Before signing the contract with my client, I bought him a coffee. The client took one sip. An hour later, he was in the emergency room with violent food poisoning. The next day, he canceled our deal and signed with Vanessa, the very intern who had sent him to the hospital. My fiancé, Brandon, tried to comfort me. “It was an accident. Don’t blame yourself.” I nodded, feeling defeated. But then I overheard him bragging to his friends. “I slipped a laxative into that coffee so Vanessa could close the deal. This year’s Employee of the Year award is as good as hers.” “But doesn’t Scarlett need that bonus? I heard her family’s counting on it for a surgery.” Brandon scoffed. “It’s one client. If she’s any good, she’ll find another one, right?” A cold smile touched my lips. Just you wait, Brandon! Not only can I find another client, I can also find another fiancé! I refreshed Instagram. A new post flashed up. “My first home, all mine!” The photo showed Vanessa holding a house deed with a triumphant smile on her face. The comment section was filled with congratulations from colleagues. But Brandon’s comment was the one that caught my eye. “Congratulations to our future Employee of the Year 2025!” I forced a bitter smile. Last year, that title had been mine. For five years, I hadn’t taken a single day off. They all saw my desperation for money. None of them saw the weight of holding up a family alone. The medical bills piled up, suffocating me slowly. I once passed out on a subway platform, running between jobs. Brandon saw it all. Sometimes, he’d drive me home after a late shift. He’d listen when I vented about impossible clients. I never imagined he’d betray me for Vanessa. Tears tears came, hot and unstoppable, streaming down my face. At that exact moment, my phone rang. It was my mother’s doctor. “Your mother has just passed. I’m so sorry. If we could have operated soon…there might have been hope.” I don’t remember how I got through the funeral arrangements. Brandon called several times during those blurred days. But I never picked up. For the first time, he seemed anxious. He blocked my path the moment I walked into the office. “Where have you been? You never take days off.” His expression held no concern-only the cold irritation of someone who’d lost their grip. I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Seeing me about to walk away, he grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong with you? A few days apart, and you’re like a completely different person!” Before I could answer, Vanessa suddenly appeared. “Brandon, can you help me?” Brandon’s attention instantly shifted to her.
“What is it? Take your time.” Vanessa bit her lip, her voice laced with remorse and a hint of self-pity. “You know I just put down the payment on my apartment last week? I thought I had enough for renovations, but the budget just exploded. The contractors are ready to start, and I’m completely broke.” “I’ve asked everyone. No one can lend me anything. I’m so desperate, that’s why I came to you. Could you-” “Yes.” Brandon didn’t let her finish. He then dialed a number, his tone devoid of hesitation. “List that wedding house downtown for me, right now. No matter the price, it has to be sold today.” “Yes, I don’t care how much of a loss we take. I need the money urgently, the sooner the better.” Vanessa dabbed at her eyes, feigning distress, her voice choked. “How can you? Brandon!” “That house is in such a good location; it has huge potential for appreciation. It would be such a waste to sell it now.” “Besides, that’s the house you planned to get married in! Scarlett won’t agree.” After speaking, she timidly glanced at me. Seeing this, Brandon blurted out. “So what if she doesn’t agree? It’s not her house anyway.” He stood in front of Vanessa, his dark eyes glaring at me. “Scarlett, be more generous. It’s not easy for Vanessa to make a living alone in this city; we should be understanding.” “Besides, it’s not like we can’t rent a place for our wedding. I’m willing to marry you; what more could you possibly want?” I stood rooted to the spot, my blood freezing in an instant. In his eyes, I was desperate to marry him. His willingness to marry me was his greatest gift. But he never stopped to think that he was the one who pleaded with me to be his girlfriend. Even more ridiculous, he was selling our wedding house for Vanessa. I remembered when my father was in the ICU, and the doctor held a critical condition notice, asking me to sign it, saying they’d have to stop his medication if we didn’t pay. I cried hysterically, begging Brandon to lend me a hundred thousand dollars, offering to sign an IOU, even promising to work myself to the bone for him later. But what did he say then? He said, “That house is still appreciating; it’d be too much of a loss to sell it now. Besides, it’s our wedding house; selling it before we’re married would be bad luck.” Now, Vanessa just needed some renovation money, and he was selling the house without a second thought, not even a flinch, saying, “I don’t care how much of a loss we take.” It seemed that in his heart, my mother’s life wasn’t even worth as much as Vanessa’s new apartment renovations. I looked straight ahead, expressionless. “Sell it if you want. I don’t care.” A flicker of unnoticed panic crossed Brandon’s eyes. He started to say something but swallowed his words. I turned and walked a few steps, then my wrist was suddenly caught by a warm grip. Brandon’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times before he spoke, his voice strained. “I…I’ll clear out my projects these next few days. I’ll make time this week, definitely, to go see your father.” “His greatest wish was to see us get married. We can discuss wedding details then.” I looked at his earnest face, remembering that during my mother’s hospitalization, he never visited once. Even when my mother briefly regained consciousness and wanted to see him. He was either busy helping Vanessa move or taking Vanessa’s dog to the vet. In the end, my mother died without ever seeing him again. Now he was acting as if he were bestowing a favor by offering to visit. It felt like swallowing a handful of broken glass, my throat aching with the shards. “No need.” I looked at him calmly. “It’s not necessary anymore.” With that, I walked away quickly, no longer looking at him. Back in my empty rental apartment, Aunt Clara called, saying a company in another city was interested in me, willing to offer three times my current salary to poach me. She asked if I was interested. I accepted without a second thought. There was nothing left in this city for me to cling to. The next day, I went to the company to submit my resignation. It happened to be the day the CEO invited everyone out for a dinner. During the meal, someone suggested playing “Truth or Dare.”
