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Home / Romance Short Story / Say No to Being Second Choice / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Say No to Being Second Choice: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Get this proposal done by the end of the day. It's urgent," Beatrice Campbell ordered in an icy voice. As soon as she finished speaking, she slammed a thick stack of documents onto my desk and walked away. Once she was out of sight, my colleagues crowded around. Their voices were overlapping. One of them asked, "Isn't this Zachary's project?" "His projects are the most difficult. There are so many requirements, and it's hard to find all the information," another commented. "There's no way anyone could finish them all today. Honestly, even by tomorrow night would be a stretch.""Ms. Campbell favors him way too much. He doesn't even handle his own projects, and she just assigns them to someone else."They crowded around me, speaking without restraint. However, I knew perfectly well they weren't defending me. They were just here for the drama. Everyone in the company knew that the CEO, Beatrice, was my girlfriend. Yet, she showed blatant favoritism toward my sworn rival, Zachar

Chapter 2

Even if I hadn't seen her messages back then, Beatrice would have found some other excuse to be with Zachary. After the two of them returned from a business trip some time ago, they still went out for dinners, drinks, and basketball games just as often as before. However, I could sense that the dynamic between them had changed. Fortunately, I no longer cared. A five-year relationship had come to an end, and this farce had finally run its course.…By the time I finished the proposal, I was the only one left in the office.I unlocked my phone, only to see that Zachary had posted several updates in a row. The pictures were taken at an upscale restaurant, and a candlelit dinner was laid out on the table before them. In one of the photos, Beatrice held her knife and fork with elegance as she cut Zachary's steak for him. The caption read, "A steak cut by the CEO herself. Of course, it'll taste better."The comment section quickly filled with colleagues teasing them about how sweet

Chapter 3

A smile tugged at Beatrice's lips as she read Zachary's text. Then, seeming to notice I was still there, she quickly suppressed her smile and said dismissively, "Stop talking about depressing stuff with your friends. If you have that much time, you should spend it on getting familiar with the project."Her voice was cold, completely different from how she spoke to Zachary.Even then, I didn't argue, nor did I mention that the project had already been handed over to Zachary. Beatrice didn't acknowledge me as well. With a smile, she replied to Zachary's messages and went back into the bedroom.Before long, her carefree laughter drifted from behind the door. She seemed to have completely forgotten that I had spent all these years by her side, working day and night, until I had lost contact with every friend I once had. But it was fine that way. At least it spared me the trouble of wasting my breath on her. I returned to the small study I had converted out of the storage room an

Chapter 4

I only realized how pathetic I had been when I learned about Beatrice and Zachary's relationship. Each of these photos seemed to mock me, reminding me what a fool I had been. I didn't bother explaining. "The picture frame broke recently, so I put it away," I said flatly. Beatrice frowned in disgust. "How are you always so clumsy with everything?"Then, she looked down to check the floor for glass. "Make sure you clean it up properly. Don't let anyone get hurt."With that, she walked out of the study.As I stared at her retreating figure, I couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle. She wasn't worried about me. What she really meant was, "Don't let Zachary get hurt".This was our home, yet she had brought him here so many times. At first, Beatrice had snuck him in. Later, when I sensed something was off and confronted her, she produced evidence to show it was just business.She also accused me of being jealous and petty. Then, she began bringing Zachary home open

Chapter 5

Beatrice scoffed after hearing what Kelly said. Then, she looked at me with a triumphant glint in her eye."Really, Sebastian? I actually thought you'd grown up a little," she began. Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. "I can't believe you're still as cunning as ever."If you don't trust me, maybe you should move upstairs and keep an eye on me every second. Or do you want me to put a camera on me to satisfy your curiosity?"I had nothing to say to her in response."Bea, don't be mad. I'm sure Sebastian just got flustered because he cares. He didn't mean any harm," said Zachary. He patted Beatrice's back before turning to me. "Seb, don't get the wrong idea. I was just exhausted, and my head was hurting. Ms. Campbell was only trying to help me feel better so I could keep working. Everything we do is for the company. Don't overthink it."I met his smug gaze. He seemed to want nothing more than for me to jump to the wrong conclusion. Even without knowing the full story, I was certai

