Chapter 1

Alex Carter and I had been rivals since we were kids, the kind who fought nonstop but somehow stayed tangled up in each other's lives. Ever since childhood, he'd always managed to one-up me.

Back in school, he was always number one in the grade, while I was the forever second place nobody remembered.

After we started working, he kept winning top salesperson year after year, and I became the company's eternal runner-up all over again.

I honestly thought I'd spend my whole life stuck under his shadow.

That was until the promotion slot for director opened up, and the boss called both of us into his office. "Our company rewards results. Alex, you're getting promoted to director. Emily, you'll be the associate director.

"If neither of you has a problem with that, sign the contract."

I nodded, accepted my fate, and picked up the pen.

Just as I was about to sign, Alex, who'd been silent the whole time, finally moved.

He snatched the pen out of my hand, snapped it clean in two, tossed it onto the desk, and said coldly, "I do have an objection. Fine, I'll take the director job.

"But the associate director has to be Sophie."

I almost laughed from sheer anger. Sophie?

Sophie Reed, the one who'd ranked dead last forever and called herself "the bravest little lamb"?

Wow. A man this deep in love really was something else. He was willing to gamble his whole future on it.

The broken pen rolled off the desk and landed by my feet.

Alex shoved both hands into his pockets and looked at the boss like he had everything under control.

He said, "I'll only accept Sophie as my associate director. You've got one minute to think about it. If you say no, then I won't take the director position either."

The second he finished speaking, the whole office seemed to suck in a breath.

Even the Boss, who had seen it all, looked completely thrown off.

He asked, "Alex, do you even hear yourself right now?"

"Forty seconds left." Alex didn't even look up. He there straight as ever. "Richard, I already said it. Either Sophie and I get promoted together, or I walk away from the director job."

Wow. What a touching office romance.

If he hadn't been stealing my promotion, I might've actually clapped for him.

Richard's face darkened with anger.

He shouted, "Alex! Promotions come with strict requirements. Sophie's numbers are a complete disaster. If it weren't for you, I would've fired her ages ago!"

"I'm the top salesperson. What I say goes." Alex tilted his chin up, his tone flat and calm. "Time's up. That's the deal."

With that, he couldn't even be bothered to fake politeness. He turned around and walked out like victory was already in his pocket.

I said nothing. From start to finish, I stood there like an outsider, quietly watching the whole clown show unfold.

Richard stared at Alex's retreating back, disappointment written all over his face.

But even more than disappointment, he looked furious at being challenged like that.

I quietly poured him a cup of coffee. He looked at me for a few seconds, thinking.

Then he pulled a new pen out of the drawer. "Since he doesn't want it, Emily, you can be the director."

I didn't waste a second. I took the pen and signed the promotion contract on the spot.

I had to bite my lip hard to keep from laughing out loud.

Had Alex watched too many trashy CEO dramas or something? Who the hell did he think he was?

This was the workplace, not some set where he got to play the all-powerful boss.