Logan brought a woman back from his trip abroad. “Annie, this is Danica. She’s a world-renowned racing driver. For the sake of our upcoming supercar launch, I have to marry her.” I looked at the woman, entirely unfazed. “Sure. Then let’s break up.” Without shed tears or drama, I packed my things and left the company. My best friend looked at me with a knowing smirk. “So, you’re finally done playing house with him?” I put my arm around her shoulder. “You’re one to talk, Tess. Someone literally stole your identity, and you’re just standing there, cool as a cucumber?” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, Annie. You’re no better. The absolute genius of supercar design, and you’re just walking away?” 1 At the welcome party I threw for Logan, my friends nudged my shoulder, teasing me. “Look at you, Annie, setting up such a cozy dinner. Are you finally going to pop the question?” I laughed, keeping it light. “Hey, if he’s down, why not?” My casual attitude had everyone joking about how madly in love I was. They thought it was sweet that I was willing to take the initiative for something so massive. Amidst the laughter, Logan took my hand. My heart did a violent flutter. This is it, I thought. He must have caught my drift. I was so excited my hands were practically shaking. I had not even prepared a proper speech. But his very next words froze the smile right on my face. “Annie, I found an absolute gem during my trip. Danica, the legendary racing driver. I brought her back with me. She fell for me at first sight, and with our new model hitting the market soon, marrying her will take the company to a whole new level.” His eyes shone with a cold, ambitious fire. “You’ve been by my side for three years, Annie. You know more than anyone how much Apex Group means to me. Now that I’m on the verge of making it big, you’ll help me, right?” I glanced at the strange girl standing just behind him, then slowly pulled my hand from his grip. “You’re saying… she is Danica?” Logan nodded without a second thought. “Of course. The one and only. A certified racing prodigy.” “And how exactly am I supposed to help?” A terrible weight settled in my chest. He reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His voice was dripping with calculated warmth. “We’ll put our engagement on hold, and I’ll marry her first. Don’t worry. If you stay sweet and play along, I’ll find a way to make her accept you. I’ll make sure to spend at least one night a week with you.” “And then what?” My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe. “And then, well, you know how demanding her racing career is. She isn’t suited for pregnancy. You have plenty of free time, so you won’t need to come to the office anymore. You can focus on bearing my children, and the three of us will raise them together.” The woman behind him stepped forward, slipping her arm through Logan’s. “Hi, Annie. You can call me Rachel. I’m only back to support Logan with my professional expertise. Don’t worry, we’re not the same. I’m a career-oriented woman.” I ignored her outstretched hand, keeping my eyes locked on Logan. “Are you absolutely sure you want to marry this ‘Danica’?” Logan frowned, his tone sharpening. “Annie, drop the attitude. Rachel is trying to be nice to you. You shouldn’t just ignore her like this.” He pulled Rachel into his arms, murmuring sweet comfort. “Don’t let it get to you, sweetie. She’s just spoiled. She doesn’t understand the bigger picture. I’ll handle her.” “Fine, Logan,” I said, setting my glass down with a heavy thud. “Go ahead and marry her. We’re done.” I turned to leave, but Rachel grabbed my wrist. “Don’t go yet, Annie! The main event is just starting!” She held me in place as the night sky suddenly erupted in a brilliant display of fireworks. On the massive LED screen across the terrace, scrolling letters appeared: Will you marry me, Rachel? Logan stepped into the spotlight at the center of the terrace. Bathed in the glowing beams, he smiled warmly, holding a massive bouquet of red roses. He pulled a velvet ring box from his jacket, sinking onto one knee in front of Rachel. “Sweetheart, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” A heavy, awkward silence fell over the crowd. But Rachel quickly took the roses and the ring, and the venue erupted into a mix of gasps and cheers. “Oh my god, the CEO is proposing to a total stranger? What about Annie?” Logan raised a hand to silence the murmuring crowd. “Starting today, the position of Chief Designer at Apex Group will be filled by my fiancée, Rachel. Our former assistant designer, Annie, will be parting ways with the company.” “Sir, you can’t do that!” the senior designer protested. “Annie has incredible talent. She understands aerodynamics; she knows cars inside and out.” Logan cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “You are no longer the chief designer, so watch your tone. Rachel is the famous Danica. She is more than qualified for the title. I don’t want to hear another negative word about her in this office.” Rachel shot me a smug, triumphant look. My colleagues looked at me with pity. I raised my glass, drained it in one gulp, and tipped it toward the happy couple. “I’ll hand in my resignation tomorrow. Happy engagement, Logan. May your business reach new heights.” A satisfied smile finally touched Logan’s lips. “Good