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Todos os capítulos de I Won’t Ride Beside Him Anymore: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

10 Capítulos

Chapter 1

Graham Sterling glanced at the keys on the coffee table and let out a quiet laugh.It was the kind of laugh that came when his usual patience had finally run out.“Audrey Lawson, are you still not done with this act? It’s just a seat. How are you still making a fuss about it after four years?”I stood beside the dining table, my fingers still warm from the steam rising from the soup.“Tonight is our fourth anniversary. You promised you wouldn’t answer Vanessa’s calls tonight.”“She was upset and alone. What’s wrong with me going to pick her up?” Graham picked up the keys. “Stop making yourself out to be some poor, neglected woman. No one’s mistreating you.”“So when you helped her move on my birthday, that wasn’t mistreating me either?”His brows drew together.“That day wasn’t important.”Seventy-seventh time.I looked at him and suddenly couldn’t even be bothered to argue.Graham probably wasn’t used to me staying quiet, because his voice turned even colder.“Think about

Chapter 2

My phone lit up again.Vanessa had just posted on social media.[Someone went out in the middle of the night to buy me a neck pillow and snacks. He even said no one else is allowed to sit in this seat from now on. So childish.]The comments were full of teasing.[Careful, Audrey. You might get jealous if you keep reading,] Elliot Hayes commented.Vanessa replied, [Audrey is very understanding. She’d never fight me over a seat.]I liked the post.A few seconds later, Graham Sterling called.I answered, and his voice was cold.“What did you mean by liking that post?”“She’s right.”“Audrey, who are you trying to be sarcastic toward?” he said quietly. “Vanessa doesn’t know any better, but you should. She even defended you earlier and said you weren’t the petty type.”I sat on the couch, staring at the empty dining table.“Graham, the night I had a bleeding ulcer, Vanessa was the one in your car, wasn’t she?”There was a brief silence on the other end.I continued, “You said

Chapter 3

The next morning, we had our regular company meeting.The projector was already on when Graham stood at the front of the conference room.The moment I walked in, everyone looked at me.Vanessa was sitting in the front row, her eyes slightly red. A cup of hot coffee sat on the table in front of her.Graham casually twisted the lid open for her.I set down my laptop and pulled up the company’s annual performance report.For the past three years, I had handled the company’s biggest clients.The rules for the annual overseas training program were clear: employees in key positions with the strongest performance records were given priority.Graham cleared his throat.“This year’s overseas training opportunity will go to Vanessa Pierce from the Marketing Department.”A murmur immediately spread through the conference room.One of my coworkers, Lily Foster, lowered her voice.“Wasn’t it supposed to be Audrey?”I stood up.“Mr. Sterling, may I ask why?”Graham looked at me, his e

Chapter 4

At the elevator, Vanessa caught up with me and handed me a handover sheet.“Audrey, Graham asked me to give you this. You need to list all the client passwords, pricing limits, and contact information. Otherwise, the company could run into trouble.”I flipped through it.Tucked behind the handover sheet was a reassignment notice.It had been dated three days ago.I was supposed to be transferred to the Administrative Support Department, while Vanessa would take over as head of the Planning Center.Behind that was a personal guarantee.Graham had personally guaranteed Vanessa’s expenses for the overseas training program, promising to cover the costs himself if she failed the assessment.I stared at those words, my fingertips turning cold.So this had all been arranged from the beginning.The elevator doors opened.Graham’s cold voice came from his office.“Audrey, what else are you planning to take?”I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to close the doors.“M

Chapter 5

Graham crushed the lawyer’s letter in his hand.He lowered his head and stared at those three words for a long time.At this hour, I used to be in the kitchen reheating soup or sitting at the dining table with my laptop, revising proposals.Now there was no sound of cooking, no tapping on a keyboard, and no one asking if he wanted something to eat.Graham opened the refrigerator.There were only a few bottles of water inside.The homemade chicken soup I had made for him, the containers of soup stock I had portioned out, and the meal-prep boxes I had labeled with dates were all gone.Graham gripped the refrigerator door, his knuckles turning white.Vanessa called.He answered but said nothing.Her voice was soft.“Graham, did Audrey come home? She didn’t really leave, did she? Don’t worry. She’s just trying to get you to give in.”Graham stared at the empty kitchen.“Shut up.”Vanessa froze.“Graham?”“What happened to her jasmine plant?”“Huh?” Vanessa hesitated. “She

