My mother’s heart disease relapsed, and she desperately needed money for life-saving treatment. I summoned every ounce of courage to go to my secret boyfriend of ten years, a man worth over a hundred million, to borrow money. However, before I could even open my mouth, he coldly reprimanded me. His efficient female secretary immediately escorted me out of the conference room to wait. I waited for a grueling eight hours. Until the hospital called with the news of my mother’s death. My boyfriend seemed to remember my existence only then, instructing his secretary to usher me into his office. “Alright, tell me, what did you come here for?” A bitter, desolate laugh escaped my lips. “Nothing much. I just wanted to waste a bit of your time… and break up with you.” 1 “I just ended a ten-year relationship. Are you really sure you want to marry me?” The man sitting opposite me paused for a moment, then solemnly replied, “Eliza, I’ve waited for you for ten years.” My heart clenched sharply. “Okay, we’ll get married in seven days.” With our agreement made, I grabbed my bag and left the coffee shop, heading for the train station. This was the third day after my mother’s passing. For these three days, I had cried inconsolably every single day. The entire world knew my mother was gone. Yet, my boyfriend of ten years, Alex, remained utterly oblivious. We never shared our social circles. He never introduced me to his friends, nor did he ever care to meet mine. On top of that, Alex was a billionaire, every minute of his time calculated in thousands. So, he never bothered to stoop down and check my social media. Not only did he not know my mother had died, he didn’t even know she died because there wasn’t enough money for her surgery. So, as my mother’s ashes were laid into the earth, I decided to cut all ties with Alex and marry another man. A cold, drizzling rain began to fall, and my phone chimed right on cue. The message was from Alex’s secretary, Olivia. “Ms. Eliza, Mr. Alex is traveling tomorrow. Please prepare two pairs of leather shoes and three suits for him.” Reading Olivia’s commanding message, despite my firm resolve to break up with Alex, my heart still ached. For a significant part of my ten-year relationship with Alex, Olivia’s presence loomed large. I’d send Alex a playful message, and Olivia would be the one to reply. “Apologies, Ms. Eliza, Mr. Alex is in a meeting. I will relay your message.” Even mundane aspects of my and Alex’s daily life—buying contraceptives, groceries, clothes, everyday wear—were almost exclusively handled by Olivia. I disliked it immensely and had confronted Alex countless times. But each time, Alex would merely look at me calmly. “Eliza, you have no taste, no discernment. I’m having the more capable Olivia help you with these things. What’s the fuss about?” In the past, Alex’s words would always leave me speechless. But now, I had simply resigned myself. Indeed, how could a graduate from a regular university like me compare to Olivia, a postgraduate from a prestigious overseas institution? She was worldly, capable of dealing with clients externally, and could meticulously manage Alex’s daily life internally. Unlike me, who, after ten years at Alex’s company, was still an insignificant employee in the operations department. But now, a sneer simply played on my lips. If Alex valued Olivia so much, then I would just give him to her. I promptly replied to Olivia: “Secretary Olivia, I don’t have time to prepare clothes for Alex. If you don’t mind, you can personally go to the house and prepare them for your Mr. Alex.” 2 Olivia’s message was an instant reply: “Understood, Ms. Eliza, I will inform Mr. Alex.” A sharp, piercing pain once again shot through my heart. If not for the timely arrival of the ride-share, tears would have surely streamed down my face in the rain. This feeling of hitting a wall of cotton, utterly ineffective, had long since become utterly detestable. But thankfully, after a seven-hour train ride, my mood had significantly calmed by the time I arrived back at Alex’s villa. As soon as I entered, I saw Alex sitting on the sofa. His hair was still damp, and drops of water beaded on his skin beneath his open V-neck robe. This used to be the Alex I adored most. I instinctively pursed my lips, about to walk towards him. A seductive yet clear voice drifted from the bathroom. “Mr. Alex, may I dry your hair for you now?” As the words finished, a crimson figure emerged from the bathroom. I turned my head sideways, and my eyes met Olivia’s. Especially when my gaze fell upon her bright red nightgown, the mockery on my lips became impossible