Chapter 2

That afternoon, I asked my best friend, Lucy Bernard, to go out with me so I could clear my head. On the way, we happened to pass one of my company's jewelry boutiques.

I decided to buy a pair of wedding bands for Ian and me.

Lucy stood beside me and asked quietly, "Are you really going back?"

I nodded.

Lucy was my only real friend in Paris, and the only one who knew about my family.

Just then, a sugary voice came from behind us.

"Rebecca, you're shopping for jewelry too?"

Linda's gaze landed on the wedding bands on the counter, and a flicker of mockery crossed her face. "Want me to help you choose?"

"No, thanks," I said flatly.

Linda made a point of stepping closer and tilting her head to show off the huge sapphires hanging from her earlobes. "You're right. You should wait for Klaus to choose them for you. After all, these earrings he just gave me look amazing on me."

She wore couture from head to toe. Anyone could tell it cost a fortune.

On her current salary, she could work her butt off for ten years and still not afford a single thing she had on.

I went cold inside.

Lucy couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward and slapped Linda hard across the face.

The slap snapped Linda's head to the side.

Lucy was livid. "I've never seen a homewrecker as shameless as you!"

Linda held her stinging cheek and managed a mocking smile.

She turned to me. "Rebecca, I guess you haven't heard. Klaus booked tickets to New York for next week.

"He won't be back in time to get engaged to you again before your birthday.

"So you really don't need to get all this ready so early. The higher your hopes, the harder the fall."

My whole body went stiff.

Next week was my 30th birthday.

It was also the deadline my father and I had agreed on.

Lucy was shaking with rage. She raised her hand to slap Linda again, but I reached out and stopped her.

I stared at Linda's smug face, my voice ice-cold.

"Linda, consider this your official notice.

"As of this moment, you're fired."

Linda's expression changed instantly. "Fire me? Rebecca, who do you think you are? I'm with Klaus now! He's the one who runs this whole company!"

I pulled out my phone and called HR. "Fire Linda Moreau effective immediately. Revoke her access, lock her files, and have security get her out of here now!"

Panic flickered in Linda's eyes, but it quickly turned into a contemptuous sneer.

She only grew bolder. "Rebecca, what's the point of taking it out on me?

"Hasn't Klaus made it obvious enough? He doesn't want to marry you!

"No matter what you do, he's still taking me to New York next week. Clinging to a hollow engagement will only make you a laughingstock. It's pathetic."

Just as she finished, hurried footsteps came from behind us.

Klaus stormed into the store, and his eyes went straight to Linda's red, swollen cheek.

His face darkened. He strode over and helped her up.

Linda turned her face toward me with a smug smile.

"Rebecca! What did you do?" Klaus demanded.

Then his eyes dropped to the rings by my hand, and guilt crossed his face for a split second.

A moment later, his voice softened.

"Even if Linda was out of line, you two shouldn't have hit her. She's just a young girl, barely out of school."

He rubbed his forehead. "The new branch is at a critical stage. I've got a project worth hundreds of millions to handle, and you keep making a fuss over something as trivial as marriage.

"Can't we just get married a few years from now?"

I looked at him and answered calmly.

"This company isn't just yours. I built it from the ground up. An engagement or a wedding only takes one day. How would that get in the way of your so-called empire?"

Klaus scoffed. "Since you insist on being unreasonable, let me make this clear. I am not getting engaged to you before your birthday next week."

He stared hard at me.

"And another thing. I'm the CEO of this company.

"I just told HR to reinstate Linda and restore her access.

"Next week, I'm taking her to New York with me."

Klaus put his arm around Linda and walked out of the store without another glance at me.

Watching him walk away, I finally understood. He wasn't the broke boy from the slums anymore, the one who used to hold me and say, "You're my whole life."

Behind me, the sales staff started whispering.

"Weren't the CEO and the vice president together for, like, ten years..."

"I can't believe he's really done with her. Not only did he call off the engagement, he's taking Linda to New York."

"Poor Rebecca."

Hearing them, Lucy burst into tears.

I brushed the tears from her cheeks, my voice calm. "I'm not even crying. Why are you?"

Lucy gripped my hand, angry and heartbroken for me. "Rebecca, Klaus is such a bastard! How could he do this to you! He's forgotten who pulled him out of the gutter and gave him everything!"

I lifted the glittering diamond ring between two fingers and gave her a small smile. "Okay. Stop crying."

Lucy nodded, her eyes red. "He doesn't deserve you."

I squeezed her hand.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.

"But if I'm leaving, I'm taking what's mine with me."