Chapter 1

Sasha Barlow receives a call from Aidan Gallagher when she leaves the hospital after getting an abortion.

He says, "Get ready. Mr. Conley is coming tonight, so bring five bottles of whiskey and three bottles of red wine."

Sasha subconsciously clenches her hand around her phone. "Can I skip tonight?"

Aidan pauses. "I know you're angry about yesterday, Sasha. Natalie hit you yesterday, but I reprimanded you instead of helping.

"You need to remember that she's my girlfriend, though. She comes from a good family, and her parents have always treated her like a princess. She's bound to be a little willful and spoiled. You're older than her, so cut her some slack."

Chapter 1

Sasha Barlow had just finished her abortion surgery when she received a call from Aidan Gallagher.

"Get ready. Mr. Conley is coming tonight. Make sure to bring five bottles of whiskey and three bottles of red wine. Also, reach out to Mina and have her arrange for some pretty girls to be there."

Sasha tightened her grip on the phone instinctively. "If I arrange everything for you, can I not be there tonight?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Sasha, I know you're angry because I didn't help you out and instead scolded you when Natalie hit you yesterday.

"But you have to understand. Natalie is my girlfriend. She comes from a wealthy family and has been spoiled since she was young, so she's a bit indulged. You're older, so just put up with her a bit."

With that, Aidan hastily hung up.

As Sasha listened to the beeping sound on the other end, a bitter smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

Just then, her ride arrived. Sasha ignored the faint pain as she quickly covered her belly and got into the car.

As soon as she sat down, the driver couldn't help but glance at her a few times.

Sasha understood that gaze. She had always been stunning, often wearing dresses with deep V-necks and high slits.

In the past, whenever she entered a room full of men, flirtatious glances would naturally fall on her.

She used to see it as a tool for her job.

As long as it helped Aidan land a deal, she was willing to flirt a little.

But that all changed when she overheard a conversation between Aidan and his friends.

"When am I ever going to marry Sasha? She's just an expensive PR girl I hired. You don't seriously think we're in a relationship, do you?

"I may not be a big shot, but I have standards. A girl like Sasha, from a nightclub PR background, is fine to play around with, but I could never have real feelings for her. The woman I marry will be someone innocent, with a simple background."

That was when Sasha finally realized.

She had believed she and Aidan were in this together, sharing both the struggles and the successes.

But in Aidan's eyes, she was merely a tool to secure deals.

When Sasha got home, she didn't have time to wallow in her feelings. She quickly grabbed a black velvet hat from her closet and put it on.

Over the past few years, she had worked herself into health problems for Aidan, including gastric bleeding, fatty liver, and even mild anemia.

She wasn't about to catch postpartum sickness because of him.

But the next second, she received a message.

"Sasha, you were late eight times last month. According to company policy, your salary will be halved this month."

Sasha, who was initially numb, felt a surge of anger.

Her fixed salary was meant to be a show for her colleagues. She barely cared about it. What really mattered was the bonus Aidan sent her privately.

But Natalie Harrison's message was insulting.

Sasha took several deep breaths to calm the anger rising in her heart.

Before she could fully collect herself, another message from Natalie popped up.

"Why aren't you replying, Sasha? Don't forget. I'm not only the company's CFO, but I'm also Aidan's girlfriend, which means that I'm basically the boss.

"Don't think I don't know about the extra money Aidan gives you on the side. A woman like you, who's just going to stay in PR forever, doesn't deserve that kind of allowance."

Sasha sneered at Natalie's condescending tone.

This was the innocent woman with a good family Aidan had in mind.

Sasha was so fed up with Natalie that she decided to simply turn off her phone. She had never done that due to the nature of her work.

Chapter 2

When Sasha woke up again, the night had already settled in.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Aidan standing at the foot of her bed.

She jumped in shock. "What are you doing? You scared the life out of me."

