Chapter 2
Because I loved Dale, I was willing to be the invisible girlfriend, always in the background.
I put up with all his last-minute cancellations and with Gwen showing up in his office more and more often.
But today, he had promised to make our relationship public at the annual party and to finally acknowledge me.
I had been waiting for this moment for five years.
The basement garage was as cold as a freezer.
I slid into my car, and the bottle of champagne I had meant to share with Dale in celebration was still sitting on the passenger seat.
Now it just seemed like a cruel joke.
Just as I was about to start the car, someone suddenly stepped in front of it.
It was Gwen, patting my hood with a smug grin on her face.
When I stopped, she walked around to the driver's side window and tapped on the glass.
"Why so eager to leave, Ms. Mendez?" Gwen said.
I rolled down the window, staring at her with a blank expression.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Don't be so cold," Gwen said, flashing her phone at me to show her chat with Dale. "Mr. Gregory just messaged me. He said we're going to Virella City for a week, just the two of us."
I looked at Gwen's face and couldn't help but find the whole thing ridiculous.
Just three months ago, this clumsy girl couldn't even put together a simple PPT. I was the one who taught her, step by step.
And now, she was here, showing off as if she were on top of the world.
"Oh, are you done? Then move aside, I'm leaving," I said.
Gwen looked stunned, clearly not expecting that kind of response.
"That's all? You're not angry? Not even a little jealous?" she asked.
I ignored her and rolled up the window.
She had to step back, her face twisting in annoyance.
Just then, I heard footsteps getting closer.
Dale came jogging over, his hair slightly tousled.
"Alyssa," he called out, breathless as he tapped on the window. "Let's talk."
I sighed and rolled the window down again.
"There's nothing left to talk about. I'm giving you the ring. Hope you two have a great life together," I said.
"Alyssa. Will you ever stop?" Dale snapped.
Dale's brows furrowed tightly, and he hurried over to stop me.
Just like he had done a hundred times before, he wore that familiar look of blaming me for Gwen's sake.
He said, "Gwen's just an intern. It's perfectly normal for me to help her out and teach her a few things.
"She's still young. Isn't it only natural to look out for her? Why do you always have to be so petty?"
He was at it again.
Whenever it came to Gwen, it didn't matter who was at fault. I was always the one getting blamed.
I was exhausted. I couldn't do this anymore.
I took a deep breath, looking straight at Dale, my voice steadier and calmer than ever before.
I said, "Dale, you always expect me to understand you, to accept everything about you without question.
"But you have no idea how many times I've skipped out on friends to stay late at work with you. You don't know how much it hurts every time I see you chatting and laughing with Gwen.
"And you have no clue how much I've put into getting ready for today, so we could finally make our relationship public."
Dale looked visibly affected, hesitating as his lips moved, searching for words.
"I-I can explain—" he said.
"No need," I said as I restarted the engine. "Dale, we're done."
In the rearview mirror, Dale stood there, his figure growing smaller as I drove away.
Gwen was right beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder, saying something to him.
My phone vibrated again.
It was a message from an unknown number. [Ms. Mendez, this is the HR director from Newrise Tech. Have you made your decision?
[We're offering double your current salary and a share of project profits. Looking forward to having you join us.]
I took a deep breath and typed back: [I accept. Let's discuss the details in person.]
My car pulled out of the garage, blending into the night.
In the rearview mirror, the company logo slowly faded away.
Five years of my youth came to a close right here.
As I walked out of the basement garage, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
In the company group chat, Dale had sent a message tagging everyone.
It read: [Starting today, Gwen will be taking over the Cosmos project from Alyssa. Alyssa, please make sure to hand everything over smoothly.]
The moment the message dropped, the group chat exploded:
[Mr. Gregory is so wise. Gwen's really got skills.]
[Ms. Mendez, don't feel bad. Company changes happen all the time.]
[Gwen's a legend. Only three months in and she's already getting such a major project.]
I scoffed and turned off the group notifications.
He had looked so hesitant when he looked at me just a moment ago, yet now he couldn't wait to hand over the project in my hands.
Anyone could guess who had been feeding him ideas.
Besides, the Cosmos was the company's most critical R&D project over the past two years, and I was the only one who possessed its core technologies.
Dale knew that better than anyone.
But he still handed the project to Gwen, clearly using this as an excuse to try and make me surrender.
Unfortunately, they miscalculated their plans this time.
When it came to work and relationships, I would not compromise on either.