My fiancé Lucas, the CEO, told me the company wasn’t doing well and cut my salary in half. But then I saw his secretary Amber bragging on social media: “The boss not only gave me a raise, but also bought me a luxury car because he was worried I’d get tired from commuting. He’s so thoughtful!” In the photo, she was standing with Lucas in front of a brand new $100,000 car, looking blissfully happy. I pondered for a moment, then hit the like button. That evening, Lucas called an emergency meeting. Using the excuse that I was “disrupting company morale”, he docked my entire month’s salary and gave it to Amber as “emotional distress compensation”. Everyone looked at me with pity, probably expecting me to freak out. But I calmly packed up my desk and handed him my resignation letter. “Docking someone’s pay isn’t enough punishment for bullying a coworker. I’ll save you the trouble and quit.” 0 As soon as I finished speaking, Lucas’s secretary Amber chimed in. “Rachel, how can you quit over such a small thing?” she said. “You’ve been with the company for so long, and Lucas has always treated you so well. If you resign now, what will people think of him?” “Lucas, please talk some sense into Rachel!” she pleaded. Lucas may have been planning to convince me to stay. But after hearing Amber’s words, his anger flared up. He snorted coldly: “What’s there to talk about? If she wants to leave, let her leave. I have nothing to hide, I’m not afraid of what anyone might say.” Without hesitation, he signed my resignation letter and tossed it in my face. The other employees looked on in shock. A coworker I was close with quietly urged me to apologize, telling me not to act rashly. Almost everyone knew that I had helped Lucas build this company from the ground up. When the company was short on cash and couldn’t complete projects, I led the team in working overtime for three days straight. I had poured my heart and soul into every aspect of the business. Now the company had just secured funding and was about to go public. Anyone else would stay for that. But I remained calm as I picked up the resignation letter from the floor. “I’ll finish handing over my work before I go.” “No need for that. Get out right now,” Lucas said coldly, pointing at the door. Seeing this, I said nothing more. I said goodbye to a few people and left with my things. As I was leaving, I glanced back at Lucas one last time. I clearly saw a flash of complicated emotion in his cold eyes. I knew why, of course. He didn’t think I would actually leave. We had fought before, but after I left, I would always regret it soon after. I’d come back as if nothing had happened, apologize to him, and go back to work as usual. But he probably didn’t realize this time was different. My patience with him had finally run out. I walked to the parking garage and found my old beater car that I’d been driving for 10 years. The paint was chipped in several places. Next to it was parked a brand new top-of-the-line Porsche – the one Lucas had just given to Amber today. There were plenty of empty spots in the garage, but she had deliberately parked right next to me. I understood it was a provocation aimed at me. These weren’t just two cars – they represented the two of us. I had been with Lucas for 10 years, but I meant less to him than Amber who had only joined 10 months ago. I gave a bitter laugh and got into my car. Just then, a text message came through. I opened it to see a transfer from my friend Sophia. This morning when Lucas said the company wasn’t doing well and was cutting my pay, I had been worried he was under too much stress. I immediately contacted Sophia to borrow $50,000. I had planned to give it to Lucas, but then I inadvertently saw Amber’s social media post about Lucas buying her a new car. At the time, I was surprisingly calm. I didn’t feel sad or jealous enough to go crazy. Perhaps because it had happened too many times before. Amber had been hired by Lucas as a special exception. Her work abilities were terrible, but Lucas, who was usually so strict and serious about work, kept tolerating her mistakes time after time. From small things like serving the clients plain water while getting herself a latte during meetings, to big blunders like accidentally sending out our internal pricing sheet to a client, causing the company to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. When I tried to hold Amber accountable, Lucas would unhesitatingly stand in front of her to shield her. He’d look at me with obvious impatience. “Amber just graduated, isn’t it normal for her to make some mistakes? Why are you being so harsh on a new employee?” Over time, Amber became more and more brazen, to the point where she didn’t take me seriously at all anymore. Soon after, I left the parking garage. As I was waiting for the gate to lift, my car suddenly jolted as if rear-ended. Realizing I had been hit, I got out of