With a loud snap, the lights in the room suddenly blazed on.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? I told you. Mr. Conley is coming tonight."

As Aidan spoke, he angrily yanked his tie off and kicked the foot of the bed.

Seeing the fury on his face, Sasha cautiously asked, "Did something go wrong tonight? That can't be. I arranged everything with Heidi. She's more than capable. There's no way anything went wrong."

She sat up quickly, reaching for her phone.

In the moment she was searching for it, Aidan's expression darkened even further.

"Did something go wrong? You have the nerve to ask me that? Do you have any idea that because of your tantrum and your refusal to show up, I've offended Mr. Conley tonight? He canceled the 20-million-dollar deal."

Sasha, who had found her phone, froze at his words.

In a panic, she dialed her assistant, Heidi Moore's number and rushed out of the room.

The moment the call connected, Heidi's angry voice exploded from the other end.

"OMG! Finally! You have no idea what a disaster tonight was. Mr. Gallagher tried to reach you all night. When he couldn't get through, Natalie insisted he take her to Mr. Conley's party.

"Fine, she can go, but she's such an idiot. Mr. Conley tries to toast her, and she refuses to drink. Then, when he talks to her, she just shuts up and doesn't say a word.

"Okay, she doesn't want to socialize. That's fine. But when Mr. Conley went to toast Mr. Gallagher, she grabbed his drink and took it away.

"And then, she had the nerve to say to Mr. Conley, 'Can you stop pressuring my boyfriend to drink? I hate filthy men like you who corrupt my boyfriend!'"

After a sigh, Heidi continued, "Mr. Conley's face darkened, but since Natalie's young, he let it slide. Finally, when the party ended, Natalie heard Mr. Conley mention going to the club, and she flipped out. She called him a shameless man and told him to get lost, saying he was ruining her boyfriend.

"Mr. Conley got furious and stood up like he was about to slap her. Mr. Gallagher didn't even try to calm him down. Instead, he jumped in and started fighting with him. Now, Mr. Conley's in the hospital, and our 20 million deal is completely dead."

Heidi's furious voice made Sasha's anger flare up.

The Brian Conley deal was one she and her team had worked hard on for six months. If they had closed it, their team would have earned millions in bonuses.

To have it all fall apart at the last moment was infuriating.

But before Sasha could catch her breath, Aidan's angry voice echoed from behind her.

"Now you finally know what happened. I'm giving you two days, Sasha. I don't care if you have to beg or spend a few days with Mr. Conley, but you're going to fix this deal."

Already upset, Sasha grew even more furious at his words.

"You ruined the deal with your 'heroic rescue,' so why should I clean up your mess?"

Aidan froze for a second.

"Why? Because I'm your boss, Sasha. Don't forget. If it weren't for me promoting you and bringing you into my company, you'd still be out there working in a club and flirting for tips."

Sasha's lips twisted into a bitter smile.

Aidan seemed to realize he'd gone too far with his words.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean it like that. Just forget what I said. I'm just panicking because we lost Mr. Conley's deal. You know how serious this is. I've already placed the orders with the factory. If Mr. Conley pulls out now, the whole company is screwed."

Aidan walked over and grabbed Sasha's hand.

"Sasha, I know you have connections. You need to figure something out. Whatever you do, you need to handle that shipment first."

Looking at Aidan's pleading face, Sasha finally agreed. However, it was not because of Aidan but because of the employees under her.

Even though she was planning to leave Aidan, the company, and the city in three days, she didn't want to leave them with a ticking time bomb.

Seeing Sasha agree, Aidan immediately rushed over to hug her tightly.

Feeling the warmth of his body through their clothes, Sasha shuddered slightly.

In the past, whenever Aidan landed a big deal, he'd come running to hug her excitedly, just like now.

"You're my lucky star, Sasha.

"How did I get so lucky to find someone like you, Sasha?

"You're never leaving me, Sasha, never."