girl,” he murmured. Rachel’s eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy. She marched over and grabbed my hand. “Annie, I heard you’re quite the pianist. Why don’t you play something to accompany Logan? He wants to sing for me.” “You know how to play ‘Marry Me’, right?” Logan chimed in with a chuckle. “Of course she does. She’s played it for me plenty of times.” He glared at me when I didn’t move. “Well? What are you waiting for? Get over to the piano.” Even though I had already checked out of this relationship, a sharp ache bloomed in my chest. He had always known about my feelings, but he had chosen to play dumb. “Sorry, I don’t feel like playing,” I said, my voice thick and dry. “Annie, I gave you a way out, and you’re going to act like this? Why are you being so difficult? You have absolutely no sense of the bigger picture. You’re incredibly selfish.” Logan’s face twisted in disgust. Rachel tried to play peacemaker, but as she stepped in to calm him down, the glass of champagne in her hand tilted perfectly, splashing the sticky, stinging liquid right into my face. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Annie! It was a total accident. If you don’t want to play, you don’t have to. There’s no need to fight with Logan. We’re in public; it looks bad.” I stood there, drenched, the stinging alcohol dripping from my eyelashes into my eyes. I felt like a stray dog caught in a downpour. “You look absolutely pathetic, Annie. You’re embarrassing me,” Logan said, stepping back with Rachel in his arms. “Go home and think about what you’ve done. Make sure to pack up your things and clear out of the master bedroom for Rachel. You can sleep in the room next to the housekeeper.” I turned and walked away, my heart entirely numb. Three years. I had wasted three years loving a man like this. “Wait,” Logan called out. An uncomfortable flicker passed through his eyes as he added, “Rachel is on her period. Go buy her some supplies. And when you get home, brew some warm ginger tea so it’s ready when we get back.” In his arms, Rachel blushed, pressing her lips to his jaw. “You’re so sweet to me, Logan.” “Why are you still standing there? Do you need an invitation? Learn to make yourself useful,” Logan snapped, his voice full of disdain. I kept silent, walking out of the venue with unsteady steps. Just as I cleared the lobby, a hand draped over my shoulder. “So, what’s the plan?” I looked up to see my best friend, Tess. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “Three years down the drain for a dog. What else is there to do?” Tess let out a loud laugh. “If you’re calling him a dog, then I can sleep easy. Tomorrow, we go in and quit together. I’ve had enough of that joke of a company anyway.” “Deal.” Three years ago, Tess had returned from abroad with me, putting all her effort into Logan’s company. She had worked tirelessly to develop their first high-performance supercar, only for this to happen right before the launch. Tess drove me back to the villa. “Pack your bags. I’ll help you move tomorrow once we’re officially out.” “Thanks.” I went upstairs and began sorting through my life. By the time Logan and Rachel returned, the master bedroom was stripped bare. Not a single trace of my presence remained. Rachel smiled smugly. “Thanks for the hard work, Annie. It seems you really are built for domestic chores. Unlike me; I’ll be focused on helping Logan conquer the business world.” Logan kissed her temple. “You’re going to be my secret weapon, honey.” He spared me a brief, approving nod. “This is more like it. You’ve been with me for three years; you know me best. With Rachel handling my career and you managing the home, Apex is going to be unstoppable. Just don’t throw any more tantrums like tonight. Breaking up? Where would you even go without me? Be realistic.” I didn’t want to waste another breath on him and turned to walk away. Rachel nudged Logan, whispering, “Oh, my stomach hurts again…” Logan panicked, lifting her in his arms and carrying her to the sofa. He swept all my neatly packed boxes off the cushions, sending them crashing to the floor. “Get this garbage out of here. Throw it all away.” “Sure.” I calmly picked up the boxes, which contained every single gift he had ever given me, and carried them straight to the outdoor trash bin. “Where’s the ginger tea I asked for? Bring it here,” Logan demanded, rubbing Rachel’s stomach. The housekeeper, sensing the tension, quickly appeared with a freshly brewed bowl of ginger tea. “Give it to her,” Logan ordered the housekeeper. But then his eyes caught the trash bin outside, realizing I had just thrown away every memento of our relationship. His face darkened. “Actually, Annie, you give it to her.” The housekeeper awkwardly passed the hot bowl to me. “Rachel and I are officially engaged today,” Logan said coldly. “Consider this your way of showing respect. From now on, your job is to keep this house running smoothly for both of us.” I stared at him, completely disgusted. I let go of the bowl. It shattered against the hardwood floor. Hot liquid splashed everywhere, and a sharp, stinging pain sliced across my ankle as a ceramic shard cut deep. “Annie! That is enough!” Logan’s commanding voice echoed behind me. “Get back here and apologize to Rachel right now!”
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