the car, only to see Lucas and Amber getting out of the car behind me, hand in hand. “Oh no, I’m so sorry Rachel! I didn’t expect it to be you,” Amber immediately walked up, looking concerned at the dent in her own car’s front bumper. “But why did you brake so suddenly? I didn’t have time to react.” “What a shame, Lucas just bought me this new car,” she added with a pout. Lucas also glared at me coldly. “Did you do this on purpose? You knew Amber was behind you, so you deliberately slammed on the brakes to get back at her?” I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. There he went again, pushing all the blame onto me without even hearing my side. Before I could say anything, Amber’s eyes started to well up with tears. “Lucas, don’t blame Rachel,” she said. “It’s normal for her to be upset with me after quitting because of me.” “If anything, it’s my fault for causing all this trouble.” As she spoke, she made a show of clenching her fist and moving to hit herself on the forehead in frustration. But just before making contact, she deliberately loosened her hand. Lucas couldn’t see through her act. His eyes filled with tenderness as he gently rubbed her forehead. “It’s not your fault at all. Don’t take everything on yourself.” Then he turned to glare at me furiously. He seemed to get angrier the more he thought about it, and jabbed his finger at my forehead. “Rachel, can’t you learn from Amber and take some responsibility?” he scolded. “She knows how to be humble, while you’re still so childish and arrogant after all these years of working!” I stumbled back a couple steps from his push. When I recovered, I found the situation darkly amusing. For the past year, it had been Amber constantly stealing my achievements and using tricks to pin blame on me. Now suddenly she was the humble one with integrity, while I was childish and arrogant. Knowing it was pointless to argue further, I couldn’t be bothered to say anything more. I turned to leave. “Wait.” Lucas suddenly stopped me. I thought he was going to berate me again and defend Amber, but to my surprise, he pulled me aside. He spoke to me in a serious tone. “Rachel, I admit I was too harsh on you today.” “But it’s only because I have such high expectations for you, that’s why I’m so strict.” Hearing his gentle words, I was confused at first. But soon, I understood his intentions. Lucas gave me a slight smile and patted my shoulder. “I’ll withdraw your resignation. Just come back to work as usual. But find some time to publicly apologize to Amber, okay?” “Also, you’re fully at fault for this rear-ending. I’ll deduct the repair costs from your salary.” I realized what was happening and couldn’t help but laugh derisively. I glanced over at Amber. She had likely already known what Lucas was going to say. Her face was full of smugness as she winked at me provocatively. I scoffed. “No need,” I said firmly. “We can check the security cameras to see who was at fault for the accident. If you really want to pursue it, call the police.” “I have to go now. Goodbye.” With that, I walked away. Lucas shouted angrily behind me: “I already gave you a chance! Don’t come crying back later!” Regret? I wouldn’t regret this. I got back in my car and sent a message to Sophia. “I quit. I can start at your company tomorrow.” Sophia called back within seconds, her voice excited: “Are you serious?” She sounded a bit unsure: “Do you want to think it over with Lucas first?” Back when Sophia and Lucas were both starting their companies, Sophia had tried to recruit me. Compared to Lucas who was truly starting from scratch, Sophia had more resources and connections, and could offer me a much better compensation package. Sophia was in desperate need of top technical talent. She had promised me higher equity and profit sharing to entice me to help them out. Even after learning about my relationship with Lucas, she had made an exception and offered to let me work part-time. But for Lucas’s sake, I had rejected her without hesitation. Back when I was at my lowest point, lying in the snow nearly freezing to death, it was Lucas who had dragged me into a police station and saved my life. I was incredibly grateful to him, so I gave up everything else to pour my heart and soul into the business, doing whatever I could to help Lucas’s company grow step by step. But now it seemed he didn’t care about any of that. Besides, after all these years, I had more than repaid my debt of gratitude to him. There was no need for me to keep sacrificing myself anymore. “No need to discuss with him. I can make my own decisions,” I told Sophia firmly. We chatted a bit more and confirmed the time to sign the contract. Then I drove home first to get the documents I needed for the signing. I had thought Lucas wouldn’t be back until late at night as usual. But to my surprise, he came home soon after, talking happily on the phone with Amber as he walked