It was the tenth year of our relationship. I accidentally answered his phone. "Julian, our furball just had a litter of kittens." It was a gentle, sweet female voice. The caller ID read: [Little Kitten]. "He's in the shower. Call back later," I said, my voice ice cold, before hanging up. That night, Julian went crazy, snatching his scattered clothes off the floor, throwing them on, and rushing out the door. And I? I smashed our "home" to pieces, erasing every single trace of myself. Then, I boarded a flight out of the country. Three years later, Julian cornered me on a resort island. He stared intensely at the little toddler standing next to me, who bore a striking resemblance to him. With bloodshot eyes, he demanded: "Is he mine?" 01 Julian was relentlessly energetic, and I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. His phone, resting on the nightstand, wouldn't stop buzzing. Half-asleep, I reached over and hit accept. "Julian! Our furball just had a litter of kittens!" It was a gentle, adorable female voice, but the words made my head explode. All my sleepiness vanished instantly. I glanced at the screen. The caller ID was "Little Kitten." "Julian?" the voice on the other end called out again. I took a quiet breath, forcing my tone to remain completely flat. "He's in the shower. Call back later." There was a pause on the other end, and then the line went dead. When Julian stepped out of the bathroom, he only had a towel wrapped around his waist. Un-dried beads of water traced the lines of his muscles, soaking into the terrycloth. Across his back were a few fresh scratch marks—my handiwork. "Why don't you sleep a little longer?" His gaze fixed on my collarbone, which was dotted with red marks, and his eyes darkened. As he leaned in to kiss me, I handed him the phone. He frowned in annoyance, snatched the phone, and tossed it carelessly aside. He pinned my wrists down, his breath trailing over my skin. "Little Kitten," I said. The man burying his face in my neck froze. "She called you. She said your furball had kittens." Julian was instantly wide awake. Like a madman, he scrambled to grab his clothes scattered around the bed, threw them on haphazardly, and sprinted out the door. I was left alone in the "home" we had decorated together. Watching him run towards another girl. 02 The girl was a blind date arranged by his family. They had started talking three months ago. It took them less than a month to go from meeting to officially dating, and they even adopted a stray cat together. She shared pictures of her food, her music, even a perfectly ordinary cloud in the sky with him. He replied to every single message. He would snap a picture of the dinner I had cooked, crop me out of the frame, and send it to her. Meanwhile, my chat history with Julian was nothing but work, work, and more work. It was only in the middle of the night, wrapped in the sheets, that he would whisper "wifey" in my ear. It was just a dirty word to him, something to spice things up. But I had cherished it, holding it close to my heart for ten long years. I laughed. I reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out Julian's pack of cigarettes. I hadn't smoked in a long time, and the first drag made me choke. I coughed until tears streamed down my face. My coworker, Chloe, sent me a text: "Avery, did you know Mr. Vance is dating someone?" In front of everyone at the office, Julian and I kept things strictly professional. We even argued frequently over differing opinions. No one could ever imagine the scenario of Julian pulling me onto his lap and teasing: "What am I supposed to do with the girlfriend I chose? I just have to spoil her!" It would have seemed completely out of character to them. But today. Julian added that girl to the company's main Slack channel. "Hi everyone! I'm Mr. Vance's new personal assistant, Lily. Nice to meet you all~" Her display name in the channel was "Julian's Little Kitten." Some things don't need to be explicitly stated to be understood. I don't know how Julian explained away the phone call I had answered. All I knew was that Lily started adding everyone in the company on Slack. She was doing a process of elimination. Chloe sent me an eye-rolling emoji. "Work is annoying enough as it is, and now I'm being treated like an imaginary rival." A moment later, Lily posted an update on her Instagram story. It was a picture of a cup of green tea. The caption read: [Answering someone else's phone without permission is so classless~] Julian liked the post. Expressionless, I grabbed the baseball bat leaning against the wall and started smashing the apartment to pieces. Only when I was surrounded by a sea of wreckage did I finally smile in satisfaction. When the cleaning crew arrived, I was sitting on the sofa—the only thing I hadn't destroyed—staring blankly into space. It wasn't because the sofa was expensive; I was just tired. Honestly, I was so tired. "Ms. Price, are you alright?" Probably seeing how much of a mess I was, one of the cleaners asked. Meanwhile, my chat window with Julian hadn't had a new message in two hours. I shook my head gently and offered a genuinely relieved smile. "Please pack up and remove all the women's items from here." 03 Julian and I went to the same university. He grew up in a very affluent, sheltered environment. His family had his entire life mapped out for him; all he had to do was follow the path. But he was stubborn. He cut ties with his family