Chapter 3

Alex's POV

After bandaging my ankle, Sadie brought over a bowl of chicken soup and set it in front of me.

"Connor said it's best to drink some after getting caught in the rain. He and I already had some. We left this bowl for you."

The warmth that had just begun to bloom in my chest vanished in an instant. My gaze passed over the bowl of soup and settled on Sadie's beautifully defined brows.

I finally said what I'd been holding in for so long.

"Sometimes, I feel like Connor is the one who's actually your boyfriend."

She froze for a second before letting out a snort and ruffling my hair. "What are you talking about? It's only because he's your friend that I—"

"Sadie, we're both male colleagues of yours. Why do you go out of your way to avoid arousing suspicion about us, yet let all those rumors about you and him run wild?"

She started to speak, but I cut her off.

"Don't give me some platitude about how the innocent have nothing to hide. You two are the ones benefiting from this situation, and I'm the only one who's getting hurt."

Being interrupted over and over again got on Sadie's nerves, but she forced herself to rein in her temper.

She looked at me and asked, "Alex, what do I have to say to make you understand? There's nothing going on between Connor and me, and that's exactly why I don't care about other people's gossip.

"But if it were you, I'd give myself away! You know I'm competing for the department director position. Can you stop bothering me with these trivial matters?"

Trivial matters, huh?

My grievances were trivial. The pain I felt was simply something I brought upon myself.

The blisters on Connor's feet were worth worrying about. His fevers, his stomach cramps, and his feelings were the only things that mattered.

I pressed my lips together and fell silent for a long time before exhaling. "Let's end our relationship. I'm being serious about this."

Sadie's expression hardened. She shot to her feet and glared down at me.

"Alex Warner! Are you ever going to stop? I've already explained myself to you! What more do you want from me?

"Can't you learn a thing or two from Connor? Can't you try to be more considerate of me? It's one thing that you don't even help me gather information on my competitors, but now, you're even trying to cause more trouble for me at such a crucial time in my career!

"I'm working my butt off to secure a good future for our future family, but all you care about is your silly little grievances. How can you be so selfish!"

The first-aid kit hit the floor with a loud crash, and the door slammed shut.

The clock struck midnight. The tenderness and gentle reassurances from just moments ago, along with the careful way she'd bandaged my wounds, all felt like a fleeting illusion.

My ankle didn't seem to hurt anymore, but it felt like my heart had been ripped open.

Sadie's final words kept replaying in my head like a broken record. She probably didn't know that the file in her desk drawer contained information I'd spent over a month painstakingly compiling.

I was the one who ran myself ragged to secure all the sponsorships for our department.

Yet when the department announced its producer openings this year, she only nominated Connor for the position.

During our department meetings, the interview scripts I'd written bore his name. The advertising contracts I'd signed became the result of his efforts.

The financial heavyweights, rising tech stars, and key industry figures I'd connected with through my former professor's networks were all credited to Connor.

In the end, I, the senior journalist, had a KPI score of 0. Meanwhile, he, the intern who'd barely been with the company for a year, somehow got a score of 99.

After the meeting, Connor threw his arms around me, looking both emotional and excited. "I'm so sorry, Alex! I didn't want to take the credit for your work. I wanted to earn everything through myself, but Sadie insisted on giving it to me, and I couldn't refuse her."

I couldn't find the words to describe how I felt then. It was as if I had a volcano in my chest, on the verge of erupting, but for some reason, it couldn't.

I had to force a smile and attend Connor's celebration party. I watched as Sadie, both my girlfriend and my boss, shielded Connor and took drink after drink on his behalf.

The other colleagues got drunk and started egging them on.

"Go on then. If you two share a kiss, we'll stop making him drink!"

Connor blushed, but Sadie turned around and glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. That was the first time I didn't meet her gaze. In fact, I got up and left early.

At the time, I still believed that as long as Sadie and I made our relationship public, everything would be fine.

But I'd just seen Connor's latest social media update. The caption read, "My angel has braved through the rainstorm to spend the night with me!"

That was when I realized my relationship with Sadie could never be mended. Before turning off the lights, I pulled out the business card I'd received earlier today and typed out a message.

"Hi. This is Alex Warner. I've decided to join your company."