And whenever the opportunity arose, he found ways to undermine me, sometimes openly, sometimes behind my back.

"Ms. Delgado, Mr. Dickerson, please don't do this." Douglas's voice was soft, conciliatory. "Mr. Dickerson is probably just in a bad mood. I'll come back later."

The words said one thing. His feet said another. He didn't move an inch.

And just like that, Cheryl's heart went out to him.

She took Douglas by the arm, led him into the office, and sat him down on the sofa.

"Douglas, you're too kind for your own good."

"Drew is clearly the one in the wrong, and you're still making excuses for him."

"You sit right here. You're not the one who needs to leave." She turned on me, her expression ice-cold. "Drew, apologize to Douglas. Now."

I let out a dry laugh.

"Apologize? To him?"

I pointed straight at Douglas.

"Do either of you have any idea what he's been doing behind your backs? That hundred-million-dollar bid we lost last month? That was because of him—"

"Enough!" Cheryl cut me off without a shred of hesitation. "Drew, you're becoming impossible."

"Douglas was working on that bid until three in the morning. Where were you?"

"Losing a bid happens. He gave it everything he had."

"What right do you have to blame him?"

Douglas lowered his head at just the right moment, the picture of wounded innocence. "Ms. Delgado, please, don't. Mr. Dickerson only wants what's best for the company. And the bid falling through really was my fault."

"It had nothing to do with you." Cheryl scoffed. "He's jealous of you, plain and simple. Looking for reasons to pick a fight."

"You've been with this company six months, and your results speak for themselves."

"Meanwhile, certain people coast on their board seat, do nothing all day, and have the nerve to criticize everyone else's work."

"It's pathetic."

A chill spread through my chest.

That bid was mine. I'd shepherded it from the ground up, and it had been all but guaranteed.

Then, in the final stretch, while I was away on a business trip, Cheryl made a unilateral decision. She handed full control to Douglas. Said it would be a good learning opportunity for the new guy.

The result? Critical details were altered. The client was furious. A rival firm swooped in and took the deal.

This was my childhood sweetheart. The girl I'd stood by for twenty years.

For the sake of an outsider, she could twist the truth this completely.

Douglas was clearly rattled, but he put on an earnest face and stepped closer to me.

"Mr. Dickerson, if I've done anything wrong, I sincerely apologize."

"We're all on the same team here. There's no need for things to get this ugly."

He was too close. I shoved him back on instinct.

I barely used any force, but Douglas stumbled backward several steps and crashed into the coffee table with a dull grunt.

"Drew! Have you lost your mind?"

Cheryl rushed to his side instantly, steadying him, her eyes blazing.

"You put your hands on him?" Her voice shook with fury. "Douglas has bent over backward to accommodate you, and this is what you do?"

"Is throwing tantrums the only thing you're good at?"

Douglas sagged against Cheryl, shaking his head weakly. "Ms. Delgado, I'm fine. I just slipped. Please don't blame Mr. Dickerson..."

I watched his flawless performance, and something inside me simply gave out.

I was done. Done with this circus.

I turned toward the door.

"Fine. If he's not leaving, I am."

"Stop right there!" Cheryl's voice cracked like a whip. "You haven't apologized to Douglas!"

I stopped walking.

"I'm not going to apologize."

"As of today, I'm done with both of you."

"The board seat? Give it to whoever you want."

"And the arranged engagement... consider it a joke."

Cheryl's brow furrowed. "Drew, are you threatening me?"

I didn't look back.

"Think whatever you want."

Back home, I started clearing out everything connected to her.

The photo albums were full of good memories.

But as I burned them, I felt nothing. Not even a ripple.

Maybe that's what it really meant when a heart finally died.

At dinner, my parents noticed something was off.

Mom placed a piece of braised pork in my bowl and asked softly, "Drew, honey, is something going on?"

"You seem like you've got a lot on your mind."

Dad set down his newspaper too, his eyes full of quiet concern.

I stared at the food in my bowl. After a long silence, I finally spoke.

"Dad. Mom. I've decided to go abroad to study."

The air seemed to freeze.

Mom's hand paused mid-reach. Dad's brow furrowed slightly.

They exchanged a glance, and something unspoken passed between them.

"You're sure?" Dad's voice was steady. No questioning. No attempt to talk me out of it.

"Yeah. I'm sure." I nodded, my voice firm.

Mom let out a quiet sigh and reached over to pat my shoulder. "Back then, you gave up your chance to study overseas for Cheryl. If this is what you've decided now, we're behind you."

A flicker of heartache crossed her eyes, but beneath it was something closer to relief.

Dad lifted his tea, took a slow sip, and said evenly, "Getting out might do you good. A change of scenery helps you see things more clearly."

"As for the arranged engagement your grandfather set up, I'll explain things to the Delgados."

I lowered my head. A sour ache bloomed in my chest.

When I'd given up studying abroad to start the company with Cheryl, my parents hadn't said a word against it. But I knew they'd carried that regret quietly all these years.

And now, after everything, I'd come full circle. Right back to where I started.

After dinner, I went to my room and opened the app to book a flight.

