I was crouching at the entrance of the hospital room, scrubbing the floor when Xavier Cheng’s alligator skin shoes stopped in front of me. “You enjoy kneeling to clean the floor that much?” Suddenly, a diamond-studded high heel stepped on the back of my hand. The beauty in his arms looked down at me condescendingly. “Little cleaner, this spot isn’t clean.” Amidst the snickers of onlookers, I felt for the elegant card hidden in my deep blue cleaning uniform. It was the VIP gold card my father had personally given me, reserved only for the hospital’s investors. “Achoo!” The smell of disinfectant stung my nose. I gripped the mop tightly, mechanically wiping back and forth along the corridor. This was my third day working as a cleaner in this hospital. It was also the seventh day since I had taken over this hospital as the primary shareholder. Looking down at the deep blue cleaning uniform I wore, I smiled wryly. Who told me to be so ambitious, challenging my dad to a racing game? He got off easy, flying to Hawaii for a vacation. While I, having lost three rounds in a row, had to honor the bet and experience a month of life as a cleaner. Ding! Just then, the elevator doors opened. I instinctively looked up, but my heart suddenly clenched. It was him, Xavier Cheng. The man I had loved deeply for five years was walking out of the elevator, his arm around a tall, slender woman. He was still wearing that handmade suit I had given him, every gesture exuding the elegance and composure I knew so well. “Xavier, this hospital’s plastic surgery department is quite famous,” a coquettish voice said. I barely recognized Vanessa Sullivan, whose eyes and nose had been completely transformed. She used to be my best friend. “I heard their director is an expert from South Korea? Their filler techniques are top-notch!” Xavier chuckled softly, “Whatever you like, we can do it.” His gaze swept across the corridor, suddenly fixing on me. I hurriedly lowered my head, my heart pounding like a drum. The mop in my hand unconsciously sped up; I just wanted to leave quickly. “Hey, wait. This spot doesn’t seem clean enough.” Xavier’s voice sounded behind me, and I froze in place. His gaze felt like needles pricking my back, making me shiver all over. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. A flash of surprise crossed Xavier’s eyes, quickly replaced by deep mockery: “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Lin. I heard that recently, one of your family’s companies went bankrupt. What’s this, are you out here working to supplement the family income?” “Xavier, who did you say she is?” Vanessa feigned curiosity, then covered her mouth in mock surprise, “Oh my! The once high and mighty Lin family heiress, now cleaning floors here. How unpredictable life can be.” I gripped the mop handle tightly, my knuckles turning white. Indeed, life is unpredictable. Back then, I never imagined that the boyfriend I had dated for 5 years would be stolen by my closest friend—and that they would flaunt it in front of me on the day of my mother’s funeral.
I’ll never forget that rainy day. I was kneeling in front of the memorial hall, raindrops falling from my hair. My mother had been holding my hand on her hospital bed, saying she wanted to see me in a wedding dress. Now, she lay in this cold coffin, never to see my happy moment. Xavier stood behind me, saying coldly, “Cry a little if you must, but she’s dead. Your tears won’t bring her back.” Outside the hall, the sound of high heels approached. Vanessa walked in gracefully, wearing a red dress. “Xavier, why are you here? Didn’t we plan to go look at wedding dresses?” I jerked my head up to see Xavier wrapping his arm around her waist. “Babe, I just came to say goodbye to Miss Lin,” he turned to look at me with a smirk, “Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is my fiancée.” At that moment, I felt the whole world spinning. On her deathbed, my mother had been worried about my future. And now, the man I loved most had brought another woman to show off at her funeral. “Xavier, do you have any conscience left?” “Conscience? Your mom was an A-list celebrity, her death means no more fame for the Lin Group. Without her, why would I even bother with you? Besides, if the Lin family falls, you’re just a nobody. And you dare talk to me about conscience? What an act!” “You!” I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist. He pushed me hard, and I stumbled, falling in front of my mother’s portrait. Crash! The frame fell to the ground, glass shards instantly cutting my palm. I knelt before my mother’s portrait, watching drops of blood fall onto her smiling face. At that moment, I swore to make these two pay!
