Lover's Cruelest Choice

Synopsis

Twenty minutes before my flight to Valdoria for the contract signing, my boarding pass got switched to economy for tomorrow night. The last first-class seat went to my best friend, Sophie Quinn. Clutching my boarding pass, I found Edward Grant, who was busy buckling Sophie's seatbelt. Edward said, "It's Sophie's first time running a project solo. We can't risk anything going wrong. You'll head over a day later. Just make sure all the documents are in order." Sophie looked up at me, her eyes rimmed with red. "Charlotte, I know you pulled an all-nighter on the proposal, but the client likes someone good at talking, like me. You're so amazing. Missing one meeting won't kill you, right?" All our coworkers glanced over. Edward handed my laptop bag to his assistant, his voice steady, like he was picking out lunch. "Leave the documents. You don't need to go. Your unstable state would undermine our team's professionalism in the client's eyes should you attend." I stared at the files in his hand. Every single page of that proposal, from the framework to the pricing, was covered in my notes. Three months ago, Edward had promised, "Charlotte, after this signing, I'll give you a public explanation." That public explanation came faster than I thought. As soon as the plane landed, a live stream link popped up in the company group chat. Edward stood center stage at the press conference, announcing Sophie as the project lead. He said, "Sophie's creativity gave this project its soul." On camera, Sophie was wearing the blue-light glasses I always used for late-night sketches, smiling and waving at me. "Charlotte, thanks for always being my backup. Without you organizing everything, I'd be lost." I sat on a chilly bench at the airport when suddenly my phone buzzed. An encrypted email came in from the overseas headquarters. The recipient wasn't Edward but me. As the first line appeared on the screen, I tore the reissued boarding pass in half and headed for the international transfer desk.