Chapter 2

As they left, I floated back to my body and saw the glass shards of my watch that had shattered from the fall. That watch was one of a matching pair, and the other one was with Cornelia.

It was a special day. I still wore the watch although we had been fighting because it meant something to me.

But Cornelia did not even look for it.

…

Cornelia brought Trevor to her apartment.

She had him shower and changed his clothes and shoes. Then, she dumped them all into the washing machine.

The apartment was empty but for them. Dishes from breakfast were still on the dining table.

Before, I would clean up Cornelia’s apartment no matter how busy I was.

But Cornelia did not notice anything amiss. She walked straight into the bedroom and dug out a brand-new suit for Trevor.

She even went with Trevor into the study, where there was a security camera, to write up some work reports.

She had shifted forward the time on the security footage twenty minutes. It gave Trevor a solid alibi to show that they had not been at the scene when the incident happened.

All of it went off smoothly, without a single hitch.

That day at 2:00 p.m., the worker in charge of the concrete mixer discovered the body and reported it to his manager.

Thus, Cornelia, the project manager, and Trevor, the project supervisor, arrived at the police station to give a statement.

On the way there, Cornelia kept coaching Trevor repeatedly.

“What do you say when the police ask what you were doing? You tell them you had just finished your site visit. Everything was normal, and you were going off to lunch. There is proof in the inspection log.

“Tell them that this incident is a product of your supervisory negligence. Take the initiative and admit fault. Say that you’re willing to take responsibility for this mistake.

“Tell them that you wish to contact the next of kin and apologize to them. Suggest that we install the wiring as soon as possible so we can put up security cameras. That way, this would never repeat again.”

After telling Trevor all of that, she comforted him. “Let me handle everything else. Don’t worry.”

It was the second time Cornelia had told Trevor not to worry.

Even I was moved by her confident and reassuring tone and steady gaze, much less Trevor.

Trevor was so touched that he could not speak.

After a beat, he lowered his head and said, “It’s so great to have you by my side, Lia.”

Cornelia chuckled. She patted Trevor’s hand and said, “I’ll always be this great.”

Hearing those corny words, I felt gooseflesh rise even though I was a ghost.

It was just so icky.

I hated hearing such words. Luckily, Cornelia had never tried to talk that way with me.

After all, I was no match for her childhood sweetheart.

Moreover, Trevor and Cornelia were more than childhood sweethearts; they had once been engaged.

But then, Cornelia’s family went bankrupt, and the Hampton family dissolved the engagement. They had even sent Trevor overseas to split him and Cornelia up.

That was when I met Cornelia.

I had just graduated college with a design degree. I had sent my resume everywhere looking for a job. At a job fair, I saw Cornelia sitting alone in a corner.

She had worn a full skirt, and her hair reached her waist. She seemed so lonely sitting in that corner.

At that very instant, I knew that I had fallen in love.

I had never met a quieter and more reserved woman in my life.

More surprisingly, despite her cool demeanor, she blossomed like a flower when she smiled and became all the more gorgeous.

I watched the way she would burn the midnight oil working on a project. I had never seen such a solemn expression before, shot through with ambition.

As if prompted by some mysterious force, I stayed at her company. It was so small that it numbered only a few people.

Cornelia was undeniably capable. Within three years, her family would be at the top again.

When Montero Construction received its first project, Cornelia threw a company-wide celebration.

She had smiled ecstatically and asked me, “You like me, don’t you, Liam Vance?”

I had been floored.

I nodded and admitted to it.

The whole world knew that I liked Cornelia. Except Cornelia herself.