Chapter 2

"Valerie, you think just handing over the project makes everything go away? Not a chance!"

"According to company policy, you must forfeit your year-end bonus and bear the corresponding financial responsibility!"

After turning the tables on me, Chloe still wasn't satisfied. She was determined to step on me to recover the face she'd lost at the meeting.

Everyone knew the truth, but they didn't dare take sides. All eyes fell on Xavier.

Seeing I wouldn't admit fault, Chloe raised an eyebrow and smirked:

"What? You're mediocre to begin with—can't handle people saying it?"

I turned and glanced at Xavier.

We'd been married for ten years, but he'd always refused to make our relationship public.

This time, he'd given this important project to Chloe to build her credentials. Who knew she'd oversleep and leave the client waiting in the cold wind for four hours? The client had stormed off in anger.

But this project was crucial to the company's IPO. We couldn't afford any mistakes.

So Xavier came to negotiate with me. If I could salvage the deal and bring the client back, he'd publicly acknowledge our relationship at the meeting.

I was thrilled. I worked my heart out to make amends and finally regained the client's trust.

Today, I thought Xavier would keep his promise. I'd even bought a new dress for the occasion and tucked a watch I'd saved half a year's salary to buy into my pocket for him.

But I never imagined Xavier would go back on his word and allow Chloe to twist the facts, steal my credit, and take my project.

Seeing me look at Xavier, Chloe bit her lip with an aggrieved expression:

"What are you staring at? If Xavier didn't respect your seniority, he would've fired you ages ago!"

Xavier glanced at me apologetically, then responded sternly:

"We'll skip the financial responsibility, but your entire year-end bonus is forfeit. Valerie, be more careful next time. Don't make such amateur mistakes again."

He seemed to be protecting me, but he was actually pinning this dirty label firmly on my head.

Well, of course—he was the boss. Without his tacit approval, how would Chloe, a newcomer, dare to challenge me?

Listening to my colleagues' gleeful mockery around me, I didn't get angry. Instead, I smiled and took off my employee badge on the spot:

"No need for all that trouble. I quit right now."

Xavier looked at me with displeasure:

"Stop being ridiculous! If you quit, what happens to all your projects?"

I shrugged calmly:

"Chloe is so talented—I'm sure she'll do better than me."

At those words, everyone's expressions changed.

They all knew the company had gotten where it was today entirely because of me alone.

If I left, all my projects would fall apart, and they wouldn't be able to collect their commissions anymore.

Colleagues who'd sided with Chloe earlier now rushed to persuade me:

"Valerie, Xavier was just joking. The company can't function without you."

Chloe, seeing the spotlight stolen from her, snapped at me irritably:

"Valerie, do you have to drag everyone down and prevent them from meeting their targets? Don't be so selfish!"

Xavier frowned, about to stop Chloe from continuing.

But suddenly Chloe clutched her chest and crouched down, her face pale:

"Xavier, Valerie's making my chest hurt. Quick, call an ambulance..."

Xavier panicked immediately:

"Valerie, are you a block of wood? Hurry up and help!"

I glanced over. Chloe's face was rosy, and she kept blinking at me provocatively. She was obviously faking it again.

Xavier didn't notice. He called everyone to help Chloe into the car.

I turned to leave, but Xavier, despite being so busy, called out to me:

"You made Chloe sick—where do you think you're going? Get in the car right now and come with me to take her to the hospital."

I didn't want to go, but I also didn't want Chloe to extort money from me afterward, so I got in the car.

In the back seat, Chloe leaned on Xavier's shoulder, whimpering softly about her pain:

"Xavier, Valerie's going to be the death of me..."

Xavier's heart ached terribly. He scolded me irritably:

"Don't you know she has heart problems? Can't you just speak nicely to her?"

Seeing him like this, I was long used to it.

I'd fought with Xavier, argued with him, even thrown things because of Chloe.

But no matter what I did, I couldn't change the fact that Xavier was biased toward her.

Even this time, it was clearly Chloe who'd stolen my credit and project, who'd mocked me in front of everyone.

I just didn't want to be exploited anymore and chose to resign, but he thought I was causing trouble.

If it were my old temperament, I would've already gotten into an argument with him.

But ever since Chloe appeared this past year, she'd stolen Xavier's attention, stolen my project commissions, and now even my reputation.

I wondered if in a few days, she'd even come for my position as his wife.

Life had become like this. I was truly exhausted.

I nodded and replied perfunctorily:

"Mm-hmm. Won't happen again."

Because there wouldn't be a next time for us.

Xavier looked at me in surprise, satisfied with my compromise. He rarely explained:

"I know you're not bad-hearted. You just have a sharp tongue."

"Chloe has a bad heart. I'm worried about her getting upset, so I go along with her."

"Besides, she's your... protégé. Don't you want to see her go far?"

That's right!

Chloe was a financially struggling student I'd personally sponsored. I paid for her college education and her medical bills.

When she couldn't find work after graduation, I arranged for her to work as an assistant.

But she wasn't satisfied being a small-time assistant for life and begged me to teach her.

I squeezed out three hours of rest time every day to teach her hands-on.

I knew she had heart problems, so I asked Xavier to take extra care of her.

But I never expected Xavier to take such good care of her—too good, in fact.

That day, I went to discuss work with Xavier, only to find the two of them sharing a dessert in his office.

Seeing that scene, I was instantly furious and rushed over to confront them.

That was the first time Chloe faked being sick, and the first time in all our married years that Xavier gave me the cold shoulder in front of others.

He anxiously took Chloe to the hospital and stayed by her side to care for her.

Watching my own husband tenderly care for someone else made me feel awful.

In ten years of marriage, he'd never taken care of me like that.

Once, when I had acute gastroenteritis and was in terrible pain, I begged him to take me to the hospital. He just tossed me a box of medicine with an icy tone:

"If you want to slack off, just say so. Stop faking it. I hate people who fake being sick!"

Later, I called a car myself and checked into the hospital. Even after learning about my condition, he was still disdainful:

"It's just gastroenteritis. Everyone gets it. Stop acting like you have a terminal illness, okay?"

I thought he just had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, but he really never came to the hospital to see me. Not once.

I used to think he was just that kind of cold, heartless man.

But when I turned around, I saw Xavier—who had severe germaphobia—using his pristine white sleeve to wipe Chloe's sweat.

He urgently pressed the driver to go faster, as if Chloe were his wife.

I smiled bitterly, and the obsession in my heart dissipated in that moment.

Actually, I should've understood long ago. All his behavior told me he truly cherished Chloe. Very, very much.

And I was just a passerby in his life.

I quietly sent my former classmate a message, telling him I'd been kicked out of the project.

He sent back a shocked emoji:

"Valerie, come work with me."

I'd refused him countless times before. This time, I replied with a single word: "Okay."

To be with Xavier, I'd given up my own future.

It wasn't too late to turn back now. I needed to take a chance for myself.

The rest of the ride passed in silence. We took Chloe to the hospital. Her condition was fine.

Getting the news, I turned to leave.

Xavier breathed a sigh of relief:

"Valerie, wait. I'll go home with you."

He was about to reach for my hand when Chloe started faking illness again, clutching her chest and crying out in pain.

Xavier sighed and transferred me five hundred dollars as compensation:

"You go home first. After the project succeeds, I'll give you the rest of the commission."

"Once the company goes public, you can stay home and do whatever you want. I won't go back on what I promised you."

I responded vaguely with an "mm-hmm."

I turned and left, not accepting his money.

I didn't plan to continue this relationship with him.

My former classmate was preparing materials to sue him.

Not only would the contract be terminated, but he'd also face enormous compensation penalties.