Chapter 1

After leaving Hudson Corporation, I sat by the roadside, holding Mom's urn. In her suicide note, she instructed me to place her ashes in any simple jar, saving the cost of an urn to help Gregory Hudson pay off his debts.

On the big screen in the square, Gregory appeared.

The news anchor reported, "After three years out of the public eye, Gregory Hudson, CEO of Hudson Corporation, has appeared at the ceremony with his fiancee, Sophia Wagner."

I stared at the screen. Gregory was brimming with pride and confidence.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Mom and I had spent years working ourselves to the bone to pay his debts. In the end, all we received in return was a lie.

I sat there in silence until night fell, then Gregory called. His voice was as gentle as it had always been. "It's late. Why aren't you home? Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

I opened my mouth instinctively, but no words came out.

If this had been before, I would have answered with irritation, blaming him for interrupting my work again. But now, his intimate tone left me completely silent.

Gregory's voice carried a hint of worry. "Hailey, where are you right now?"

"I'm working," I replied.

He fell silent, seemingly struck by the memory of how I had worked late into the night to clear his debts. He had sworn that once everything was paid off, he would marry me and live an ordinary life with me, just as Mom had hoped.

Today, he should have told me the truth.

"I have something to tell you," he said. "I'm the CEO of Hudson Corporation. I'll come get you right now—"

I hung up.

I hailed a cab and left. I no longer had any expectations of Gregory.

When I finally came back to my senses, my tearful reflection was already staring back at me from the car window.

His messages kept popping up on my phone, but I didn't look at them. I didn't want to.

This was supposed to be the day our new life began. Instead, his lies turned Mom's suicide into a cruel joke. Five years of struggle brought us nothing but an absurd truth.

"Gregory, I don't want to marry you anymore."

…

That night, I didn't go home and stayed at a hotel. Gregory's messages and calls kept coming without pause, but I ignored them all.

The next morning, I arrived at the company early, ready to hand in my resignation.

The office was a branch of Hudson Corporation. I was just an ordinary accountant.

I first met Gregory five years ago when we joined the company at the same time. After we started dating, I introduced him to my mom. She approved of our getting married and began planning the wedding.

Then Gregory told me he owed a huge debt and had been fired from the company.

I took on countless part-time jobs to pay off his debt. Mom's weary face grew older with each passing day, and all this time, we hadn't realized the company had always belonged to him.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Just then, Gregory walked in. Calmly, I took out the printed resignation forms. He stood beside me, and under his gaze, I signed the papers as if nothing had changed.

He looked at me, gently asking, "Are you done?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm done."

Gregory bit his lip slightly, seemingly unaware of the change that had settled over me.