3: 3

My father let out a cold snort.

"Just canceling the promotion lets him off too easy."

"He dared treat Ivan Fox's daughter like this. He's going to pay for it."

My father did nothing by halves; in business circles they called him the Living Reaper.

Whatever price he meant, it wouldn't be a small one. But I didn't ask.

Whatever he did, Calvin had it coming.

As I walked out of the restaurant, Calvin called.

Seeing those two words saved on my screen, "Future Husband," made my stomach turn.

Three years ago I'd resisted an arranged marriage, and I couldn't stand the way the rich sons around me behaved, so I'd deliberately hidden who I was and gone to the branch office to cut my teeth. That was how I'd ended up giving a chance to Calvin, who seemed so plain and honest.

I never thought I'd still end up getting my eyes pecked out by the very hawk I let close.

I didn't pick up. I just blocked every way he had of reaching me.

Back at my rented place, I cleared out everything connected to him.

Once it was all gone, I ended the lease and went home.

I pushed open the door to my father's study and got straight to the point.

"Dad, I don't think love is for me. I don't want to date for the next three years."

"I want to work at your side. I want to focus on my career."

My father froze for a second.

Then he laughed out loud.

For three years he'd urged me, more than once, to break it off with Calvin and come learn how to take over the company at his side.

But I was stubborn. I always assumed he'd just push me into meeting other people my age, and I used that as leverage, thinking I could force him to accept Calvin.

Looking back now, I wanted to slap myself.

I really had been out of my mind over that man.

"Good, good, good. That's my daughter. That's spirit."

My eyes went hot, and I threw myself into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I've been such a terrible daughter these past few years."

My father patted my back, the way he had when I was little and he'd been both father and mother, coaxing me to sleep.

"There's no sorry between us. All your old man wants is for you to be happy."

My eyes burned even more, and I held him tight.

My father moved fast.

Even though it was Sunday, he had my appointment finalized in no time.

Monday, which was tomorrow.

Everyone would know I was being transferred straight from the branch office to headquarters, made my father's special assistant, working right at his side.

Thinking of the new life I was about to begin, I slept through the night without a single dream, and slept well.

Early the next morning I set off for the branch office in high spirits, ready to pack up my things.

But I'd forgotten Calvin worked in my department.

Sure enough, the moment I reached the office, he pulled me into the emergency stairwell, his face dark.

"Carina, give me an explanation."

The skin under his eyes was bruised dark, and his stare was almost spitting fire.

He was clearly right at the edge of losing it.

Which made sense.

Anyone would be furious to have his girlfriend walk out on him at the restaurant on the very day of the proposal meeting, then vanish off a cliff.

But so what.

This was the price for playing with my feelings.

I didn't owe him a thing.

"Explanation? What do I need to explain?"

I shrugged.

Calvin hadn't expected me to be so unruffled. His face flushed with anger.

"Quit the act!"

"The twenty-fifth was the day we were supposed to settle the wedding date. How could you and your father just disappear and leave us all sitting there waiting like fools?"

"You not only gave no explanation, you wouldn't answer your phone, you blocked me, you moved out without a word. None of that needs explaining to me?"

My tone stayed exactly as cool as before.

"I have nothing to explain."

I rubbed at my brow, tired of it, and hardened my voice.

"Calvin, I'm officially notifying you. We're over."

"Don't come bothering me again."

Calvin stared, blank, as if he'd misheard.

"Carrie, what did you just say?"

I said it again.

"I said we're breaking up."

4: 4

He looked rattled, unsure what was wrong with me, and tried a careful guess.

"Carrie, what's really going on with you?"

"Is it... did Laurence Barnes say something bad about me again?"

Laurence is a childhood friend of mine, someone I've always been close to. From the moment he learned I'd gotten together with Calvin,

he quietly looked into him and came specifically to warn me, to talk me into breaking it off, saying his character was rotten.

Back then my judgment was clouded, and I didn't believe it.

