Though I was mentally prepared, the stench of alcohol and food on him still made me instinctively struggle a bit.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw James stand up. When I looked over, Emily had already grabbed his sleeve.

Steadying myself, I plastered a smile on my face and said to the man beside me, "I'm new to the Anderson Group and hope to learn a lot from you all."

He smiled again. "Then have a drink with me first."

He pulled me onto the sofa and handed me a bottle of beer.

I glanced at James, who had sat back down and lit a cigarette. I couldn't see his expression.

Emily was looking at me, her eyes full of resentment.

I took it all in, grabbed the beer, and took a sip, the strong taste making me choke.

So bitter.

But the man laughed heartily, his eyes filled with a lecherous light. "That's more like it! More, more..."

Since I walked in, James hadn't said a word, sitting in the corner with a heavy aura. Emily, on the other hand, played the role of the hostess. Seeing me like this, she didn't back down. "Since Ms. King has made it clear that she's against us, let's see what we can each do."

With that, she downed her drink.

A snide voice came from beside me. "What kind of skills do you have."

Emily gave the man a seductive smile, vibrant and bold, but all I saw was her shattered pride.

The company was in a dire situation. She stood by James' side, capable and humble.

The three of us had grown up together, and unlike my hidden feelings, she openly loved James for many years. She used to call me James' shadow and saw me as a rival, even giving up her promising future to be his secretary.

She sacrificed a lot for James. They were intimate lovers and business partners.

I should feel happy that he found someone like her, but seeing his cold gaze, my heart still shattered into pieces.

The one standing by his side could never be me.

So, James, don't look back. You must always hate me.

Allowing the man beside me to pull me into his arms, I put on a fawning smile, presenting a completely different image from what James remembered. "Come, Bob, let me toast you again."

James' eyes remained icy, not even glancing at me.

After drinking countless glasses, the man's hand began to roam over my arm. I endured the disgust, trying to break free.

But I felt dizzy, and my stomach started to ache.

Suddenly, James' unsteady figure appeared in my line of sight. He yanked me out of the man's embrace. "Olivia!"

The room fell silent, whispers starting again. The man beside me, now angry, dropped his friendly disguise. "James, what do you mean by this?"

Before he could finish, James' rough handling made my stomach churn. I rushed out to the restroom and vomited until I was dizzy.

The surging alcohol continuously assaulted my brain, causing my long-hidden emotions to collapse.

After vomiting for a while, my heart began to ache.

When I wiped away my tears and walked out of the restroom, James was standing at the door, with Emily behind him, his coat draped over her arm.

It was just like on my 22nd birthday, with them standing in front of me.

James didn't know that all my birthday wishes over the years had been about him.

At this moment, James' expression was ugly. "Olivia, how can you be so cheap! Do you think you can sleep your way to the top?

"I told you, the people I hate most in this life are you and your mother. Even if you sleep with all the shareholders of the company, I won't let you get a single thing that belongs to the Anderson family!"

I tried my best to stand upright, but how could I face what he was saying?

Pretending to be calm and with a smile, I walked up to him. I really wanted to ask, "James, can't you stop hating me?"

But what answer could I expect from him?

His mother, Abigail, died because of my mom. I could only say, "What I want, I deserve. How I get it has nothing to do with you, James."

I've seen those angry and hurt eyes many times, but each time it still shakes me to my core.

He even punched the wall.

I watched his lonely back, unable to calm down.

James, don't look back. There will no longer be an Olivia who loves you.

My phone chimed with a midnight message. My 28th birthday had arrived. In a daze, I realized my 22nd birthday had passed six years ago.

When I was seven, my birthday wish was for my parents to reconcile.

When I was eighteen, my wish was to get into the same university as James.

But every birthday wish over the years had fallen through.

Except for that one year abroad when my wish came true.

That year, I was in Lantis. On my birthday night, I got drunk with friends, and my longing for James intensified with the alcohol.

I wished to see him, even if just once.

I don't know if the candles cast a spell that night, but I really saw James at the entrance of my apartment building the next day.

He stood under the dim streetlight, a cigarette glowing in his hand. He looked travel-worn, tired but still the person I missed day and night.

James, I missed you so much.