Chapter 2

I had almost forgotten that Quentin had gone abroad for some once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity when he and Teresa were at the height of their relationship.

Teresa, crushed by heartbreak and desperate for comfort, accepted my confession only because of that.

Quentin, her darling first love, had returned, yet I was still foolish enough to think I had a place in her heart.

I felt a bitter ache in my chest as I asked her, "Does this count as one of the requests I'm fulfilling for you, Teresa?"

Teresa furrowed her brow, clearly not understanding the question. She originally intended to ask what I was talking about, but seeing how pale Quentin looked, she could only brush off her confusion and answer hastily, "Yes."

I nodded with a wry smile. "I'll do it, then."

I thought my life was ruined back when I was kicked out of my house without a single cent to my name.

That was until I met Teresa, who acted like my guardian angel. She helped me get in touch with a company and arranged for me to join their best team. That gave me the chance to make a name for myself and have my talent recognized.

I finally worked up the courage to propose to her on the day of the award ceremony.

Teresa remained silent, her gaze lingering on my face for a long while.

I sensed the profound gloom in her eyes and asked, "What will it take for you to marry me, Teresa?"

Teresa sighed. She then avoided my gaze and continued offhandedly, "Why don't we make a deal? Fulfill 99 requests for me unconditionally, with each one counting as a step toward me. We'll hopefully have a happily ever after once you've fulfilled all 99 requests."

It turned out Teresa had forgotten our deal.

But it didn't really matter. I would be able to leave without any regrets once I completed this 97th request, along with the two that remained after it.

Just as I had completed the design drafts, a torrential downpour hit, and my car tires got stuck in the mud, spinning helplessly. I ran as hard as I could, but when I stepped into the hospital ward, all I saw was the malicious grin on Quentin's face.

I was still trying to figure out what was happening when I suddenly lost my footing. I pitched forward and knocked over the bucket of dirty water the cleaning lady had been using. The design drafts were soaked through, and my elbow slammed hard against the floor, sending a wave of intense pain through my arm.

The cleaning lady let out a gasp of surprise.

Quentin, still in his hospital bed, rubbed his temple and said in an aggrieved tone, "You could've just said so if you didn't want to help me with the design drafts. You didn't have to trip and ruin them deliberately, Mr. Lister."

Teresa had intended to help me up when I slipped, but after hearing what Quentin said, she shot me a cold look. "You should just head home. Your clothes are all wet."

Quentin held onto her hand and said, "It's alright. I'm not in a hurry with those design drafts anyway. You shouldn't let this ruin your mood, Teresa."

Teresa was about to speak, but seeing that I had already stood up, she stopped herself.

I picked up the design drafts and walked unsteadily toward the exit.

Teresa noticed how stiff my arm was, a flicker of worry in her eyes. "What's wrong with your arm, Aaron?"

Quentin's mocking voice rang out behind me. "Is this your way of imitating me? I mean, my hand is injured, and now yours is too, Mr. Lister.

"Oh, I know what you're doing! Now that your hand's hurt, you don't have to finish the design drafts, and you even get Teresa's sympathy on top of it, Mr. Lister!"

Teresa's eyes widened in disbelief. She wanted to yell at me, but after glancing at the other patients in the hospital ward, she lowered her voice and snapped, "You could've just said so if you didn't want to help out! You don't need to play these petty games! I honestly don't even know who you are anymore, Aaron!"

I smiled wryly, knowing that nobody would care about what a failure had to say—not that I'd ever bragged about my success, even when I was at the top. Quentin had the upper hand now, especially with Teresa's blatant favoritism.

I knew that nothing I said would matter, as she was never going to believe me over him.