I even went out of my way to distance myself from him.

Thinking of that now, I felt even more foolish.

The people around me had been warning me all along, and I'd insisted on going my own way anyway.

My brow drew tighter.

"You don't have to guess who. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

I looked at Calvin.

"That day, in the private room, everything you said—I heard all of it."

The expression on Calvin's face froze in an instant, the color draining out inch by inch.

He opened his mouth to explain. I raised a hand and cut him off.

"Don't bother. I won't listen anyway."

"The point is, I'm not the kind of person who can look past this. I said it ends here, so there is no later. Dragging it out is pointless."

I'd thought I'd made myself clear enough that he'd finally understand.

But I never expected that in the time it took me to use the restroom and come back, the whole department was congratulating me.

"Carrie, we heard Calvin came to your family Saturday to talk about the engagement. You two are getting engaged! Congratulations!"

"Good men are hard to find these days. You landed a good one in Calvin—you'd better hold on to him."

"Exactly. He's about to make supervisor, so another raise is coming. He's got real potential!"

There was no smile on my face. I only asked who had spread it.

In answer, they held up their phones.

On the screen was a message Calvin had posted.

【Everyone, Carina and I are engaged. You're all welcome to come to our wedding.】

The timestamp was exactly one minute after I'd told him it was over.

Calvin hadn't taken in a word I said. He'd gone and chained me to him by force.

Fury surging, I went straight to the smoking area to find him.

His buddies saw me coming and started ribbing him.

"Well, look at that—Cal's girl. So crazy about him you can't stand to be apart for a second."

"Man, that's sweet. We'll clear out and stop being the third wheel."

And Calvin didn't say a single word to deny it. Instead he gave me a sweet smile.

"What is it, Carrie? Miss me already, after so little time apart?"

It turned my stomach. I lifted my hand and slapped him without a shred of hesitation.

"Calvin, do my words just go in one ear and out the other? Didn't I tell you we're done? Why are you going around saying we're engaged?"

He wasn't the least bit angry. He caught my hand and blew on it instead.

"Baby, you've had your slap. Now stop being upset."

The disgust nearly overwhelmed me, and I tried to pull my hand free.

But he held it down, hard.

He lowered his voice, pitching it so only the two of us could hear.

"Carina, don't push your luck when I'm handing you a favor."

"I'm the one saying I'll still marry you. You should be grateful. Think about it—you dated me for three years. If I don't want you, you'll be damaged goods nobody wants. Who's going to marry you then?"

"Besides..."

He paused and brushed a loose strand of hair back from my ear.

"I'm about to make supervisor. My pay doubles, my standing goes up. That makes me a top-tier man, doesn't it? Breaking up with me now would be a loss for you. Be good. Stop throwing a tantrum."

I stared at him, stunned.

I could hardly believe those cold, vicious words were coming out of his mouth.

"And if I don't behave?"

The smile left Calvin's face, leaving nothing but ice.

"Then don't blame me for showing you no mercy once I'm supervisor. After all, crushing you will be as easy as crushing an ant."

Watching him stand there so smug and sure of himself, I suddenly wasn't angry anymore. I actually found it funny.

Promotion?

What a nice dream he was having.

Seeing me laugh instead of rage, Calvin frowned.

"Carina, what's so funny?"

I shook his hand off and said it one word at a time.

"I'm laughing because your promotion dream is about to shatter."

He didn't believe me and was about to say something else to humiliate me.

But his phone rang.

It was Director Lambert.

Calvin was over the moon. He pointed at the screen, showing off to me.

"Carina, see that? Director Lambert is calling personally to tell me about my promotion!"

I said nothing.

Smiling, he tapped to answer.

But the next second, the smile froze on his face.

It wasn't congratulations. It was Director Lambert roaring in a rage.

"Calvin, what the hell did you do? Get over here, now!"

"Do you have any idea? Your supervisor appointment has already been revoked!"

"And on top of that, the company is investigating you!"