Thinking back to those happy moments, Sasha instinctively wanted to hug him back. But before her hands could reach his back, Aidan's phone rang.

When he saw the word "babe" on the screen, he immediately pushed her away, as if he'd been struck by lightning.

Sasha, caught off guard, was pushed to the ground. Her back slammed hard against the floor. The sharp pain made her break out in cold sweat.

But Aidan didn't seem to notice the agony on her face. He hurriedly motioned for her to be quiet.

When the phone finally connected, Natalie's crying voice came through.

"I'm so sorry, Aidan. It's my fault. I lost control and messed up the deal with Mr. Conley. You know I'm not like Sasha. I have self-respect. I just can't bring myself to drink with men.

"Besides, you're my boyfriend, Aidan. When I heard you were going to that kind of place, I just got jealous."

Aidan didn't even glance at Sasha as he rushed to comfort Natalie.

"Don't say that, babe. This is not your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's Sasha. If she hadn't stood me up, you wouldn't have been stuck at the party with me. You're pure-hearted, and you're not used to this business stuff. It's normal for things to go wrong sometimes."

Listening to their affectionate words, Sasha stayed silent. She bit back the pain in her back as she struggled to get up from the floor. With a limp, she made her way back to her room.

But when she lay down under the blankets, the tears flowed freely, like a string of pearls falling from her eyes.

Aidan left about an hour later.

He glanced at her shaking figure hidden under the covers but didn't ask if she was okay. He only told her that she needed to handle the shipment, no matter what.

As Sasha watched his back fade away, her already red, swollen eyes filled with more tears.

Aidan's indifference to her had always been so obvious.

She'd just refused to see it for the past seven years.

Chapter 3

Sasha and Aidan had met at an upscale nightclub.

At that time, her mother, Ella Barlow, was battling uremia. She required dialysis every week and was in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

To make quick money, Sasha worked as a PR officer at the club, using her looks to interact with wealthy customers.

Aidan was like a desperate sycophant back then, flattering and serving a group of people. He poured drinks and lit cigarettes for them, hoping they would throw some business his way.

At first, Sasha and Aidan's relationship was nothing more than occasional greetings.

That changed one day when Sasha was set up by another PR officer at the club. She was tricked into serving a rich heir who had a disease.

In an attempt to make sure she got infected, the PR officer had even drugged her, knowing she never left the club with customers.

Just as she was about to be assaulted by the heir, Aidan came to her rescue.

On that day, Aidan lost a deal worth millions, and the heir crushed his hand as they fought.

Maybe it was from that moment on that Sasha had fallen for Aidan.

After that, whether out of gratitude for Aidan saving her or the lingering, subtle feelings that had taken root, she used her connections from the club and her position to help him close several big deals.

Aidan, sensing her abilities, hired her the following year. He brought her into his company as a PR manager.

From then on, they became the perfect team. He dealt with the socializing, and she handled the drinking duties. He brought in resources, and she secured deals with key decision-makers.

A year into her job at Aidan's company, the two of them ended up in bed together.

Sasha had always known that Aidan didn't truly care about her.

Even the first time they were intimate, Aidan made a crude remark. "By the way, where did you get that tightening procedure done? The results are impressive. Ladies from your club always know where to find the best places."

That was the first time she felt humiliated by Aidan.

In truth, that night with him was her first time.

She wanted to tell Aidan the truth, but she knew he wouldn't believe her. After all, he had seen her in so many compromising situations back at the club.

Even now, when she secured deals, she still had to play along with the clients.

But Aidan was the only one who had touched her body, and she had truly loved him to the core.

Love had never been fair. She knew that all too well.

Chapter 4

Sasha had promised Aidan to handle the shipment for the company, so despite the lingering effects of the abortion, she pushed herself to visit Brian in the hospital early the next morning.

As soon as she reached the door of his ward, a cup of water came flying toward her before she could step inside.

