Chapter 1 So, I just found out that the online boyfriend I flirt with every night—the one who calls me "Baby" and begs for bedtime stories—is actually my boss. The same boss who nitpicks my work during the day with the cold precision of a serial killer. I was in the middle of a department presentation when I realized it. My hand shook so hard I accidentally cut the screen share. My boss, Ethan Blackwood, sat at the head of the table, frowning. He tapped his knuckles on the mahogany surface, clearly unimpressed by my lack of professionalism. Just moments before, I’d accidentally connected to his laptop instead of mine. And there it was, plastered on the giant conference room screen: my cat. Not just any cat picture. A specific, heavily photoshopped glamour shot of my stray rescue, Mittens. I remembered the conversation vividly. [Y-Man]: Baby, do you have any cat pics? [Me]: ?? [Me]: My cat was ugly when I found him, but he’s super cute now! [Y-Man]: Let me see? I spent thirty minutes editing that photo to get the lighting just right. I knew for a fact that only two people in the world had that image: me, and my mysterious online boyfriend, "Y-Man." Unless he shared it? Right. That had to be it. Calm down, Sarah, I told myself. You've been watching too many K-dramas. There's no way. Ethan Blackwood is the terrifying new VP who parachuted into HQ three months ago. A man with a tongue so sharp it could cut glass. How could he be my clingy, sweet, digital boyfriend? It’s impossible. Those cheesy, sticky, cringe-worthy lines couldn't possibly come from those thin, cruel lips. My brain went blank. "You have five minutes. Start now or we adjourn. Don't waste everyone's time," a cold, deep voice cut through my panic. "Sorry, starting now," I mumbled, head down, clicking open my PowerPoint. I didn't dare look at the man at the head of the table. Chapter 2 "Sarah, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. Want to take the afternoon off?" The meeting ended. My team lead, Mark, stayed behind to help me pack up. He noticed my shirt was soaked with sweat and my face was pale. I shook my head. "Just nervous." "I get it. Presenting to the Big Demon is terrifying. But you did great!" Mark was two years ahead of me in college and my mentor at work. He always looked out for me. "Let's grab dinner tonight. On me. You need to recharge." He reached out to pat my head. Normally, I’d never say no to a free meal. But right now... I dodged his hand instinctively. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall figure pause behind Mark. I winked frantically at Mark. "Uh, Mark, I really need to revise the proposal based on Mr. Blackwood's feedback. Rain check?" "You gotta eat! You always complain the cafeteria food makes you want to quit," Mark laughed. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. "So, it's the cafeteria's fault Ms. Jenkins can't produce a decent proposal?" Ethan Blackwood’s voice was light, teasing, but his eyes were dark pools of judgment. Caught bad-mouthing the company? Mark froze, standing at attention like a soldier. Ethan walked past us, dropping a final command: "Ms. Jenkins, bring the revised proposal directly to my office." Me: "Yes, sir..." Chapter 3 Back at my desk, my phone was exploding with messages from Y-Man. [Y-Man]: Baby, forecast says rain. Go home early tonight. [Transfer: $500] [Y-Man]: For an Uber. Don't take the subway. [Y-Man]: I learned a new song on guitar. I'll play it for you tonight. [Y-Man]: This meeting is so boring. I just want to call you... ... [Y-Man]: Baby must be busy. Your boss is a slave driver! Won't even let you text back. [Y-Man]: Text me when you're free~ KissKiss~ ( ˘ ³˘)♥ Reading these sweet nothings didn't give me butterflies. It gave me a heart attack. The more I read, the colder I felt. If Ethan really is my online boyfriend... Your "Baby" is working overtime because of YOU! That "boring meeting" was MY presentation you tore apart! Yes! You ARE a slave driver! I typed, deleted, and retyped: [Are you my boss?] If he is, I’m fired. We talked about everything. If he’s not... well, that’s just embarrassing. I felt defeated. Y-Man and I had been hot and heavy for three months. We planned to meet before the holidays. My chat background was a photo he sent—a close-up of his hand. Long fingers, elegant knuckles, clean nails. It was hand-model quality. As a sucker for nice voices and nice hands, I fell hard. We met on a mobile game. I was solo queuing, matched with a trio of friends and him, the silent jungler. The trio played terribly and blamed the jungler. They were toxic on mic. He said nothing. I couldn't stand it. I turned on my mic and roasted them. They shut up. After the game, I got a friend request from the jungler. He invited me to duo. I told