Chapter 1
Five years after we broke up, my ex-boyfriend James Carter showed up at my company to discuss a partnership.
After the meeting, his girlfriend, Emily Clark, cornered me in the break room.
Her eyes were red, and she looked fragile and pitiful.
"I know you still can't get over James, but have some dignity.
"We're getting married soon, so don't you think it's embarrassing to cling to him like this?"
I was completely baffled.
As the client-side CEO for this deal, I had kept things strictly professional the entire time. I only discussed work with him and didn't give him a second glance.
His fiancée must have watched too many melodramatic TV shows and started imagining herself as the heroine in some over-the-top CEO romance.
*****
The meeting had just ended when I headed straight for the break room. The nonstop work had left my head pounding.
I was halfway through filling a glass with ice water when someone stepped into the doorway and blocked it.
I turned and met a pair of hostile eyes.
"Ms. Shaw, can we talk?" Emily's voice wavered, like she was holding back tears.
I tightened my grip on the glass and faced her. "We don't have anything to talk about."
Before the meeting, James had awkwardly explained to everyone that his girlfriend was clingy and didn't like him going out alone, so he had brought her along.
A few of the vice presidents had laughed it off.
Now it seemed he was telling the truth. She really was clingy, and she really didn't trust him.
Her eyes reddened almost instantly, tears pooling at the rims.
"Who are you trying to fool? We just want a quiet, stable life together. Do you have to hover around him like a fly and refuse to let go?"
My head buzzed, and for a second I thought I had misheard. "You think I'm the one chasing after him?"
"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?" She stepped closer, her voice rising with emotion.
"You specifically picked James' company for this deal just to get close to him. Don't think I didn't notice. You couldn't take your eyes off him the entire meeting."
Her logic was so absurd I almost laughed.
As the client-side CEO, keeping my eyes on the project lead was basic professionalism.
Was I supposed to stare at the wall during a meeting?
"Ms. Clark, you've got the wrong idea," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could.
"This partnership was selected after multiple rounds of evaluation. It's a strategic decision, and I didn't handpick James' company."
"You don't need to explain," she cut in, agitated.
"I know you two had a past, but that's over. James loves me now. He told me that himself."
She paused, and the tears began to fall.
"Using work as an excuse to stick to him will only make you look worse. You think being some CEO makes you so special? That you can just take someone else's man?"
A few coworkers had already started peeking in from outside the break room.
I took a slow breath.
"Ms. Clark, watch your language." I set the glass down. "This is a workplace, not a place for you to throw a scene."
"So what if it's a company? You think being CEO means you can do whatever you want and steal someone else's fiancé?"
Her voice suddenly shot up, tears streaming down her face as if she had suffered some terrible injustice.
"I'm begging you, Olivia. Please, I'm begging you. Let James go, and let me go too.
"We just want to get married and live a peaceful life. Why do you have to come in and ruin our happiness?"
More and more people were gathering at the door.
I could hear the whispers starting. "So Ms. Shaw and Mr. Carter used to date?"
"Could this be one of those love turned into hate situations?"
"She looks so pitiful. Do you think Ms. Shaw is really trying to steal her fiancé?"
She was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. At that moment, the door opened, and James walked in. He took in the scene, and his brow immediately tightened.
"Emily, what are you doing here?"
As if she'd found her anchor, Emily rushed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"James, I'm scared. Ms. Shaw just threatened me. She said she'll never give you up, that she'll use this deal and do whatever it takes to win you back."
I froze. Was she really lying like this, right in front of everyone?
James held her close, then looked up at me, his eyes full of blame.
"Olivia, it's been five years since we broke up. I thought you'd moved on.
"Emily is my fiancée. She's simple and sensitive. I don't want anyone hurting her in any way."
I stood there, unable to say a word.
One thought kept looping in my head.
There has to be something seriously wrong with these two. They should really get their heads checked.