"Why didn't you call me when you got your fever?"

Zane picked up a cup of warm water and handed it to me as he spoke with a tone of resignation. "Stop being upset. Take the medicine first."

I turned my head away, not wanting to look at him.

Zane frowned at my distant attitude. "Cassidy, have you forgotten what I told you?"

I knew exactly what he was referring to. If I refused to behave, I'd be discarded by both him and Cosmo Group.

Even as his expression darkened, I stuck to my stance, refusing to look at him. A scoff sounded by my ear. "Well, well. The kitten that has been cared for so long is starting to scratch people."

He set the cup down on the table with a loud thud. "You refuse to reply to my messages, you ignore me, and now you won't even take your medicine. You hate me that much? Fine. If you don't take it, I won't leave."

After saying that, he took off his coat and leaned back in the chair, looking prepared to wait me out.

I couldn't understand him. If he didn't love me and if I was nothing but a plaything to him, why go through all this trouble?

In the end, I turned to look at him. "Does it matter if I take my medicine when I'm just your bedwarmer?"

"Of course it does," Zane answered without hesitation, his gaze settling on me. "If you're sick and we get intimate, I might get infected."

Before, his lingering gaze would make my heart race, but now, it only made me feel sick to the stomach.

I pulled the blanket over my head, refusing to talk to him anymore. As for him, he didn't say anything else and just sat quietly beside me.

In the meantime, he answered several work calls, and every reply was the same. "I have something more important to handle today. Postpone all meetings."

He deliberately spoke in a louder voice, as if afraid I wouldn't hear him. After who knew how long, just as I was getting annoyed and ready to give in and take the medicine, Lily called.

One sentence was all it took for Zane to immediately stand up, throw on his coat, and hurry out. It was as if his earlier threat of not leaving until I took my medicine had never been spoken.

At the door, he glanced back at me. "Oh, right. I was so busy with my date yesterday that I forgot to give you your present. Don't throw it away in a fit of anger. If you ever decide to leave me, you could probably sell it for some cash.

"The money you can get from that necklace alone should be enough for you to live on for the rest of your life."

There was nothing but disdain in his flippant tone, and hearing him say that made my heart sink.

This whole time, Zane had never believed I would actually walk away. That made sense. After all, I was just an ordinary person who joined Cosmo Group through his "connections" and lived in a luxury apartment he bought.

In his eyes, I would lose everything if I were to leave him.

I would have to work at a small company doing a low-level job, rent a shared apartment with strangers, and use crowded public transport. That was why he was so confident that I wouldn't leave him and so reckless in hurting me.

But he was wrong. I didn't want a life where someone else decided my fate. Even if I obediently complied now, I'd still end up with nothing the moment he got completely tired of me.

At that thought, I sighed and reached for the water on my nightstand. However, it had gone cold.

As I didn't have the strength to hold the cup steady, it hit the floor and shattered into pieces.

Just then, my phone buzzed nonstop with messages from the work group chat. "Quick, check social media. Did Mr. Bender just announce he's dating Ms. Hubbard?"

The word "dating" hit me like a knife to the heart.

With trembling hands, I clicked into Lily's profile. She'd posted a photo of a gemstone necklace with the caption, "First month with my boyfriend and I'm already getting such an expensive present! I'm so happy!"

I froze at the sight of the necklace. It was almost identical to the one Zane had given me, except the gemstones on her necklace sparkled more brilliantly.

So my birthday gift was just something he bought along with Lily's? Even though I had already accepted reality, my chest still ached.

But the cruelest part wasn't even the gift. It was Zane's reply beneath the post. "As long as you like it, I'll give you even more."

He didn't correct her wording, which meant that they really were together.

My phone slipped from my hand, falling to the floor. I stood there for a long time before finally taking the necklace from its box and listing it on a secondhand site.

It was a limited edition, so it sold quickly. When the transfer notification for three million dollars came through, I forced a smile and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"What are you crying for, Cassidy?" I muttered. "If three years were worth three million dollars, I'd already come out ahead, hadn't I?"

Just when my mood had sunk to its lowest, Zane called. His tone was flat as he asked, "Did you take your medicine? Lily said she was in a bad mood just now, so I—"

"I took it," I cut him off.

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then, his contented voice came through. "Oh, good. See? You should've just behaved from the start. Don't act up next time, Cassidy. I don't like comforting people."

"I got it."

Zane hung up, clearly pleased.

What he didn't know was that once the call ended, I collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down my face, my eyes hollow and my heart utterly empty.

