Wang Xiaomiao felt relieved that no one else knew yet. If Ye Tiancheng had already found out, nothing she said would matter.
"Cousin, are you crazy? Don't forget I'm the one who introduced you to Ye Tiancheng. Now you're turning your back on me. I understand now, you're saying all this to help Ye Tiancheng. Can you tell who is on your side?"
"Honestly, cousin, Ye Tiancheng has treated you well, and he's been incredibly good to your husband. How could you do something like this behind his back?"
Wang Xiaoniu was indignant. If it weren't for Ye Tiancheng's help, neither the Fatty nor Wang Xiaomiao, this couple, could have reached their current status. They would have been rejected even if they worked at a factory, their skills not even fitting for an assembly line. Now, they had become a boss and a boss's wife, a world of difference.
"Wang Xiaoniu, don't act so high and mighty. I know you love money too. Is there any woman in this world who doesn't love money? I love money, so I'm finding ways to treat myself well. What's wrong with embezzling a little? You probably don't know how much effort your husband and I have put in for Ye Tiancheng. Even if we embezzled, it's what I deserve, and no one can fault me for it."
Wang Xiaomiao's audacity was astounding. They had been discovered, yet she spoke with such justification, leaving Wang Xiaoniu utterly shocked.
"How can you say that? Don't you work hard for yourself? And to repay Ye Tiancheng's kindness? Now you're making excuses for your embezzlement. Cousin, I'm so disappointed in you."
She had once looked up to her cousin as a role model, hoping to become as outstanding a woman as Wang Xiaomiao one day. But who would have thought that Wang Xiaomiao had lost herself, no longer wanting to work hard, only seeking personal gain.
"Alright, stop lecturing me here so brazenly, Wang Xiaoniu. You're gradually entering the core management team now. I believe with Ye Tiancheng's appreciation for you, you'll soon be a manager or a supervisor. Your future is bright. I advise you not to tell Ye Tiancheng my secret, lest we both end up destroyed. It won't be good for either of us. It's most important that we sisters can earn money under Ye Tiancheng. Don't ruin your own bright future."
Wang Xiaomiao's words held a certain logic, and Wang Xiaoniu couldn't help but hesitate. If this matter escalated, the entire Wang family's system would be uprooted by Ye Tiancheng, and Wang Xiaoniu would undoubtedly be affected. But if she just ignored it, Wang Xiaoniu couldn't shake off the guilt.
Just turning a blind eye to this – what kind of muddled life was this? It was annoying just thinking about it.
"Alright, Xiaoniu, as long as you stick with your cousin, I promise you a great future. Don't overthink it. If Ye Tiancheng was still deeply in love with you, fine. But Ye Tiancheng has already broken off your romantic relationship, meaning he doesn't even want to pretend anymore. Such a scumbag, why are you considering him? Women need to be independent, and making money is the most important thing. Getting money into your pocket is paramount. Don't be stingy with your own purse."
Wang Xiaoniu didn't agree, but she didn't immediately refuse either, because Wang Xiaoniu had been swayed.
Women understand women best. Wang Xiaomiao saw Wang Xiaoniu's hesitation and patted her shoulder with confidence.
"Alright, hurry back. I hope you mature soon so I don't have to worry about you too much, otherwise, I'll still be anxious for you."
Wang Xiaoniu didn't say much but left silently. She had suffered a significant blow and needed time to process it.
Upon returning home, she felt restless. She thought about what Wang Xiaomiao had said, and it wasn't entirely unreasonable. But could she truly be heartless and betray Ye Tiancheng so carelessly after his promotion?
Since meeting Ye Tiancheng, he had given Wang Xiaoniu a considerable amount of money. Looking at the transfers in her bank account, Wang Xiaoniu finally made a decision.
"Ye Tiancheng, I've sent you evidence of my cousin Wang Xiaomiao's embezzlement. I hope you can handle it leniently."
After Lin Xue's betrayal, there was now another parasite within the company. Ye Tiancheng usually didn't interfere with company matters, but that didn't mean he would turn a blind eye when real problems arose.
"Xiaoniu, thank you for your trust. Rest assured, your act of exposing your own kin today is paving the way for your future. I will not let your hard work go unrewarded."
Once Ye Tiancheng made a promise, he never broke it. Wang Xiaoniu's actions this time had indeed shocked Ye Tiancheng, and he had completely accepted this loyal individual.
At least Wang Xiaoniu's performance was the opposite of Lin Xue and others. Having a loyal person was truly difficult. At least this person had principles and knew gratitude; such people could still be saved.
"Brother Ye, I can't guarantee anything else, but as long as I work under you, I will never betray you. You can trust me with confidence."
Wang Xiaoniu appeared to have a sexy and trendy style, but in reality, she had a sense of justice. It seemed one truly couldn't judge a book by its cover. Ye Tiancheng was willing to believe her.
"Good, I trust you."
After hanging up Wang Xiaoniu's call, Ye Tiancheng immediately called Fatty and asked him to come over quickly.