"Get out, you bitch! I'm telling you. Even if you beg me on your knees today, I won't give Ridgeco Corporation any more business!"

Sasha rubbed her forehead where the cup had struck.

Noticing there was no hope of reconciliation, she turned around and left.

When she arrived at the office, Heidi approached her. "Sasha, did you meet Mr. Conley? Did he hit you on the forehead?"

Sasha didn't respond to Heidi's question. Instead, she calmly instructed, "Bring me the shipment list from the factory and contact all the business teams for a meeting at 10:00 am. We probably can't smooth things over with Mr. Conley for now, so let's focus on finding other distributors for the factory's goods."

As she spoke, she walked toward her office.

As soon as she entered the office and shut the door, Natalie walked in without even knocking.

She shot Sasha a disdainful look before placing a fine in front of her.

"Please sign this penalty notice, Ms. Barlow. Aidan said you abandoned your post yesterday, which caused the company huge losses. You'll be docked a quarter of your bonus as punishment."

Before Sasha could respond, Heidi, standing beside her, snapped.

"Why should Sasha take the blame for your mess? If you'd kept your mouth shut last night, Mr. Conley wouldn't have been angry!"

Natalie sneered at Heidi's words and mocked, "You think I'm as shameless as you? You still smiled at Mr. Conley when he touched your leg. Let me tell you. I'm a respectable person, not like you, who will do anything to land a deal.

"Also, I'm Aidan's girlfriend. I'm basically the boss. You work for Aidan, so you better do whatever I tell you."

Heidi turned red with anger.

Meanwhile, Sasha's lips curved into a faint smile.

When Natalie had first come to the company, Sasha had no idea she was Aidan's girlfriend. Back then, she'd thought Natalie was just an ordinary intern.

Once, Natalie accidentally sent everyone's salary details to the company group, so Sasha called her into her office.

She'd just planned to lecture her a little, but before she could get a word in, Natalie had snapped back, "Who are you to lecture me? Don't think I don't know. You only got to where you are by seducing Aidan.

"Listen carefully. Aidan's mine. He's been in love with me for ten years. All this time, he's only been with you because he wasn't good enough to marry me yet. If you had any sense, you'd leave the company now."

It was then that she learned Natalie was Aidan's first love, the one he had been harboring feelings for all these years. He was working hard to make enough money to eventually marry her.

At that time, Sasha still had expectations for Aidan. Filled with an overwhelming sense of jealousy, she immediately went to HR, wanting to get Natalie fired.

But just as she had spoken to HR, Aidan came in right after.

"Are you bullying Natalie because she's my girlfriend? Sasha, this is not a place for your jealousy. If you intentionally make things difficult for Natalie again, I'll have you kicked out of the company.

"And remember your place. All these years, I've only seen you as a bed partner, an employee, and a subordinate. I've never liked you, and I never thought of having any feelings for you. The only person I've ever loved is Natalie."

Sasha finally realized how naive she was.

She remembered overhearing Aidan and his friends speaking about her with disgust, but she hadn't given up on her feelings for him.

She remembered the countless times Aidan had hinted that she needed to please their clients, but she still had done as he wished.

She'd always known Aidan loved someone else and couldn't give her the love she wanted, but he shouldn't have broken the one principle she had clung to.

Because long ago, she had told Aidan that he didn't have to love her, but if he found another girlfriend, he had to let her leave with dignity.

This was because Sasha had grown up as the daughter of a mistress.

The one thing she loathed more than anything else in the world was being called a mistress.

This insistence might seem laughable for someone like her, who had been through countless experiences with men. It was just like how she had once refused to sleep with anyone at the club.

In the seven years she fought alongside Aidan, she had been flirtatious and touched the line with clients, but she had never crossed that line.

Yet now, Aidan had forgotten her principle.

The day Aidan declared Natalie his first love, Sasha had steeled herself, still hoping against hope, and looked into his eyes.

"What if I told you I'm pregnant with your child?"

