Chapter 1

Helena's POV

I suddenly felt my phone vibrating slightly.

Mia Farrell, my younger sister, messaged me.

"Queenie asked me to sit there because she was worried my cold might get worse. Anthony only gave me his suit jacket because I was sick. Our colleagues are just teasing us in the work group chat. Please don't take it too seriously, Helena."

I stared at the words "just teasing", my expression hardening slightly.

Just the day before, as soon as Anthony Sharp—my secret boyfriend of three years—learned Mia had a cold, he had someone prepare ginger tea for her.

Mia didn't even have to lift a single finger. Someone actually brought it over, poured it into a bowl, and placed it on her desk.

I caught a seasonal cold and coughed a few times back then too, but Anthony frowned deeply and reprimanded me in front of everyone instead. "You should wear a mask if you're sick and not pass it to the others, Helena!"

Yet, at that moment, Mia brushed it off as innocent workplace banter, telling me not to let it bother me.

I managed a strained smile and replied, "Alright."

Anthony messaged me too, sounding almost accusatory. "Why were you walking over to me earlier? Did you forget we're supposed to keep our distance at work, Helena?"

I stared at my phone screen, feeling a bitter ache in my chest.

Anthony had made it clear that I couldn't get within nine feet of him, all to keep our relationship a secret. He didn't want the employees to notice, so I wasn't allowed to stay in his office for more than two minutes or send him a single message during work hours.

I was always left standing in the corner whenever he was at the center of attention in a room full of people.

Queenie White, my best friend, initially joined the company because of me. But once she noticed how clumsy Mia was as a new hire, she took her under her wing and became her go-to partner.

I thought up to that point and decided to resign. I even removed Anthony from my pinned conversations.

If Mia was the one they all cared about, then I was done with all of them.

It was two and a half hours into the meeting, and the blasting AC made my menstrual cramps worse, leaving me even paler. I barely made it until the meeting finally ended.

Queenie suddenly teased Anthony. "Mia has a cold and needs some proper rest. How about we let everyone off early today so that she can get home sooner, Mr. Sharp?"

Anthony cast a brief glance my way before nodding. "That's fine. Just make sure everyone submits their proposals tomorrow."

"Got it!"

Everyone crowded around Mia. "Thanks, Mia! We're actually getting off early today because of you!"

"Mr. Sharp treats you so well!"

Mia downplayed it and exclaimed, "Oh, stop! Mr. Sharp treats all of us the same!"

"How can it be the same?"

Having said that, the colleague started listing everything Anthony had done for Mia. "Mr. Sharp bought you an ergonomic chair when you first joined the company and said your back hurt. He bought you a portable AC unit and placed it right beside you since your desk couldn't get any AC.

"Then, during the company team-building trip, when the boat overturned a few days ago and you fell into the water, Mr. Sharp immediately jumped in and pulled you out. Every single one of us saw the sheer worry written all over his face, Mia!"

"What's really going on between you and Mr. Sharp? Have you been dating all along, Mia?"

Mia smiled bashfully as everyone teased her. "We'll... be family eventually, so it's only natural he takes care of me."

She waved goodbye and left after that.

I stood outside the crowd, unable to hear what they were saying. I was breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain, making me feel lightheaded and faint.

Anthony had seen how badly I was hurting that morning and had promised to take me to the hospital after work, so I sent him my location and waited nearby.

Someone suddenly started talking about me just as I was waiting for Anthony.

"She was trying so hard to sit next to Mr. Sharp earlier, only for him to send her to the seat next to the trash can!

"Mr. Sharp probably figured she belonged in the trash can!"

"Mr. Sharp looked so reluctant when he pulled her out when the boat overturned that day! She actually even had the nerve to cling to him afterward!"

I kept catching people rolling their eyes at me. I was too exhausted to respond, as all I could feel was the intense pain in my lower abdomen.

Anthony's car never showed up, even when all my colleagues had left.

I dropped a message in our four-person group chat—which consisted of Anthony, Mia, Queenie, and me—asking about Anthony's whereabouts.

Half an hour later, Anthony finally replied.

"What do you mean by 'pick you up'? Didn't Queenie tell you that I was going to take Mia home, Helena?"