Chapter 3

Arthur’s tone turned gentle while trying to coax Clarice, “I’m telling you the truth, there’s a lot of work piling up now, and we can’t afford any delays. Why would I lie to you just to avoid firing a secretary?”

She was insistent, “Even if you can’t fire her, at least punish her by making her kneel at the company entrance for a day. Can you do that?”

This time, Arthur caved in.

He turned to Anise, “Those documents are very important for sustaining our key collaborations, but you failed to look after them. You have two choices. Either pay fifty million dollars for the damage or kneel at the entrance for a day.”

Anise knew he was only forcing her to do this because Clarice wanted to take it out on her.

There was no way she could come up with fifty million dollars on the spot. With that, she staggered to her feet before making her way to the entrance to suffer the humiliation of kneeling there.

She lowered her head to the ground so nobody would see the troubled look in her eyes. The entire time, she heard the whispers of her passing colleagues.

“Isn't she Mr. Renault’s most trusted secretary? Why is she kneeling here? It must be embarrassing with so many people watching!”

“I saw what happened. She didn't do anything wrong. She only got punished because Miss Reid took offense.”

“Miss Reid is Mr. Renault’s teenage crush after all. Even after all these years, he still couldn’t forget her. Anise should have known better than to step on Miss Reid’s toes. She had it coming!”

Everything they said added insult to injury. Anise felt like she was getting choked out of her breath.

Suddenly, she remembered an episode from her younger days when several boys at school were picking on her during Clarice's birthday. They were calling her names, saying that she looked like a piece of dung when compared to Clarice, who was as beautiful as a rose.

Their comments had everyone erupting in laughter. She ended up fleeing the room and ducking aside to the stairway to get away from them.

It was Arthur who went to her and handed her a pack of tissues.

“Don't worry about them and just focus on yourself. You’ll be fine.”

To this day, Anise remembered what he told her.

This whole time, she was convinced Arthur stayed by her side because he recognized her inner strength. That was the reason she dedicated herself to working for him without any complaints.

As soon as Clarice returned, he dismissed all her effort and sacrifices she had made for him. He did it all just for Clarice.

She was nothing more than a secretary he could fire at any time he wanted.

Now that he no longer had any use for her, it was time for her to leave.

She had been kneeling all day until her knees chafed and bled. She was in so much pain by the end of it that she could barely walk.

When it was time to clock out, she limped back to the office to get her bag, only to run into Arthur.

He noticed her injuries and regarded her with a faint frown.

“I’ll give you a few days off. Get some rest and come back to work once you're healed.”

Anise grumbled in acknowledgment without looking at him. Then, she silently turned around and left.

Upon returning home, she immediately treated her wounds before beginning to pack up.

When news of Clarice's return reached them, Arthur immediately ordered her to move out of the villa.

Everything happened so quickly. She only managed to chaotically stuff all of her belongings in a suitcase before leaving.

Now that she was about to return to her hometown, it was time to sort her belongings.

She threw away the necklaces and jewelry Arthur had given her over the years, along with the photos she had snuck of him sleeping. She also tossed out the old diaries from her younger days, filled with entries about her crush on Arthur, along with other scattered mementos.

While all this was happening, she would gloss through the various gossip her colleagues shared in the company's group chat.

That was how she found out Arthur got on his knees to massage Clarice’s legs after she went on an extended shopping trip. When she complained about the office lights being too bright, he had the entire building's lights replaced overnight. When she was in a bad mood, he canceled all meetings and put off his work to be with her…

As she silently read the text, she kept repeating the same thing to herself.

‘Soon. Just a little longer, and it will be all over.’

She recovered in time for the company's annual party.

When Arthur showed up with Clarice, the entire room erupted in applause. Everyone showered them with compliments about how they made the perfect couple, like a match made in heaven.

When he stepped off the stage with Clarice, he helped straighten her dress and even took off his coat to drape over her shoulders. He even drank her toasts for her so she wouldn’t have to…

Meanwhile, Anise hid in a corner and watched the way Arthur’s eyes creased from smiling. She slowly averted her gaze.

Soon, it was time for the awards ceremony.

Anise received the Best Employee Award just as she did in previous years.

She stepped onto the stage under the watchful eyes of the audience. Behind her was a projected slide showing her achievements over the past year.

She fiddled with the microphone and prepared to give a customary acceptance speech when a round of commotion suddenly started within the crowd.

Everyone was exchanging whispers and casting strange looks at her.