you?"

The laughter faltered—just for a moment.