The Adulterer Who Realized Everything
―α Timeline (Adulterer’s Perspective)―
I’ve finally made it to this point. At last, I’ve surpassed Yaguchi Michitaka.
That man fell into despair over his wife’s betrayal and died in front of Takatsukasa Rika’s grave. Serves him right.
Ah, there’s nothing quite as enjoyable as tearing someone else’s life apart.
Especially the look on a man’s face the moment he’s betrayed by the wife and children he loves—it’s priceless. After all, I’m one of the chosen ones.
“With the power and money I have, I can make anything disappear. Women bend to my will, and I can take whatever I want. I can even pressure the police to halt investigations if I need to. Just the other day, I pulled it off without a hitch. My life is perfect. All that’s left is to inherit my father’s position, and perfection will become even more absolute. As for those uppity branch family members trying to interfere, I’ll exile them the moment I take control of the group.”
Yaguchi Michitaka’s company was actually a rising star in the industry. Despite being small, it had a team of extraordinarily skilled staff and a legacy of successful past projects. But now, all of that belongs to me.
No matter how skilled, it’s still just a tiny company. Compared to my father’s corporation, it’s like an ant going up against an elephant. I crushed it with a single blow.
The other employees must be thrilled. After all, they’ve now become part of my father’s corporate group. They should be crying tears of joy.
Of course, all of Yaguchi Michitaka’s closest aides were fired, though.
Now it’s time to meet the new employees. They have a bright future ahead of them. I hope they’re ready to work like horses.
I flung open the office door with triumphant energy.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m—huh!?”
There should be about 20 employees here… What is this? Staggered shifts, flex time, or remote work? Is this supposed to be some kind of trendy workplace!?
There was only one person there. Why?
My mind froze, and I sank to my knees without thinking.
“G-good morning, new president.”
A young man who looked like a student greeted me cheerfully. Who on earth is this guy?
“W-who are you…?”
“I’m Yamada from Tsukuba University. I’ve been interning here for the past couple of weeks.”
An intern? Just one university student?
“Where are the other employees…?”
No, this has to be some kind of prank or surprise. Yeah, that must be it. What a quirky bunch. This must be a warm, open workplace with a relaxed atmosphere.
“The part-timer Kaburagi-san should be arriving soon…”
Right, this intern is just unusually diligent and gets to work earlier than anyone else. That’s all.
“The rest of the employees will show up later, right?”
My voice trembled as I clung to that faint hope.
“No, all the employees have quit. It’s just us now. Oh, and today is my last day as an intern. Kaburagi-san plans to quit after finishing the handover with you, the new president.”
What… what is going on here?
“Then, after that…”
“Yes, the only one left in this company will be you, the new president.”
How did it come to this? This can’t be real. Are they seriously planning to follow that man into ruin? By joining my father’s corporate group, their salaries, social standing, and reputations would have skyrocketed. To throw all that away for what? To be martyrs for that man?
Just like Takatsukasa Rika!?
“Oh, and this is from the vice president who quit.”
What I was handed by that man’s best friend was the worst possible letter.
[To the new president: We’re sorry that all the employees suddenly left. But don’t worry about us. We’re doing just fine.]
The opening lines were eerily similar to the video I’d created to expose the truth to Michitaka. This was their revenge.
And the chill that ran down my spine came from realizing they knew about that video.
[We couldn’t forgive you for killing Michitaka, so we all decided to leave. Please, feel free to do whatever you like with the empty shell of this company. You’re perfectly suited to being the naked king of a hollow empire. Oh, and just so you know, we have all the evidence of what you did to Michitaka and Airi-chan.]
I tore the letter to shreds after reading that far.
They’re probably planning to use the money from this buyout to start a new company. And Airi, who inherited Michitaka’s shares, is likely in on it too…
“I’ve been completely outmaneuvered.”
If it comes to this, I’ll have to sue them…
But they have damning evidence against me. If they upload it online, even my influence won’t be enough to stop it.
No, I have to figure something out. I’ve already gone to extreme lengths and spent a fortune to acquire this company. And now it’s an empty shell?
Unthinkable. If my father finds out, it won’t just stop at disinheritance.
And at the worst possible moment, my phone started ringing.
It was my father’s secretary.
[The president is demanding your immediate presence.]
It was a merciless declaration. The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind. Could someone from the branch family have been involved in this scheme? Did he ally with a powerful branch family member to orchestrate this revenge? Was this all part of their carefully laid plan?
Am I already cornered? If I go back to the company now…
Before I realized it, I found myself climbing the thirteen steps to the gallows, and I collapsed onto the ground.