I no longer expected anything from him. And there would never be a next time.

There were still two days left before my interview at Vertex Group. I pushed all thoughts of Zane aside and concentrated on getting ready for the interview.

After all, the interview would be conducted personally by Desmond Archer, the CEO of Vertex Group.

I'd asked Kayla about him and found out that he was notoriously strict. Apparently, quite a few people had even come out of their interviews in tears.

Nevertheless, I didn't have much time to prepare since Lily had dumped all her work on me.

To avoid unnecessary conflict, I simply gritted my teeth and put up with it. I only needed to do it for two more days anyway.

I quickly put together the slides she needed and sent them over, then barely paid attention during the meeting itself. Cosmo Group's affairs had long stopped being my concern.

That was, until Lily started her presentation, and everyone in the room abruptly gasped. "What… That's ridiculous! How could someone show this in a serious meeting?"

"Oh my gosh! I've really seen it all now!"

Only then did I lift my head to look at the big screen. My eyes went wide in shock.

What was supposed to be a dozen pages of slides had turned into a collection of Lily's private photos, all of them highly inappropriate.

Panicking, Lily tried to close it, but nervous fumbling made it impossible.

Unable to take it any longer, Zane slammed the table. "If anyone so much as breathes a word about this, don't bother coming to Cosmo Group again!"

Everyone immediately stopped smirking and lowered their heads, not daring to look anymore.

Lily gave me a pointed look, and Zane's gaze followed hers straight to me. His eyes were full of disappointment and anger. Sure enough, he thought it was my doing.

After the meeting, Zane stopped me from leaving.

Lily sat nearby, covering her face and sobbing. "What do I do, Zane? Everyone saw everything. How can I stay at the company after this? Something this humiliating… Maybe I should just quit!"

She tried to get up, but Zane pulled her into his arms. "Relax. With me around, no one will say a word."

That stopped her crying. She pointed an accusatory finger at me and yelled, "Ms. Hartman, if you didn't want to help me, just say so! Why sabotage me like this? This is what you wanted, right? Are you happy now?"

Zane patted her back soothingly, then coldly turned to me. "Cassidy, I never thought you could do something this vicious, using your position to settle a personal grudge out of jealousy!"

Hearing him accuse me blindly, I felt incredibly wronged, but I forced myself to stay rational. "Mr. Bender, the editing process is traceable in the software, and chat records show I sent the slides properly. I guarantee my version had no issues. As for how this happened, you should ask Ms. Hubbard."

Lily panicked upon hearing my words. She turned to Zane with a pitiful look. "Mr. Bender, I didn't do it! She sent the file right before the meeting was about to start. I didn't even have time to open it! How could I have altered it? Besides, who would show their own private photos…"

Between Lily and me, Zane would always choose to believe her without hesitation.

He stared at me coldly. "Don't try to argue, Cassidy. No woman would make her private photos public, especially someone as pure as Lily. There's just no way she would do this.

"Since you have no regard for what we once had, I see no reason to show leniency. I'll announce disciplinary action, strip you of your director position, and cut your salary by half. If you have a problem with it, there's the door."

I looked him straight in the eye and asked slowly, "Mr. Bender, if you think I'm wrong, then what do you call employees who keep dumping their work on others?"

My icy tone thoroughly enraged him. He scoffed in anger. "Cassidy, have you forgotten? You used to do the same thing."

Then he headed out of the meeting room with Lily in his arms. As he walked past me, he coldly added, "From today onward, you're responsible for all of Lily's work. Refuse, and you're fired."

As the door shut, I didn't cry, nor did my eyes turn red. I merely felt incredibly exhausted.

Zane was right. I had enjoyed his special treatment before, but unlike Lily, I'd never pushed my work onto others, nor played dirty tricks like this.

I stayed in the meeting room for a long time, until the disciplinary notice that was sent to everyone in the company popped up in the work group chat.

When I walked out, my coworkers looked at me mockingly.

"Tsk-tsk, looks like someone's fallen out of favor. From now on, you're just like the rest of us. Ms. Hartman, I'm curious. Do you think you can stomach instant coffee when you're already used to hand-brewed coffee?

"Oh, wait. I don't have to call you Ms. Hartman anymore. Maybe I should call you Cassidy now."

"Cassidy, can you also help with my work? According to Ms. Hubbard, you're the office workhorse, and anyone who's tired can just use you."

Soon, stacks of files piled up on my desk.