Now, they stood before me, taunting and mocking. The gazes of those around us felt like knives stabbing into me. Those curious or pitying looks made me feel like I had thorns in my back. “Excuse me, I need to work,” I tried to keep my voice steady. Xavier deliberately tilted his coffee cup, spilling the brown liquid on the floor: “Now you really need to work.” He wore a malicious smile, as if toying with a lowly servant. “Get on your knees and clean it up, just like you used to kneel and beg me not to leave.” Whispers arose from the crowd around us. In an instant, I felt all the blood in my body flowing backward, my face burning hot. Crouching down, I used a cloth to wipe up the coffee stains bit by bit. Xavier’s shiny leather shoes were right in front of my eyes. I could even smell that familiar cologne. “Xavier, let’s go,” Vanessa linked her arm with his, “Don’t waste time on someone like her.” “Wait,” Xavier suddenly bent down, his long fingers lifting my chin, “You know what? You look much cuter now than when you were that high and mighty Lin heiress.” I slapped his hand away and stood up: “Mr. Cheng, please show some respect.” “Respect?” Xavier laughed as if he’d heard something hilarious, “A cleaner, demanding respect from me?” “Oh no, my lipstick!” Vanessa suddenly exclaimed. A Chanel lipstick rolled to my feet. “Little cleaner, pick that up for me.” She looked down at me imperiously, all traces of her former fawning behavior when she used to tag along with the Lin heiress for free drinks gone. I bent to pick it up, but just as I was about to touch the lipstick, a high heel stomped on the back of my hand. “Oops, I didn’t see that~” A searing pain shot through my hand, and I clenched my jaw. Xavier’s gaze held a hint of amusement, as if enjoying a good show. “Alright, let’s go,” he finally spoke, putting his arm around the woman and turning to leave. But he stopped and looked back, “Oh, Aria, if you really can’t make ends meet, you can come and beg me. For old times’ sake, I might arrange a better job for you, like… my housekeeper?” A burst of laughter erupted around us. I stood there, watching their figures disappear at the end of the corridor. “Just wait. Soon, you’ll know who should really be on their knees.” I turned and walked towards the director’s office. Passing by the glass windows in the hallway, I caught my reflection—beneath the deep blue cleaning uniform were eyes sparkling with ambition.
I stood in front of the director’s office, took a deep breath, and adjusted my deep blue cleaning uniform. Through the crack in the door, I could see Zach Zhou reviewing documents, his long fingers flipping through the pages, his brow slightly furrowed. Knock knock. I gently tapped on the door. “Come in,” his voice was deep and pleasant. As I pushed the door open, the smell of disinfectant was replaced by a faint scent of cedar. Zach looked up, his gaze sharp and profound behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Today he wore a dark gray shirt, sleeves casually rolled up, revealing toned forearms. “Dr. Zhou, I’d like to discuss the hospital’s investment issues with you.” His fingers paused on the document, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes behind his glasses: “You…” “Aria Lin,” I introduced myself, and Zach’s expression instantly froze. He slowly stood up, his gaze moving between my cleaning uniform and the badge on my chest: “Miss Lin?” “That’s right. For the past three days, I’ve been working as a cleaner in the hospital.” I walked to his desk, removed my badge, and placed it on the table, “I wanted to see firsthand what problems exist in the hospital I’ve invested in.” Zach’s Adam’s apple bobbed: “So, what did you see?” “Many issues. Low wages for cleaning staff leading to poor work ethic, chaotic medication management at nursing stations, inadequate order maintenance in waiting areas…” I listed my observations from the past three days. Zach’s expression grew increasingly serious: “These issues indeed need to be addressed.” “Not only that, I also discovered that the hospital has collaborative projects with the Cheng Group,” I continued. At the mention of the Cheng Group, Zach’s expression visibly stiffened: “Yes, they are our largest medical equipment supplier.” “In that case, I intend to terminate our cooperation with the Cheng Group.” I briefly described what had happened earlier. Then I continued, “I’ve already contacted medical equipment suppliers from Germany. They’re willing to provide higher quality products at lower prices.” A glimmer of surprise flashed in Zach’s eyes: “You had this planned all along?” “Correct.” I straightened up, “I’ve been preparing even before taking over this hospital.” I walked to the window, looking at the bustling crowd below. If Xavier thought I was still that naive woman he could manipulate at will, he was gravely mistaken. Cheating on me with my best friend, I could have just written him off as a scumbag and kicked him to the curb. But disrupting my mother’s funeral and flaunting it in my face? He shouldn’t blame me for being ruthless now! “And actually, before entering your office, I had already set things in motion.” Behind me, I heard the sound of a chair moving. Zach came to stand beside me: “Miss Lin, I admire your resolve.” I turned to look at him and found no displeasure in his gaze, only a hint of admiration. “Please, call me Aria.” “Alright, Aria.” His voice softened a bit, “So, what do you plan to do next?” “We need to convene a board meeting to officially announce the termination of our cooperation with the Cheng Group. Secondly, I need a capable assistant.” “You mean…?” I looked directly into his eyes: “Dr. Zhou, would you be willing to be my special assistant?” “Please, call me Zach.” The tips of his ears turned slightly red, but his face bore a gentle smile. “Oh,” I was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Xavier: “Tonight at 8, Ritz-Carlton. Shall we talk?” I smirked coldly and handed the phone to Zach to see: “Looks like someone’s getting antsy.”
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