I should’ve headed out sooner. But once again, Mom needed comforting.

"Are you really doing okay, Althea? Eating well? Not overwhelmed?"

While adjusting my blouse in her mirror, I worked to keep my voice steady. “I’m fine, Mom. Just a little anxious.”

She sighed and reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, like she always did when I was younger. “I still can’t get used to this… you working there like some trainee, when you could be—”

“Shhh,” I murmured, brushing a kiss on her cheek. “Let me handle this my way.”

I ended up walking out of her penthouse apartment ten minutes later than planned—ten minutes that would turn out to matter a lot.

The roads were jammed. Traffic crawled, and by the time I got to Ravenwood Corporation, I was practically panting. I dashed across the lobby, waved my ID quickly at the front desk, and ran for the elevators.

The doors were almost shut when I caught a glimpse of her.

Averie Hale. Grinning with that smug little face of hers.

“Hold the elevator!” I called out, raising my voice.

She stared directly at me—and deliberately hit the close button.

The elevator sealed shut right in front of me.

I gritted my teeth, fists clenched tightly at my sides. That was classic Averie.

When I finally reached the 19th floor using a different elevator, the orientation had already begun.

Everyone was already seated in neat rows within the glass-walled conference room. I tried to sneak in without a sound, but Mr. Langston, the man leading orientation, turned around and scowled sharply.

“Miss... Althea, is that correct?” he said loudly. “You’re late. And here at Ravenwood Corporation, first impressions matter.”

My cheeks flushed with heat as all eyes turned toward me—including Averie’s. She looked far too pleased, like a cat who’d just devoured a helpless bird.

“I apologize, sir,” I replied, voice calm, giving a polite nod. “It won’t happen again.”

He said nothing in return, merely motioned for me to take the empty chair at the back.

As soon as the session wrapped up, I was gathering my folder when trouble herself approached me.

“Oh wow, look who else got accepted,” Averie said in a sugar-sweet tone as she leaned closer.

I didn’t bother to meet her eyes.

“And unlike some people,” she added with a soft, fake chuckle, “who probably flirted their way in, I got an actual phone call. Apparently, they made a mistake not choosing me at first—said I was the best fit. Not that surprising, right? I mean, I am better than everyone else.”

I almost laughed at that. Naturally, she got in.

Because I had told my mother to give her a spot. Because what better punishment than letting her believe she’d won?

I turned to her slowly, offering the smallest of smiles.

“Congrats,” I said, my voice smooth and cold like frost. “I’m sure you’ll leave quite the mark.”

Then I walked away. By the afternoon, whispers were already buzzing through the workplace like a windstorm.

“They’re saying the Ravenwood Corporation’s heiress is pretending to be one of us.”

“Seriously? Like in a K-drama?”

“No one knows who she is yet. Some are guessing Averie—she kind of looks the part.”

That nearly made me spit out my water. Averie? As the heir? Please.

I kept my head down and stuck to the workload—reviewing data files, internal documentation, orientation materials. Nothing fancy, but I stayed focused. I didn’t want anyone thinking I had it easy.

During break, I slipped into a quiet lounge to take a call from my mom.

“Are you alright?” she asked right away.

“Yeah, just… playing my role.”

She gave a soft chuckle. “Your dad would’ve been proud, you know. Starting from the bottom like this.”

“I hope he would.”

We talked a bit more. She updated me on how Xavier was keeping the board calm, and I told her I’d lay low for a while longer.

That’s when I heard it—from the hallway beyond the lounge.

A sharp gasp.

A muffled moan.

Voices I recognized.

My skin crawled.

I stood and walked quietly down the corridor, peeking through a door that had been left ajar.

And my stomach twisted in on itself.

Averie. Pressed tightly against the wall. Legs wrapped around someone.

That someone… was Kieran. My fiancé.

They weren’t even discreet. No lowered voices. No locked door. No sign of shame.

I took out my phone and began recording. My hands were steady. No tremble. No emotion. Just facts. I kept filming until I had enough. Then I waited.

Not long after, Kieran stepped out. His shirt was wrinkled. His lips stained with red.

And when he saw me?

He stopped cold.

“A-Althea—hey, babe. What are you doing here?”

