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All Chapters of She Crashed and Burned Without Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

The conference room was packed with executives, yet deathly silent.My longtime colleagues watched me with undisguised anger and pity. I froze upon entering and instinctively turned toward the head of the table, where Catherine Sanders was seated.At that instant, my eyes widened in surprise."Cate, who is this?"I frowned and pointed at the man sitting beside Catherine at the head of the table.That seat was supposed to be mine.Ten years ago, Catherine's father died suddenly, leaving her a company buried in debt and on the brink of collapse. Just to be closer to the woman I admired, I gave up a high-paying overseas job and joined her without hesitation.Back then, the company was buried in debt. Employees fled one after another. I was her only remaining staff member.I wasn't just her secretary or her driver. I handled the company's workload, her logistics, and even the basic details of her daily living.It was no exaggeration to say that without me, there would be no Sander

Chapter 2

"Ms. Sanders, William has done more for this company than anyone else. He's officially the marketing manager, but he's been handling assistant director duties all along. And now, just as we're about to go public, you bring someone else in for that role. Isn't that too much?""Exactly. Without William, there wouldn't be Sanders Technology today. If you don't appoint him Assistant Director, I'll be the first to object!"Several colleagues who had worked alongside me for years couldn't hold back their frustration and spoke up in my defense.Catherine's expression darkened instantly. She swept her gaze across the room and said coldly, "Am I the boss, or are you the boss? Do I need your approval to make decisions?"Her gaze softened as they landed on me."I know this seems unfair, but Benedict is a returnee with a PhD in Economics. He understands public company management and is more qualified in every way. This isn't personal—it's for the company's future. After ten years by my side,

Chapter 3

I said nothing.Through the glass, I saw Catherine standing outside, wrapped in a pearl-white gown that accentuated her poised, cold elegance.Benedict stood beside her, and the two of them laughed together. A tightness gripped my chest.For Catherine, I had fought for ten full years. I went from a naive young man charging forward for love to a middle-aged man still holding the line for it. Along the way, I missed and lost far too much.I turned down high-paying overseas offers, rejected several women who pursued me, and pinned my entire heart on her. I even missed the chance to see my mother one last time.After everything we had experienced, I truly thought she understood my feelings. I was sure we were meant to be together, and yet…"William, stop hesitating," Lucas urged, jolting me out of my trance.After a brief silence, I said softly, "You joined Sanders Technology straight out of your internship. Are you really willing to leave?""He stiffened at my words, then said not

Chapter 4

Ten years ago, the Sanders family company fell into crisis. Her father jumped to his death, her mother ran off with another man, and the company was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, buried under tens of millions of dollars in debt.It was just the two of us then, and rescuing the company from its dire state was anything but easy.I still remembered it clearly. On my third day at the company, debt collectors blocked the doors and trapped us inside.A bloated man in his 50s brought a group of thugs and forced us into a corner. He pointed at Catherine and bared his teeth in a leering grin. "Sweetheart, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Stay with me for a year, and I'll wipe out three million dollars of your debt. Otherwise, find a way to pay up today."The company didn't have a single dollar to spare. Catherine cowered against the wall, shaking with fear, pleading for them to grant us more time. However, those people had no compassion at all.More than a dozen men started sho

Chapter 5

I let out a bitter laugh. "No. 1 employee? I poured my heart and soul into this for ten years, nearly losing my life in the process, yet in your eyes, I was nothing more than an employee? I was the biggest fool in the world. I was truly blind and stupid."Catherine was visibly impatient. "Can you stop bringing up your sacrifices all the time? I know you gave a lot to the company, but isn't 100 million dollars enough?""No, it wasn't enough," I shot back. "Can 100 million dollars buy back ten years of my youth? Can it make up for missing my mother's final moments because of you? Can it undo the permanent injury I suffered because of you? As a grown man, I can't even carry a bucket of water upstairs anymore. Can money buy back that kind of damage?"Tears welled up in my eyes as I continued, "You know better than anyone what I've given up and lost for you over these ten years. Tell me—can any of that be bought with money?"At that moment, I finally snapped. I shouted at Catherine hyst

