Chapter 3

I found a cardboard box and carefully placed all these items, remnants of my decade of quiet, self-sacrificing devotion, inside.

Finally, I struck a match and dropped it in.

The flames instantly leaped up, engulfing the yellowed papers and faded objects.

The firelight danced on my face as I watched, impassively, as ten years of our tangled history burned to ash.

My phone rang abruptly. It was an unknown number.

I casually answered. A commanding yet familiar voice came from the other end.

“Dean, you’ve graduated. It’s time to come home.”

It was my mother.

In my past life, to protect Cassandra’s pride, I had lied, telling her I was from a regular, middle-class family, just like her, needing to work hard to make my own way.

I rejected everything my mother had arranged, choosing instead to squeeze into a tiny, cramped apartment with Cassandra, eating the cheapest ramen, dreaming of our future.

But after she achieved success, she found me wasn’t sophisticated enough to match her new world, unable to further her burgeoning empire like someone from a wealthy background like Liam.

I clenched my phone, my throat thick with emotion. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

Silence stretched for a moment on the other end, followed by a sigh.

“Silly boy, what do you have to apologize for to family? Pack your bags. I’ll send the driver to pick you up.”

After hanging up, I looked out the window.

Dawn was breaking.

Meanwhile, Cassandra, in a corner of the graduation party, was deeply intoxicated.

The alcohol numbed her senses, yet my resolute face became clearer and clearer in her mind.

She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe that Dean, who loved her to the bone, would truly leave.

He must be throwing a tantrum, waiting for her to coax him back.

She fumbled for her phone, her blurry, alcohol-hazed eyes finding my familiar profile picture. She typed a message:

“Dean, I was wrong. Let’s talk.”

The next second, the red exclamation mark screamed at her, a brutal slap to the face.

Cassandra instantly sobered, a wave of unprecedented panic surging through her chest.

He… he really didn’t want her anymore?

A week later, I stood beneath the towering skyscraper of Victoria Corp., taking a deep breath.

This was a top-tier investment firm, a place I wouldn't have dared to dream of in my past life.

Because Cassandra had said she didn’t like driven, career-focused men; she preferred gentle, home-loving men.

So, I had given up the chance to enter a top investment firm and instead took an admin assistant job at a small company, just to have more time to cater to her every need.

Looking back now, it was utterly ridiculous.

The interview went smoothly. My professional capabilities and excellent academic record from university impressed the interviewers, who nodded frequently.

The final round was with the CEO herself.

As I pushed open the office door, I paused slightly at the sight of the woman seated behind the desk.

She wore a perfectly tailored black suit, exuding an air of cool sophistication and noble grace. With piercing, deep-set eyes and striking red lips, she was captivating.

She was looking down at my resume, her long, elegant fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

It was her, Victoria.

In my past life, I had met her once.

At Cassandra’s company IPO celebration, she had attended as the most important investor.

At that time, as Cassandra’s assistant, I could only stand in the most inconspicuous corner.

When Victoria came over to toast, Cassandra hadn’t even bothered to introduce me.

It was Victoria who had subtly raised her glass to me, saying in a calm voice, “Mr. Dean, you’ve worked hard.”

Just one sentence, but it was the only respect I received in that entire extravagant feast, which belonged solely to Cassandra.

I never thought that in this life, we would meet again in such a way.

Victoria lifted her eyes, her calm gaze resting on me, as if she didn't recognize me at all.