I expressionlessly pushed them aside, trying to focus on preparing for the interview. But when I opened my laptop, I found myself unable to concentrate at all.

I remained in that daze until noon, when Kayla dragged me to the cafeteria.

Across the room, Zane and Lily were sitting together. Lily daintily fed Zane cake, looking just like a couple in love.

Setting down my fork and knife, I said with my head down, "I'm full. I'm leaving first."

As I walked past their table, Zane picked up a spoon and fed Lily a bite, almost as if he was deliberately provoking me.

I kept my eyes down, put on my earphones, and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.

Back at my desk, I began clearing up my workspace, mostly old work files and little gifts from Zane.

I had already sold all the valuable jewelry he had given me and gotten a fair amount of money in exchange.

Most of what remained were handmade keepsakes, such as the ceramic mug we'd made together, a scrapbook we put together, and a few small, unremarkable trinkets. I couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion upon seeing them.

I could still remember the day we made the ceramic mugs. Zane took off his multi-million-dollar watch to touch the wet clay with me.

He obviously had never done anything like that before because he had frowned as soon as he touched it, but he stuck it out.

I had to admit, he had talent. His mug turned out better than mine, even though it was his first time making one.

As I recalled how I had smeared clay on his nose and he had dodged in mock annoyance but ended up laughing, my eyes grew red again.

We had been so in love…

Exhaling deeply, I looked up and blinked back the tears. In the end, I placed the mug into a cardboard box and sealed it with tape, thinking, "Zane, this is my resignation gift to you."

Not long after, my coworkers started coming back.

Lily tapped on my desk as she passed, acting like she was already Zane's wife. "Get that file done and sent over as soon as possible. Try not to make a fool of yourself this time."

Her voice dripped with provocation, but I didn't react. I merely gave a faint hum in reply.

Not wanting her to cause more trouble, I hastily dealt with the file she had sent before sending it straight to Zane's email.

As I got ready to leave for the day, one of my coworkers swaggered over and tossed me 200 dollars. "Ms. Hubbard wants you to buy her a coffee and bring it to her desk before you leave."

Staring at the money, I finally snapped. I stormed into Zane's office.

The moment I entered, I saw Lily straddling Zane, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

Upon noticing me, Lily jumped up like a startled rabbit, clutching her blouse where a few buttons were undone.

Zane looked at me impatiently. "Don't you know how to knock before entering?"

Clenching my fists at his words, I tried to keep my voice calm as I said, "Mr. Bender, I can tolerate work matters, but please handle your personal matters yourselves."

Then I turned to Lily, my tone icy. "Ms. Hubbard, last I checked, you have legs. Get your coffee yourself."

Lily froze, clearly not expecting me to call her out in front of Zane.

Biting her lip, she looked at me with an aggrieved expression. "I'm sorry, Ms. Hartman… I just wasn't feeling well, so I asked for your help. I didn't expect you to mind this much… It's fine. I'll just go myself."

She started walking toward me stiffly with her hand on her waist, but before she could take two steps, Zane pulled her into his arms. "If it hurts, just stay put."

He fondly ruffled her hair, then turned to me, his eyes cold. "Cassidy, it's just a cup of coffee. Do you have to humiliate Lily over it? Or is it that you only dare to bully her?"

Zane sneered. "To be fair, I was probably too rough last night and hurt her. So? Do you dare speak to me that way?"

I thought I had already grown numb, but his words cut me painfully nonetheless.

I let out a slow breath, looking at him calmly. "I've said what I needed to. Ms. Hubbard, I hope you stick to your word."

Then I turned and walked toward the door.

"Stop."

Zane's cold voice came from behind me. "She might have said she would go, but I didn't. If I don't see that coffee in 30 minutes, you can forget coming to Cosmo Group tomorrow."

I paused briefly, then kept walking. "Do whatever you want."

When I got back to my desk, Kayla looked at me in disbelief. "I heard everything. You actually dared talk back to Mr. Bender? Aren't you afraid he'll really fire you?

"Cassidy, I know you're prepping for the Vertex Group interview, but Mr. Archer is a tough nut to crack. What if you fail and lose your job here too?"

"Then I'll go find work elsewhere," I said calmly. "This is just a job. No need to ruin my life over it."

Bowing my head, I continued to prepare for my interview, paying no mind to Zane's threat. I never thought that this had thoroughly pissed him off.

An hour later, I received a text from him. "If I don't see the coffee in another 30 minutes, I will also fire Kayla."

