Wendy looked down at his pathetic state with absolute disdain. Now he was begging her. "Nathan, you used to be so proud and full of ambition. And now look at you, slumped on the floor."

"To protect your ego, I fought everyone. I convinced my parents to let you run the company independently. I had so much faith in you. I believed your pride would drive you to greatness."

Her anger spiked, and her voice trembled slightly. "But what did you do? You took all our money and spent it on your mistress and her bastard! You didn't just betray my trust and my sacrifices; you betrayed my love."

"Even when your company failed to turn a profit, I constantly covered for you, making sure you looked like a powerful, successful Chairman to the outside world. When you came home, you lived like a king. The staff waited on you, I took care of you, and our four sons listened to your every word. For over twenty years, thanks to my help, you lived without a single worry."

Wendy's tone turned freezing cold. "But today, you are finally back where you belong."

"When you had absolutely nothing, I stood by your side. I supported you, encouraged you, and walked through every storm with you. I gave you and your relatives a comfortable middle-class life. And how did you repay me? You tried to steal everything I built. Today, you're going straight back to the gutter you crawled out of."

Nathan's panic flared into anger. He tightened his grip on her hand. "Wendy, I betrayed you, but didn't you betray me too? Whose kid is Natalie anyway?"

Wendy wasn't surprised he knew. When she had told Natalie the truth that day, someone had been eavesdropping outside the door.

It had to have been Joanna's spy, which was how Nathan found out.

Wendy ripped her hand out of his grasp in disgust and wiped it aggressively.

laugh. "Years ago,

She let out a cold when my company faced a financial crisis, you didn't lift a finger to help me. Instead, you spent all your time with the mistress you kept hidden away. If it hadn't been for Natalie's father stepping in to save me, you never would have enjoyed the last twenty years of luxury."

"Nathan, you've spent your whole life leeching off my wealth while acting

e'

like you owned the place. I am stripping you of everything. You will have absolutely nothing. Starting today, you're going to

were Just like

you did when you

young-worrying about your next meal and stressing over a twenty-dollar bottle of antibiotics."

Wendy turned her gaze to Sophia. Seeing her looking so thoroughly defeated was exactly what she had come for. "Sophia, I know you're still dreaming of a comeback, but Joanna's project just collapsed. The land she wanted to develop? They dug up an archaeologicabsite and historical underground ruins. Every single penny she invested is gone."

Both Nathan and Sophia froze in shock.

Sophia refused to believe it. She shook her head frantically. "No, I don't believe you! You're a lying bitch! You're making this up! How could Joanna fail?"

Watching Sophia's breakdown brought Wendy no real joy.

If she could do it all over again, she would never have chosen Nathan. She would have chosen a man of equal social standing. They would have managed their own lives, their own careers, and treated each other with mutual respect.

Marrying so far beneath her station and constantly catering to his raging inferiority complex had caused her to lose herself entirely.

Nathan knew Wendy was never going to forgive him. He had lost.

He had lost everything, completely and utterly.

He had started as a penniless nobody. After enjoying over two decades of supreme wealth and luxury, he should have been satisfied. But he simply couldn't accept facing his twilight years with absolutely nothing.