My boyfriend’s childhood friend turned obsessive. When she couldn’t have him, she went after my dad instead. Liam took me out for a candlelit dinner, and the next thing I knew, Chloe was jetting off to Paris on a private plane with my dad, on a massive shopping spree. She even had the nerve to sneer at me, “Satisfied with just a casual dinner? My man is way more generous than Liam Maxwell!” I nodded furiously, like a bobblehead. “Oh yeah, totally! Your man’s the most generous!” So generous, in fact, that my name is on his will. “Liam, are you *really* going to abandon me for this woman?” “I’ve been by your side for eleven years. Does that mean nothing compared to someone who saved your life?” “W-w-what? I’m the one who loves you most in this world! Can’t you just look at me?” I’m Anya Sharma, and this woman in front of me, wailing out her woes and pleading her case to my boyfriend, is his childhood friend, Chloe Reed. In Chloe’s words, childhood sweethearts just couldn’t compete with a ‘destined’ connection. Chloe blocked our path, crying nonstop. She acted as if Liam and I being together meant *she* was the one being abandoned. But heaven knows, that wasn’t the case at all. I’ve lost count of how many times Chloe has pulled this stunt. Not hundreds, but easily dozens. You couldn’t get rid of her; she was like a stubborn stain I couldn’t scrub off. They just happened to be in the same class from elementary school all the way through college, and she unilaterally decided to crown herself his ‘childhood sweetheart.’ Liam had assured me repeatedly that he barely knew her. And I’d even had someone look into it; this was clearly Chloe’s one-sided fantasy. Sure enough, Liam grabbed my hand, ready to leave, not even bothering to glance her way. As we walked past Chloe, I paused, looking at her. “Sister, seriously, if it’s really that bad, maybe we should find a hospital and get your head checked out?” It was a genuine suggestion, but she took it as a provocation, glaring at me fiercely. Her eyes seemed to accuse me of stealing her man. Hopeless. People who only want to live in their own delusional world can’t be reasoned with. What else could she do besides see a doctor? Just as we were about to leave, Chloe suddenly roared from behind us, “Liam Maxwell! This is your last chance! If you’re going to be heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Liam didn’t even turn his head. Sometimes, I actually felt sorry for my boyfriend. If it were any other woman, they probably would’ve cracked under Chloe’s harassment by now.
When I first met Liam, I was a freshman, and didn’t really know anyone at school. Chloe, along with some others, decided to corner me. “You’re forbidden from talking to Liam Maxwell ever again, or I’ll make you regret it!” Behind her were a few red-haired delinquents, who were apparently Chloe’s admirers. I immediately gave them a masterclass in self-defense. The result was a pile of bodies on the ground. Liam appeared out of nowhere to watch the show, even recording my fierce, take-no-prisoners attitude. “I was going to record this to call the police for you, but now it looks like I should be calling them for *them* instead.” With Liam’s video as evidence, I was just acting in self-defense. Chloe, as the ringleader, was detained for fifteen days. The school was going to expel her, but somehow, one of her relatives pulled some strings and got her off the hook. But I wasn’t intimidated. In fact, I should probably thank Chloe’s meddling. If she hadn’t cornered me that day, Liam and I might never have gotten to know each other better. After Liam and I officially started dating, Chloe nearly lost her mind when she found out. She charged at me, intending to fight, but I gave her a spectacular over-the-shoulder throw, which landed her in the hospital for a month. After that, she changed tactics, constantly emphasizing to Liam, “I’m the woman who loves you most!” I actually admired her persistence. She kept it up for a full five years. Midway, I did worry. Could a woman’s unwavering obsession really fail to stir even a flicker of emotion? When I asked Liam about it, he didn’t say a word. But the next day, he printed out a stack of advanced placement textbooks and practice exams and tossed them in front of Chloe. “Someone who claims to be a brilliant university student, but can’t even solve these basic problems, what makes you think a little bit of ‘love’ will impress me?” “I’d tell her that consistent effort leads to significant results, and all she’d ask is what we’re having for dinner.” Just thinking about Liam’s actions still makes me laugh. Indeed, if Chloe could somehow manage to be the top student in the entire school, Liam might actually be willing to discuss academics with her. Liam and I got together because I was annoyed he beat me in a debate, so I chased him to his dorm and debated him for three days straight. We were drawn to intellect, to sharp minds. What attracted us was the powerful soul of the other person, not some fleeting, superficial feeling. Chloe probably would never understand that.
