Chapter 3

"Manager Holt, look carefully.

"Don't let someone talk you in circles. If you say the wrong thing, it may be very hard to take back later."

I trembled with anger. "Lydia! What do you mean by that?"

Unexpectedly, Manager Holt reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He jerked back and waved his hands again and again.

"Fake! It's fake!

"That personal seal looks fake too. It doesn't look real at all!"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"That's not what you said just now!"

As if angered by my question, he suddenly raised his voice and scolded me sharply.

"Who knows where you got this garbage contract and seal?

"I know nothing! Don't ask me!"

After saying that, he pushed through the crowd and fled in a panic, terrified of being dragged down with me.

Ryan hypocritically placed a hand on Lydia's shoulder and pretended to be the good guy.

"Forget it, Lydia. Connor was probably just confused for a moment. You really never know what's inside a person."

The surrounding colleagues immediately chimed in, pointing at me.

"Exactly. That's terrifying. He threw away his dignity just to take advantage."

"He usually looks so honest. I didn't expect him to be like this."

Lydia folded her arms, lifted her chin, and looked at me with contempt.

"What else do you have to say? Who else do you want to drag in to lie for you?

"If the chairman really rewarded you with a villa, why didn't he mention it at yesterday's company-wide meeting? That would've been the perfect chance to honor you."

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain.

I wanted to say that it was because I wanted to get the deed first, then propose to her in that sky penthouse overlooking the entire city.

I wanted to give her that home as our wedding gift.

But when the words reached my lips and I looked at her cold face, I could not say a single word.

She did not believe me at all.

In her mind, anything I said was an excuse, the dying struggle of someone whose lie had been exposed.

My silence, to her, became admission.

"Connor, given that you attempted to misappropriate company property and repeatedly argued without remorse,

"I have decided to suspend you for one month to reflect."

I let out a cold laugh.

"No need. I quit."

Her brows knitted, but she still wore that superior expression.

"I'm giving you a way down. Don't threaten me with resignation."

Ryan immediately joined in from the side.

"Lydia, you're too kind.

"If I had a girlfriend who cared for me like that, I'd be the happiest man alive."

As he spoke, he naturally took Lydia's hand.

And Lydia did not pull away.

In that moment, the last shred of hope I had for her completely died.

Ryan had only been here for a week, but Lydia mentioned him almost every day.

She praised him for being young and promising, for being sweet-talking and clever.

Looking at their joined hands, I suddenly laughed.

What else did I need to understand?

"Then you can have him."

I looked at Lydia and said, word by word, "Lydia, we're done."

She seemed stunned for a second and wanted to say something.

But I no longer wanted to hear a single word. I turned and left.

The moment I returned to the apartment Lydia and I rented together, my phone notified me that my resignation process had been completed.

The next second, Lydia kicked me out of the company group chat.

Ryan sent me a message.

It was a photo of him and Lydia on the sales office couch, posed so intimately it made the meaning unmistakable.

"Craving something fresh tonight. Might start with your girlfriend."

"Heard you never even slept with her. What a loser."

My stomach churned with disgust.

Lydia's messages followed right after.

"Fine, break up then. Don't come crawling back to me!"

"Being with a spineless loser with trash character like you is humiliating."

"Ryan's different. His family owns two houses in Northbridge, and he's ambitious."