The $50 Amazon Empire

“I developed the AI that powered Innovatech's meteoric rise, securing $50 million in Series B funding. My wife, Bella, our CEO, promised me significant public recognition and a hefty bonus for my pivotal role. But after calling me on stage, she handed me a flimsy envelope containing a $50 Amazon gift card. Hours later, I scrolled through her latest social media posts: Julian Vance, our new 'Chief Branding Officer' of two months, grinning beside a new Tesla Model S Plaid, sporting a limited-edition Audemars Piguet watch, all company-expensed, with Bella's caption praising his "contributions to our Series B success." The humiliation deepened when I discovered my generous bonus was withheld. Worse, my entire engineering team' s monthly performance bonuses were zeroed out, with a sub-note about "inefficient resource utilization"-a transparent excuse to cover Julian's exorbitant spending. To add insult to injury, Bella then brazenly demanded my late grandmother's cherished sapphire locket for Julian, promising to reinstate my team's stolen bonuses in return. The audacity was breathtaking. How could the woman I built this empire with, my partner, my wife, so completely devalue my work and our shared legacy for a charlatan who barely understood our product? The betrayal wasn't just personal; it was a professional insult, a systematic dismantling of integrity and respect. "I want a divorce," I told her, the words flat and final. This wasn't merely about meager compensation; it was about reclaiming my worth and liberating my brilliant team from a company spiraling into delusion. I would ensure Bella paid the ultimate price for choosing a fraud over the very foundation of her empire.”