The moment I saw the text, I could hardly believe my eyes.

Zane would go this far for Lily? Kayla had always performed well and had been with Cosmo Group for years, but he wanted to fire her just like that?

The only reason he would do this was that Kayla was the closest to me at work. Zane truly was a businessman, willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

"What's wrong, Cassidy?" Kayla leaned over, concerned.

I immediately shut my laptop, said it was nothing, and left the office in a hurry. Even if I felt hurt, I didn't want Kayla to risk her future for me.

It was just buying coffee anyway. Besides, there was only another day left until my interview.

After a quick search, I learned that the nearest cafe was about a mile away. A round trip in half an hour would be tough.

When I finally got the coffee, I started hurrying back. But in my rush, checking the time as I ran, I failed to notice the speeding car.

A bang sounded, and the coffee cup in my hand hit the ground, spilling everywhere. I was thrown into the air before hitting the ground and rolling across it.

"Miss!"

"Oh my god!"

Everything became a blur. People rushed over as pain ripped through me.

It didn't take long for an ambulance to arrive. Listening to the frantic voices of the nurses, I had this feeling that I might not make it in that moment.

Was I going to die like this? For… a cup of coffee?

I shut my eyes in despair, and Zane's frivolous, indifferent face appeared in my mind.

Why… Why was it that even at the end of my life, I was still thinking of that face?

Right then, my phone that had fallen nearby buzzed. The screen lit up with a message from him.

"It's been 30 minutes. I have already fired her. You can't blame me for being heartless. You only have yourself to blame for being stubborn."

Yet, I couldn't read the message. My last thought was that if I could go back in time, I would never love Zane again.

I had a really long dream that day. I dreamt that on my birthday, Zane pulled out a ring from his pocket, got down on one knee, and… asked me to marry him.

I said yes, but the next moment, instead of receiving flowers and champagne, I had a speeding car coming straight at me.

My eyelashes fluttered, and I opened my eyes.

"She's awake! She's finally awake!" a doctor exclaimed right beside me.

As I slowly came to, the pain in my body hit me all at once, and I cried out in agony.

The nurses immediately gave me a shot for the pain. Their faces were grim as one of them said, "Miss, the impact didn't damage your internal organs… but the baby didn't survive…"

My whole body went stiff as my ears rang. Baby?

Upon noticing my reaction, she asked, "Did you not know you were pregnant? You were two months along, the most unstable period for a fetus."

Whatever they said next, I didn't hear it at all. My mind was a mess, and it felt like there was a boulder crushing my chest.

Right then, my phone started buzzing with messages in the work group chat. "What happened to Kayla? She's been crying since leaving Mr. Bender's office."

"She probably got fired. She's already packing her things. Poor thing. I heard she still has a seriously ill mother who needs help with hospital bills."

"Jeez, even though she worked so hard, she got fired? I told her not to get too close to that person. Ms. Hubbard's calling the shots now. Of course everyone has to suck up to her."

I scrolled through the chat silently. When I got to the last message, I completely broke down. I called Kayla again and again, but none of my calls went through.

In the end, I called Zane and screamed into the phone, "Zane Bender, are you insane? I already did what I was told, so why did you do that to her? Why?"

Zane seemed stunned by my yelling, then said irritably, "I told you that she'd be fired if I didn't see the coffee in 30 minutes. It's already been a whole day. Is there a problem with what I did?"

I checked my phone for the time. It was true that a whole day had passed since my surgery and being out cold.

And during that time, Zane didn't reach out or ask about what had happened to me once. He just fired Kayla straight away.

In that moment, my heart died, the same way my unborn child did in the accident.

Exhaling slowly, I explained in an icy tone, "Zane, it's not that I didn't want to go back. I got into a car accident on the way."

"A car accident?" He snorted. "You've got quite the imagination. Aren't you just making up some poor excuse to fool me now that you're regretting it? You simply didn't think I'd actually go through with it."

Hearing that, I had no desire to argue. I hung up and posted a photo of myself on my social media.

It wasn't to gain sympathy. I just couldn't let Kayla be treated so unfairly because of me.

So much had happened in these past few days—betrayal, loss, even a near-death experience. Every one of them left me completely exhausted.

And my next path forward had been blocked by this accident. The Vertex Group interview was tomorrow, yet my legs were in casts. I couldn't even move.

Everything that happened sucked so bad that it felt hopeless. Nevertheless, I couldn't give up any chance to turn things around.

