The wine had been flowing for a while at the business dinner when my boyfriend Joshua’s assistant, Vivian, finally made her grand entrance. The first thing she did was point a perfectly manicured finger at my outfit. “Ms. Sloane,” she began, her voice dripping with faux concern, “everyone knows that tweed look… it screams ‘the other woman.’ This is a professional dinner. Don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate?” She then gestured to the table. “And I see you ordered the Seafood Trio. Are you trying to make a statement about being the ‘third’ party?” She pressed a hand to her mouth in mock horror. “Oh, you can’t just put things like that out in the open. It’s so scandalous!” A hush fell over the room. I turned my gaze to Joshua, but he just waved a dismissive hand. “Get rid of that dish,” he ordered the waiter, then looked at me. “And you, go change.” He added, as if it explained everything, “She’s young, just a little detail-oriented. It’s a joke. Don’t take it seriously.” Details? A slow smile spread across my face. I deliberately set down my pen. “Alright. In that case, I won’t be signing this three-hundred-million-dollar contract.” I met his gaze, my smile unwavering. “I have to be detail-oriented myself, after all. Can’t sign a ‘mistress contract,’ now can I?” 1 “Wendy, watch your tone.” “This is a boardroom, not a playground.” Under the bright chandeliers, Joshua’s face was a mask of cold indifference, his eyes flashing a warning. I couldn’t even be bothered to lift my eyelids fully. “Oh?” I said, my voice deceptively soft. “I thought we were talking business.” “The contract is void. The deal is off. I’m not signing.” I finally looked at him. “Mr. Chase, do you not understand?” “Wendy!” His voice was finally laced with anger. “This is three hundred million dollars! We’re not playing games!” “Exactly,” I shot back. “It’s precisely because it’s three hundred million that I can’t sign.” My voice was steel. “Your assistant turns a dress and a dish into an accusation of me being a mistress. If I sign a contract for this much money, what will that make me? I’d be infamous.” I snatched the contract from the table and, in front of everyone, ripped it clean in two. Then I tossed the pieces in Joshua’s face. “Whoa! Ms. Sloane, please, calm down! If there’s a misunderstanding, let’s just talk it through!” Joshua’s team scrambled, their faces a mixture of panic and disbelief. His assistant, Vivian, was the first to react. Her eyes welled with tears as she reached for a wine glass. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Sloane! It’s all my fault, I misspoke! I’ll drink three glasses to apologize! Please, don’t make things difficult for Joshua!” She tilted her head back, but before the rim of the glass could touch her lips, Joshua snatched it from her hand. “Are you crazy? You’ll have a fatal allergic reaction to the alcohol, have you forgotten?!” He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice dropping to a gentle whisper as he checked her over for any sign of a reaction. Vivian, nestled in his arms, shot me a timid, triumphant glance from over his shoulder. I watched the scene unfold, a familiar bitter ache spreading through my chest. I have a severe, life-threatening allergy to mangoes. But just before dinner, he had casually ordered mango pudding for dessert. Because it was Vivian’s favorite. “If you weren’t going to eat it, you should have said so. What a waste,” he’d chided me then, glancing at my untouched dessert plate. He hadn’t had a place for me in his heart for a long time. “Are you happy now?” Joshua’s voice, sharp with resentment, pulled me from my thoughts. “If you’ve had your fun, then draw up a new contract and sign it. I have to get Vivian to the hospital. I don’t have time for your drama!” The rest of his team chimed in, trying to smooth things over, insisting it was all just a joke and that we should focus on the deal. I remained seated, a placid smile on my face, saying nothing. “What’s going on here?” Chloe Vance, the other senior manager on my team who had stepped out to take a call, walked back in, her eyes widening at the chaotic scene. “Chloe, you’re back just in time,” I said, my smile genuine now. “I know how much you enjoyed the Seafood Trio, so I ordered another one for the table.” I paused, letting my eyes drift over to Joshua’s team. “But it seems Mr. Chase’s people believe the dish implies we’re ‘the other woman.’ They said it was indecent and had to be removed immediately.” “Since they’re so concerned with details,” I continued, my voice clear and steady, “a three-hundred-million-dollar contract is obviously too sensitive to sign.” I looked at her, my expression open and innocent. “Don’t you agree?” The color drained from every face at the table. Chloe’s husband had cheated on her recently. There was nothing she hated more than a mistress. “In that case, there’s no need to continue this partnership,” Chloe said, her voice like ice. She picked up her handbag. “We have other options. It’s not like Apex Industries is our only choice.” “Wendy, let’s go.” She turned and walked out. I followed without a moment’s hesitation. A chorus of desperate pleas erupted behind us. Panicked faces turned to glare at Vivian. “What does it have to do with her?” Joshua’s voice, though strained, was still fiercely protective of his assistant. “That woman’s just lost her mind.” He gently wiped Vivian’s tears before finally storming out after us. “Wendy, have you had your little tantrum?!” He grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me toward his car. “Go home and think about what you’ve done. You…” I wrenched my arm from