Jane's POV

The road to landing this job had been nothing short of a nightmare. After my divorce from Kelvin,

The miscarriage had shattered me further. The abortion pills he had pushed me to take had left me infertile.

The doctor confirmed it: my Fallopian tubes were beyond repair. I would never be able to have children naturally again.

I hadn’t known how to process the news. I didn’t know how to mourn the loss of something that hadn’t even had a chance to live.

My desperation led me to apply for every job in sight. But it didn’t matter how many degrees I had or how many languages I spoke.

Every company rejected me, saying I was "too overqualified." and I couldn’t help but feel like I had wasted so much time chasing a future that never came.

Except for Robert Smith. He didn’t care about my qualifications. Instead, he made me feel like nothing.

He stripped away any remaining dignity I had, making me feel stupid and small. Every day, I walked into that office, knowing I was nothing more than an obstacle in his path, a pawn to be used, discarded, and humiliated at his will.

I was still begging, hoping he would at least have a change of heart, even if it meant deducting fifty percent off my salary, I would take it, I didn't just want to be idle.

His phone rang abruptly, cutting through the tension in the room.

He answered it, his tone clipped and sharp, listening to the voice on the other end, no doubt relaying some bit of information that had only fueled his fury.

After a moment, he hung up, his face tight with frustration.

"Unbelievable..." he muttered to himself, turning back to face me. “Are you sure you're not a witch?”

I scrambled for words, my hands shaking. "Please, sir... please don’t fire me. I can do better, I swear! I promise it won’t happen again. I’ve got debts to settle. I’m barely scraping by.” My voice trembled, but I had no choice. This job—this miserable excuse for a job—was my only lifeline.

Robert stood there, looking at me with something between disgust and indifference.

For a moment, I thought he might walk out and leave me stranded, like he always did.

But then, with a long, exasperated sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he were wrestling with some inner demon.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this,” he muttered. “Normally, I wouldn’t, but…” He let out another frustrated hiss. “Fine. I’ll give you one last chance. But this time, you’re not just my assistant.”

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean, sir?”

He looked at me like I should have known better.

“We’ve got a dinner party to attend, and you’re coming with me. My original plus-one bailed at the last minute, so now you’re my backup. I paid some actress a ridiculous amount to attend this high-profile event, and now she’s telling me she forgot because she’s ‘on set.’ Ugh. You women are all the same. All you do is take, take, take, without ever giving anything back.”

He shook his head in frustration before heading toward the door.

I grabbed my bag, my heart racing. He wasn’t giving me a choice. I had to follow him. I had to go. There was no other option.

When I caught up to him, I tried to speak, but before I could get a word out, he shot me a glance over his shoulder.

“Keep your distance,” he snapped. “I don’t need you breathing down my neck. Just get in the damn car.”

As we reached the parking lot, I hesitated. “Sir, I... I don’t have anything to wear for the event,” I finally said, feeling the sting of embarrassment wash over me.

Robert’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he turned to look at me. He chuckled darkly.

“I didn’t expect anything better. Your shoes always look like they’ve been eaten by rats, your hair’s as dry as straw, and your breath…” He paused dramatically, as if savoring the cruelty.

“Always unbearable! Please, do us both a favor and shut up. Let me take you to a boutique to help your sad little life before you kill me with that smell coming from your mouth.”

Jane's POV

I walked back to the parking lot and Robert’s eyes locked onto me.

For the first time in our entire working relationship, I saw something flicker in his gaze—appraisal, maybe even approval—but then it was gone, replaced by his usual contempt.

He looked me up and down once more, his expression bordering on disapproval.

“You look less than a clown,” he muttered, making me flinch. “We’re going to meet dignitaries, and they’ll want to ask you questions about the business sector. Don’t embarrass me with your stupidity, Jane. If you do, I’ll make sure I lock you up for the rest of your miserable life. Understand?”

We got to the venue and immediately I stepped inside the hall, my stomach churned with excitement and dread.

The gala was a billionaire’s affair—dignitaries, investors, and tech moguls mingling, all with one goal: to secure lucrative deals and expand their empires.

It should have been my moment—my opportunity to shine.

My company, Thorne Tech, was supposed to be at this event, showcasing our cutting-edge innovations.

But Kelvin and Daphne had crushed that dream beneath their heels, and now, here I was, reduced to a mere assistant at Robert’s side.

I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the present. And then I heard it—Robert's voice, booming across the room as he introduced someone.

“A foreign investor, Mr. Gianni Berardi,” Robert said, and I couldn’t help but listen as his deep voice sliced through the air. He was shaking hands with a tall man, his accent thick and his English faltering.

"Mr. Berardi is here to discuss a potential collaboration with Smith Group," Robert continued, his tone almost too rehearsed. I could see the slight discomfort in his posture, the tight smile on his face as he fumbled with the words.

I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. Robert, always so sure of himself, was clearly struggling to communicate with this Italian investor.