Just then, a familiar voice came from outside the hospital room. "Where's Cassidy Hartman? Which room is she in?"

As soon as the door opened, Zane and I locked eyes. His gaze fell on my legs, encased in casts, and for the first time in a long while, I saw concern in his eyes.

He pounded on the door in frustration, his voice much gentler now. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was unconscious," I said softly.

Sitting down beside me, he reached to touch my cheek. However, I instinctively turned away. As his hand hung in the air, he frowned slightly, but he eventually lowered it.

"I…"

He paused, struggling to continue. "I'll get Kayla to come back."

I gave a small nod and said nothing else.

Sighing, Zane held my hand, which was still covered with tubes and needles. "Don't worry. The doctors already told me about your injuries. I've lined up the best doctors and surgeons for your recovery.

"Your legs will be fine in no time, and the surgery for your scars has already been scheduled. There won't be any lasting marks."

After listening to what he had to say, I let out a small laugh. "Besides all of that, is there anything else you want to say?"

He froze for a moment, then abruptly sprang to his feet in panic. "Did you get hurt somewhere else? Where? Let me see."

I shook my head immediately, stopping his nervous hand and murmuring, "It's fine."

It seemed he had no idea that I'd miscarried in the accident.

Still, that was probably for the best. If he took pity on me and continued to bother me, he would just be wasting more of my precious time.

Zane stayed at my bedside all afternoon. Lily had called several times, but he merely glanced at me before turning her invites down.

I guessed he felt guilty since he had promised countless times before that as long as he was around, I would never be hurt.

He kept stopping himself when he tried to speak. I knew he wanted to apologize, but just couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, in his eyes, I would always be beneath him.

Zane was a proud man, and I didn't hope for an apology anyway since I had no expectations left for him.

When he went to the bathroom, I sent an email to Vertex Group, explaining my sudden accident and hoping they could postpone the interview and give me another chance.

Kayla had told me Desmond always stuck to the rules, so I didn't hold out much hope.

I was surprised that the reply came quickly, and sure enough, they refused my request.

However, they offered a workaround. I could submit my portfolio, and if it impressed them, I might get hired as an exception. I covered my mouth in excitement just as Zane came back.

"What's got you so happy?" he asked, leaning over out of curiosity.

I immediately hid my phone under the blanket. He froze in place, knitting his brow. "You're hiding things from me again?"

He scowled slightly, lifted my chin, and slowly closed the space between us. "Cassidy, don't you think we've become too distant lately?"

I stayed calm as I stared at him. He would never kiss me since he hated my lips. But then, he abruptly did. The kiss deepened, his tongue skillfully prying my lips open.

I started growing weak from the kiss. Feeling uneasy, I shoved him hard, which seemed to annoy him.

He pinned me to the hospital bed, and it wasn't until I cried out in pain that he finally seemed to snap out of it and let me go.

He touched my cheek, his tone heavy with an emotion I couldn't place. "Do you have any idea that you scared me?"

That night, Zane stayed by my side. He leaned against the window, while I pretended to sleep so that I wouldn't have to talk to him.

After some time, I heard the sliding door move. Zane had gone out to the balcony and was talking to someone on the phone.

"Zane, you didn't actually fall for Cassidy, did you? You left such an important meeting the moment you heard she was hurt."

Zane chuckled. "You're overthinking it. I just didn't want anyone dying. Handling something like that would be a real headache."

The other person went silent for a moment. "Fair enough. If you actually loved her, you wouldn't have gotten yourself a new woman. By the way, how's your new plaything in bed?"

Zane exhaled cigarette smoke slowly, as if savoring it. "She's pretty good, way wilder than Cassidy, but it gets boring after a while. Once Cassidy's better, I'll sleep with her a few more times. She's much more refreshing."

…

In that moment, all the warmth he had shown me during the day felt like one big joke. I suppressed my feelings of disgust and anger, trying to keep myself from making a peep.

Zane spent about 30 minutes on the call before coming back in. He then kissed me on the forehead and left.

The moment he stepped out, I pulled out my phone and uploaded my portfolio, wanting nothing but to end this relationship once and for all.

I got a reply within ten minutes. When I saw I'd been hired, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Zane, we wouldn't be seeing each other again, and we definitely would never be sleeping together again.

The next morning, I asked to be discharged early from the hospital. Acting on the invite from Vertex Group, I booked the earliest flight and departed from Acmoria.

I deleted all my ex-coworkers' contacts and blocked Zane. Though my injuries weren't fully healed, my new life had already begun.