him I was voice-banned. He typed: Add me on WeChat? We went from gaming buddies to chat buddies. One night I was pulling an all-nighter for work. He stayed on voice call with me, saying he was jet-lagged in Europe. The next morning he asked for my address. Thirty minutes later, a hot gourmet breakfast arrived. My lonely corporate heart melted. We started voice calling every night. He sang to me, told stories, told dad jokes to help me sleep. After three months of ambiguity, I asked to meet. He sent a voice message, sounding like he was crying with joy: [Baby, really? You mean it? No take-backs!] [I promise. I work at Riverside Tower. Let's grab lunch nearby?] He went silent. Looking back, the vibe was great until I mentioned the location. Riverside Tower is owned by the Blackwood Group. He must have realized I was an employee. So he bailed. If Y-Man is Ethan Blackwood, he's the heir to a billion-dollar empire. He wouldn't get serious with a grunt like me. Our chat logs alone could tank the company stock if leaked. I felt a sudden loss. He didn't want to meet because of who I was. My friend said online dating fails because people are ugly in person. I almost wished he was just ugly. Being rejected for my status hurt more. But wait. Ethan doesn't know I'm his "Baby." He just thinks I'm an incompetent employee. He's in the light. I'm in the dark. This could be fun. I picked up my phone. Revenge time. [Me]: Hubby, I can't voice chat tonight. My evil boss is making us redo the proposal overnight. Five minutes later, a notification popped up in the work group chat: [Proposal deadline extended by 24 hours.] [Me]: Hubby, the cafeteria food is slop. Too much work, too little pay. Maybe I should quit! At lunch, the cafeteria announced a menu upgrade—free of charge. That afternoon, Mark ran in, beaming. "Bonus pool doubled this month!" I sat there eating my premium lunch, calculating my new bonus, feeling like a genius. Until I heard office gossip. A coworker's friend broke up with her boyfriend, and he sent her an itemized spreadsheet of every dime he spent on her. Rent, travel, even gaming skins. He demanded repayment or he wouldn't break up. A chill ran down my spine. I had milked "Hubby" for a lot of perks lately. I needed to cut the cord before we met. I asked Y-Man one last time if we could meet. He used the "busy with work" excuse again. Perfect. I sent the draft I had prepared: [Hubby, you won't see me. I can't hug you, I can't kiss you. Let's break up.] Block. Delete. Chapter 4 After the breakup, my sleep quality tanked. No one to sing me lullabies. I had nightmares. In the dream, the secretary dragged me to the CEO's office. Heavy doors. Darkness. "If I let you hug me... and kiss me... will you stay?" a voice sobbed in the dark. ... But I didn't have time for feelings. The project deadline was looming. The whole team was running on caffeine and desperation. The only upside was passing out from exhaustion the second my head hit the pillow. Finally, the proposal was perfect. Even God couldn't find a typo. I marched to the 36th floor. The beautiful secretary, Lisa, stopped me. "Mr. Blackwood isn't in." He didn't come in the next day either. Or the third. I started to worry. Was he hurt? I unblocked Y-Man. Immediately, a location pin popped up. And three words: [I miss you.] It was a bar in the city center. Famous for expensive drinks and rich clientele. At the same time, Lisa texted me the exact same address. [Lisa]: Word is Little Boss has been drinking there every night. If you need him urgently, try your luck. I grabbed my laptop and headed to the bar. It wasn't a loud club; it was a quiet, upscale lounge. Ethan had the VIP booth to himself. He was slumped on the sofa, surrounded by empty bottles. He was drunk. His eyes were misty, cheeks flushed, corners of his eyes red. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing... well, let's just say the reality was better than the photos Y-Man sent. He was clutching something tightly to his chest. A phone? I tiptoed over. "Mr. Blackwood?" He lifted heavy eyelids. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand. His gaze sharpened... then fell to the laptop in my other arm. Disappointment washed over his face. He let go. "Did Lisa send you?" I stared at him blankly. Playing dumb is a survival skill. He didn't press it. He looked down at his drink. "Leave the proposal. I'll read it." Dismissed. At least he's alive. I turned to leave. "Wait," he said. "On your way in... did you see a girl? About your age?" "It's a bar, sir. Lots of young people." He toyed with his phone, the light in his eyes dying out. "Right. Go home." "Yes, sir. See you tomorrow~" I ran for it. Behind me, I thought I heard a low sob.
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