Chapter 4

In the other photo, I was holding a woman's hand. Our fingers were tightly intertwined, both of us wearing matching rings.

I stared at it in shock.

Engagement rings with custom engravings? That sounded far too cheesy to ever be something I'd actually do.

"Cora, you really have too much free time on your hands if you're Photoshopping stuff like this just to tease me. Since when did pressuring me to get married get so bizarre?"

Ignoring her stunned expression, I walked straight back to my room to rest.

Cora followed me right inside. "Damien, did you go crazy from a failed marriage proposal or something?"

I rubbed my temples. "No, I just had a memory-erasure procedure done. I forgot a lot of things. And don't ask me why, because I don't remember."

Her playful demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a look of deep sympathy. She simply told me to rest well and turned to leave.

I vaguely heard her instructing someone to investigate my whereabouts and actions over the past few days, but I didn't pay it any mind and quickly drifted into a heavy sleep.

The next morning, the sound of my phone ringing woke me up.

A colleague claiming to work under me said, "Ms. Shaw is furious. She says she's going to fire you if you don't hurry up and get to some cosmetics company right away."

Was I really the type to clock into an office job and take orders like this? And since when was I ever interested in cosmetics?

Just who had I turned myself into over these past eight years?

Driven by confusion, I rushed over to the company, where my subordinate quickly jogged up to meet me.

"Ms. Shaw is on a rampage today. She said missing four straight days is a major breach of contract, and she's threatening to fire you!"

Stepping into the executive office and seeing Ms. Shaw sitting there, I let out a helpless sigh. Why was it Phoebe again?

Could it be that I really did have a secret relationship with her, completely upending my life and losing myself just for her sake?

Lost in thought, I didn't notice the man sitting on the sofa nearby.

"Mr. Robertson, you've been absent for four days, setting a terrible example for everyone else. Are you trying to stage a protest against me?"

Phoebe spoke in a high-and-mighty tone. "According to company policy, unexcused absences are grounds for immediate termination. However, considering you're a company veteran and we're currently in the promotional push for 'Ocean Blue', I'll give you one more chance.

"You will step down from your position as Department Manager and hand it over to David. You'll take over as the team leader for the promotion department instead."

I frowned. Who cared about being a team leader?

"Don't bother reassigning me. I quit."

Before Phoebe could even open her mouth, the man on the sofa spoke up first. "Phoebe, your eye for talent has really slipped. How do you expect to scale your business with such an uninspired manager? He lacks resilience, too, resorting to resignation threats the moment something doesn't go his way."

Her face turned ashen, her dark brows furrowing tightly in anger. "Damien, can you grow up for once? This is business. Stop mixing your personal feelings with work!"

I maintained a completely indifferent expression. "I'm really resigning. I'm simply not cut out for this kind of work."

David suddenly lowered his head, looking deeply aggrieved. "Is he mad at me for joining the company? He's led so many projects over the past five years, so how could he not be cut out for it? How about this? Damien, you keep the manager position, and I'll just work under you. Would that work?"

Phoebe looked at him with sympathy, but when her eyes turned back to me, they were filled with frustration and rage.

"Damien, stop throwing tantrums! We're at a critical stage for launching 'Ocean Blue', and the company needs David's help.

"Give David the official title, but you'll handle the actual operations behind the scenes while he assists. I'll even throw in a fifty percent raise. Don't push your luck."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Was this self-righteous woman seriously my girlfriend?

Over the past two days, she had done nothing but lose her temper with me or boss me around. Not once had she calmed down to ask what I actually needed. I hadn't felt a single drop of love from her.