01
“You absolutely cannot drink anymore. Avoid all irritating foods too. If anything happens again, you might not survive!” The doctor repeated the warning sternly.
Staring at the mirror, I looked at my face. I was pale as a ghost. I forced a bitter smile and nodded.
After a day in the hospital, I requested to be discharged and returned home.
Wilson had come back.
He was dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, standing tall and handsome.
He looked every bit the elite professional.
No wonder the intern, Gracie Smith, kept throwing herself at him.
When he saw me leaning against the wall, slowly making my way to the sofa, he sneered. “Still acting? You’re home now. Aren’t you tired of putting on a show?”
My heart sank.
I had expected him not to care, but I hadn’t imagined he would mock me like this.
I looked up at him and, for a moment, found myself lost in memories of nine years ago.
Back then, we were both new interns at the company.
When my stomach condition flared up, he insisted on taking time off to care for me.
The general manager refused to grant leave.
Wilson argued with him, nearly coming to blows.
His willingness to risk his job for his sick girlfriend caught the chairman’s attention.
Seeing we both worked hard, he was very satisfied with us.
d
When a promotion opportunity came down to the two of us, I intentionally handed over my biggest deal to ensure Wilson got the general manager role.
I thought he would be my partner for life. But after Gracie joined as an intern, he completely changed.
Looking at Wilson now, his expression cold and faintly contemptuous, I took a deep breath to calm myself.
“Do you think I’m faking it?” I asked.
He smirked. “Are you the only employee in the company? Everyone else closes deals without all this drama. I squeeze in a meal with Gracie, and you have to call me like it’s the end of the world?”
Bitterness and anger swelled inside me.
For years, I had always stepped in whenever clients made things difficult for employees at banquets.
My health deteriorated little by little.
Yet, in Wilson’s eyes, it was just me making a fuss.
Ever since he became general manager, his main task had been listening to reports. He hadn’t needed to negotiate a contract in years.
Hearing him claim he was busy almost made me laugh.
Anyone in the office could hear him and Gracie chatting and laughing in his office during work hours.
I wanted to retort, but then I reminded myself that in a week, we would have nothing to do with each other anymore.
I took a deep breath and let it go.
It didn’t matter.
I knew this was our last week together. After that, our paths would never cross again.
Once my health improved, I returned to work.
But my colleagues‘ gazes towards me had changed.
Their looks carried mockery, disdain, and derision.
Lignored them and buried myself in my tasks
12:01 PM
During lunch, I overheard hushed voices.
“Has Alisha been dumped by Mr. Beckett?”
“She should’ve been ages ago. She’s always looking sickly. Any normal guy would find her repulsive.”
“It’s just a matter of time. If not for her old clients, she’d have been kicked out long ago.”
“Wait till Gracie takes over those accounts. She’ll be useless then.”
“Don’t be so harsh! Hahaha…”
My chest tightened, and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
The voices belonged to people I had mentored.
They were now my equals, some even surpassing me.
I had been eligible for a promotion long ago.
But Wilson always said that since we were lovers, promoting me first would look bad.
He blocked my promotion repeatedly.
I thought, since I loved him, it didn’t matter. After all, he was already the general manager.
But I hadn’t realized his real goal was to save the spot for Gracie.
As I was lost in thought, a folder was slammed onto my desk.
I looked up to see Wilson standing there with a blank expression.
“This is Gracie’s internship summary. Write it up for her,” he ordered.
Beside him, Gracie leaned into him lightly. “Alisha, you’re older and more experienced. Please help me,” she said sweetly, her syrupy voice grating on my nerves.
She brushed her arm against his while speaking.
I didn’t respond, but mu
assistant, Robyn Jayne, was already bristling.
“Mr. Beckett, Ms. Lopez is swamped. She has a huge workload, and yesterday…”
“Shut up,” Wilson snapped, glaring at Robyn. “You don’t have the right to report to me!”
I took a deep breath and motioned for Robyn to stop.
Calmly, I said, “I’ll take a look after I finish the big contract I’m working on.”
Wilson sneered.
“Weren’t you resting all day yesterday? Still not enough for you? You act like you’re the only one who had work here.”
A nearby colleague, who had recently grown close to Gracie, chimed in.
“Yeah, Alisha, it’s not that hard. Just help her out.”
“Exactly! It’s just a small favor.”
Gracie beamed, her voice light and cheerful. “Thanks, everyone. I’ll treat you all to coffee later!”
Wilson stared at me, indifferent and cold.
Without a word, he threw the thick folder directly at my face.
“Even Gracie, a young intern, knows better than you, a so–called workplace veteran,” he said.
