My mother, Grace Moore, was gravely ill, and her last wish was to meet my boyfriend, Joshua Davies—the man I’d been with for seven years. I begged him for a long time before he finally agreed. But on Christmas night, his childhood sweetheart, Lily Hall, called him, sobbing hysterically, saying she had been assaulted. Without a second thought, he left me on the highway and sped off to be with her. By the time I finished handling my mother’s funeral and returned home, I walked in to find the two of them standing close together, making bread. Lily’s tone was playful, yet a bit sharp. “I had to sacrifice my reputation to bring you back. Do you really think that if you’d gone to her house, her mother wouldn’t have used her illness to force you into marriage?” With a smirk, she added, “Now you owe me.” And Joshua? He affectionately tapped her nose, smiling, “Alright, my little troublemaker. Thank you for saving me.” That was the moment I realized just how ridiculous the past seven years had been. So, I turned around and walked away with the childhood friend who had been by my side, tirelessly helping with my mother’s funeral. Joshua went crazy, begging me to reconsider, to take him back. ***** I sighed, “She lives just a block away, and the police station’s nearby. Besides, it was an attempted assault, you know? She probably doesn’t want you, as a man, involved in this.” Christmas night, I made the mistake of saying one wrong thing. Joshua snapped at me, yelling that I lacked empathy and didn’t deserve to be a woman. He stared at me with anger in his eyes. “If it were you being assaulted, would you not need your friends around to comfort you? Aimee, where’s your compassion?” I stayed silent. I probably wouldn’t ever face that situation. After all, Lily had always kept a string attached to her ex. Things like assault, domestic abuse, or mistreatment weren’t unusual in her stories. She had mentioned them more than thirty times. I suggested she hold the man accountable, but she’d roll her eyes and accuse me of meddling. Lily didn’t seem to mind these things. She enjoyed the drama of it all. But Joshua? He was always overly concerned about her, more so than even about my own problems. Then, out of nowhere, Joshua swerved the car and turned around. “We need to take care of Lily. We’ll visit your mom some other time.” “No way! My house is only an hour and a half away. Come with me to meet my mom first. You only need to stay for an hour, just an hour—remember you promised me,” I pleaded, but Joshua remained unmoved. His coldness pierced my heart, and I felt the pain of it deep within. I shakily undid my seatbelt, desperately asking him to stop. “Joshua, please! My mom is about to give up. You promised me.” My pleading didn’t soften him even a little. And then, Lily, who had never hung up the phone, started crying even louder. “Joshua, come back! I’m alone here. I’m so scared!” Joshua was immediately drawn to her panic, his tone full of worry. “Stay at home. Don’t let anyone in. I’m coming back now.” Then, he gave me a cold, indifferent look. “You have two choices—walk back alone, or come with me to take care of Lily. In a few days, I’ll take you to see Grace.” “But you promised me…” I stammered. Joshua’s expression shifted to impatience. “Aimee, can’t you see the priorities here? Lily was almost assaulted, while Grace’s been sick for months. You can wait a few more days, can’t you?” I stared at him, stunned, my eyes wide. I grabbed his hand, unwilling to let go. Joshua, annoyed, pulled the car over, opened the door, and shoved me out. The cold winter rain hit my face. Joshua looked down at me from the car, indifferent. “Go walk back by yourself.” I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down my face, but I acted quickly, grabbing onto the car door, pleading, “Joshua, you promised me you’d come back with me! You can’t just break your word.” Without hesitation, he slammed the door shut. My fingers were caught in the door, and I screamed in pain. Joshua’s face shifted with a flicker of concern, but before I could hope for him to make things right, I was suddenly kicked away from the car. “Want to die? Find somewhere else to do it!” he snapped coldly. The car sped away, leaving me alone, lying in the rain on the road. The cold, sharp rain made my pain unbearable. Suddenly, my phone rang with an urgent tone. My father, David Moore’s voice was furious, almost deafening. “Your mom’s gone! Why aren’t you back yet?”