his grasp, a smirk playing on my lips. “No, thanks. I have a ride.” My eyes met his. “Your license plate has the number ‘three’ in it. I don’t like it.” 2 The air crackled with a sudden, sharp silence. Joshua stared at me, his expression a cocktail of disbelief and fury. “I told you, it was a joke! How long are you going to blow this out of proportion?” “A joke?” My smile didn’t reach my eyes. “Joshua, you used to be ready to fight men to the death over a ‘joke.’” A flicker of something—memory, confusion—crossed his face. It was the first year we were together. At a party, a guy had made a crude comment, his hand reaching for my skirt. Before he could even touch the fabric, Joshua had sent him to the hospital. He was young and reckless back then, but he treated me like a treasure, something precious to be protected at all costs. We’d been together for five years. We worked for different companies but had always been each other’s biggest supporters, climbing the ladder side-by-side. Tonight was supposed to be a culmination of that—two leaders at the same negotiating table, our professional and personal lives finally aligning for a perfect future. And then Vivian appeared. Her provocations, her constant overstepping of boundaries—Joshua saw none of it. Or chose not to. He always said she was young, that she reminded him of me when we first met. He couldn’t bring himself to discipline her. I had lied to myself, forgiven him, and looked the other way, time and time again. But tonight, the fog had finally cleared. The Joshua I loved was long gone. “How is that the same thing?” he finally snapped. “Those guys were creeps trying to hurt you. Vivian? She’s just a kid. She didn’t mean any harm. How did she hurt you?” I let out a short, sharp laugh. “Oh, please. I don’t consider her pathetic little games to be ‘harm.’” “I’m simply following her advice,” I said, my voice sweet as poison. “Avoiding anything associated with the number three. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, after all.” I pulled open the door to another car and slid inside. “Wendy!” Joshua slammed his hand on the door, blocking it, his face a thundercloud. “As I recall, none of the companies in your backup plan can hold a candle to Apex.” “This project is time-sensitive. If you keep dragging your feet, the profits will take a hit, and then, Wendy—” He smirked, holding up three fingers. “Three hundred million. Let’s see how you plan to cover that loss.” He straightened up, his confidence restored, now issuing commands. “Be at my office tomorrow to sign the contract. And to apologize to Vivian.” “Otherwise,” he added with a final, smug look, “the offer expires.” The car door closed, and I watched his triumphant figure recede, feeling nothing. Three hundred million? I could afford it. I ignored his threats completely. The next day, I met with Chloe to discuss our next move. I’d barely said two words when she slid her phone across the table, her expression grim. “You need to see this.” I looked down. It was a viral post, with my name in the headline. “Wendyron Group Exec Sleeps Her Way to the Top, Throws Hissy Fit and Tanks $300M Deal, Leaving Us Grunts to Clean Up the Mess.” Below the headline was a crystal-clear surveillance video of me ripping up the contract and storming out of the private room. 3 The video quality was sharp, my face clearly visible. The fact that it had already reached Chloe meant it was spreading like wildfire. “Hey, I know her. She’s the new GM at our company, just got promoted this year.” “That young and already a General Manager? Guess the rumors are true.” “God knows how many bosses she had to sleep with to get there.” “That’s our hard work she just threw away. What a petty, disgusting bitch.” Amid the flood of hate, some of my colleagues tried to defend me, but their comments were quickly drowned out or deleted. The post was clearly being boosted by paid trolls. Chloe looked at me, concerned. “Do you need to handle this first?” I waved a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing. Chloe, I came to talk about something more important.” “I want to approach Aethelgard Tech as our new partner. What do you think?” “What? You mean the overseas Aethelgard?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “They’re the world leader in this field. Apex is nothing compared to them.” “But… can we actually land them?” “I never go into a battle unprepared,” I said calmly. “The only question is, are you willing to fly out with me to close this deal?” Chloe was a renowned powerhouse in her own right. Hearing my confidence, she didn’t hesitate. “I’m in.” By the time I left our meeting and checked my phone again, the slanderous post about me had vanished. In its place were eighteen high-definition screenshots of Vivian’s private chat logs. “That girl Lisa in HR is so ugly, why does she insist on wearing short skirts to work? Who is she trying to seduce?” “Mr. Davis in Engineering needs to lay off the makeup. His skin is so saggy, he probably gives men nightmares.” “And that woman in finance, Brenda, with her fake baby voice. Sounds like she just rolled out of some guy’s bed. Makes me sick.” Every single screenshot was a vicious, slanderous attack on her colleagues. I smiled, closed the app, and blocked all incoming calls from Joshua. Six days later, after tying up all my loose ends, I returned home, feeling pleased with myself. The moment I walked in, I was hit by the cloying scent of a woman’s perfume. A hair tie and a piece of lingerie were strewn across the living room rug. The flowers in the vase had been replaced with a cheap bouquet I would never buy. “Wendy?” Joshua emerged