to suppress. You see, the nightgown Olivia was wearing was the only gift Alex had ever bought me with his own money. Because I cherished it so much, I had only worn it once since purchasing it. But now, it was draped across Olivia’s body. I took a deep breath. “Excuse me, I seem to have interrupted your evening. It appears I’ve returned at an inconvenient time.” With that, I picked up my suitcase and turned to leave. Alex, however, suddenly walked over and angrily grabbed me. “Eliza, what are you doing now? Olivia and I were drenched when we went on a site visit in the heavy rain, so we came back to the villa to change.” Honestly, I truly wanted to just endure it. After all, I was getting married to another man in four days. My only reason for returning was to resign and break up with Alex. But I didn’t care what Alex and Olivia did “improperly” outside. What I absolutely could not tolerate was Alex letting Olivia wear my nightgown and act like this in what I once considered our home, all while he and I were still technically together. “So you’re saying the hickeys on her body aren’t from you?” Yes, because this nightgown was a lingerie style—it was not only sheer but also quite revealing. So I instantly spotted the hickeys subtly hidden beneath the delicate fabric on Olivia’s skin. A flicker of panic crossed Alex’s face. Olivia, however, spoke up promptly, “Ms. Eliza, the hickeys on my body are my private business and have nothing to do with you. You have no right to question them. If you feel my presence is affecting you, I can avoid coming to this villa. But I hope you won’t always threaten to run away. Do you realize how busy Mr. Alex is? Constantly upsetting him like this, he’s only human, he gets tired too.” Olivia truly was a graduate from a prestigious university. In just a few sentences, she had branded me as unreasonable. Suppressing the surging pain in my heart, I was about to retort to Olivia. Alex then spoke with a cold face, “Eliza, you apologize to Olivia right now! Olivia is my assistant, not your emotional punching bag. I hope you won’t challenge my patience repeatedly.” My face pale, I met Alex’s gaze, not with anger, but with a bitter laugh. “Alex, you want me to apologize? Dream on!” 3 With that, I grabbed my suitcase and stormed back to my room in a fit of anger. As if to punish me, Alex did not come to my room that night. A bitter smile played on my lips as I thought about it. Though I was Alex’s girlfriend, I was more like his mistress. He could enter my room whenever he pleased. But if I wanted to find him, I had to knock and wait for his permission to enter. If he was in a bad mood, he wouldn’t even bother to reply with a simple “busy.” But now, it was actually quite convenient. With only four days left until my wedding, I didn’t want any more contact with him. When I woke up the next morning, Alex was already seated at the dining table. He gestured to the milk on the table. “Don’t you have a sensitive stomach? I had Esther warm up some milk for you.” This was Alex’s usual way of making peace. In the past, to give him an out, I would typically drink the milk down in one go, even though I detested it. Instead of taking the milk cup from his hand as usual, I called for Esther. “Esther, please bring me a bowl of porridge.” Alex, however, pushed the milk back into my hand. “I merely asked you to apologize to Olivia last night. Why are you suddenly so delicate? Olivia is my right-hand woman; you know I can’t lose her. If I upset her and she leaves, how will I manage my work?” Looking at his eyes, which held a gentle gaze, my heart instinctively tightened. Alex and I met during our internship. He was the boss, and I was a fresh intern. Since I didn’t know who the boss was when I first started, one time while buying coffee for my department, I asked him to press the elevator button for my floor. After that, I started receiving flowers every now and then, until a month later Alex called to invite me to dinner. At our first formal meeting in a five-star hotel, he was a gentleman, knowledgeable, and charming. I was smitten by him that very first night. Six months later, I moved into his villa. In the first year of our relationship, we were truly happy. He would personally bake all sorts of pastries for me. If I caught a cold or fell ill, he would abandon meetings to rush home and care for me. Because we wanted to keep our relationship private, when I worked late, he would also stay late in his office. Then, like thieves, we would secretly have late-night snacks and share kisses in his office. I was certain that the old Alex was madly in love with me. But ever since Olivia became his secretary, even a tender glance from him had become a luxury. