In the middle of the night, my sugar daddy called me to deliver ultrathin condoms. Staring at my rain-soaked clothes, the man's voice was husky. "Damn, who told you to be this obedient?" I handed the bag to Vincent, who was leaning against the door. "Here are the 0.01s you wanted." He reached out, his calloused thumb deliberately grazing my knuckles, his eyes brimming with a seductive smile. "She's not here yet. Why don't we use one first?" While I froze, he chuckled. "Just teasing." "I've arranged a blind date for you next Wednesday. You've been with me for so many years, I don't want to shortchange you." "Will you go?" 1 Vincent's tone was negotiable, but his eyes carried a casual oppressiveness. He didn't care about shortchanging me. He just wanted to dispose of me before his first love returned and discovered our relationship. My curled fingers tightened abruptly. I lifted my face, feigning calm. "Just send me the address." Noticing the formal "you" in my tone, he frowned almost imperceptibly, but only for a second. Rainwater dripped from my hair onto my collarbone, making me shiver. I spoke tremblingly, "It's late. I'll be going now." "Wait." Vincent went into the living room and came out with a Burberry shawl. He wrapped me up tightly, leaving only my misty eyes exposed. In my panic, I looked up to thank him but crashed into his suddenly darkened gaze. His thumb lingered on the shawl's collar, his Adam's apple bobbing. Suddenly, he said, "Don't leave tonight?" I froze, instinctively replying, "Isn't someone else coming..." He interrupted me, his knuckles pressing against my head, his tone wrapped in impatient heat. "You actually believed that?" "In your heart, am I just a promiscuous scumbag?" "All these years, besides you, who else have I had?" Vincent carried me to the bed. In the heat of passion, he leaned over and whispered in my ear. "This is the last time." "Evelyn is coming back." "I don't want her suspecting our relationship, so be a good girl and go on that blind date." He finally told the truth. I bit down hard on his shoulder in resentment. 2 Vincent's stamina was astonishing. The saying that men peak at twenty-five and decline by sixty didn't apply to him at all. It wasn't until the morning mist seeped through the curtains that he finally ended the battle and headed to the bathroom. As the sound of water started, I picked up my clothes and went to the guest room. This was our tacit understanding. Vincent was a light sleeper and disliked having anyone beside him. So, for five years, no matter how tired or sleepy I was, I would drag myself to the guest room. The next day, I woke up past nine. After washing up and rushing downstairs, I saw Vincent returning from his workout. He wore a white tank top, his shoulder and back muscles smooth and powerful. "I asked Mrs. Zhang to save breakfast for you." I waved my hand quickly. "I'm going to be late for work. I need to catch the subway." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Can't I just drive you?" Putting on my shoes at the entrance, I blurted out subconsciously. "No." "The promotion results are coming out today. If my colleagues see me getting out of the boss's car, I won't be able to explain it even with ten mouths." Vincent paused while unscrewing a water bottle. The air suddenly went silent. A moment later, he chuckled lightly. "Suit yourself." Before I left, Vincent called me back and handed me a business card. "Your blind date for next week." A buzz rang in my ears, dragging me back to reality. A night of intimacy almost made me forget. I agreed to deliver the condoms last night because I wanted to end this five-year illicit relationship. Afraid he thought I would still cling to him, I took the card, its sharp edges digging into my hand. My nose felt stuffy, and I gave a low hum. "I'll go." 3 Over the years, I stayed at Vincent's every weekend. At first, I brought bags full of clothes and skincare products. He found it troublesome, so he had a vanity installed for me. Before leaving that day, I took everything. Including the pink slippers I usually wore and the pajamas in the closet. While I did all this, Vincent leaned against the door, watching me silently, his eyes unreadable. Until I finished packing and said goodbye. "From now on, we're just boss and subordinate." Seeing through my worries, Vincent scoffed. "Relax, I won't make things hard for you at work." 5 I ran all the way and finally reached my desk before ten. My colleague, Sarah, treated me to a coffee, which was rare. "Wendy, congrats in advance. Don't forget our friendship when you become the department director." I smiled shyly. "The results aren't out yet." She scoffed. "Why be modest? Among the candidates, you have the longest tenure and the most completed projects." "Besides, everyone sees how hard you work." "You becoming director is what everyone expects." I stopped being modest and smiled at my colleagues. "If I succeed, I'll treat everyone to the most expensive Japanese food in the city!" Cheers erupted in the office. Three minutes to ten. I checked my email countless times. I even ran to the bathroom three times out of nervousness. Until the email opened, and the bold text jumped out. "We regret to inform you that your promotion application was unsuccessful..." Boom. My mind went blank. My team members crowded around. Seeing the result on the screen, the lively office fell silent. Until the HR Director walked in with someone, breaking the silence. "Let me introduce everyone. This is Evelyn Lin, a master's graduate from overseas, and the new Planning Director appointed by Mr. Sterling personally." The moment I looked up, my breath hitched— The girl wore a sharp white suit, her hair loosely tied back, her neck slender and fair. She looked exactly like the person in the photo I once saw in Vincent's wallet. 6 Like catching a severe cold, my nose was stuffy, and my mind was blank. I was pushed forward mechanically by a heavy force. The walk to Vincent's office wasn't long, but I couldn't stop wiping my tears. Many people looked at me, but I didn't care about embarrassment. I knocked on the door, and Vincent's usual cold voice came from inside. "Come in." I stood there with red eyes, tears falling as soon as I spoke. "Why?" He didn't look up, his fingers still scrolling through documents. "Why what?" I raised my voice, unable to suppress my grievance. "There are so many positions. Why must Evelyn take my promotion spot?" Vincent finally looked up, his tone flat as if discussing something trivial. "She wanted to go to the planning department." "Just because she wanted it, you can easily strip away my five years of hard work?" Did he not know? To ensure my promotion, I took an assignment in Africa that no one else wanted. I even contracted malaria and almost didn't make it back. Vincent stood up, walked to me, and looked down with cold eyes. "Wendy, this is reality." "Because I'm in this position, I decide everything." My voice trembled uncontrollably. "I just want fairness. Is that hard?" As if I touched a nerve, Vincent chuckled low. "Fairness?" "You're talking to me about fairness?" "Wendy, get this straight," he leaned in, his cool breath almost touching my face. "If you hadn't slept with me..." "With your mediocre degree from a state college, you wouldn't have even passed the initial screening for Sterling Corp." "Why don't you ask those Ivy League graduates who interviewed with you if they want fairness?" "You enjoyed the convenience power gave you without a word, and now you want fairness?" Vincent's words were like a slap in the face. My cheeks burned, and even breathing hurt. I suddenly understood. Despite working hard for five years to prove myself, never thinking of using my relationship with Vincent for convenience... I couldn't change the fact that I got into Sterling Corp because of him. I truly had no right to talk about fairness. So, I decided to resign.
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