Chapter 1

After landing a huge project for the company, I received a ring from my boyfriend.

Excited, I posted it on Ins, thinking he was finally going to make our relationship official.

But then, his newly hired assistant slapped me, sending my workstation crashing down.

"You're a director, for crying out loud! Stealing a gift my husband gave me? Have some shame!"

My boyfriend didn't just stand there; he agreed, saying I was unworthy of the position.

Right there, in front of everyone, he announced that his assistant would take over the big project I'd just secured.

That's when it hit me. He wasn't going to make us official. It was her.

Suddenly, everyone in the office was holding up their phones, enjoying the drama.

But I wasn't angry. Instead, I just smiled, pushing my ID badge into the assistant's hands.

"Oh, so you're the CEO's secret weapon, his capable lady? Consider this director position my apology gift. May you two live a long, happy life together."

My colleagues stared, shocked by my bizarre behavior. Liam, my closest co-worker, grabbed my arm, whispering, "Don't be impulsive, Harper. A lost project is just a lost project; we can land another."

But he didn't know the full story. I wasn't being impulsive at all.

Yesterday, walking past Julian's office, I'd overheard his assistant, Chloe, clinging to him.

"Julian, I want to make something of myself. Give me this new project you've landed. I promise I'll do a great job and make you proud."

Back then, I just brushed it off.

Julian and I had been in a secret relationship for seven years. I'd turned down offers from big corporations to help him build this company from the ground up.

I'd secured ninety percent of all the company's projects. He knew better than anyone how tough the journey had been, and he was always so principled. There was no way he'd ever mess with something as important as a project.

Plus, he absolutely despised opportunists, having had a project stolen from him by a suck-up once before.

So, when I saw the ring Julian gave me today, I thought he'd finally realized I was the best for him, that he was ready to settle down and marry me.

I never expected Chloe to twist the narrative, painting me as a thief and completely humiliating me.

And I certainly didn't expect Julian to abandon all his principles for Chloe, who'd only been working here for a few months.

If that's how it was, there was nothing left for me in this dump of a company.

Julian still had no idea I'd seen through their childish little scheme. He probably thought I was just jealous.

He frowned at me. "What's with the snarky comments?"

Ever since Chloe showed up, he'd looked at me with this strange prejudice.

This time, I didn't waste my breath. I simply said, "Don't overthink it, Julian. I really did give it to her."

Both him, and the job. I gave them both to her.

I wasn't planning on sticking around, but just as I was about to leave, Julian, his face cold, dragged me into his office.

The office wasn't big, and the walls weren't soundproof.

The moment he closed the door, the employees outside, eager for more drama, started buttering up Chloe, chatting excitedly about when she and Julian would get married and have kids.

Chloe, feigning shyness, replied, "That depends on Julian. He hasn't officially proposed yet."

She was playing the part of his official girlfriend perfectly, and with Julian's silent approval, everyone believed her.

Julian, hearing this, paused mid-pour with a glass of water. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He usually acted so dominant, but now, he softened his tone, a rare occurrence, and tried to explain.

"Chloe's just a kid; she doesn't know any better. She probably said that just for fun. Don't take it to heart."

"She has relatives at the client company. We wouldn't have landed this project if it weren't for her."

I shot him a withering look. Unbelievable!

Thunder Corporation, our client, had a professional tech department. They didn't need outsourcing, which was why they'd initially rejected our collaboration.

It was me who wouldn't give up. I begged and pleaded, sending thoughtful gifts, just to get a meeting with their representative.

He generously gave me thirty seconds, and I seized that opportunity to pitch our product.

Seeing my expertise, he tried to poach me with a high salary. When that didn't work, he finally agreed to work with us.

I'd pulled all-nighters, traveled everywhere for this project, and he saw none of it. Chloe made one casual remark, and he believed her.

If he'd used even a tiny bit of common sense, he'd realize that if Chloe truly had such powerful connections, she wouldn't be working as an assistant in this small, struggling company.

Or maybe he knew all along and was just pretending to be naive.

Seeing my prolonged silence, Julian looked down for a moment, then stood up to make me a cup of coffee. He leaned close to my ear, whispering, "It's all an act with her. You're the only one I'll ever marry."

In the past, whenever we fought, his soft voice and promises would always make me forgive him, no matter what.

So, he probably thought it would be the same this time. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Just go back to work. I've got the project covered."

But what he didn't know was, I didn't want him anymore.

I scraped my chair back and stood up. "No need to go through all that trouble. I'm leaving."

With that, I pulled out a resignation form, filled it out quickly, and without a moment's hesitation, turned and walked out of the office.