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, stating lightly: “If you can’t do without Olivia, why don’t you just marry her? Tie her down in a marriage certificate; wouldn’t that be the safest option?” Alex’s impatience was evident. Even without guessing, I knew he would once again utter words about me being unreasonable. So I decided to speak first. “Alex, we’re brea—” Before I could finish, Olivia walked in from outside the villa. “Mr. Alex, it’s eight o’clock. We need to leave for the office now.” Alex immediately stood up with a cold face, grabbed his suit jacket, and followed her out. My punch landed on cotton once again. It didn’t hurt, but it was suffocating enough. 4 Soon after Alex and Olivia left, I also packed my bag and headed to the office. As soon as I arrived, my boss called me into his office. He looked at me helplessly and pushed a performance review across the desk. “Eliza, I’m really sorry. I truly did my best. I originally thought that after I left, this position would surely be yours, but to my surprise, the higher-ups rejected my recommendation with a unanimous vote.” Looking at the remorse in the department manager’s eyes, I calmly pulled out my resignation letter. “Mr. Chen, it’s alright. I’ve already decided to resign.” Mr. Chen looked at me in surprise. “Are you really going to resign? You’ve worked diligently at this company for ten years, solving so many problems. And now you’re leaving?” A bitter smile played on my lips. But it was precisely because I had worked diligently for ten years at the company, yet hadn’t achieved anything I truly desired, that I had to leave. Alex had once made a promise to me: as soon as I reached the position of Operations Manager, he would take me home to meet his parents, and we would get married. I believed his vow. I worked tirelessly, striving for performance. But no matter how hard I pushed myself, even if I had the best performance and evaluation in the company, the Operations Manager position changed hands again and again, but it was never mine. I had confronted Alex countless times, but each time he would just look at me coldly. “Eliza, if you can’t get that position, it means you’re not capable enough. You should reflect on where you need to improve, instead of making a scene and expecting me to use pillow talk for you.” That was the first time I felt a profound chill. Because besides desperately wanting to marry Alex, I also longed for recognition for my hard work. Perhaps the pain in my heart was too intense, and the tears in my eyes welled up uncontrollably. Fearing that I would expose my vulnerability in front of Mr. Chen, I hurriedly stood up: “Excuse me, Mr. Chen, I need to go to the restroom.” 5 Sobs mingled with the sound of the flushing toilet in the restroom. It was only then that I realized how much pain and resentment I had harbored during my ten years with Alex. And just as I was sobbing in the restroom, I heard voices outside the door. “I heard Mr. Chen from operations is leaving, and he recommended Eliza for the operations manager position.” “Secretary Olivia, others might not know, but we in the secretarial office all know that Mr. Alex once promised Eliza he would marry her if she became operations manager.” Olivia let out a cold laugh. “That fool Eliza, does she really deserve to marry Mr. Alex? Don’t worry, I stopped her from becoming operations manager before, and I’ll stop her again this time.” “That idiot Eliza, she’s really persistent. I’ve been subtly docking her year-end bonuses, trying to force her out of the company, but she’s just gritted her teeth and stayed.” A wave of intense hatred surged into my heart. Over the years at the company, all employees who achieved results received generous year-end bonuses. All long-term employees could get performance raises based on their tenure, but I was stuck at the entry-level salary. This was why I had to desperately beg Alex for money to pay for my mother’s medical treatment. I never imagined that Olivia was behind all of it. I furiously flung open the restroom door and stormed out. “Olivia, it was you, wasn’t it? You’ve been withholding my salary all these years!” “If you like Alex, why didn’t you just tell me? I would have let you have him! Why did you have to play these dirty tricks behind my back?” With that, I angrily lunged forward and slapped Olivia squarely across the face. Olivia’s face instantly contorted with fury. Just as I braced myself for her to slap me back. She suddenly knelt before me. “Ms. Eliza, I know