Chapter 6

I joined Beacon Public Relations in Fairview a week later.After reviewing my project portfolio, the interviewer decided on the spot.“Director Lawson, we’ve been looking for someone who can handle high-pressure clients.”The new team was young, but everyone worked efficiently.On my first day, they took me out for a welcome dinner.Halfway through the meal, the server brought out a table full of seafood.I set down my glass.“Sorry, I’m allergic to seafood. Don’t worry about me. I can just have some vegetables.”The team supervisor immediately stopped the server.“Take it all away. Replace it with some grilled chicken, vegetables, and soup. And bring us a fresh set of dishes and utensils.”One of the younger employees hurried down to the pharmacy and came back with a box of allergy medication.“Director Lawson, keep these with you, just in case you accidentally come into contact with seafood.”I took the box and thanked her.For four years, Graham had never remembered tha

Chapter 7

Graham came to Fairview for the second time, this time carrying an equity agreement.He waited outside my company, his eyes bloodshot.“Audrey, I’ll give you twenty percent of Sterling Group and make you vice president. Come back with me. From now on, you can have the final say in the company.”I glanced at the document folder.“You still don’t understand.”“I do.” He spoke quickly. “I’ve transferred Vanessa, canceled her training program, and even replaced the car. Whatever you hate, I’ll change.”“Respect isn’t a transaction.”I called security.“If Mr. Sterling refuses to leave, call the police.”Graham’s face went pale.“You really want to be this ruthless?”“I’m only giving you back what you taught me.”He froze.I walked past him.“People who don’t matter don’t deserve my time.”He stood there as the wind lifted one corner of the agreement in his hand.Sterling Group’s troubles came faster than I expected.First, Starlight formally terminated its contract.Then

Chapter 8

The day of Westbrook’s final review, I saw Graham in the conference room.He had lost so much weight that his suit looked loose on him.The client asked both teams to present their proposals.Graham’s team went first.His proposal was still polished, but it lacked practical risk assessments.The client asked three questions, and the new director standing behind him stumbled through the answers.When it was my turn, I spent just twenty minutes clearly explaining the costs, public perception risks, regulatory milestones, and backup plans.The client awarded the project to Beacon PR on the spot.After the meeting, Graham followed me into the hallway.“Audrey.”I stopped.“Mr. Sterling, this is a professional setting. Call me Ms. Lawson.”He gave a bitter smile.“You weren’t like this before.”“Before, I didn’t sit in the passenger seat either.”His face went pale.After Westbrook signed the contract, Beacon PR passed me through the partnership evaluation early.At the cel

Chapter 9

When Graham walked over, rainwater dripped from the ends of his hair.He saw Dr. Landon holding the umbrella over me, and the box in his hand was crushed from how tightly he was gripping it.“Audrey, I need to talk to you.”Dr. Landon looked at me. “Would you like me to give you some privacy?”“No.”I took the umbrella from him and held it over myself.“Go ahead, Mr. Sterling.”The moment Graham heard me call him Mr. Sterling, his eyes turned red.He opened the box.Inside was a diamond ring, far more expensive than the one I had chosen years ago.“I had the wedding ring remade. I bought a house here in Fairview, too. I scrapped the car. I don’t even have to drive anymore.” His voice trembled. “I sold part of my company shares and transferred the rest to you. Audrey, I’ll give up everything. Just come back to me.”Rain fell into the open box, covering the diamond in droplets.I looked at the ring.“Graham, do you think I need a ring?”He shook his head desperately. “I kno

Chapter 10

The last time Graham appeared in my life was two years later.By then, I had bought my own house and traded in my old car for a white sedan.There were no unnecessary decorations inside.Only a small jasmine plant sat beside the driver’s seat.I had bought the flowers myself.I wasn’t growing them for anyone.That day, I had just left a project signing when Spencer was waiting for me by the roadside.We were engaged by then.He held out a box of cheesecake. “You haven’t eaten anything this afternoon. Have some first.”I took the box. “Aren’t you on call today?”“I switched shifts.” He put my document bag in the back seat. “We’re trying the wedding menu tonight. You said you didn’t want anything extravagant, so I booked a small private room.”I nodded.When I turned around, I saw Graham standing a short distance away.He wore a black coat. He had lost a frightening amount of weight.There were no flowers in his hands. No ring, either.He stood there, watching me.Spencer

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