Chapter 3

Contracts, files, and project materials were scattered across the floor.

All of it was built piece by piece with my own hands.

Who gave her the right?

"Put everything down."

I crossed the room in three strides and slapped Hannah across the face.

"Who allowed you to touch my things?"

Hannah held her cheek, but her eyes were stubborn.

"Marcus said you lost a major deal, so you no longer deserve this office. He said you should work in a cubicle in the common area."

Maybe someone had already told him, because Marcus arrived moments later.

His eyes flickered when he saw the mess.

"Hannah, I told you to notify her. Who told you to move her things?"

Hannah lowered her hand, revealing the red mark on her face, and looked at him pitifully.

His heart softened at once.

"Constance, I made the decision. If you want to vent, vent at me.

"But rules are rules. Hannah sent the cost sheet, yes, but your team submitted the file. You bear direct responsibility."

He sighed and placed both hands on my shoulders.

"I saw that you bought a plane ticket.

"But I don't have time to go home with you.

"Take this chance to go back for a few days, all right?"

I shook off his hands.

"Who said I wanted you to go with me? I'm going home because..."

He sneered. "Because you're going home to be matched with someone and get married?

"Stop threatening me with that. Hannah already told me your village doesn't have any rule that women must go home and marry at thirty."

Hannah said, "Constance, don't blame me for telling Marcus. I just couldn't bear to see him deceived."

I looked her over calmly.

Designer suit. Chanel earrings. Louis Vuitton bag.

None of it matched her salary.

And it was worlds away from the girl I first knew.

Back then, she had been grateful because I paid part of her tuition.

Her first decent college outfit was bought by me.

I took her to open her first bank account.

I took her to her first buffet.

She once said she would repay me when she succeeded.

Now she leaned against my boyfriend, wearing things my boyfriend bought, while saying she pitied him for being deceived by me.

I no longer cared to preserve anyone's dignity.

From my bag, I pulled out a stack of printed pages.

In front of the entire office, I began reading aloud.

"Three months ago, my boyfriend took you to a hotel. Room fees and protection totaled five thousand eight hundred dollars."

"Two months ago, he bought you a limited-edition bag worth ten thousand two hundred dollars."

"One week ago, he bought you a ring worth one hundred twenty-six thousand dollars."

I flipped the pages.

"Every item has photos and receipts. So tell me, who exactly is deceiving whom?"

Whispers spread through the office.

Some people looked at Hannah with open contempt.

Marcus's face shifted between white and red.

I told the staff to put everything back.

Even when Marcus tried to stop them, no one listened.

Riley even said with a pointed smile, "Ms. Rivers, I'll disinfect the room for you. It reeks of mistress in here."

The disinfectant spray landed on Marcus and Hannah.

In the end, Marcus could only snap, "Fine. Fine, all of you," before leaving with Hannah.

Once the office was restored and I had barely sat down, the community chair back home called me.

"Willow, are you sure you're coming back?"

"If you are, I'll ask Owen Cole to pick you up at the station."

A smile I had not felt in a long time came over me.

"I already bought my flight. But don't tell grandma yet. I want to surprise her."

The community chair's voice brightened as he agreed again and again before hanging up.

There was no real rule in our village that unmarried thirty-year-olds had to go home and marry.

But my grandmother was eighty.

She could not wait forever.

After Marcus and I finally tore away the mask, he and Hannah became even more shameless at work.

It was as if they no longer had to hide from me.