Chapter 2

Was today my birthday?

Even I forgot, but he didn't.

It was always the same. Whenever I was ready to walk away from him, he'd pull some unexpected stunt and drag me right back into his orbit.

That was his classic move.

After five years by his side, I'd been burned again and again. This time, I was finally learning my lesson.

So, instead of gazing up at him with teary eyes like every other time before, I just reached out and took the bag from his hand.

"Thanks, Mr. Hawthorne," I said politely.

Later, I just listed that scarf on a luxury resale site and cashed in for a nice chunk of change.

Charles watched me, surprised by how calm and collected I was. Something unfamiliar stirred in his chest.

But there was no time to linger on it. He didn't overthink. I simply followed him, closing the car door behind him.

We walked into the office together, and I hurried ahead to hit the elevator button before he could.

Everything was running like clockwork, just like any other day.

During a break, one of my coworkers joked, "Julia, congrats! Looks like you're about to be the head of the secretarial department."

I said politely, "The results haven't been announced yet."

My coworker laughed, "They'll announce it at the meeting soon. You're the most senior and have done the most for the team. If it's not you, who else could it be?"

I couldn't resist, said excitedly, "If I really get promoted, I'll buy everyone a bottle of Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire."

That perfume went for 140 bucks a bottle. For regular office workers like us, that was a serious splurge.

The whole secretarial department was buzzing with excitement.

The big meeting to announce the new promotions was just about to kick off.

I chugged two glasses of water, nerves jangling. With just ten minutes to go, I grabbed my stuff and headed over to knock on Charles's office door.

"Mr. Hawthorne, it's almost time. Everyone's already in the conference room," I said.

Charles was on the phone, glanced up at me, and nodded. "Alright, I'll be right there."

As the door closed behind her, I caught a snippet of Charles's voice, gentle in a way I'd never heard from him before, comforting someone on the other end. "I'll give you whatever you want."

I suddenly felt anxious somehow.

The meeting kicked off, and all the execs were already seated.

Charles took the head of the table, and I slid into the seat to his right.

My phone hadn't pinged with any email notifications, and I felt a wave of unease creeping in.

Once the earlier agenda items were finished, it was time for the big announcement about personnel changes.

Charles stood up. "After careful consideration, the new Chief Executive Secretary for the Secretarial Department will be..."

As he spoke, his eyes swept over my face.

My heart was pounding, my fingers gripping my pen so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

But then Charles's gaze shifted away from me, turning toward the door. "Ms. Vivienne Lane, recently returned from Valoise, will be taking the position."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the whole room erupted in applause.

Everyone turned to look at the door.

But for me, my ears were ringing so loud it was deafening, and my spine felt like a brittle branch, one wrong move and I'd snap in half.

Five years of my hard work, all down the drain.

I couldn't win the guy, and now even my job had been stolen right out from under me.

"Hey everyone, I'm Vivienne Lane. Hope we can all get along from now on," Vivienne said, flashing a sweet smile as she stood right next to Charles.

Charles gazed at her with that unmistakable adoring look, gently stroking her hair. Anyone watching could tell exactly what was going on between them.

People had been gossiping for ages that I was Charles's side chick.

Now that the real girlfriend was back in the picture, everyone shot me looks, some full of pity, others dripping with sarcasm.

I sat frozen in my seat, my face ghostly pale as a cold shiver ran from the base of my spine all the way to the top of my head.

After the meeting, I marched straight into Charles's office.

I demanded angrily, "You promised me the Chief Executive Secretary spot was mine!"

Charles gave me a look like I was crazy, frowning. "It's just a job. Is it really that big of a deal to you?"

Of course it mattered. Landing that job would mean 30 thousand dollars a month, more than triple what I made now.

I want to make money, buy a place, and... finally have a real home.

Ever since my mom died, I had spent five years living out of suitcases, always renting, always on the move. I was so done with being a nomad, never having a place to truly call my own.

But the housing prices in this city were ridiculous. I'd busted my ass, pinched every penny, and still, all I could afford was basically a glorified closet.

I'd staked everything on this promotion. Charles knew. He knew exactly how much this meant to me.