But I truly never expected it! Why did Chloe suddenly parachute into my company? HR announced a new hire today, a “high-tech talent.” I was all geared up to have a lively discussion about technology with this newcomer, only to find Chloe’s smug face staring back at me. “High-tech talent”? She’d barely scraped by her college English exams, even after multiple tries, and struggled through basic university courses. And now she’d suddenly become the company’s tech expert? Even taken over the department manager position? She’d become my new boss. I’d worked my way up from intern for a year, only to become a team lead. I was on the verge of a promotion and a raise, and Chloe just swooped in and took it? “What?! Anya, didn’t they say the manager position was yours? How did an outsider just get parachuted in?” “When this last project finished, the higher-ups said Anya would be promoted…” “Shh! You don’t know? This woman has serious connections.” “What kind of connections? Spill!” “She seems to be connected to the big boss. I saw her getting out of his car yesterday…” “Oh my god…” “Shush! Keep your voice down, someone might hear.” From their whispers, I caught the crucial information. The big boss? My ridiculously wealthy, infuriating father? I couldn’t help but glance at Chloe on stage. She had her sights set on Liam Maxwell, surely her taste hadn’t changed so drastically that she’d go for my dad? It had to be a rumor. Chloe immediately spotted me sitting in the crowd and raised an eyebrow. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, she walked right up to me, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Anya Sharma, what a coincidence! Looks like you’ll be my subordinate now, huh?” “And here you were, calling yourself a top student, a modern woman. Honestly, you haven’t achieved much, have you?” At this point, it was clear to everyone that the new manager harbored hostility towards me. My familiar colleagues nervously watched. But I couldn’t care less. I threw a question right back at her. “I hear Manager Reed is a high-tech talent. So you must be able to answer some questions for me, right?” Chloe arrogantly tilted her chin. “Of course. Ask away.” I suppressed a smile and asked, “Manager Reed, who invented the C programming language?” “It was…” Chloe opened her mouth, then choked. She’d been cramming programming books for days, preparing for any unexpected questions. She never imagined I’d hit her with something so basic, yet so out of left field. Chloe’s face turned beet red, but not a single extra word came out of her mouth. Around us, faint snickers erupted, as if mocking her overconfidence. And why not? No one liked these “parachuted” hires. Why should everyone work late nights on projects, striving for promotions and raises? Only to have some talentless newbie, who couldn’t even name the inventor of C language, snatch it away? “Anya Sharma! You’re doing this on purpose! You’re just jealous I took your position, so you’re trying to make things difficult for me!” Chloe finally realized my intention and yelled it out. I didn’t bother to hide it, nodding openly. “Yep, I am. But you really didn’t know, did you?” “If you’re so smart, ask me a different question!” “If you can’t even answer that, there’s nothing else worth asking you.” Ultimately, the welcome meeting for Chloe ended with her storming out in a huff. After the meeting, my team members immediately swarmed around me, showering me with support. “Anya, that was epic! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, always!” “Totally! Anya, you fly, we’ll carry your burdens, haha!” “Anya, take down that outsider! If it gets too rough, go solo, and we’ll follow you anywhere!” I quickly reassured them. No way! These were my best tech talents. Not one of them could quit. This was the empire I was building for the company’s future. I had originally joined under a false name, working my way up from intern. My dad probably didn’t even know I was “undercover” in his own company. But I was deeply touched to have such a loyal and supportive team. “Don’t worry. I won’t be the one leaving this company.” News of Chloe being a “parachuted” hire spread like wildfire. Other colleagues came to gloat, but before I could even open my mouth, my awesome team members had already shut them down. Having lost face in the meeting, Chloe naturally wanted to get her revenge privately. Sure enough, at noon, she ordered me to compile all the projects our team had ever handled and present them to her. She could have easily accessed the company archives herself. But Chloe insisted I compile them, and wanted hard copies. “Anya Sharma, have all the projects summarized for me before the end of the day. You can do that, right?” It was a direct order from my superior, so I had no choice but to comply. I had anticipated Chloe’s move, and thankfully, I have a habit of keeping my own copies of every completed project. So, five minutes later, I handed all the documents to Chloe. “That fast?! Anya Sharma, are you trying to fob me off with some random files?!” I looked at Chloe, amused. “Manager Reed, if you think I’m fobbing you off, why don’t you cross-reference each document? Then you’ll know if I’m bluffing or not.” That resulted in Chloe being forced to stay late and work overtime. And I got to happily leave for the day.
