Chapter 2

Eric handed me the gift box.

"This is a little something to thank you for giving up those shares."

I glanced at it. It was an emerald bracelet, and a rare antique piece at that.

But I'd seen this very bracelet on Eunice's wrist just a few days ago. So, he was fobbing me off with a fake as a reward?

When he saw me smile, he assumed I was very pleased with the gift and immediately moved to put it on me.

But the moment he picked up the bracelet, I instinctively dodged away.

He froze for a moment and asked awkwardly, "You don't like it?"

I caught the guilt flickering in his eyes. After a pause, I answered calmly, "It's too expensive."

Hearing this, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He was just about to comfort me when his phone rang urgently.

He glanced at it and hurriedly stepped out of the walk-in closet to take the call.

The moment the call connected, Eunice's impatient voice came through.

"Eric, hurry up and come down. I've been waiting forever."

Seeing this, I casually tossed the bracelet into the drawer.

Oscar gasped when he saw it. "Ms. Sawyer, haven't you always treasured the gifts Mr. Powell gives you? So, why would you just toss it aside like that?"

Treasured them? I practically worshipped the things Eric gave me like sacred relics, just short of building a shrine for them.

But ever since Eric brought Eunice home, he'd generously let her pick and choose freely from the gifts he'd given me.

I'd even argued with him about it, yet he turned around and accused me of being selfish and petty. He then went and bought her something even better and more expensive.

Soon after, Eric hung up the phone and took the luggage from Oscar's hands.

"I'm pressed for time," he said hurriedly. "Remember to follow up on the wedding dress we ordered earlier. Whatever you do, don't let it delay the wedding."

With that, he moved to embrace me, but I instinctively took a step back to evade him.

Eric looked at me quizzically, as if about to say something. But then, he remembered Eunice was waiting outside, so he awkwardly dropped his hand.

Pretending to be in a hurry, he grabbed his coat from Diana and rushed out the door.

I stood by the window and watched as he attentively opened the car door for Eunice and got into the car with a face full of smiles.

That car was the very first gift Eric had ever given me.

I'd been keeping it in the garage all this time, barely taking it out, because I couldn't bear the thought of messing up something Eric gave me.

Never did I imagine that as soon as Eunice laid eyes on it, Eric would hand it over to her without a second thought.

He then turned to me and said, "Since you don't even have a license, you can't use the car anyway. Might as well give it to Eunice. She lives far from the office, so it'll be perfect for her to commute.

"That way, she can also generate more profit for the company. Once you get your license, I'll buy you an even better car."

I silently watched Eunice take the car keys and cling to Eric, insisting he take her out for a spin.

I let out a resigned smile. Truth be told, I'd gotten my driver's license long ago. In fact, it was sitting right in the drawer of my bedside table.

It was just that he never cared enough to ever open it and look.

As I watched the car disappear from the yard, I turned on my phone and dialed a number.

"I'd like to cancel the custom groom's tuxedo I ordered earlier. Yeah, that's fine. I'll bear the corresponding losses."

I'd originally picked out that tuxedo as a wedding gift for Eric, hoping it'd make him happy on the day we got married.

But now, it seemed destined to go unused.

The next day, I had my resignation letter ready.

I walked into the office and immediately felt the weight of my colleagues' stares.

I was used to it by now, so I just slipped into my seat like nothing had happened.

Judging by the looks on their faces, God only knew what Eunice had been telling them this time.

Eunice had always been bad-mouthing me behind my back. At first, I brushed it off because I didn't think it mattered. But as the misunderstanding piled up, whenever I tried to set things straight, I only ended up sounding defensive.

Thus, I gave up and let them think whatever they wanted.

I hadn't even finished pouring my coffee when my phone started blowing up with 99 messages from Eunice.

I didn't even need to open them to know they'd be a parade of lovey-dovey photos of her and Eric.

The timestamp watermark in the corner of every photo made it clear that she was at it all day, every day.