Aidan paused for two seconds and replied, "If you're pregnant, keep it. I'll give you money, even raise it, but I won't marry you."

After receiving the answer she had expected, Sasha accepted it calmly.

That day, without even taking a leave, she grabbed her handbag and walked out of the company.

Her heart ached terribly, but she endured the pain and went straight to the hospital to terminate the pregnancy.

As she thought about the lost child, her hand instinctively rested on her abdomen, and a sharp pain echoed in her heart.

Standing up, Sasha took a pen and signed the penalty notice.

Heidi was immediately frantic. "Why are you signing this, Sasha? Why should you?"

Why? Because her place had never been rightful.

Because after seven years, she hadn't been able to make Aidan forget Natalie.

Chapter 5

Aside from helping Aidan find new distributors for the factory's goods, Sasha had begun passing her workload onto Heidi.

Leaving was a decision she made after she had the abortion and left the hospital.

For seven years, she had sacrificed too much and endured too much hurt in the name of love for Aidan.

Aidan thought she was invincible. Little did he know, behind the flirtations with clients and socializing at the negotiation table, she was swallowing handfuls of sleeping pills and frantically washing her body with cold water.

She had used these seven years to repay the favor Aidan did for her back at the club.

After the fifth time she rejected Aidan's invitation to meet with new clients, Aidan finally realized something was wrong and showed up at her house.

At that moment, she was packing her things.

When she saw Aidan, she didn't approach him and hug him like she always had.

Aidan had been single back then. Even though she knew he didn't love her, as long as he was still infatuated with her body, she would present herself in various seductive poses for him.

At least, that was a form of love.

But now that Aidan had found his first love, it was time for her and him to sever all ties.

But when Aidan showed up at her door, he seemed frustrated.

Ever since he had scolded Sasha in front of everyone for Natalie, Sasha had become a completely different person.

Aidan felt like he hadn't done anything wrong.

Natalie was the woman he had loved for ten years. She was pure-hearted and from a good family background. Natalie clearly instigated the confrontation with Sasha that day.

Aidan had scolded her in front of everyone just to set her straight and remind her of her place.

After all, no matter how many times he and Sasha had slept together, Natalie would always be his future wife.

But since that day, things had changed.

No one had bought him breakfast, and no one had ordered his lunch. Even at the dinner table, no one would drink on his behalf anymore.

Aidan really couldn't get used to it.

Especially now, he had to humble himself to try to coax Sasha. But Sasha was solely focused on packing her things.

Trying to change the subject, Aidan casually loosened his tie and moved closer to her with a smirk.

"Come on. Let me kiss you. I haven't been intimate with you in ages. I've been hanging out with Natalie all day, watching movies and going shopping. I've been going crazy!"

He grabbed Sasha's chin, about to kiss her.

In the past, without Natalie in the picture, Sasha would have eagerly met his lips. But now, she just coldly turned to the side.

"Aidan, so you can respect Natalie and not touch her for three months of dating, but I'm just so cheap that you think you can have me whenever you want?"

Aidan's kiss fell into thin air, but he wasn't angry.

He stood up, began unbuttoning his shirt, and casually said, "How could you compare to Natalie? She's from a respectable family. Her parents are teachers. Sure, she's a little spoiled, but which young lady isn't?

"Unlike you, the first time we did it, you were already experienced. Since we've gone through it, why stop now?"

Sasha felt like her heart had been pierced a thousand times.

Of course, how could she compare to Natalie?

Since she and Aidan had gotten together, he had never given her any respect.

For years, whenever he wanted her, he would force himself on her, even in the car or with the driver present.

Even in the office, he would make his move if no one was around.

Sasha suppressed the pain in her heart and looked at him seriously for the first time. "That was my first time, Aidan."

To her surprise, Aidan burst out laughing.

"Well, it really did feel like your first time. By the way, where did you get it fixed? You should go for a few more sessions. I'll cover the cost for you."