By the time I got home, it was already late at night. My father dragged me to my mother’s bedside. “She waited up for you, holding on and refusing to close her eyes. Look what you’ve done.” I knelt on the floor, my tears long gone. After graduation, I joined Joshua’s company. I spent seven years as his secret girlfriend. Every time I begged him to come meet my parents, he always had an excuse to refuse. But this time, my mother was gravely ill, and her only wish was to see Joshua. I begged him over and over, and he finally agreed. Yet, in the end, he stood me up. I regretted it. I couldn’t believe I’d wasted seven years on someone like him. ***** Three days after my mother passed away, Joshua called, his tone casual, “Aimee, where did you put the hairdryer?” My voice was hoarse. “I don’t know.” Joshua’s voice rose sharply, clearly annoyed. “You don’t know?” I heard him rummaging through drawers. He snapped, “Aren’t you the one who takes care of everything around here? You’re telling me you don’t know? Aimee, what’s with the attitude? Didn’t I tell you I’d come see you in a few days? If you keep acting like this, we’re done.” I stared at the candle in front of me and blinked away the dryness in my eyes. “Whatever.” There was suddenly silence on the other end, and then he hung up. I knew he was angry again. In situations like this, I was always the one who backed down first. Because Joshua had once told me that he wouldn’t be the one to give in. If I wanted to be with him, I had to get used to being the one who always took a step down. But this time, I didn’t care. Let him be angry. I was tired. ***** Seven days later, I brought my mother’s ashes to Virelia. I’d always promised myself that when she got better, we would travel around the country together. But I never kept that promise, not even once. I arrived home in the evening. The door was ajar, and the smell of food wafted out. Joshua and Lily were busy making bread together. Lily lifted her chin, her voice teasing. “Joshua, I didn’t even care about my reputation to help you out this time. Do you believe me? If you go back with Aimee now, her mom will definitely use her illness as an excuse to force you into marriage. “People like them, once they get an opportunity to climb up, they won’t let go. I’ve seen it a million times. You’d better make it up to me later.” Joshua reached out and affectionately tapped Lily on the nose. “Don’t worry. The gift is already prepared. No one’s getting left out, especially you.” I stood at the door with my suitcase, gripping the handle tightly. So, this was the ridiculous reason Joshua had left in the first place. So, my mother hadn’t been able to leave in peace because of Lily’s jealousy. How absurd. In my agitation, the suitcase bumped against the doorframe. Joshua and Lily, standing by the island, suddenly turned around. Lily gasped, then grabbed Joshua’s arm with both hands, covered in flour. “Aimee, why are you back?” I sneered, “This is my place too. If you can come, why can’t I come back?” Lily’s eyes immediately welled up, and Joshua frowned, stepping in front of her protectively. “Lily’s been through a lot. I couldn’t let her stay home alone, so I had her stay here for a while. Be polite and don’t cause her any more harm. Don’t blame me for her issues. I’m not her ex.” I pushed the suitcase into the master bedroom. My eyes landed on a sexy silk nightgown on the bed. I never wore that kind. It was obvious whose it was. Joshua followed me, looking uncomfortable. “Lily’s a guest, and the guest room wasn’t cleaned, so I let her stay in the master bedroom.” I didn’t respond; I just started unpacking. Joshua grabbed my hand with a frown. “What are you doing?!” I raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s staying in the master bedroom, so I’ll move to the side bedroom. What’s wrong with that?” Joshua’s face darkened, and then he sneered, “Aimee, why are you being so sarcastic? I told you I’d come to see Grace after I settled Lily. Now it seems that’s not necessary. This is your punishment for not listening.”
A sharp pain stabbed through my chest as I yanked my hand away from Joshua. “You have no right to bring up my mother!” Joshua froze, about to say something, when Lily suddenly pulled off her apron, tears streaming down her face. “Aimee, please, stop fighting! I’ll just leave!” Joshua stopped her before she could go. “Lily, you’re not the one who needs to leave. This is my house—someone else should be packing their bags.” I looked at him, then at Lily, who was now standing behind him, under his protection. We had been together for six months when Joshua suggested we move in together. I insisted on paying rent. The first time I pulled out my wallet, his face darkened. “Aimee, are you insane? You think I need your money? Put that away—if anyone finds out, they’ll laugh their heads off.” Now I knew better. A man’s words were worth less than hot air—just as foul, and just as meaningless. I didn’t say another word. I packed my things, called a delivery service, and had my luggage sent to a hotel. When I picked up the last suitcase, Joshua’s expression was as dark as a storm. “Aimee, if you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back.” I didn’t even glance at him. I kept walking. The next morning, I handed in my resignation. Half a year ago, Lily had swooped in from overseas and taken my director position. Now, I was just another employee, free to leave as soon as my resignation was approved. But after waiting half the day, all I got was a message from the department manager: [Mr. Davies rejected your resignation. He wants to see you