Chapter 2
1450words
Just then, someone knocked on my desk. I looked up and saw Zane. Instinctively, I snapped my laptop shut.
Taken aback, he frowned. "Why are you so jumpy? Is there something I'm not supposed to see?"
I shook my head, my tone distant. "You just startled me, Mr. Bender. What can I do for you?"
My cold attitude clearly irritated him. But with other coworkers around, he held his anger back and said in a noticeably colder tone. "I wanted to ask you if you have the files ready."
"I'm still working on them. I'll send everything to your email before I leave later."
"Alright. Try to be quick. I'm having dinner with Lily tonight. I can't be late."
With that, Zane said nothing more and headed back to his office.
The moment the door closed, Kayla let out a long breath. "That scared the crap out of me. Mr. Bender looked terrifying just now. I'd never seen him act that way before."
I gave a light chuckle. "What way?"
"That authoritative attitude!" she whispered. "It's one thing when he treats us like that, but he's always been gentle with you, no? And I've never even seen him assign you work before. Weren't your tasks always—"
"Always done by us instead?" another coworker suddenly cut her off, staring at me with open mockery. "In the past, we ended up taking on most of your work because Mr. Bender liked you.
"Now that he has a new favorite, you've become just another corporate slave, huh? Do you still remember how to use office software after not working for so long, Cassidy? If you don't, you can always beg me for help."
"Why you—" Kayla glared at him angrily, but I stopped her.
I gave the group of people trying to provoke me a piercing look and slowly said, "If you're unhappy with the work assignments, you can take it up with Mr. Bender. But if you're too scared to do so, I can pass the message along for you."
At that, they exchanged looks and finally shut up. I knew they didn't dare gamble on whether Zane was truly indifferent to me.
After all, if I really told Zane about this, they might even lose their jobs, given how he had spoiled me before.
Once, an ex-coworker had deliberately spilled scalding hot coffee on me because she was jealous of my promotion. Zane had fired her on the spot and even blacklisted her from working in the entire industry.
But now…
Picking up the USB drive, I felt my confidence leave me. I took a deep breath and began organizing the meeting materials.
In less than an hour, I sent the files to Zane's email.
Seemingly surprised by my efficiency, he messaged me. "That was quick. Did you get someone to help you?"
In that instant, all the pent-up bitterness in my chest overflowed.
Even if everyone else thought I'd gotten in through connections, Zane knew better than anyone that I'd earned my place with my own ability.
I stormed toward his office, ready to confront him face-to-face, but stopped short when I heard him talking to Lily.
"Mr. Bender, I can see why Ms. Hartman is a director. These materials are really well done."
Zane snorted. "Director? If it weren't for me, she wouldn't even be qualified to enter Cosmo Group, let alone reach that position. Cosmo Group has never been short of talent. It's only short of talent I care for. She probably got someone to help her come up with these materials."
At that moment, it felt like lightning had hit me, and I almost lost my balance. So from the very beginning, I never truly belonged here.
I remembered how, after being mocked by my coworkers and feeling discouraged, Zane had comforted me. He'd said I would prove myself through my own abilities someday.
Because of those words, even when I had no assignments, I kept pushing myself to improve in secret.
And it wasn't just for my reputation, but also so I wouldn't disappoint the "faith" he had in me. I never imagined it was nothing but a lie.
I smoked on the balcony for a long time. When I finally stubbed the cigarette out and went back to the office, I saw Zane and Lily coming out of his office together.
Right in front of everyone, he draped his coat over her shoulders. My coworkers all lifted their heads to watch them before shooting me snide looks.
I wanted to pretend I couldn't care less, but I couldn't move. My legs felt like they had turned into lead, and I couldn't even lift my head.
Lily, however, had no intention of letting me be. She suddenly walked up to me with a faint smile. "Cassidy, the materials you put together were pretty decent. I'll have to learn more from you in the future."
I couldn't be bothered to respond. Zane frowned at my silence. "Ms. Hartman, didn't you hear Ms. Hubbard speaking to you?"
At that, Kayla looked at me in shock, clearly not expecting him to talk to me like that.
Suppressing the bitterness in my chest, I looked at Lily. "Thank you for the compliment."
Lily nodded, then warmly took my hand, her smile growing even more exaggerated. "Then can I leave all my future work to you? After all…"
She turned to Zane, her voice soft. "I've been feeling pretty weak lately. I really can't handle work."
Every word she said felt like it was a slap to my face, fueling the raging fire in my chest.
Just as I was about to refuse, Zane's firm voice rang out. "Of course. Looking out for members of staff is expected of anyone managing a team."
In that moment, I lost all desire to argue. I simply felt utterly ridiculous.
After they left, I ignored the snickers around me, shoved my laptop into my bag, and hurried out of the office.
The moment I stepped outside, the tight knot in my chest finally loosened a little. I kept telling myself that it was fine, that all I lost was a man, and that it was no big deal.
Just as I was finally calming down, I caught sight of a familiar car not far away. Inside, a man and a woman were kissing.
With his eyes closed, Zane cupped Lily's face, looking both tender and lost in the moment.
I was rooted to the spot, unable to move. In the three years I'd been with Zane, he'd kissed every part of me except my lips.
Even when I stood on my toes and tried to kiss him, he'd deliberately turn his head away, saying he didn't like kissing.
So it wasn't that he didn't like kissing. He just didn't like kissing me.
Suddenly, I felt disoriented. Was I less than a lover to him, or was Lily more than that to him? Either answer was unbearable.
Rain suddenly started pouring from the sky again, and Zane finally pulled back from the kiss. He slowly lifted his head.
Just before our eyes could meet, I stumbled backward and ran into the rain.
On the way home, I bought myself a birthday cake and held it tightly against my chest.
As soon as I got through my front door, I didn't even have the strength to open the box before collapsing to the floor with a thud.
The delicate cake was smashed on impact, and with my body burning up and my head dizzy, I couldn't even crawl to my bed.
That was when I suddenly recalled how, months ago, Zane had promised to give me an unforgettable 25th birthday.
He might have already forgotten all about my birthday, but there was no doubt in my mind that this birthday would be an unforgettable one. A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
Time passed unnoticed as I lay on the floor until a sudden notification appeared on my phone. It was an email from Vertex Group. "Congratulations on passing the preliminary review, Ms. Cassidy Hartman. Your interview is scheduled for three days from now."
When I read the message, I felt a little better. In any case, at least there was one piece of good news.
I forced a faint smile as I lay on the cold floor. Soon, I drifted into a deep sleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I was lying in bed. Zane, who had been gone the entire night last night, was sitting at the edge of the bed, gently wiping the sweat from my forehead.
