Betrayal Love, Get Out!

　　On April Fool's Day, my boss, who was also my girlfriend, asked me to hand over a $5 million deal to a new intern. I refused and, in return, got cold looks from everyone at the office.

　　"It's April Fool's Day. Can't this guy take a joke?"

　　Rumors spread, and I was pressured into resigning. My girlfriend smirked, and the intern took over my position that same day.

　　A year later, I became a rising star while her company teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. I threw her own words back at her. "Weren't you the one who loved a good joke? How's the company doing now?"

　　On this April Fool's Day, I closed another $5 million deal. Aimee, still my girlfriend back then, frowned and tentatively asked, "Adam, Frankie really needs this deal to get established in the company. Why don't you let him have it?"

　　"Yeah, Adam, with your skills, you can easily close another deal in the future," Frankie chimed in.

　　Looking at their faces, I felt a surge of disgust. Aimee was my college sweetheart, and Frankie was a protégé I had personally trained. Now, they were ganging up on me, trying to climb higher at my expense. I shook my head, refusing to give in.

　　I knew Frankie's capabilities. Giving him this deal would only lead to disaster. Aimee looked furious, her face darkening as she slammed her hand on the table.

　　"Adam, the company has given you so much over the years, and now you won't even give up a single deal? You've really disappointed me!"

　　She stormed off, expecting me to follow and apologize, as I always had in the past. Over the years, I've always compromised, but this time, I stayed put. Seeing this, Frankie chuckled and followed her, leaving me to watch them walk away together. I was slightly taken aback. When did they start getting so close?

　　I thought the matter would end there, but it didn't. The next day, the entire office was buzzing with gossip. As I presented my slides, the room quieted for a moment before the whispers began again. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure.

　　"Why should we listen to Adam? He's just a kept man."

　　"The company would be better off without him!"

　　I couldn't hold back and slammed my hand on the table, glaring at them. "If you don't want to listen, you can leave."

　　"Why should we leave? Yesterday was April Fool's, and the boss was just joking around, but you had to make it a big deal and embarrass her."

　　The colleague who spoke was clearly angry. If this presentation weren't crucial for the company's future, I wouldn't have wasted time with them. But then, they all started leaving the room.

　　"Right now, Aimee's the boss, not you."

　　"Stop acting like you're in charge."

　　Their words made it clear they were trying to undermine me to curry favor with Aimee. But I wasn't concerned with their petty power plays; my goal was the company's success.

　　Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

　　"Adam, there's a lot of discontent with you right now. Why don't you let Frankie take over as director for a while? Yesterday was just a joke; if you help him with the next deal, I'll reinstate you."

　　Aimee sat in her chair, looking down at me. I stood in the middle of the office, aware that our colleagues were watching through the open blinds. This was her way of asserting control.

　　"The deal was mine; I closed it. Why should I just hand it over? You know full well that it was your idea to bring Frankie into this. Now, with all these rumors, who do you think benefits the most?"

　　I calmly explained everything to her, not wanting to see her make a mistake, especially since I still cared for her.

　　To my surprise, Frankie burst into the room.

　　"Adam! How could you say that about me behind my back? Is the deal only your effort? I worked hard, too! Or are you questioning Aimee's decision?"

　　Frankie's boldness reminded me of myself in college. Aimee looked shocked, her eyes fixed on him. His words seemed to solidify her resolve.

　　"I'm the boss here. Either step down or pack your things and leave!"

　　My chest tightened, and anger welled up inside me, nearly choking me. My eyes turned red from my rage. I couldn't believe our years together meant less than a few words from an outsider.

　　"Fine, I'll go, but you need to settle my commission first."

　　Aimee stood up, slamming the table in anger. "You just want the money? Fine, but you only get half. The rest goes to Frankie. And from now on, we're done."