from the bedroom, his expression freezing when he saw me. “So, you’ve finally cooled off and decided to come home?” “Do you have any idea what Vivian has been through?” he started in before I could even speak, his voice thick with accusation. “After those messages were leaked, her colleagues bullied her so badly she almost jumped off a roof.” He jabbed a finger at me. “I’m warning you, I won’t let you hurt her again.” He tossed a new contract at my feet. “She still feels so guilty about this deal that she can barely eat or sleep. If you have any conscience at all, you’ll sign it and go apologize to her.” “She’s resting in the bedroom. When she wakes up, you can make her some soup to help her recover.” I almost laughed in his face. “Joshua, if you need a maid, go hire one. Now get out of my way.” I picked up the contract and dropped it straight into the trash can, then headed for my own bedroom. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble?! Look what you’ve done to her! Isn’t it enough?!” he yelled, his voice filled with anguish. I turned, genuinely confused. “Done to her? What have I done? Were those chat logs fake?” “Joshua,” I said, my voice dangerously soft, “you don’t actually think I came home to make up with you, do you?” “I’m leaving the country tomorrow. I just came back to pack.” I tossed a single sheet of paper at him. “And to inform you that we’re over.” The paper fluttered to the ground. The words at the top were stark and clear: ABORTION REPORT. 4 The mask of composure on Joshua’s face finally cracked. I was less than three months along. I’m healthy, so three days after the procedure, I was back at work. If I was going to end things, I was going to sever every tie. “Wendy, you’d better tell me this is fake.” Joshua’s hands were shaking violently. “Believe what you want.” I was done talking. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door. “Wendy—” He called out again, his eyes bloodshot. “Don’t make me give up on you.” I raised an eyebrow, about to remind him that I was the one who had dumped him. Just then, Vivian stumbled out of the bedroom and collapsed to her knees in front of me. “Ms. Sloane, I’m begging you, please stop fighting with Joshua.” “It was my fault, I spoke without thinking. You can punish me, just please, don’t make things hard for him!” She started banging her head on the floor, tears streaming down her face. A trickle of blood soon appeared on her forehead. “Wendy, you’ve gone too far!” The second Vivian fainted, Joshua scooped her into his arms and rushed out the door, throwing one last venomous glare over his shoulder. I calmly got into the car waiting to take me to the airport. Just before takeoff, a message from Vivian popped up on my screen. It was an ultrasound picture. 12 weeks. “How pathetic,” Chloe muttered, glancing at my phone with a sneer. I just smiled and blocked the number. After a grueling week of negotiations, Chloe and I flew back, heading straight to our respective offices to get to work. But standing at the entrance to my building was Joshua, with Vivian at his side. “Wendy. Did you think running off to another country for a week would erase what you did?” he asked, a cruel smirk on his face. “What, did you hear a director from the board was coming for an inspection? Scared of being exposed, so you came crawling back to confess?” “I’ll give you one last chance to sign the contract. One last chance to save yourself.” “I’m keeping Vivian’s baby,” he continued, magnanimous. “She’s all alone. I have to take responsibility.” “But if you sign, I promise she will never threaten your position. We can…” “Joshua, I’ve already found a new partner,” I interrupted with a placid smile. “The person who lost this project was you.” “So the person who should be panicking right now is also you, isn’t it?” “Wendy, what nonsense are you spouting?” he scoffed. “No other company in this country is a better fit than Apex.” “If you insist on being stubborn, then I’ll have no choice but to tell the board director everything you’ve done.” “Oh? Go right ahead.” “As it happens, I need to speak with the chairman myself.” I brushed past him and stepped into the elevator. His face went blank for a second, then twisted with rage as he followed me in. When we entered the executive office, a group of people was just finishing shaking hands with the Wendyron Group’s chairman, Damian Croft. Before I could say a word, Joshua launched into his tirade. He painted me as an emotional, deceitful subordinate who had cost the company a fortune. But as he spoke, I noticed something strange. The chairman’s expression remained perfectly calm. Not a flicker of anger. Joshua, breathless from his speech, was met with a serene, unreadable face. An uneasy feeling began to creep into his heart. “You didn’t like that deal?” When Joshua finished, Damian smiled, but his question was directed at me. Joshua froze. “That’s right. I don’t like the number three, and the deal just happened to be for three hundred million,” I replied cheerfully. “So I didn’t sign it.” “Well, if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.” Joshua watched in disbelief as the powerful older man gave me a helpless, indulgent smile. “It’s only three hundred million. We’re not hurting for it.” “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” I said, walking over and linking my arm through his. “I actually think it’s a great project. That’s why I found a different partner.” I placed the new contract on the table. “Dad, could you take a look at this for your daughter and tell me if Aethelgard Tech is a suitable partner?”
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