Chapter 4

"Derek, Ms. Chase went out of her way to set up a dinner tonight with the Midwest clients, just to keep me close to her. Once that deal's signed, what's left of your old clients will matter even less.

"I'll be nice and bring you along tonight. I'm giving you a chance to remind everyone you still exist. Otherwise, once the East Coast clients drop you, you'll be out on the street."

I didn't even look up. "I'm not going."

Tyler seemed to have already planned for that answer, so he threw Vivian's name at me to pressure me into it.

"No wonder Vivian dumped you. You're so spineless."

I snapped my head up and glared straight at him.

"Fine. I'll go."

I was going to finally get some payback for the last three years.

-

At the private dining room, Tyler had barely sat down before Vivian settled naturally into the seat right beside him.

Edward Grant laughed, teasing her. "Ms. Chase, you used to bring a guy who was always fawning over you to these business dinners, and now you've upgraded to a cute youngster."

He turned to Tyler. "Let's see how well you can drink."

Vivian, who normally cared more than anyone about keeping up appearances in front of clients, actually held up a hand and said no.

"Mr. Grant, you're too much. Tyler's stomach can't handle alcohol. I'll drink for him."

She didn’t explain and only quietly went along with it.

Edward only shook his head in amusement.

"No wonder you brought your own personal drink stand-in tonight. Guess you really do have a soft spot for your boy toy."

His eyes landed on me.

"Let's see if Derek here still drinks like he used to, three years back. You probably don't know this, but people in the business used to call you Ms. Chase’s little lapdog behind your back. The way you drank, it was honestly terrifying."

I looked over at Vivian. She looked away and handed Tyler a cup of tea instead, letting everyone else spin whatever story they wanted about me.

I opened my mouth. "Mr. Grant, I'll toast you with tea instead of..."

He cut me off before I could finish, impatient.

"Tea?" He slammed his cup down on the table. "Ms. Chase, this is the best you brought to represent your company? This is your idea of good faith?"

Vivian shot me a furious look. "Derek, what's gotten into you? Why are you refusing to drink all of a sudden? What’s your problem?"

"I'm the one with a problem?"

My grip tightened around the teacup. "Vivian, I'm your boyfriend."

The room went dead silent for a few seconds. Then Edward and his people burst out laughing.

"Derek, you drink a few glasses for Ms. Chase, and suddenly you think you're somebody to her?"

"The one standing next to Ms. Chase these days is a fresh young guy like Tyler. Where do you even fit in? Maybe check a mirror before you start dreaming that big."

Everything I'd been holding back finally snapped. I stood up and looked at Vivian coldly.

"Vivian, say it clearly, in front of everyone, right now. What exactly are we to each other?"

Vivian mouthed a warning at me to knock it off. When I didn't move, she finally spoke, a bite of resentment in her voice.

"Derek, you've had too much to drink. You're an employee. How dare you raise your voice at me like this?"

The air went ice cold.

I stared at her for a brief moment, then I laughed.

"Very impressive, Vivian."

I turned and walked away, swallowing the pain. Behind me, the room erupted.

"What is his problem? Who do you think you're giving attitude to?"

"Ms. Chase, if you can't even keep your own people in line or show a little good faith, maybe we shouldn't bother with this partnership at all."

Vivian had no choice but to smile and apologize repeatedly to Edward, smoothing things over just enough to move past it.

Afterward, she came after me like she'd lost her mind.

"Derek! How many times have I told you we need to keep this quiet! What is wrong with you!"

All she got back was a string of notifications that the messages didn't go through.

Furious, she went straight to HR, trying to scare me with a fake threat of termination.

"But... Derek's already accepted a job with our competitor, Pierce Group."