Chapter 2

For the past three years, I only dropped by to see Helen on weekends or holidays, and I hardly ever spoke to Edward.

I was the ugly duckling, and he was the handsome trust fund kid. We lived in totally different worlds. There was no need to force myself to fit in.

Helen suggested that since I was so determined to pay back the 100 grand I owed Edward, instead of hustling with a bunch of part-time jobs, I should just work at their family company.

Getting paid for my own hard work and smarts sounded way better, so I jumped at the chance.

Once I started at the company, I realized Richard had also made Edward start from the bottom, just like me.

As interns, we inevitably ended up working together on projects and passing tasks back and forth.

I adapted quickly, but Edward, though smart, clearly wasn't invested in the job.

While I was stuck working overtime on weekends, Edward was hopping on red-eye flights to wherever his first love was.

Since I did well during my internship, I was quickly offered a full-time position after I graduated.

I always remembered what Helen told me: be independent and find my own place in life. So I worked my ass off to prove my worth.

At the company, they called me "Miss Overdrive".

After a year of grinding away, I finally paid back the 100 grand I owed Edward, interest and all. Only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Helen was even more satisfied with me. She told me, "Doris, don't box yourself in. That 100 grand was just your starting line. Spread your wings and soar. Only then will you see what miracles you can make."

Before Richard and Helen's plane went down, it was almost like they sensed something was about to happen.

That day, Helen gently caressed my hair and kept reminding me, "Doris, you're really special to me. If possible, I hope you'll always be part of our company. I'll make sure you're always taken care of."

I helped her fix her scarf and comforted her. "Mrs. Thompson, don't worry about anything while you and Mr. Thompson are away. You've always treated me so well. I'll surely work hard at the company."

Helen slipped a bracelet off her wrist and pressed it into my hand. "Honestly, I wish Edward would marry you, but you two have known each other for three years and there is still nothing.

"You're always so thoughtful. Take this, and from now on, consider yourself my goddaughter."

I shook my head gently. "This is too precious, Mrs. Thompson. You really don't have to give me anything. Even without gifts, I already care about you, and I love working at the company."

She insisted, "We're close enough for you to take this. When an elder gives you something, you shouldn't refuse. When I get back, we'll have a proper ceremony to make it official.

"If Edward never steps up, the company would be worth even more with you in charge."

I just smiled and brushed it off. That company was their life's work. I wouldn't really take that seriously.

I smiled as I watched her leave, never thinking I'd get that call in the dead of night about the plane crash.

Losing someone who was both a mentor and a friend felt like someone had ripped my heart out.

That rare bit of warmth I'd found in my life was gone, just like that.

With the sudden collapse of the company's backbone, chaos erupted. All the snakes and sharks who'd been lurking in the shadows started showing their true colors.

The market was only so big, and rival companies were already gearing up, ready to pounce and carve up the spoils.

That was when Edward came back, looking like he'd lost his soul.

The situation was critical, but he was still stuck in his grief. I couldn't believe it.

Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. "Edward, stop wallowing and pull yourself together!

"Mrs. Thompson would never want to see everything she built fall apart in your hands."

His eyes were rimmed with red as he stared at me.

He said, "Doris, I just regret that when my parents needed me the most, I wasn't there. I didn't take responsibility like I should have."

I said, "Regret won't feed you or quench your thirst. Quit whining and get up. Start doing something."

From that day on, Edward was like a whole new person. He started acting just like Richard and Helen always wanted him to, going all-in at the company and throwing himself into work with everything he had.

But passion alone wasn't enough. He was like a kid who'd just learned to walk, suddenly forced to grow up overnight and tossed straight into the shark tank of the business world.

I went from being just an acquaintance to becoming the person Edward knew best.

I stuck by his side, walking with him every step along the rough road ahead, now that he had no parents to protect him.

All that time we spent holding each other up turned us into true battle buddies, people who could always count on each other, no matter what.

When someone was really throwing themselves into their work, there was just something magnetic about it.

Maybe that was why, little by little, Edward and I found ourselves getting closer, our hearts inching toward each other with every late night and shared challenge.