Vanessa was dared to kiss someone in the room. Her eyes darted towards me, then she raised her finger and pointed straight at Brandon. “Brandon it is then! It’s just a game, Scarlett, don’t mind it!” The private room instantly fell silent. Once, a girl had confessed her feelings to Brandon right in front of me. Brandon, unable to directly refuse, half-heartedly accepted her flowers. The next second, I snatched them and threw them into the trash. Anyone who knew me knew I wasn’t one to turn a blind eye to disrespect. If anyone dared to mess with my relationship, I wouldn’t hesitate to make a scene. Colleagues subtly glanced my way, waiting to see my reaction. But I simply picked up the water glass from the table, drained it, then clapped loudly. “Go for it! Go for it!” I cheered, laughing, “It’s just a game, don’t spoil the fun for everyone!” My colleagues stared at me, dumbfounded, as if they were seeing me for the first time. Brandon’s gaze shifted from tentative to utterly disbelieving. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but my clapping drowned him out. Vanessa clearly hadn’t expected this reaction from me. Her coy expression froze, then quickly recomposed itself. The next second, she stood on tiptoe and planted a deep kiss on Brandon’s lips. Brandon stiffly looked at me, his eyes filled with struggle and hesitation. A few seconds later, he wrapped his arm around Vanessa’s waist, responding to the kiss. Their movements became more intense, more intertwined. Cheers erupted around us. But my ears buzzed, and I couldn’t hear anything. I remembered a long time ago, a girl secretly kissed Brandon when he was drunk. When I found out, I cried all night, my eyes swollen like walnuts. That time, Brandon held me and comforted me for a whole day. He bought my favorite strawberry cake, knelt in front of me, and swore solemnly. “Baby, I know how particular you are about physical contact, I promise I’ll never touch another girl again.” Back then, his eyes were sincere, his tone firm, giving me a strong sense of security. But now, he was passionately kissing another woman right in front of me. All those promises, forgotten. I had already decided to let go, yet the pain still tore through me, sharp enough to reach the bone. Three minutes later, they pulled apart, faces flushed. Vanessa wiped her mouth and offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Sorry, Scarlett. It’s just a silly game. Don’t take it seriously, okay?” Her tone was humble, but her eyes held undeniable defiance. Brandon clutched at the hem of his shirt, his knuckles white, terrified I would flip the table and cause a scene like before. I put down my forks, picked up a tissue, and wiped my mouth, my voice calm, without a hint of emotion. “It’s fine, it’s just a game. Everyone, enjoy yourselves.” Then, I smiled gently. Brandon’s eyes instantly darkened. The previous tension vanished, replaced by an indescribable disappointment. He looked at me as if I were a stranger. After my resignation was processed. I packed my bags for the move south. I remembered a wooden rocking chair still at Brandon’s new place. It was a wedding gift my mother had spent three months making for me. Now, it was her only remaining possession, a memento she left me. I had to take it with me. When entering the code, I instinctively typed my birthday. It showed an error. Thinking I’d made a mistake, I tried again, but it still showed an error. I didn’t try a third time. I pressed my thumb to the scanner. Access denied. My fingerprint had been removed. As I fumbled for my phone to call Brandon, a date flashed into my mind: Vanessa’s birthday, from her file. I keyed in the numbers. The door clicked open. Inside, rose petals were scattered across the floor, forming a path that led straight to the bedroom. From within, I heard Vanessa’s muffled moans. There they were. Brandon on top of her, moving in the dim light. They froze the moment they saw me.
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