Chapter 2
Chapter 2: A Crack in the Mask
The conversation shifted as David began gloating about the massive layoffs at the company he had just swallowed up.
"Two hundred low-level employees terminated in a single morning. You should have seen them crying and begging in the lobby. It was pathetic," David sneered, adjusting his Rolex. "But that is the rule of the game. The weak must make way for the strong."
Maya, who usually suffered his tirades in absolute silence, suddenly raised her head. She had previously worked in human resources; she knew the faces behind those numbers.
"David... don't you think you could have offered them a more decent severance package? Some of those people have dedicated over twenty years to that firm. They have families to feed."
The atmosphere at the table instantly froze.
David stopped his wine glass mid-air. His dark eyes narrowed, shooting a razor-sharp glare at his wife. For a severe narcissist like David, being questioned or corrected in public—even with the gentlest of suggestions—was an unforgivable insult.
Rebecca immediately clicked her tongue, her voice dripping with venom. "Maya! Since when does a daughter-in-law of this family have the right to lecture her husband on how to run an empire? Your job is to wear nice clothes, smile for the cameras, and be grateful for everything David provides for you. Do not try to play smart."
"I... I wasn't trying to lecture him," Maya stammered, her voice shrinking. "I was only talking about basic humanity..."
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"Humanity?" David growled, slamming his wine glass onto the table so hard the red liquid sloshed over the rim, staining the pristine white tablecloth. "What the hell do you know about the real world? You spend my money, you live in my mansion, and now you dare to humiliate me in front of my mother and yours?"
Elena remained perfectly still. Her eyes never left the increasingly distorted face of her son-in-law. Her hands rested calmly on the table, fingers elegantly intertwined. She was waiting, observing to see exactly how far this tyrant would go.