The language barrier between them was painfully obvious. Robert’s attempts to engage in conversation were met with confusion, and the silence between them grew awkward by the second.

I stood off to the side, my arms folded across my chest, enjoying the scene unfold before me.

Robert, the ever-confident billionaire, was stumbling over his words, and it was a sight I couldn't tear my eyes from. For once, the man who thought he was untouchable was struggling.

But I didn’t speak. I let him flounder. He had always made me feel small, belittling me at every turn, making me doubt my worth.

It felt good to watch him squirm for once, knowing that he couldn’t control the situation.

Then, as if the universe had a wicked sense of timing, Robert snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering something.

"Wait—Jane!" he barked, his voice sharp. "You speak multiple languages, don’t you?" His gaze locked onto me. "Mr. Berardi is a potential client, and he's been asking about our latest products. He wants us to blow his mind with something new—something that's never been seen or heard before."

I blinked, surprised by the sudden turn of events. I had no idea what Robert had in mind, but I knew one thing—I couldn’t let this opportunity slip through my fingers. Not when my future could be at stake.

He continued, his voice low, "You’ve been sitting here listening. Why don’t you handle it? You’ve been in meetings about this product, tell him everything about the new product we are working on”

For a split second, I hesitated. My mind raced. This was my chance—my chance to show Robert what I was truly capable of.

But on the other hand, If I could win over this investor, if I could pitch something incredible, it would be my way back to the top.

I didn’t need Robert’s approval anymore—I just needed one break, one person to believe in me.

I took a deep breath and smiled. "Of course, Mr. Smith. I’ll handle it."

Robert didn’t seem to care much about my confidence. In fact, he was already distracted by something else, and as he turned away, he whispered in my ear,

"Don’t mess this up, Jane. If you screw this up, I’ll make sure you regret it."

Jane's POV

Robert’s breath was hot against my skin, and I suppressed a shiver. There was something dark in his eyes, something that made my blood run cold.

But I pushed it aside. I had no time to dwell on his threats. This was my moment.

I turned to Mr. Berardi, who was still waiting, his hands clasped behind his back.

He was looking at me expectantly. I could feel the weight of his gaze and I knew that I had to impress him. Not just for Robert, but for myself.

"Mr. Berardi," I said, trying to sound confident. "I know you’re looking for something fresh in tech. I have an idea that could change the way people connect online."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. "Go on."

"Picture this," I continued, "a platform where companies and startups can share ideas and work together in real-time, without all the usual delays. It's a place where anyone can post projects, and the right people with the right skills can join and collaborate instantly."

He raised an eyebrow again. "So, like a marketplace for ideas?"

"Exactly," I nodded. "But it’s more than that. It’s a place where people can create, share, and even patent new tech products on the spot—no red tape, no waiting."

Mr. Berardi smiled, his eyes twinkling with approval. "You have my attention, Miss Jane. I would like to explore this further. Here," he handed me his business card, "contact me. I think we could do something extraordinary together."

I took the card, my heart racing. This was it. This could be my big break—the opportunity I had been waiting for.

I didn't want to take chances, so I quickly punched his contact information into my phone.

I could schedule a meeting with Mr Berardi, call in sick on the day of the meeting without informing Robert and travel with Mr Berardi to Italy and start a new life there.

But then, my eyes wandered across the room, and I saw them.

Kelvin and Daphne.

Standing together, laughing, sharing a private joke. The sight of them made my blood boil, but it was the way they were looking at each other that sent a chill down my spine.

I turned quickly, almost running into a waiter carrying a glass of champagne. I mumbled an apology, my heart pounding in my chest as I couldn't bear to see them together.

I fled to the bathroom, locking myself inside a stall. My body trembled with sobs as I retched into the toilet, vomiting everything I had eaten earlier.

The bile rose in my throat as the memories came flooding back—Kelvin’s betrayal, Daphne’s lies, the way they had ruined my life.

I wiped my tears away, took a deep breath, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. This was it.

This was my moment to reclaim everything I had lost. It starts now.

I took a few more steadying breaths before I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone. My hands shook slightly as I unlocked the screen.

I blinked in shock when I saw the notifications. Over thirty missed calls from Mr Robert.

And then, I saw the room number he had sent to me followed by a short message.

[ We are spending the night here, I'm too drunk to leave, and It's past midnight! Get here now!]

But just as I was about to gather myself, ready to leave and face Robert, I heard a commotion outside the bathroom.

A woman's face echoed through the hallway frantically. “Mr Berardi! Someone call for help! He's collapsed— he can't breathe”

I froze, my heart skipping a bit, what the hell was going on?

I pushed open the bathroom door and a nurse rushed past me. “He's suffering from severe food poisoning and allergic reactions. We need to get him to the ICU immediately”

Mr Berardi was my only chance at getting revenge on Kelvin and Daphne, but now with his condition, it's over for me, there was no way out of this and I know very well that I didn't want to go back and continue being Robert's floor mat.

Well, I guess I'll have to move on to plan B.