“Oh, Wilson, don’t be mad at Alisha. Let’s go get coffee for everyone. You promised to buy me that little cake, remember?” Gracie tugged lightly on his arm, her voice soft and sweet.
“All right, let’s go,” Wilson replied gently, his tone completely different as he turned to her.
Then he looked back at me, his voice ice–cold. “You have one week to finish the work summary.” The sharp edge of the paper had nicked the corner of my eye.
He glanced at me briefly, then walked away with Gracie without a second thought.
A small trail of blood trickled down my cheek.
Robyn stood nearby, her eyes reddening with anger. “Mr. Beckett went too far this time,” she said.
I quietly wiped away the blood and tears.
“It’s fine. It’ll all be over soon” I murmured
12:01 PM
Not long after, the coffee was brought back.
Gracie’s cheerful voice echoed through the office. “Mr. Beckett got coffee for everyone. Let’s enjoy it together!”
She took the lead, handing out the drinks like she owned the place.
Robyn muttered a few complaints to me, clearly irritated.
I simply smiled and shook my head.
A short while later, Gracie came to my desk, holding two cups of coffee.
“Alisha, here, have some coffee. Mr. Beckett personally took me to get it,” she said, a hint of pride flashing in her eyes.
Without changing my expression, I shook my head. “No thanks. I can’t drink coffee.”
The doctor had warned me that caffeine would aggravate my stomach lining and cause bleeding. Drinking it wasn’t an option. Upon hearing my words, Gracie’s demeanor shifted in an instant. She pouted, her voice quivering as if on the verge of tears.
“Wilson, Alisha is mad at me. She won’t drink the coffee we got her,” she said, her tone dripping with grievance.
Wilson appeared within moments, his face dark as he heard her words.
“Alisha, how petty can you be? Is it so hard to accept a simple coffee from Gracie? Have you made things difficult for Gracie?”
he demanded.
I stared at him, stunned. “Me? Petty?”
He let out a mocking laugh. “What else would you call it? Look at the expression you have when you looked at the coffee!”
He continued, his voice sharp and cutting, “I can’t even imagine how you bully your coworkers when I’m not around.”
A heavy ache settled in my chest like a hammer had struck it, robbing me of breath.
My body trembled slightly as I stared at the face I once knew so well, now foreign and cruel. I couldn’t find the words to
respond.
Robyn couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Mr. Beckett! The doctor said Ms. Lopez’s stomach can’t handle anything harsh, or it could be life–threatening!” she said, her voice firm.
Wilson sneered, dismissing her with a glance.
“Alisha, you’ve mastered scheming instead of working, haven’t you? Now you’re dragging your assistant into it too?” he jeered. Soft chuckles rose from around the office.
Some of our colleagues seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.
Wilson bent down slowly, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared directly into my eyes.
Robyn, afraid he might do something worse, stepped forward to shield me. He shoved her aside without hesitation.
“You’re fired. Leave immediately,” he said coldly.
“Our company doesn’t need manipulative employees who gang up to ostracize newcomers,” he announced, his voice loud enough for the entire office to hear.
Robyn froze, disbelief written all over her face.
Gracie clung to Wilson’s arm, her coffee in hand as if nothing had happened. Together, they returned to his office, the door shut behind them.
I gently placed a hand on Robyn’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.
“Take a few days off to rest. Then come with me to the new company,” I said softly.
Robyn’s voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Ms. Lopez, but you…”
I smiled and shook my head.
“It’s just a few more days. Once it’s over, everything will be behind us.”
When the workday ended, a sudden storm swept through the city.
At Gracie’s suggestion, none of my colleagues offered me a ride.
I tried to hail a cab, but none stopped for me.
The wind howled as rain drenched my skirt, leaving it soaked
12:02 PM
My body, still recovering, felt the chill seep into my bones.
My vision blurred, and dizziness and nausea overwhelmed me.
I crossed my arms tightly, trying to fight the cold.
Just then, I saw Wilson stepping out of the building with his car keys.
He paused when he spotted me standing by the entrance, shivering in the storm.
He hesitated for a moment, then walked towards me. He looked as though he might say something.
But before he could, Gracie’s syrupy voice called out.
“Wilson, I forgot my umbrella. I don’t know how I’ll get home…”
She wrapped her arms around his, her tone soft and clingy.
Wilson hesitated.
“Alisha, just take a cab. I’ll drive Gracie home,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
With that, he led Gracie to his car without a backward glance.
Left with no choice, I braved the storm, trudging through ankle–deep water as I made my way home.
