Chapter 3

I laughed self-deprecatingly as I watched the elevator go up. I clicked on my email and read through the numerous job invitations I received daily.

For the first time, I actually replied to them.

Chad: [Dear Mr. Smith, I would like to accept the offer to join your company. I will arrive at the Halveston airport tomorrow.]

The Human Resources Department of this huge overseas company seemed to be waiting for my reply because they responded almost instantly.

HR: [Dear Mr. Lyman, don't worry. Our company will provide you with the most competitive salary in the market and a suitable environment that we're confident you’ll be happy with."

I went home to pack right away and bought my flight tickets, which my new company was sponsoring. Before the end of the day, I returned to my current company to hand in my resignation.

The company's celebration party was about to end, and Emily was giving her speech on stage. She looked up, but she slowly turned away when she saw that it was me. Once everyone had left, I followed her into her office.

Emily sat in her chair and suddenly said, "Ivan, please massage my shoulders."

Ivan came forward and purposely bumped into me before massaging Emily's shoulders with relish. He looked at me gleefully and mouthed two words at me.

"You're trash!"

Emily and I had been together for ten years, but she had never let me get as close to her as Ivan did. At first, she said she was shy, but later she claimed we should not be so lovey-dovey since we had already been together for some time.

In truth, she had just never really accepted me.

Emily purposely ignored me and picked up a proposal on her desk to read it. "Why aren't you saying anything? Is this the right attitude for an apology?"

I placed my resignation letter on her desk. "Please sign this, Miss Stewart."

Emily continued looking at the proposal. She flipped the page and said with a snigger, "Isn't it a little old-fashioned to be writing an apology to me? I can't believe you think this will work. Read it to me, Ivan."

Ivan could not help smiling, and he picked up my resignation letter right away. He cleared his throat and read, "Resignation—"

When Emily heard that word, she lost her composure and slammed the proposal on her desk. She glanced at me before snatching the letter from Ivan's hand, reading it quickly. Her clutch tightened on the letter, and she crumpled it.

"You're being ridiculous, Chad! I was about to forgive you if you had come here to apologize sincerely, but you're taking this too far!"

I replied calmly, "Miss Stewart, aside from my resignation, I'd like to demand the wages you owe me from the last ten years. I don't want any stock options.

“After my monthly expenses of $1,000, my remaining wages would be $5,000 a month. Ten years' worth of wages totals $600,000. Please inform the Finance Department to transfer the money to my bank account."

Emily looked at me in disbelief, trembling with anger. "What do you mean, the wages you’re owed? Didn't you say all your money belongs to me? You told me that you didn't care about money!"

When she saw that I was serious, she swiped everything off her desk in anger and looked at me with disappointment. "I was wrong about you, Chad. You're just like Ivan! All you care about is money.

"No, I take that back. Ivan is better than you are.

“At least he never asks me for money, while you keep mentioning money just because you had a minor achievement. You disgust me!"

Was I more disgusting than Ivan? Was Ivan, the man who abandoned her at the first sign of trouble, humiliated her with his new girlfriend, and ordered his bodyguards to beat her up until she was nearly paralyzed, better than I was?

He never asked Emily for money because she always gave it to him without him having to ask. He was always in a bespoke suit and looked like the elegant rich heir he once was.

Every time we met clients together, they always mistook him for the lead and me for his assistant.

I could no longer take the pain in my heart.

I said with difficulty, "It doesn't matter what you think, Miss Stewart. I just want what I deserve."