into the living room. When he saw me, his expression immediately darkened. He rolled his eyes at me deliberately before going into the bedroom. I knew he was waiting for me to go comfort him. Every time we had a fight at work, I would always find ways to apologize and beg for his forgiveness. Even when he was the one in the wrong, I would swallow my pride and admit fault. In the past, I felt it was the right thing to do, whether to repay his kindness or to maintain our relationship. I thought I should be the one to comfort him. But now I just found it tiresome. I focused on searching through the drawers for the documents I needed. After a while, Lucas came out of the bedroom with a sullen face. “Did Amber get her car fixed? What about yours?” he asked. I knew this was his way of extending an olive branch. In the past, I would have taken this as a sign he had forgiven me, and eagerly tried to get back in his good graces. But now, I didn’t even look up as I replied flatly, “It’s just an old beater. Not worth fixing.” Lucas frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I looked up at him in confusion, not understanding what he was upset about now. This car had been scratched and dented many times before. Whenever I said I wanted to get it fixed, he would dismiss it with the same words I just used. I thought he was going to get angry again, but to my surprise, he let out a sigh. “Amber has been doing great work lately. I gave her the car as a way to retain this talent,” he explained. “You’re my girlfriend. We’re going to get married eventually – won’t the company be yours too? Why do you have to be so petty about salary and compete with her?” “Rachel, everything I do is for the company. I don’t want the other employees to think I’m showing favoritism towards you.” I was taken aback that he was actually trying to explain himself to me. He had never bothered to justify his actions to me before. But I knew these were just excuses. Everyone at the company knew how Lucas treated me versus Amber. Projects I had slaved over for days, he would suddenly hand over to Amber on a whim. She would just slap together a quick PowerPoint, and it would become her achievement. Clients I had spent days negotiating with, about to sign a contract – he would take Amber out for one dinner under my name, and suddenly the deal would be credited as Amber’s success. There were countless incidents like this. Over time, the other employees all came to believe Lucas favored Amber more. They even thought Lucas disliked me. Because of this, I endured a lot of cold shoulders and mistreatment at work. Lucas saw it happening but pretended not to notice. I didn’t want to explain. It wouldn’t matter anyway – even if I did, he would just accuse me of making excuses. “Oh,” I responded flatly. “You don’t need to tell me all this. I’m no longer involved with the company. Do whatever you think is best.” Lucas fell silent. Finally, he let out a sigh. He walked up to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “To be honest, I have selfish reasons too. I wanted you to take some time off to think about our wedding,” he said with a smile. “Have you thought about when we should get married?” But I had already picked out wedding dates many times before. Each time, he had refused. Every time we had a fight, he would use the prospect of marriage to appease me. Sometimes, I felt less like his girlfriend and more like a dog he was toying with. I said nothing. Lucas scratched under my chin playfully, as if petting a dog. “Don’t be mad anymore. Can you smile for me?” he coaxed. He planted a kiss on the back of my hand, as if deliberately trying to please me. He rarely showed me affection like this. In the past, I probably would have been overjoyed. After his display of affection, I would have taken the initiative to get closer, only to be pushed away as he laughed and called me a pervert. Looking back now, I found it all so tiresome. I yanked my arm away and wiped the spot he had kissed with a tissue. Lucas froze, as if struck by lightning. “You’re disgusted by me?” he asked in disbelief. “I have to go out later to take care of something. I’m going to change clothes now,” I said flatly. I turned to go back to the bedroom. Lucas tried to follow me, but I closed and locked the door without hesitation. “Fine! Rachel, don’t come crying back to me later!” Lucas seemed truly angry now. After yelling those words, he kicked the door hard before storming off. When I came out of the bedroom, the living room was empty. Lucas had sent a message in the company group chat saying he was treating everyone to dinner and asking who wanted to join. Everyone remained silent. Only Amber enthusiastically sent three “excited” emojis in a row. I knew Lucas was deliberately trying to provoke me. This had happened many times before. It always went the same way – the other employees were reluctant to attend, with only Amber showing enthusiasm. In the past, I would have gotten jealous and insisted on going too, only to be mocked by them. Now, I couldn’t be bothered to care. I went straight to meet Sophia and sign the contract. Sophia was thrilled and specially arranged a celebratory dinner for me. After a few drinks, I went to the restroom. As I was walking back, I heard familiar voices from a nearby private room. I instinctively paused. Through the partially open door, I saw Amber nestled in Lucas’s arms. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Lucas was laughing happily. Taking advantage of the moment, Amber quickly leaned up and kissed him on the lips. Lucas froze for a second, but didn’t push her away. “Lucas, when are you going to break up with Rachel?” Amber asked coyly. “I can’t wait to be with you officially. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you with her every day?” Lucas opened his mouth as if to say something. In the end, he just hugged Amber tightly, patting her back gently like comforting a child. “Just wait a little longer,” he said softly. “It won’t be much longer now.” The two clung to each other intimately, looking every bit like a couple. I scoffed and walked away without watching any further. Back at the dinner, I had a few more drinks before we called it a night. As we were heading to the parking garage together, Sophia suddenly pulled me in front of a top-of-the-line Porsche and asked if I liked it. I nodded, confused. Thinking it was her new car, I was about to compliment it when Sophia unexpectedly pressed a key fob into my hand. “It’s for you,” she said with a wink. “Your old car is falling apart. I’ve been wanting to get you a new one for ages,” she explained. “Now that you’re officially on the team, it’s the perfect time for an upgrade.” I started to refuse, but she cut me off as if already knowing what I was going to say. “I heard Lucas bought a luxury car for that new hire at your old company,” she said bluntly. “If someone with her lousy skills can drive a fancy car, you definitely deserve something even better.” “You know, I’ve seen the work that new girl produces. The style is totally inconsistent every time – it’s obvious she’s just copying other people’s work. I have no idea how she’s managed to keep her job there…” Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Sophia held nothing back as she ranted about Amber. I remained silent. She was right. All those projects had actually been done by me and the other team members. Almost every time we were about to finish something, Lucas would suddenly demand we hand it over to Amber. That’s why Amber’s “style” was so inconsistent. Sophia could see through the situation without even being at the company. Yet somehow Lucas remained oblivious. I thanked Sophia and chatted with her a bit more before heading home. As I opened the front door, I found Lucas already sitting on the couch in the living room. “Where did you go?” he asked, his tone noticeably cheerful. The scene of him and Amber embracing at the restaurant flashed through my mind again. I felt a wave of nausea. “Had dinner with a friend,” I replied flatly, walking straight towards the bedroom. I had only taken a few steps when Lucas suddenly blocked my path, frowning. “You’ve been drinking?” “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t drink when I’m not around?” he said accusingly. I couldn’t help but laugh derisively. What he really meant was that I was only allowed to drink when helping him entertain clients. I said nothing. Lucas seemed to realize something and suddenly smiled, looking rather pleased with himself. “You’re still upset about me going out with Amber earlier, aren’t you?” he said smugly. “You didn’t want me having dinner alone with her, but you were too proud to say it directly. Was it really worth drinking this much over?” “You’re overthinking things. My drinking had nothing to do with you,” I said wearily. I sat down in a chair, feeling tired. “But there is something I want to tell you.” “What is it?” Lucas asked. Probably thinking I was going to apologize, his tone became smug. “Let me tell you in advance – it’s too late to apologize now. I’m still very angry about what happened this afternoon,” he said haughtily. “Don’t think a simple ‘sorry’ will be enough for me to forgive you.” He rolled his eyes at me as he spoke. I pretended not to notice and started to say, “I…” Before I could finish, his phone suddenly rang. Lucas glanced down at it. I noticed the caller ID showed Amber’s name. “Hold on, I need to take this call,” he said dismissively. With that, Lucas completely ignored me and moved to answer the phone. I watched his cold, resolute back as he walked away, and calmly spoke up. “Let’s break up, Lucas.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Lucas’s body seemed to freeze for a moment.
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