Chapter 6

Zachary's eyes lit up, and a smug smile played on his lips. It vanished quickly, but I caught it. "Seb, you've crossed the line. After all, you two—"But before he could finish, Beatrice interrupted coldly, "That's enough, Zachary. Step outside."The rest of Zachary's words caught in his throat. Still, he feigned concern, urging her not to get angry and suggesting we talk things over. Eventually, he reluctantly made his way downstairs.Once he left, Beatrice glared at me coldly. "Sebastian, you're really pushing your luck. I've agreed to marry you, so why are you making such a fuss? Take back what you said about breaking up. As for your resignation, I won't approve it. Tear it up now, and I'll pretend I never saw it."I found her confidence amusing, though it also stirred a pang of sadness. I knew she had become the person she was now because I had spoiled her far too much. This had happened countless times. But each time she gave me an out, I'd take it, letting us continue the

Chapter 7

I hadn't planned on making a scene with Beatrice, but I was prepared to confront her head-on if she started being unreasonable. When I actually dialed the police, Beatrice went pale with shock. She rushed forward, snatched my phone, and ended the call. "Sebastian, are you out of your mind?" "I'm not. I just wanted to ask if what you said holds up legally," I answered.She clearly had never seen me push so relentlessly. At that moment, her panic was obvious. She bit her lip lightly. "That's enough, Sebastian. Don't act out. I know you're upset about Zachary. Starting tomorrow, I won't meet him alone anymore. Is that okay? And I'll finalize the plans for our wedding now."After saying that, Beatrice took out her phone. "I've been checking out this wedding planning firm for a while. I wanted to go over the details with you once I got back. Look…"She held out the phone, letting me see her conversation with the planner. I glanced at it. Sure enough, she was discussing the weddin

Chapter 8

As the days passed, I became more and more absorbed in my research. Over the years, I had stayed at Beatrice's company doing work that had nothing to do with robotics. Despite that, I still kept up with developments in the field in my spare time. So, it didn't feel especially difficult when I began researching it again. During that period, Beatrice sent me several more messages. All of them suggested the same thing—she still didn't believe I would actually leave her, and she kept giving me an out. But I didn't reply. Later, she sent me a few photos. They were screenshots of Zachary's transfer notice. She wrote, "I've already looked into it. Your resignation wasn't approved by me. It was Zachary's mistake. He processed it without realizing the application was yours. "I've transferred him to logistics, and he won't be handling company matters anymore. You've been angry long enough. Isn't it time to let it go?"Not long after, Zachary sent me an apology. The text was long and w

Chapter 9

Beatrice went on, "Alright. Then I'll come to you. We'll even have the proposal overseas. "Sebastian, I swear, you're impossible. You should know that you're the first man I've ever compromised for. You ought to be quietly pleased with yourself. My patience with Zachary doesn't even measure up to a tenth of what I've given you."Just as she was starting to get carried away, clearly ready to keep talking, I picked up the documents beside me and held them up to the camera. "You've misunderstood," I said. "I've emigrated, and I'm never going back."When I ended the call, Beatrice still looked as though she hadn't processed what she had just heard. She stayed rooted to the spot as the ring box slipped from her hand and hit the floor. But I knew better. She would come to her senses, and she would recover quickly. Back when she went out of her way to make things difficult for me just to protect Zachary, she should have known this day would come. This time, Beatrice didn't affect

Chapter 10

"What are you doing here?"I looked at Beatrice calmly, as though I were staring at a total stranger. She seemed to notice it as well and bit her lip. "Sebastian, I broke up with Zachary," she began. "I've thought it through. I'm willing to give up everything and move here with you. I know you're still mad, but I finally understand that I was wrong. I'll figure out how to deal with the company back home, forget everything, and start over with you."I met her determined gaze and found it almost laughable. "Are you actually planning to handle it, or is the company about to declare bankruptcy?" Even though I had stopped paying attention to Beatrice's situation, a former colleague I had added on WhatsApp would still message me from time to time. She told me that not long after I left, the proposal Zachary had been in charge of ran into serious trouble and ended up requiring massive compensation. Due to that, Beatrice and Zachary spent a long time chasing down the other party, p

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