As Sasha looked at the sneer on Aidan's face, she couldn't help but show her own mocking smile. "I don't need your reimbursement. After all, you won't be the one to enjoy it anymore."

Chapter 6

Aidan laughed out of anger at Sasha's words.

In the past, she had been throwing herself at him. But now, she was acting like a virtuous woman.

He threw off his shirt and lunged toward Sasha.

"Come on. Stop pretending. No matter how angry you are, I'll take care of it in bed."

As he said that, he grinned like a beast in heat and went for her lips.

Feeling the stickiness on her cheek, Sasha struggled to hold back her tears. Like a waterfall finally breaking, they couldn't be stopped and slid down her face.

"Aidan, if you don't want me to hate you, get off me and leave my house."

Aidan froze for a moment.

He had known Sasha for seven years, ever since she worked at the club. But in all this time, he had never seen her cry—not even two years ago when Ella passed away, and Aidan helped her with the funeral.

But now, Sasha was crying.

For reasons he couldn't explain, seeing the tears on her face caused a sharp pain to surge in his heart. He even found himself wanting to wipe them away.

Realizing how strange he felt, Aidan hastily dressed and left without even buttoning his shirt properly.

He muttered, "Since you're in a bad mood, I'll leave for now."

With that, he rushed out of her apartment like a coward.

Once he was downstairs, he shakily took out a lighter and lit a cigarette. As he watched the glowing ember in the night, a bitter smile curled on his lips.

He had actually thought that he had developed feelings for Sasha.

How could that even be possible?

Forget about her wild days at the club. Even now, she would easily drop her pride in front of clients and flirt with them just for the sake of a business deal.

There was no way he could ever fall for someone like her.

He could sleep with Sasha, but there was no way he would ever have feelings for her.

Shaking off the strange thoughts, he pulled out his phone and called Natalie.

"Hey babe, are you asleep? I miss you so much."

Chapter 7

After Aidan left that day, he didn't contact Sasha again.

Sasha could more or less guess what Aidan was thinking. He was waiting for her to appease him.

In the past, she loved Aidan, so he always put him first.

She had used every skill she learned at the club to seduce a man to win Aidan over.

She had provided him with emotional support and meticulously managed everything in his life. She had truly poured all her effort into loving him, like a moth drawn to a flame.

Just as Sasha thought she would leave during the silent treatment with Aidan, she received a call from him that very night.

He asked her to meet at the club, saying there was something important to discuss.

Sasha hesitated for a long time, torn between going and not going. In the end, her emotions won over her reason.

After seven years of loving him, she wanted to say a proper goodbye.

She even thought she might ask him, just once, whether there was ever a moment in those seven years when he truly loved her.

But when she arrived at the club and pushed open the door to the private room, she found not only Aidan but also Brian and Natalie inside.

Upon seeing her, Aidan immediately called out, "Sasha, come sit next to Mr. Conley."

Sasha frowned at once. Though she was unsure of what Aidan and Natalie were up to, she still sat beside Brian out of professional duty.

As soon as she sat down, Natalie started to flatter Brian with a drink. "Let me toast to you, Mr. Conley. I'm sorry for my rude behavior the other day. Please forgive me."

Once she finished speaking, Aidan raised his own glass.

"Mr. Conley, as the saying goes, 'You should never insult your friend's wife.' Although we're friends, Natalie is my future wife. When I saw her being disrespected, I lost my temper. Please forgive me."

Brian listened to their words. His face was still a mask, but his previously rigid demeanor had clearly softened.

He clinked his glass with Aidan's and casually drank it.

Then, he coldly said, "I can forgive you, but Mr. Gallagher, don't forget what you promised me."

Aidan immediately assured him, "I won't forget, of course."

He then turned to Sasha and said, "Sasha, what are you sitting there for? Hurry up and toast to Mr. Conley."

Sasha was puzzled. She remembered calling Brian just the day before, and he had been tough and unyielding.