Liam was still at his company, working late. He started his own studio in his senior year of college, and now it had grown considerably, making his work exceptionally busy. I sent him a SnapChat message: “Going back to my dad’s tonight. Won’t be home.” I needed to go back and ask my dad if Chloe was his recommendation to the company. After arriving home, I first went to the living room to pay my respects to my mom’s memorial, then headed to my dad’s study. But he wasn’t there? “Mrs. Jenkins, where’s my dad?” “Miss Anya, Mr. Sterling hasn’t been home for a few days.” I called him, but his phone was off. I tried contacting my dad’s secretary, but his phone was off too? The next moment, I scrolled through Ins and saw Chloe’s post: “Was supposed to work late, but someone couldn’t bear to see me so tired. Taking a private jet to the next city for a French feast~” The photo showed the interior of a private jet. Just one look, and it seemed familiar. Very much like *our* family’s jet. I glanced at my mom’s memorial, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. My mom had passed away from massive blood loss during the birth of her second child. In all these years, my dad hadn’t remarried. Not because his love for my mom was so profound, but because he found remarriage too troublesome, and one daughter was enough for him. And to honor my mom, he even let me use her maiden name. My dad was a notorious playboy CEO. Since my mom’s passing, his gossip column mentions outnumbered even those of the usual tabloid fixtures. Initially, the paparazzi loved following him, but they eventually realized their scoops couldn’t keep up with his pace of changing girlfriends, so they just gave up. Could Chloe really be involved with my dad? The absurd thought sent a chill down my spine. No way, absolutely not. Chloe had been obsessed with Liam for so long, she couldn’t suddenly fall for my plump, easygoing father. Since my dad wasn’t home, staying in this huge mansion by myself was pretty boring. I had the driver take me back to the small place Liam and I shared. The moment I walked in, I bumped right into him. Liam smelled faintly of soap. He picked me up and settled me onto the couch. I didn’t move, just nestled in his arms. A sigh escaped me; if only time could stop. He brushed the stray hairs from my forehead and tucked them behind my ear. “Anya, you seem a little down today?” I thought for a moment, then decided to tell him about Chloe parachuting into our company. Liam didn’t know I was the daughter of the Sterling Group CEO. And we had a silent understanding not to delve into each other’s backgrounds. After all, if too many things got mixed into love, it wouldn’t be pure anymore. To my surprise, Liam then told me something even more shocking. “She called me today too. I didn’t pick up at first, so she called my company directly. She said she was going to get revenge on me. Looks like she really found herself a sugar daddy?” Liam spoke in a calm, flat tone, and I could tell he didn’t take Chloe’s threats seriously. Of course, he was fiercely independent and proud. I had always assumed Liam was a genius but from an ordinary family, so I couldn’t help but worry about him. “What if Chloe really hooked up with that Mr. Sterling, and whispers in his ear? Couldn’t that jeopardize your company?” Besides, this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon. Plenty of passionate young entrepreneurs try to make their mark in the cutthroat business world, but many eventually get acquired or monopolized. Liam patted my shoulder. “Relax. Don’t you trust me? She can try her best.” Liam was brimming with confidence, but I couldn’t bear to see the company he’d built with his own hands ruined by a woman like Chloe. Forget it. If it came to it, I’d just have to come clean with my dad. Thinking that, I felt a little lighter. The next day, both Chloe and my dad were indeed absent from the company. The excuse was a business trip, but everyone knew perfectly well that it was… Three days later, Chloe, arm-in-arm with my dad, made a grand entrance at the company. They got out of the same car, and my dad personally escorted her to her office door. I stood far off in the crowd. My dad was beaming like a blooming flower, and Chloe was playing the role of the demure, devoted girlfriend. So, this was their public debut?
First off, how did Chloe sweet-talk my dad into being so public? And how could *she* even stomach it? My dad was roughly her father’s age, almost fifty. After her display, Chloe immediately called me into her office to gloat. The moment I stepped in, I was nearly blinded by the diamond on Chloe’s finger, so huge it practically had its own zip code. She practically shoved her hand into my eye. “So, what do you think? Is my diamond ring big enough? I wonder how many years Liam Maxwell would have to slave away to afford just this one ring?” How was I supposed to tell her that Liam wouldn’t need to buy it? It was the kind of thing I used to toss around like a pebble when I was a kid. Though, my dad certainly was generous this time, a two-hundred-million-dollar ring, just like that. Oh, wait, I just noticed. It wasn’t just the ring. Chloe’s entire outfit had changed—high-end clothes, designer bags. Did my ridiculously wealthy, infuriating father actually like her? I couldn’t fathom why I was busting my ass working for him. “You’ve seen it, Mr. Sterling dotes on me. With just a word from me, Liam Maxwell’s company would disappear. Do you believe me?” I shook my head. “I don’t.” “Everyone knows Mr. Sterling is a playboy. He can dote on you today and fall for someone else tomorrow. Oh, and if you’re trying to cash in, you’d better do it fast, or you’ll have nowhere to cry when he dumps you~”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299149”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #玄幻Fantasy
Leave a Reply