My phone buzzed. A message from Cheryl.

"Zenith Group sent someone over. They specifically asked to see you."

"I'll pick you up in ten minutes."

I stared at the screen, jaw tight.

Zenith Group was the company's biggest client. I'd managed that account personally. Years of work, years of relationship-building.

I hesitated for a long time before typing back: "Got it."

Ten minutes later, a black sedan pulled up in front of my house.

The window rolled down. Cheryl leaned out, impatience threading through her voice. "Get in. Don't keep Uncle Rufus waiting."

My gaze drifted to the passenger seat. Douglas turned his head and flashed me a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Mr. Dickerson." His voice was warm, but his gaze clung like something venomous. "It's an honor to accompany you to meet such an important client."

I let out a cold laugh and stepped back.

"Go without me. I'm not coming."

Cheryl's expression shifted instantly.

"Drew! What is that supposed to mean?"

"Uncle Rufus asked for you by name, and you're pulling this now?"

I looked at Douglas. Said nothing.

Right on cue, he ducked his head and put on a wounded expression. "Mr. Dickerson, if I've done something wrong, I sincerely apologize."

"But work comes first. Please don't let me be the reason you miss something important."

As he spoke, his eyes began to redden at the rims, as if he'd suffered some tremendous injustice.

Cheryl's brow creased at the sight. Her voice turned sharp. "Drew, Douglas has already humbled himself. What more do you want?"

"Don't push it!"

Douglas bit his lower lip at just the right moment, his voice trembling. "Ms. Delgado, maybe I should just get out of the car. I don't want to make things difficult for Mr. Dickerson."

He made a show of reaching for his seatbelt, but his hands moved so slowly it was like someone had hit the pause button.

"No!"

Cheryl pressed down on Douglas's shoulder and whipped her head around to glare at me.

"Drew, how long are you going to keep acting like this?"

"Douglas has given everything for this company, and what about you?"

"What do you do besides throw tantrums?"

"Get in the car!"

"I don't have the patience to argue with you."

I looked at her coldly. "You want me in that car? Fine. Fire Douglas Gilbert right now. Tell him to pack his things."

The color drained from Cheryl's face.

Douglas lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he were fighting to hold back some deep well of hurt.

"Drew, that's enough!"

Cheryl shoved the car door open, her heels striking the pavement hard.

"Have you lost your mind? What has Douglas done wrong? What gives you the right to fire him?"

She stormed toward me, jabbing a finger in my face. "You're being completely unreasonable!"

"Everyone can see how capable Douglas is. Who are you to dismiss him with a single word?"

That was when Douglas finally "couldn't hold it in" anymore.

He stepped out of the car with reddened eyes, moved behind Cheryl, and said softly, "Ms. Delgado, please don't fight with Mr. Dickerson because of me..."

"If my being here makes Mr. Dickerson uncomfortable, I... I can resign on my own..."

A second later, actual tears slid down his cheeks, and Cheryl's heart shattered on the spot.

She spun around and grabbed his hand. "Douglas, you've done nothing wrong. The only one at fault here is a certain petty, small-minded person!"

"The company needs you. I will never let you suffer this kind of treatment!"

I watched the whole performance unfold and found it so absurd I almost laughed.

"Mr. Dickerson." Douglas's voice cracked. "I know that from my very first day at the company, you've never liked me."

"But I truly want us to get along. If you'd just give me a chance, I promise I'll work twice as hard. I won't let you down..."

His acting was getting better by the day.

I let out a cold laugh.

When I still refused to budge, Cheryl was shaking with fury. "Drew, Douglas has already bent over backward for you. You still won't let him be?"

"Do you want to push him to his breaking point before you're satisfied?"

"You've gone too far! In what way is Douglas not your equal?"

"He works harder than you. He's more considerate than you. He cares more about this company than you ever have!"

"And you, as one of the company's founders, what do you do besides throw your weight around and bully him?"

I had no interest in continuing this circus. I turned and walked away.

But Douglas suddenly rushed forward and grabbed my wrist.

"Mr. Dickerson, please don't go! The Zenith Group deal can't happen without you!"

I shook his hand off. He used the momentum to tumble to the ground, letting out a sharp cry of pain.

Cheryl rushed over immediately, pulling him up, her eyes blazing with fury and heartbreak.

"Drew! You put your hands on him again?"

Douglas curled up on the ground, clutching his arm, tears rolling down his face in fat, heavy drops.

"Don't blame Mr. Dickerson... I just lost my balance..."

I left without looking back.

Cheryl's furious shouting chased me down the street.

The next morning, the moment I stepped through the company doors, the entire office went silent.

Every pair of eyes found me, studying me with complicated expressions before quickly dropping back to their screens, pretending to be busy.

I walked straight to my office and started packing my things.

I had barely set a framed photo into a cardboard box when the door flew open.

Cheryl stormed in.

The second she saw what I was doing, something flickered in her eyes that I'd never seen before. Panic.

She slammed her hand down on the files I was gathering. "Drew, how far are you going to take this?"

I pulled my hand free and went back to emptying the drawer.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear yesterday."