Yet, in just one day, his attitude had completely changed.

What had Aidan done during this time?

Before she could think it through, she felt Brian's hand firmly grip her thigh. The sticky sensation made Sasha frown.

But still, she smiled politely and stood up. "Sorry, Mr. Conley, I need to use the restroom."

Sasha had been in the PR business for years, and she had been harassed many times.

She had her own ways of handling these situations, ensuring that the other person didn't take advantage while keeping the peace.

Although it was sad that she couldn't say goodbye to Aidan, she heard his solemn vow to Natalie.

She stayed in the restroom for ten minutes before returning to the private room.

As she reached the door, preparing to enter, she overheard their conversation.

Natalie's voice came through first. "Mr. Conley, I know you've liked Ms. Barlow for a long time. But because she's always been so indifferent, you've never had your wish fulfilled.

"So, to make up for that, I've brought Sasha here for you. Don't worry. Ms. Barlow is very skilled. I'm sure you'll be satisfied tonight."

Brian, hearing Natalie's words, immediately became excited. However, he still shot a pointed look at Aidan.

"Mr. Gallagher, your future wife is really a great help. It shouldn't be a problem if I have Ms. Barlow accompany me tonight, right?"

Aidan smiled and replied, "Oh, come on, Mr. Conley. Sasha has been interested in you for a long time. Otherwise, why would she keep calling you? Don't worry. It's not just tonight. I'll make sure she's available whenever you need her."

Sasha was finally able to fully understand what total disappointment felt like.

She never expected Aidan would ask her to accompany Brian to bed.

How laughable and disgusting.

It made her realize just how degrading her seven years with Aidan had been, to the point where he thought it was okay to give her away to other men without even asking for her consent.

Sasha had never felt this angry before.

After taking a deep breath, she walked into the room, coldly grabbing her bag and preparing to leave.

Seeing her action, Aidan immediately grabbed her arm. "What are you doing, Sasha? Don't you see Mr. Conley is still here?"

Sasha could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes. She turned back and hit Aidan's face with a sharp slap.

"I loved you, Aidan, but I am not an object you can command. I don't love you to the point where I'll allow you and your future wife to sell me out just to seal a deal."

Aidan was stunned by the slap.

What was going on with Sasha? In the past, she would do anything for business, but now she was acting so high and mighty.

Natalie had worked hard to convince Brian to continue working with Ridgeco Corporation, and Sasha had to do nothing except lie down to secure a 20-million-dollar deal.

What could she possibly have to object to?

As he thought about it, Aidan's face turned red with anger.

"Sasha, there's a limit to how much you can be jealous. Don't challenge my bottom line. Pick up that drink and apologize to Mr. Conley right now. This is an order."

Aidan had the nerve to still talk about jealousy.

With a mix of despair and rage, Sasha trembled as she forcefully pulled her hand away from Aidan's grasp.

"You know what, Aidan? I've never hated myself more than I do right now. Every time I think about the seven years I spent with you, trying to please those clients, enduring their harassment, and bargaining with them, I feel so sick that I want to throw up.

"Thank you for finally making me realize that my love for you these seven years was nothing but a joke."

With that, Sasha turned around and stormed out of the room.

As she left, Aidan stood there watching her retreating figure, and a wave of indescribable heartache surged through him.

He had a vague feeling that if he let Sasha leave tonight, he would lose her forever.

But before he could sort through his jumbled emotions, Brian slammed his hand on the table in anger.

"Are you enjoying playing with me, Aidan Gallagher? Does it make you proud to have me watch you take the lead in a love triangle? Let me make one thing clear. Don't even think about getting another deal from me."

The furious Brian turned and left the room.

Aidan couldn't care less about Sasha's departure now. He rushed after Brian.

Meanwhile, Sasha headed straight for the airport as soon as she left the club.

Chapter 8

Sasha was heading to Ella's hometown.