and started his own business. I was his first business partner. He provided the capital; I provided the sweat equity. I once asked him, why pick me? There were plenty of people at the university with better credentials than me. He casually twirled a pen, studying me intently. A genuine smile reached his eyes. "I like you," he said. I froze. "—That relentless drive you have. You never surrender." The fierce, ambitious vitality I possessed back then was what he admired. Later, that same ambition became something he feared. Lily was different from me. She was simple. The kind of woman he wanted to marry was exactly that kind of naive, unambitious girl who would revolve her entire world around him. He was very clear-headed. He knew what he needed, and he went out and got it. He and I were the same kind of people. We fought, we struggled, like predators lying in wait. Because of this, we had a flawless synergy in the business world, constantly strategizing and executing together. The networking at the dinners, the ruthless tactics in negotiations—it helped us climb the ladder rapidly. The night we closed our first million-dollar deal, we both got incredibly drunk. We lay on the bed, surrounded by a sea of hundred-dollar bills. Julian turned his head to look at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher. "Avery, you are fucking incredible." I smiled. "You're not so bad yourself." The intense workload finally caught up with Julian, the former rich kid. He fell seriously ill with a high fever. I ran myself ragged taking care of him, but he suddenly rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I still remember the redness at the corners of his eyes. His entire body was flushed and burning hot from the fever. "I love you." This time, there was no hesitation, and no add-on sentence. He stopped suppressing his feelings. The scent that filled my nose was his signature mix of faint tobacco and mint. My broken whimpers were swallowed up as he devoured me completely. It was burning hot. Hot enough to make your blood boil, pulling us both into the abyss. 04 I moved back into my own apartment. I had allowed myself to become too comfortable over the years. I had developed a habit of only being able to sleep in my own bed, resulting in a completely sleepless night. When I arrived at the office, I ran straight into Julian. I gave him a polite, distant nod. Julian frowned. "Julian!" Lily jogged over, inserting herself right between us. "Hi there, I'm Julian's fiancée." I nodded and replied, "Hello." Hearing my voice, her expression fractured slightly. I didn't bother with small talk and walked straight into the elevator. "You're Avery, right?" Lily chased after me, with Julian right behind her. "I've heard Julian mention you a lot. He says you're excellent at your job." "But you know, it's really not a good look for a woman to be out and about so much, mingling with a bunch of men. Shopping with your girlfriends, getting spa treatments—that's so much more relaxing and comfortable. Leave the heavy lifting and the real work to the men." "Don't you agree, Julian?" Julian stroked her hair, his voice dripping with ultimate tenderness: "How could I possibly disagree with you?" Faced with Lily's provocation, I showed absolutely no reaction. She must have recognized my voice and was now desperate to flaunt her relationship in front of me, marking her territory over Julian. "While you're in the office, please refer to me as 'Ms. Price.' If you don't know the proper etiquette, I'll have HR set up a training seminar for you. Room and board included." I ignored the reactions of the two people behind me and dramatically flicked imaginary dust off the spot Lily had accidentally brushed against. My reaction, however, enraged Julian. After sending Lily away, he marched straight into my office. I frowned in annoyance. "Mr. Vance, knocking on the door is basic professional courtesy." I emphasized those last three words heavily. I was throwing Lily's words right back in his face. He smirked, leaning over and trapping me between his arms and the sofa. "You were the one who willingly opened the door last night." His gaze swept over the hem of my skirt, his meaning clear. Smack! I slapped him across the face without a second thought. A bright red handprint instantly bloomed on his pale cheek. Julian ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek, chuckled, stood up, and sat down opposite me. "I've already had my lawyers transfer the deed for that villa in the Hamptons into your name. And that plot of land you were eyeing upstate? The permits are almost approved." Julian looked at me with half-lidded eyes, his expression flat. "Let's make this a clean break." He always knew exactly where to strike to cause the most pain. I had handed him the knife. And now, he was plunging it into me, again and again. Sitting there, looking down his nose at me, he reminded me exactly of my so-called stepfathers. Preaching love while simultaneously trying to buy me off. The thrill of a new affair disguised as "true love." When Lily rushed in carrying a lunchbox, she walked in right as I threw a glass of water in Julian's face. She screamed, charged at me, and slapped me. I have never been one to take a hit without retaliating. The only time I had ever truly lost was falling for Julian. My raised hand stopped mid-air, caught in Julian's grip. He shielded Lily behind him, his tone laced with anger: "Avery! This is not