My Birthday Mission

After a heated argument with Joanna Gordon, Gus Harding was in a foul mood and insisted that I accompany him for a reckless joyride. The result was a catastrophic accident. The front of the car slammed hard into a tree, causing the airbag on the passenger side to deploy violently. I felt like my insides were crushed. Turning to check on Gus, I was relieved to see he was unharmed. He dragged me out of the car and propped me against the tree trunk. I managed a silly grin and said, "Does this count as us going through tough times together?"Gus smirked and was about to respond when his phone suddenly rang. "Don't worry. I'll be there soon," he said, anger radiating from him as he turned to leave. After taking a few steps, he abruptly remembered that I was heavily injured. "Genevieve, just head back by yourself. Joanna's in trouble with some thugs, and I need to go save her." "But it's the middle of nowhere—" My desperate protest was cut off. "Genevieve, don't add to my trou

After dropping Joanna off at her place, Gus firmly rejected her hints about staying the night. That was unusual for him. In the past, when Gus and I traveled to the neighboring city to meet clients, it took us five hours by car. Even if we wrapped up at 1:00 AM, he would stubbornly insist on returning home to Joanna. "Every time I go on business trips with you, Joanna won't be able to sleep if I don't go back," he would say. Gus kept his eyes downcast. His face was shadowed by the darkness of the car, making it impossible for me to read his expression. The atmosphere in the vehicle was heavy and stifling. Finally, the driver broke the silence. "Mr. Harding, should we head to the hospital?" It was then that Gus realized something was off. In this latest fight, I hadn't rushed to his side to protect him, nor had I tenderly cleaned his wounds. He shook his head, his reply succinct. "Take me to Genevieve's." Indeed, it seemed that only when he needed something did Gus remembe

The next morning, when Gus opened his eyes, he was surprised to find Joanna nestled in his arms, looking sweet and innocent. Her long lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. As their gazes met, Joanna's eyes filled with tears, making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable. Gus's heart twisted at the sight. "Gus, I couldn't sleep last night. My arm hurt, and you weren't around…" Her words sent a jolt of regret through him, his heart aching. "I'm sorry, Joanna. It's all my fault." He gently kissed away her tears, and her face lit up with a smile, though she playfully chided him, "Did you go back for Genevieve last night?" Gus's expression darkened, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Why would I? That heartless woman? There's no way I'd go back to her." "What if something happened to her on the highway? She was alone out there…" "Then she deserves it!" Gus spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "Let's not talk about her anymore; it ruins our mood. We should do som

Gus finally arrived at my house with a gift in hand, but just as he did, he caught sight of my mother firing a maid.In the past, because I had feelings for Gus, my parents had always treated him well. But Gus mistakenly believed it was his charm that endeared him to others. He stepped forward, attempting to intervene. "Mrs. Clark, may I ask why you're dismissing this maid?"Following his gaze, I realized the maid in question was Joanna's mother.My mother didn't even glance up. "Do I need to report to you now about my household matters?"Gus froze for a moment, his posture rigid. "I didn't mean to overstep. I'm close to her daughter, so I just thought—"Before he could finish, my mom interrupted him. "If you're so close to her daughter, why not take her home to be your maid? You can certainly afford the salary."With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Gus standing there, stuck between a rock and a hard place.For some reason, seeing him flounder brought me a flicker of

"When I arrived, Genevieve was already dead. The doctor said it was organ failure. You thought she was fine, but in reality, you shattered her insides!"Gus crumbled, clutching his head, his face twisted in agony. "That's impossible!"I watched him unravel without a hint of emotion.What did he mean, "That's impossible"? Was it impossible that I would die, or was it impossible for that accident to have killed me? But Suzie wasn't concerned about Gus's suffering; she only wished he was in more pain. With a mocking tone, she said, "My poor Genevieve. Back then, she threw her life away to save you from being kidnapped, driving straight into the kidnappers' car. She loved you so much, but too bad, you don't deserve it!"The words "You don't deserve it" echoed in Gus's mind. After a long pause, he finally came to his senses. "You're saying it was Genevieve who saved me back then?" He seemed caught in a torturous struggle, hammering his fists against his head. "But when I wok