Before Ella passed away, her biggest wish had been to return to her hometown.

Back then, Sasha had been too busy with work. Besides, her hometown had brought her too much pain, so she'd kept putting off bringing Ella's ashes back.

Even though she forced herself to hold back her emotions, when the cold air hit her face, all the sharp, painful memories locked deep in her mind rushed back, slamming into her.

Ella had been the other woman. After Sasha was born, Ella had been exposed by Priscilla Berg, the wife of the man she was involved with.

In retaliation, Priscilla didn't just spread Ella's photo around town. Every time Ella tried to find a job, Priscilla and her people would show up and cause a scene—smashing things, tearing off her clothes, and doing whatever they could to humiliate her.

Throughout Sasha's childhood, the only images she had were of Ella covering her body in public or begging Priscilla on her knees.

Ella, unable to keep any job due to the constant disruptions, had no choice but to take Sasha with her to scavenge through trash bins and live under a bridge.

Even when the neighborhood committee helped Sasha get into school, Priscilla didn't leave them alone.

She put up banners in front of Sasha's school, handed out Ella's photos to the other students' parents, and accused her of being a morally corrupt mistress.

She called Sasha an "illegitimate child" who didn't deserve an education in front of everyone.

Even though Sasha was just a little girl at the time, she could feel the sting of the mocking and pitying glances from everyone around her.

Finally, after all the torment, Ella couldn't take it anymore. She took Sasha up to the 20th floor of a building.

Sasha could never forget the dizziness she felt standing on that wind-blown rooftop and Ella's tear-streaked face, which was full of despair.

"I'm so sorry, Sasha. I made you go through all this pain. But don't worry. I'll set us free now. If we jump from here, we won't be in pain anymore. We'll finally be free."

Saying that, Ella grabbed Sasha and tried to drag her to the edge.

Sasha was in so much pain, but she still wanted to live. She dropped to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Mom, please… Please don't take me with you. I want to live. I want to stay alive, even if this life is all I have left. Let's get out of here. Let's go somewhere far away and hide for the rest of our lives. Please."

Sasha slammed her forehead hard against the rough concrete ground.

The sound of her head hitting the ground echoed in the quiet, like a death knell.

She almost felt like she'd crack her skull open. Only when she thought she was about to break did Ella crawl over and pull her into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Sasha. We won't die. We won't die."

Cradled in Ella's arms, Sasha smelled the rusty scent of the blood oozing from her forehead.

And that was the first time she understood what it meant to hate.

She couldn't hate Ella, who gave birth to her and raised her, but she hated the man who got Ella pregnant and Priscilla, who pushed them to the brink of destruction.

Maybe the pain of the past was just too much to bear. After Sasha left the airport, she smoked three cigarettes to calm the suffocating weight in her heart.

Then, she drove to her uncle Arthur Barlow's eatery.

The moment she walked in, Arthur looked at her with a face full of disgust.

"Sasha, do you know that I can never show my face around here because of your mom? And now you have the nerve to come back?"

Sasha didn't respond to him. Instead, she calmly pulled an envelope from her purse. "Here's 50 thousand dollars. Bury my mom's ashes in the Barlow family's ancestral grave."

Arthur's face, which had been full of disdain, immediately shifted to a false smile.

"You should've said you had money sooner. It's just an urn. I'll take care of it right away. Don't worry. I'll make sure to find her a good burial site.

"How about next to your grandma's grave? She loved Ella the most, even mentioning before she passed that she wished Ella could come to visit her."

Sasha didn't want to listen to Arthur's rambling. She coldly left her phone number and walked out of the restaurant.

Once outside, seeing the snow falling softly from the sky, Sasha couldn't resist pulling out a cigarette and placing it between her lips.

As she watched the smoke twist and dance in the cold air, her eyes finally filled with tears.

She exhaled a puff of smoke before choking out, "I've finally brought you home, Mom."