I tilted my head slightly, my expression soft and unreadable.

“Just having a little stroll.”

He swallowed visibly, tugging at his collar as though that could cover his betrayal.

“Oh, sweetheart,” I said with a half-smile, leaning in close to inspect his neck. “What’s this little red mark right here?”

My arms stayed folded tightly across my chest as he came closer, lips tinted, collar wrinkled. He even had the nerve to flash a smile.

“What’s that on your neck?” I asked, my tone icy though deceptively calm.

Kieran blinked as if confused, then reached up to touch the side of his neck like he was only now noticing something. “Oh, that? Just a mosquito bite. I stepped out to the emergency stairs to get a bit of air and… well, you know how it goes.”

A mosquito? Really?

My eyes shifted to the distinct red blotches forming a trail on his skin—far too deliberate for an insect bite. Those weren’t random. They were hickeys. Deep, deliberate, unmistakable.

He wasn’t even trying to come up with a convincing lie.

Before I could say a word, he abruptly veered the conversation elsewhere.

“Anyway, we should get going. It’s probably not ideal for people to see us together too much around here. Office relationships are kind of frowned upon.”

I didn’t respond. Just gave a small nod.

He let out a breath, clearly mistaking my silence for compliance—or worse, forgiveness. “Let’s catch up later, yeah? Just you and me. A little date night.” He leaned in, kissed me on the cheek like everything was normal, then walked off, humming to himself.

I stayed where I was, staring at the space he’d just left, my skin tingling at the nape of my neck.

That afternoon, the conference room was packed. A high-level meeting was taking place—executives, senior employees, interns, even Averie, who had somehow managed to seat herself far too near Kieran.

Kieran, whose current position existed because of me.

Kieran, who genuinely believed he’d climbed this ladder alone. I found a seat at the far end of the room—out of the spotlight, but never out of play.

The lights dimmed. Kieran took center stage, clicker in hand, wearing that same smug air he always did. “Today, I’ll walk you through a marketing strategy designed to take our campaigns to the next level.”

I almost snorted. That “strategy” wasn’t his.

I remembered the nights at our old place—he’d be frustrated, drowning in data. I would be the one staying up late, putting the slides together, streamlining the reports, breaking complex charts into digestible talking points he could then present like a seasoned expert.

I convinced myself I was doing it out of love. That my help mattered. That it made him feel supported.

But that wasn’t love. It was him using me. And I had been too blind to see it.

I remembered that night clearly—the one when I overheard him talking to Averie. I had been in bed, pretending to be asleep.

“So, when are you going to break up with her?” Averie had asked, laughing like it was a joke.

“She’s still useful to me,” Kieran replied. “Once I land the promotion, I’ll dump her. She’s needy, but she’s a good asset for now. Don’t worry. I’m yours. The engagement’s just for show. She’s holding on to false hope.”

After the meeting, Kieran came rushing to me, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Babe, they ate it up,” he grinned. “You’re amazing, you know that? Actually, I need another small favor. There’s this pitch coming up—huge opportunity. Promotion-level big. Think you can work your magic again?”

I smiled at him gently. “Of course. I’ll handle it.”

He kissed the top of my head like I was his loyal secretary and strolled off like he owned the place.

That night, I sat alone, surrounded by scattered notes, sketches, and analytics, trying to will myself to finish the job—maybe just one final time.

Then I unlocked my phone and saw her.

Averie Hale. In a picture by the bay, the night sky bursting with fireworks behind her.

Her caption: “Unforgettable evening with my favorite person.”

Curious, I tapped on the video. She was laughing, twirling the camera around. And there he was—Kieran—smiling like he belonged there, drink in hand, standing right beside her.

My breath hitched. So that’s where he had been.

While I sat here piecing together his future, he was out basking in the glow of his lies.

I closed the laptop gently. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream.

I simply sat in silence. Then I decided.

No more favors. No more justifying. No more pretending everything was okay.

The next morning, I didn’t show up at the office. I didn’t reply to texts. Gave no explanation. By lunchtime, Kieran had already called me seven times. By the late afternoon, the number had jumped to seventeen.

I stared at my screen as his name appeared again and again.

Then, without hesitation, I pressed block.