the place for you to throw a psychotic tantrum!" I raised my other hand and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. Seeing the symmetrical red handprints on Julian's face made me feel immensely better. "Without Julian, do you really think a woman like you could have reached the position you're in today?" Lily stepped forward, defending Julian's honor. "You're fired." "On what grounds?!" Lily lifted her chin, trying to look intimidating. "On the grounds that I hold thirty percent of the shares in this company, and on the grounds that you barged into my office without permission and assaulted a senior executive." Lily panicked, her eyes darting nervously. Seeing that Julian wasn't reprimanding her, she felt emboldened and continued to challenge my authority. "Julian is the majority shareholder, and I am his fiancée." "Who do you think you are? If anyone is getting fired, it's you!" A crowd of employees had already gathered outside the office door. Julian stayed silent, tacitly approving of her behavior and backing her up. There was no point in continuing this argument. "Fine. Let's dissolve the partnership." "I'll sell you my shares at market value." "Julian, I've done everything I can." Julian, who had been silent, finally showed a crack in his icy facade when I pulled out the dissolution agreement. He probably hadn't expected me to already have the paperwork ready to walk away. Lily smiled smugly. The one who is favored always feels invincible. "Who called the cops?" I covered my cheek and walked forward, stumbling slightly on purpose. "Officer, I was assaulted. "I'm feeling dizzy, my vision is blurry, and I feel nauseous." 05 After getting evaluated at the hospital, I was diagnosed with a mild concussion. If I refused to settle out of court, Lily would spend at least a few days in holding. Julian wore a knowing smirk, looking at me like he saw right through my little act. But Lily was finally terrified, nervously tugging at Julian's shirt. "Julian, I don't want to spend the night in jail. I'm scared." Julian softly coaxed her, telling her not to worry, that he would handle everything. With enough money, anything is possible. I wasn't completely unreasonable, either. As we left the precinct, Julian grabbed my arm and pulled me into the shadows. "For money, you really have no shame." I hooked my finger into his tie and yanked hard. He was forced to bend down, bringing us eye-to-eye. "If you're going to step on my face to make your new toy feel important, you should have considered the consequences." Instead of getting angry, Julian laughed. He reached out and rested his hand on the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. "You need to temper that attitude of yours. What man is going to put up with you?" I shoved him away in disgust and walked towards the parking lot. Julian followed behind me, his voice carrying clearly: "You know how my mother is. Her health hasn't been great these past two years, and Lily is exactly the kind of girl she likes." I ignored him, reaching for my car door, but Julian raised his hand and slammed it shut. "Avery, except for marriage, I can give you anything else you want." "Go to hell!" I yanked the door open, slammed it shut, and sped away. In the rearview mirror, I saw him standing there, hands in his pockets, backlit by the streetlights, his expression unreadable. The streetlights stretched his lonely shadow out long. 06 In the hospital bathroom, I was dizzy and gagging. I had managed to disgust Julian and Lily, but I wasn't feeling great either. I went home and immediately crashed. When I woke up the next day, I received a call from my mom. "Avery, you haven't been home for dinner in so long." I checked the calendar and agreed to go. An unfamiliar face opened the door for me. "Avery, this is your Uncle Bob," my mom introduced him. I sighed. My mom's new boyfriend. Unlike the refined, wealthy men she usually went for, this Uncle Bob looked like a regular, blue-collar guy. At the dinner table, my mom eagerly piled food onto my plate. "Avery, Uncle Bob has a son who just graduated college. Let him come work at your company." Even though I was prepared for it, a flicker of disappointment still crossed my heart. "I quit." "Why did you quit such a good job? Did you do something to make Mr. Vance angry?" My mom put down her chopsticks in shock. After thinking it over, she offered a suggestion: "Later, buy some nice fruit Baskets and go apologize to him. Julian doesn't seem like a boy who forgets old friends." Clatter! I slammed my chopsticks onto the floor, making a sharp, cracking sound. My mom started sobbing, leaning on Uncle Bob's shoulder and crying: "This child has been stubborn since she was little. Whenever things don't go her way, she throws things and throws tantrums. If her father hadn't abandoned us, would I have had to raise a child all by myself and endure so much judgment? Has it been easy for me?" Uncle Bob hugged my mom, looking heartbroken. He comforted her, assuring her that she wouldn't have to face this alone anymore. "Right, the whole world is wrong except for you. You're the ultimate victim." I sneered, ignoring the sickeningly sweet display behind me, and turned to leave. Since I was old enough to understand. Isolation and bullying made up my entire childhood. I was nothing but a bargaining chip for my mom to try and trap my biological father. Her endless clinging and pleading eventually enraged his actual wife. My