you’re Mr. Alex’s girlfriend. I can’t provoke you, but can’t I at least avoid you? I’ll resign today. I just beg you, please don’t bully or hit me anymore. I know I was wrong, just let me off the hook.” Seeing Olivia’s actions, I froze for a moment. The next instant, a cold voice came from outside the restroom. “Eliza, what are you doing? This is a company, not your personal arena for acting like a shrew! Apologize to Olivia right this instant!” With that, Alex walked over and, with a face full of concern, helped Olivia up. “Are you alright? Where did she hit you? I’ll take you to the hospital immediately.” Olivia, however, cried and flung herself into Alex’s arms. “Mr. Alex… I’m fine… It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have rejected Ms. Eliza’s application for Operations Manager. It’s only natural for her to resent me.” “I just couldn’t stand her using her seniority to throw her weight around in the company all these years, to the point where even Mr. Chen had to defer to her. Didn’t Mr. Chen even leave the company because he couldn’t take her anymore?” “But she actually threatened Mr. Chen to endorse her for Operations Manager. I truly didn’t want the company to be thrown into chaos because of her, so I was forced to reject her application for the position.” “But I never imagined Ms. Eliza would find out and then rush into the restroom to hit me!” Alex’s face darkened further. He gently patted Olivia’s back, then turned to me, his face alight with anger. “Eliza, do you really think I would marry you just because you became Operations Manager? Take a look at your social standing, do you even deserve me?” “For these ten years, I’ve fed you, clothed you. Do you genuinely believe you’re some high society lady? Go to HR right now, process your resignation, and get out of my company!” A sneer played on my lips. So, this was Alex’s true inner thought? So, from beginning to end, Alex only saw me as a mistress, not a girlfriend. In truth, I had known the answer long ago; I just wasn’t willing to admit it. Tears slipped from my eyes. I calmly wiped them away and pulled out my resignation letter. “No need for you, Mr. Alex, to personally escort me out. I’ll leave on my own. Here’s my resignation letter.” 6 I had never called Alex “Mr. Alex” before. So when the distant “Mr. Alex” left my lips, it stung Alex, causing him to involuntarily furrow his brow. He was about to say something when Olivia’s whimpering began. “Mr. Alex, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Could you please take me to the hospital?” He then reverted to his cold demeanor. I scoffed and shook my head, turning to walk out of the restroom. Ten years of love, finally reaching its curtain call. I went straight back to Alex’s villa, pulled out my suitcase, and started packing my clothes. But as I packed, I realized that my personal belongings only filled two suitcases. Everything else—bags, jewelry—had been purchased by Olivia, reflecting her taste. Especially when I saw the men’s ring I had hidden in the corner of my dressing table. I couldn’t help but shed tears. This ring was my father’s heirloom, and I had once given it to Alex. Alex had accepted the ring at the time. Yet, I never saw him wear it. Until one day, I accidentally went to his study and saw the ring discarded in the trash can. That’s when I knew Alex and I wouldn’t last. With my belongings packed, I hauled my suitcases downstairs. As I reached the villa’s entrance, I bumped into Alex returning home. He looked at me with a slight frown. “Are you running away from home again? You just ran off two days ago and came back with your tail between your legs. Aren’t you tired of this game yet?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. So, for those three days I was gone after my mother passed, Alex thought I was just throwing a tantrum. No wonder he didn’t call to ask about me. No wonder the sneer on Alex’s face was so evident when I returned. I looked at him calmly. “Alex, let’s break up.” Just then, the ride-share arrived. I didn’t care how clouded his expression was. I put my suitcase in the trunk and opened the car door. Before I left, Alex stopped me, his voice cold. “Eliza, if you leave this time, I won’t let you come back to me. I won’t tolerate you challenging my patience again and again.” I scoffed, looking at him. “Alex, rest assured, I, Eliza, wouldn’t come back even if it meant my death.” With that, I got into the ride-share and drove away. Watching the fleeting trees outside the window, I knew my ten-year Cinderella dream was utterly shattered.
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