"Brother Ye, I'm busy. I don't know how much work awaits me each day. I'm running around like a headless chicken."
"No matter how busy you are, you need to come. I have something important to tell you."
Wang Xiaoniu had said that Fatty was not involved in this betrayal.
But Wang Xiaomiao was his wife, after all. Ye Tiancheng couldn't bypass him to deal with Wang Xiaomiao. Therefore, at this moment, he could only discuss the matter through Fatty.
"Alright, give me half an hour, maybe longer. I'm genuinely swamped."
Ye Tiancheng never doubted Fatty's work ethic, but his guard against women was still insufficient.
About half an hour later, Fatty rushed over to Ye Tiancheng.
"Brother Ye, what's so urgent that you needed me?"
Ye Tiancheng directly handed Fatty the evidence of Wang Xiaomiao's embezzlement. "I just looked through it. Since you and Wang Xiaomiao got together, that woman has embezzled over eight million. To me, it might be a drop in the bucket, but for an ordinary person, they probably couldn't earn this much in a lifetime."
Fatty was shocked. He took the evidence and looked at it. The evidence was solid, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Fatty slumped onto the sofa, dabbing his sweat with tissues. After a long while, he spoke.
"Brother Ye, I'm sorry. I was too foolish, and that's how I fell into that woman's trap. I thought Wang Xiaomiao liked me and would work as hard as I do under Brother Ye. I never expected Wang Xiaomiao to be blinded by profit and lose her original intentions."
Fatty hadn't anticipated things developing to this point. He had thought his family was complete and they would live happily ever after, but he never expected such a dramatic turn of events. Fatty couldn't face his wife, Wang Xiaomiao, anymore.
"What do you plan to do? Fatty, I'll tell you upfront, my company does not tolerate such people. But she is your wife, and I hope that no matter how it's handled, it will involve you less. I consider you a brother and am willing to trust you. I hope you understand my good intentions."
It was good that Fatty could extricate himself. Wang Xiaomiao was too close to him. Most people would find it suspicious, perhaps even thinking Fatty was involved in the embezzlement.
"Brother Ye, thank you for trusting me. I truly have never betrayed you. I cannot keep such a woman by my side. I will choose to divorce Wang Xiaomiao immediately. As for the embezzled money, I will have her return it to the company right away."
Fatty was indeed quite loyal, and Ye Tiancheng appreciated this approach. However, in reality, Ye Tiancheng didn't want to be too harsh. After all, he was his brother, so why ruin his family?
"Fatty, I agree with your approach, but it's a bit too severe. You don't need to divorce her; just get the debt back, and then have Wang Xiaomiao leave the company from now on."
Fatty knew Ye Tiancheng was thinking of him, but at this point, Wang Xiaomiao had done something so excessive that it was truly irreversible.
"Brother, you're thinking too ideally. How is that possible? As long as Wang Xiaomiao is my wife, I can't guard against her. Our finances are intertwined. Besides feeling sorry for you, I don't want to be with such a wife. Without trust, how can we continue? It's like you and your former disciple, Lin Xue; only by parting ways can both parties find peace."
Ye Tiancheng quickly understood what Fatty meant. It was too difficult to mend a broken relationship. They say a broken mirror can be mended, but can it truly be like before? It's impossible; that's human nature.
"Alright, Fatty, I won't persuade you further. After all, if this woman stays by your side for too long, I'm afraid she'll corrupt you too. If you can cut ties, it shows your manliness. If you really can't, then brother won't force you. You'll have to fend for yourself."
Ye Tiancheng really didn't want to force Fatty to make a choice. He would let him decide for himself.
Thus, Fatty left with a dejected look. The next day, when Ye Tiancheng thought everything was resolved, Wang Xiaomiao suddenly showed up.
"Brother Ye, can you please persuade Da Zhuang for me? I don't want to divorce him. I know I was wrong. I've already returned all the money I embezzled from the company. I sold all my bags and my car. I truly know I was wrong this time. I don't want a divorce."
Seeing Wang Xiaomiao's bruised and swollen face from crying, Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized why this woman was so distraught at losing Fatty. It was because she couldn't find anyone better.
After getting married, finding another partner would mean being a second-time divorcée. Moreover, Wang Xiaomiao wasn't so stunningly beautiful that other men would go crazy for her. After breaking up, Fatty was still wealthy, and finding beautiful women was easy. He could casually date them without being affected by Wang Xiaomiao's divorce.
"Even if you divorce Fatty, you should get some compensation, right? I don't think you need to be so anxious."
"Compensation from where?" Wang Xiaomiao looked dejected. "As I said, if I wanted a breakup fee or half of his assets in a normal divorce, he would report my embezzlement to the court and send me to jail."
Ye Tiancheng was truly gaining a new understanding of Fatty's ruthlessness.
"Ms. Wang, I cannot interfere in your marital affairs, nor will I get involved in my brother's matters. Furthermore, your egregious act of embezzlement is your just deserts. There's no need to beg me, and you are not worthy."