mom had no choice but to drag me along as we drifted from one city to the next. No one welcomed our arrival; they always just wanted to take advantage of us. I fought off those people like a rabid dog, fighting for our basic rights. But in their mouths, I became a petty, fatherless wild child. "A house needs a man, otherwise widows and orphans will be bullied." My mom was weak. She pinned all her hopes on men, constantly searching, bringing a steady stream of new "uncles" into our lives, each with their own ulterior motives. That year, I was twelve. I came home to find a drunk man pinning my mom to the floor, beating her. The woman lying on the floor, barely breathing, was my only family in this world. I fought the grown man with every ounce of strength I possessed. The man, having lost his mind, pulled out a knife. I actually felt a sense of relief, sighing that it could all finally be over. But my mom threw herself in front of me, hugging me without hesitation, her pristine white shirt slowly staining a brilliant red. I thought to myself. In this life, we are destined to torture each other. 07 "You sacrificed so much for that company. Are you really okay with just walking away?" Chloe was my protégé; she was very upset about my departure. I rested my chin on my hand and took a small sip of sake. Okay with it? Ten years of love and hate intertwined; I had certainly fantasized about our future. But when forced to choose between two options based on a cold calculation of pros and cons, there are no winners in this game. What's done is done. Cutting your losses and walking away early is the best bad option you have. Seeing that I had no intention of going back, Chloe started complaining to me. To placate Lily, Julian had given her an empty executive title at the company. But Lily was constantly paranoid, treating every unmarried female employee with suspicion and interrogating them. She implemented absurd new rules, even demanding that women not wear makeup or dresses to work. Clients weren't immune either, and the company had lost several contracts because of it. This was something I hadn't anticipated. Julian, who had always been so steady and reliable, was actually allowing this kind of idiotic behavior. Maybe the Julian I knew was never the real him. Or maybe his favoritism toward Lily was the exception to his rules. But none of it had anything to do with me anymore. The day I left New York, there was a light drizzle. My mom was busy bonding with her new stepson. She gave me a few perfunctory instructions over the phone and quickly hung up. Right before I boarded my flight, Mark Davis called me. He was Julian's childhood friend. We had met a few times and were relatively acquainted. I don't know where he found out I was leaving the country. "Avery, you don't need to hide out overseas. "I'm hosting a get-together, and Julian will be there. "Let's clear the air. We can all still be friends." 08 In the private room, Mark gripped his phone, his face looking grim. On the other end of the line, Avery had hung up on him immediately. When he called back, he only got the automated voicemail greeting. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room plummeted below freezing. Julian's eyes were terrifyingly dark, suppressing a volatile rage. That phone call had been his idea. He had genuinely believed that if he offered an olive branch, the other party would gratefully accept it. He asked himself honestly: hadn't he treated her well enough? He first noticed Avery because of her striking beauty, true. But it was her unrelenting, fiercely stubborn spirit that truly captivated him. He still remembered Avery standing on a stage, challenging the principal over the fairness of the scholarship distribution, a tiny figure fighting against the established rules of the world. He admitted, Avery was extraordinary. But New York City was never short on brilliant people. He gave her resources, he gave her connections, elevating her to the position she held today. He had even publicly acknowledged their relationship to his friends. What more could she possibly want? "Julian, if you can't let her go, just go after her," Mark, whose own wife had just left him, advised sincerely. Julian irritably lit a cigarette and let out a cold scoff. "It was just a fling. Does she really think she's irreplaceable?" Julian acted like he didn't care, but his erratic behavior recently proved he was just bluffing. For instance, deliberately indulging Lily's absurd demands at the office, knowing the news would reach Avery. He constantly asked around about Avery's situation, and had lingered outside her apartment building several times, only to leave. Mark had tried to advise him multiple times, telling him to figure out what his heart really wanted. Julian didn't care. What right did Avery have to act so tough with him? It was only because she knew he still cared about her. He could give Avery everything, and he could take it all away. Now that his relationship with his family had improved, he only needed to say the word. There were plenty of people clamoring to do his bidding. What happens to a person who relies on calculation and strategy when they lose everything? He was waiting for that day. The day Avery, backed into a corner, finally lowered her head and submitted to him. At that point, for the sake of their ten years together, he would reluctantly take her back.
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