Chapter 2

"You're the experienced one here. Isn't it your job to help out the newbies?" Nicholas said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I glanced at the needle in my hand and suddenly felt really miserable.

I said, keeping my voice steady, "Nicholas, I have a fever."

There was a brief pause on his end before he snapped, "It's just a favor. Are you seriously pretending to be sick? Can't you just let her shine for once? You're really disappointing me."

Suddenly, a flood of memories came rushing back.

I always helped Lexi out, no questions asked. But what did I ever get in return?

I took her out for dinner, and when she ended up with a stomachache, she ran straight to Nicholas to cry about it.

I took her out to have a good time, and when she twisted her ankle, she went straight to Nicholas to complain.

I helped her with her report at work, but she said it sucked and asked Nicholas to write it for her instead.

Nicholas asked me to take care of her, and I did. But now? I was done.

Nicholas hung up on me, clearly pissed off.

By the time I left the hospital, it was already evening. I headed straight to Nicholas's place.

Lexi had already come between us, and I knew things couldn't keep going like this.

I needed to have a real talk with him and ask if he was really going to choose her over me.

I didn't expect Lexi to be the one opening the door.

She had on a strappy dress, her smile all sunshine and charm.

Lexi froze when she saw me, her smile vanishing as surprise and panic flashed across her face. "Maisie? What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

When she noticed how cold I looked, she rushed to explain, "Maisie, are you upset? I'm sorry, I just really wanted to talk to Mr. Roberts about work. Please, don't blame him. It's all on me. I'll leave right away!"

Even though she said that, she stayed rooted to the spot.

Nicholas came out from behind her, looking kind of awkward. After a moment of silence, he turned to Lexi and said, "No need to go. It's nothing. She doesn't mind."

Seriously, how would he know I was fine with this?

I was stuck at the hospital, sick and alone, hooked up to an IV. Meanwhile, my boyfriend was at home with Lexi, chatting about work and who knows what else. Shouldn't I be upset about this?

I looked him straight in the eye and said, each word deliberate, "Nicholas, I'm your girlfriend. Is this really okay with you?"

Lexi's eyes flashed with a cold glint, like the word "girlfriend" had hit a nerve.

But then she put on a wounded look. "Maisie, what's that supposed to mean? I was just talking to Mr. Roberts about work.

"Why do you have to bring up your girlfriend status? We're all just trying to help the company. If you can't understand that, fine, but how can you doubt Mr. Roberts?"

Nicholas looked uneasy for a moment, but as soon as Lexi spoke up, all his discomfort vanished. He said coldly, "Lexi and I are just working. Don't be unreasonable."

"Sure, I'm the unreasonable one," I shot back, meeting his gaze. "So, let's break up."

With that, I turned and called a cab. Nicholas looked like he wanted to come after me, but Lexi held him back, so he stayed behind to comfort her, clearly rattled by my outburst.

When I got home, I got a message from Nicholas. [Maisie, are you using breakup as a threat now?]

[You know there's nothing going on between me and Lexi.]

[Alright, stop this drama. I'll just pretend you never said anything about breaking up. As long as you get along with Lexi from now on, we can still make this work.]

[The business meeting with the Francis Group is about to start, and Lexi can't handle it on her own. Come with me and help her out.]

[You wouldn't want to see the partnership fall apart, would you?]

Why would I care?

In the end, I still showed up to the meeting, but this time as Lexi's assistant.

Outside the conference room, Nicholas wrapped his arms around me and spoke gently, "Maisie, I'm really glad you came."

I pushed him away, my voice icy. "I'm just here to see if my plan catches Mr. Francis's eye. And for the record, we're done."

Nicholas looked shocked.

His face turned cold. "Maisie, my patience isn't endless. Once is enough, but if you keep playing these games, it's just getting old. Understand?"

He was so sure I couldn't leave him, like I only said 'break up' to make him beg me to stay. I didn't bother replying and headed straight for my seat.

Lexi's seat was right next to mine.

When she saw Nicholas's move, her face darkened for a split second, but when she turned to him, she was all sweetness and concern. "Mr. Roberts, did you and Maisie have a fight? It's not because of me, is it? I'm so sorry, I really didn't expect Maisie to show up that day..."

"No, don't worry about it," Nicholas instinctively reassured her.

She still wore that guilty look, but I caught a hint of a smile flickering in her shimmering, tear-filled eyes.

The meeting started quickly, and Lexi presented my proposal with effortless grace. She spoke smoothly, like she owned the room, making it all sound easy.