Chapter 1

"This is getting out of hand," Derek Bouchard said evenly. "If it spreads any further, it'll hurt the company's reputation. Watch yourself over the next few days. Don't do anything in public that people might misinterpret."

I swallowed the ache rising in my throat. "Who's this first love everyone's talking about? And what do they mean, you gave her all my proposals?"

For a long moment, he was silent.

"Sophie Vandenberg. She was a year behind me in college. When my mother got sick, Sophie covered her medical bills. Her parents are gone now. I owe it to her to look after her."

He paused. "As for the proposals...she'd just come back from abroad. She didn't know how anything worked here. I needed to get her established quickly. I handled it badly. I'm sorry.

"Laurie, tell me what you want to make up for it. A designer bag, a car, a house. I'll buy you whatever you like."

I bit my lip so hard it hurt. Eight years of devotion, and apparently all of it had a price tag.

I opened my mouth to demand another answer, but he cut me off.

"I have a meeting. This conversation is over."

He hung up.

I stared at the dead call screen. My entire eight-year relationship suddenly felt like a cruel joke.

Derek didn't come home that night.

I didn't sleep.

The next morning, I went to the office with swollen, bloodshot eyes. The moment I reached my desk, the surrounding conversation faltered. People glanced at me and lowered their voices, but not enough.

"I'm telling you, someone saw Mr. Bouchard and Sophie at the Rosewood last night. They were there until really late. Think they went to a hotel afterward."

My stomach lurched. So that was where he'd been.

"And have you heard? Sophie's being brought in from outside as our new department director."

Someone glanced my way. "Poor Laurel. Her direct supervisor's going to be the woman the CEO really cares about. She's in for a rough time."

My heart sank.

Just then, the office doors swung open.

Derek strode in, tall and impeccably dressed, with a beautiful, soft-spoken woman at his side. He surveyed the room.

"Everyone, meet Sophie Vandenberg, your new department director. Let's give her a warm welcome."

Applause broke out.

"I expect everyone to support her fully. Anyone who refuses to cooperate..." His gaze landed on me, carrying a warning. "...will face disciplinary action under company policy."

I pressed my lips together until they hurt, my nails digging into my palms.

Sophie stood beside him, her expression composed. "I'm looking forward to working with all of you. All-hands meeting in the conference room in ten minutes."

Soon we were seated around the table. The air was so tense I could barely breathe.

Sophie slapped a proposal down in front of me and raised an eyebrow.

"This is what your team came up with? The data is a mess, there's nothing original here, and it doesn't come close to company standards."