Chapter 6

I ripped off my work badge, threw it onto the desk, and stormed out. As for the check, I didn't even bother looking at it. Ten years of blood, sweat, and tears? I might as well have thrown it straight in the trash."Enough is enough. I'm done. William, I'm leaving with you!""William, I'm the one who raised you! If you go, what am I still doing here?"Lucas and the rest of my old team exploded in protest. Everyone wanted to leave with me, but I eventually managed to calm them down.Times were tough now. Most of them had families, mortgages, and car loans. How could I drag them down with me when I didn't even know where I was headed?As I stepped out of the Sanders Technology building, I couldn't help looking back at the giant letters on the roof. My eyes grew wet before I even realized it.For ten years, I had given everything to this company. I drank until my stomach was perforated and nearly suffered alcohol poisoning, all for a single deal. I even once sped down the highwa

Chapter 7

Sanders Technology and Veridian Technology were both in the business of online operations and marketing. Along with two other companies, we had been invited by the client to present our proposals and compete in person.In the elevator, I ran into Catherine, whom I hadn't seen in six months. She was still beautiful, but the stress and exhaustion were clear on her face. Benedict followed closely behind her. When he saw me, he frowned slightly.Catherine's face was unreadable. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it and let out a small sigh.When Catherine had almost humiliated me and driven me out of Sanders Technology, I thought I would hate her if we ever met again. However, that hatred never came.My feelings were a mess I couldn't sort through. I had no answer for why I couldn't hate her. All I could feel was the cruel irony of fate. The woman I had once promised myself I would guard for a lifetime now stood against me.Unsurprisingly, Sanders Tech

Chapter 8

After I hung up, I sat there in silence.When I found out the IPO had failed, I had already anticipated this outcome. I was the type who would give everything for love and tear down any obstacle for the person I cared about.For all these years, my devotion to Catherine had driven me to do everything for her. She had always been a distant, hands-off boss, and every bit of her so-called success had come from the work I quietly carried out behind the scenes.Without me, Catherine was still that orphaned girl who stood terrified before the debt collectors ten years ago.If Benedict had any real talent, that would have been one thing. However, he was nothing more than dead weight. If Sanders Technology continued to let him run things, bankruptcy was only a matter of time.The thought that the company I had spent ten years building would eventually collapse filled me with grief and frustration. I just never expected that day to come so quickly.One month later, news broke online that

Chapter 9

It would have been fine if she hadn't brought up the past, but the moment she did, my blood boiled."You know I poured ten years of my heart and soul into Sanders Technology. You know I fought for it because I loved you, but how did you repay me? At the IPO, you let your first love take my place. You even joined him in humiliating me and drove me out of the company," I said, smiling bitterly."Yes, I know you never once admitted your feelings, and maybe I read too much into things. But did it ever occur to you how cruel it is to hurt someone who loved you with everything? Your old flame ruins the company and disappears, and now you suddenly think of me? Catherine, what do you take me for? When your first love returned, you shoved me aside, and when he left, you ran back to me. Don't you find that disgusting?"Catherine finally broke. She threw her arms around me from behind and sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. I was wrong, but it's not what you think. I just—"I shoved her off ha

Chapter 10

Before I knew it, the year was coming to an end. Work at the company was overwhelming. I didn't clock out until after midnight, and on a sudden craving, I found myself wanting tacos from Earlton. I got in my car and drove over.The shop was small, tucked away in a narrow alley. Thanks to its great food, it was popular with nearby office workers and always stayed open late into the night.The moment I walked in, the owner greeted me with a warm smile. "It's been almost a year since I last saw you. Has work been keeping you busy?"I suddenly remembered that I used to come here often with Catherine. After we parted ways, I never returned. In the blink of an eye, a full year had passed.I smiled lightly. "Yeah, the usual. Seafood tacos, please."I had visited this place so often in the past that returning now stirred up old memories.Back then, Catherine and I often worked late into the night. Whenever we got hungry, we would come here for tacos, then head back to the office to conti

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