in his office.] When I walked in, Lily was sitting in Joshua’s chair, eating takeout pizza. A flood of memories hit me all at once. We have been seven years together. No one at the company ever knew. Back when we were madly in love, I once made the mistake of sitting in his chair. He ignored me for three days. But now, I finally understood. Someone else could sit in that chair. That someone just wasn’t me. Joshua pushed an unopened box of pizza toward me, his voice neutral. “Lily was kind enough to order this for you. No hard feelings.” I didn’t take it. I simply said, “Let’s not drag this out. Just approve my resignation.” His brows furrowed slightly. “You’re really quitting over this? Just because I let Lily stay at the house, you’re throwing a tantrum and resigning to prove a point? You even faked your mother’s death as an excuse?” Lily chimed in with a pitiful voice, “Yeah, Aimee, how could you say something like that? Are you seriously still mad that Joshua didn’t go with you to visit her? If it’s my fault, I’ll go with you—we can apologize to her together.” I stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Sure. My mom’s waiting for you down there. Let’s see who dares to back out.” The color drained from both their faces. Joshua’s voice rose in anger. “Aimee, have you lost your mind?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Yeah, I’m crazy. So hurry up and approve my resignation before I really make you regret it. If I tell the entire company about us, what do you think they’ll say about their oh-so-respectable general manager?” Joshua hadn’t even spoken yet when Lily shrieked in panic, “No!” “Why not?” I smirked at her and, without hesitation, shoved the office door wide open. The commotion in the office had drawn everyone’s attention. Curious gazes landed on me from all directions. I clapped my hands together, making sure I had their full attention. “If you’re here for the drama, check the group chat! “I’ve been with Joshua for seven years. Maybe not a founding member of this company, but definitely a veteran employee. Then his childhood sweetheart waltzed in from overseas and took my position, demoting me from director to a mere employee—without so much as an explanation. “And now? I want to leave, and he won’t let me. If any of you are hoping for a stable, long-term career here, you might want to take a good look at how our boss handles things. Otherwise, you could end up just like me.” As soon as I finished speaking, the office erupted into murmurs. “Wait, wasn’t Lily supposed to be with Mr. Davies?” “She’s been hinting at it nonstop, showing off every chance she gets. It was getting unbearable.” “Aimee just dropped a kissing photo in the group chat—pretty solid proof. So Lily really was the other woman?” Joshua and Lily arrived just in time to see the aftermath, their faces instantly darkening. I suddenly understood. “Lily, so you’ve been running around telling people you’re Joshua’s girlfriend? How desperate for validation are you?” Lily’s face went completely pale. “Aimee, have you lost your mind? Joshua and I grew up together. Who the hell do you think you are? “You think you can just Photoshop a few pictures and fool everyone? Joshua, are you really going to let her slander me like this?” Joshua looked at me for a long moment—then chose Lily’s side. “Aimee, that’s enough.” And just like that, the whispers shifted again. “So it was fake?” “Knew it. No way Mr. Davies would have such bad taste.” The last shred of hope I had burned to ashes. I sneered, “Joshua, do you really think I spent seven years with you without preparing for this moment? You claim the photos are fake? Fine. But videos don’t lie. Neither do recordings. And chat logs? Those can be notarized. Let’s see who’s bluffing. “If you want to protect her, go ahead. I just want my severance and to walk away quietly. Otherwise, we can see this through the hard way.” With that, I turned and picked up my suitcase—the one holding my mother’s ashes. I had a flight this afternoon, and I wasn’t going to miss it. But before I even reached the door, Lily snapped. She lunged at me, clawing at my arm. “Aimee, you bitch!” I shielded the urn with everything I had. Then I saw it—that malicious glint in her eyes. Before I could react, she wrenched it from my grasp with all her strength. “You’re holding onto this like it’s some priceless treasure. What, did you steal it?” I yelled, “Lily, give it back!” Seizing the opportunity, she drove her foot hard into my stomach. I collapsed onto the floor, helplessly watching as she raised the urn high—then smashed it down without hesitation. The shattering sound echoed through the office. Lily’s smug expression hadn’t even faded yet. I snapped. I lunged at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and slapping her across the face. “I’ll kill you! How dare you?” Lily’s screams and my fury left the entire office frozen in shock. Joshua rushed forward to pull me off her. Even as he pried me away, I yanked out a chunk of her hair with sheer force. Lily burst into tears, throwing herself into Joshua’s arms. “Joshua, did you see that? She’s trying to kill me!” Joshua’s grip tightened painfully around my wrist, his eyes cold as ice. “Aimee, have you lost it? You beat Lily up over a broken jar? A pile of worthless ashes?” I looked up at him, my vision red with rage. “She deserved it.” Somewhere in the crowd, a quiet voice murmured, “Wait… is that an urn?” Joshua’s hand trembled. His expression shifted from anger to confusion, then to something almost fearful. “What? What urn?”
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