Damien walked over, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, so she suddenly has stomach problems now? Funny how she was fine this morning, but the moment she has to apologize, she suddenly falls ill. Do you take us for fools?"

"So this was all just a joke to you."

I was about to explain, but Bianca cut me off.

"Since she refuses to apologize, then let’s give her the treatment she deserves."

She suddenly grabbed a pair of scissors and marched toward my mother. My heart pounded in terror as I struggled against the security guards holding me back, but I could not break free.

Snip!

With a sharp snip, Bianca cut through my mother’s dress, then yanked at the fabric with all her strength, tearing it apart.

"Cassandra Sinclair, tell her to stop!"

This kind of humiliation was worse than death for my mother.

She wept as she struggled to cover herself, her frail body trembling. She was in so much pain, yet she no longer had the strength to resist.

At this moment, despair consumed me.

I had wanted her to come to this engagement party happily, never imagining she would be humiliated like this.

Cassandra Sinclair, I really misjudged you.

More and more people gathered to watch, but Cassandra remained indifferent, leaning into Damien’s embrace, completely ignoring my pleas.

My mother’s face was filled with shame. She looked at me one last time before collapsing from the pain.

Perhaps sensing the coldness in my eyes, Cassandra suddenly left Damien’s arms.

She glanced down at my unconscious mother and finally told Bianca to stop!

I kicked the security guard away and rushed over, my hands trembling as I stroked my mother’s face.

I was terrified something had happened to her. Without a second thought, I picked her up and ran, but Cassandra followed and blocked my path.

"Nate, I have my reasons for what happened tonight."

"Take your mother home first. I’ll explain everything later."

Just as she turned to leave, I called out to her. "Cassandra, I don’t care what your reasons are. My mother has fainted for real. We don’t have a car. Please, drive us to the hospital."

At this moment, nothing else mattered, only my mother’s safety.

Just as Cassandra was about to agree, Damien walked over and pulled her into his arms.

"Cassie, don’t go. Don’t leave me to face all these distinguished guests alone."

At his words, Cassandra hesitated. Then, in the end, she chose to stay.

No matter how much I begged her, it was useless. She did not even look back before turning around and walking away.

If she could be this cold-blooded and indifferent, then I had no reason to beg her anymore.

I carried my mother in my arms and left. The party was held halfway up the mountain, making it difficult to get a taxi.

By the time I finally managed to get one and rushed to the hospital, my mother had already stopped breathing.

The doctor said we were too late. If she had arrived earlier, she could have been saved.

That night, I held my mother’s lifeless body and cried until dawn.

Looking at her face, frozen in regret, the guilt in my heart grew even heavier.

I had always thought that nothing in life was irreversible, but at that moment, I wished more than anything that time could turn back.

Just then, Damien updated his social media. He and Cassandra were wearing engagement rings, kissing intimately.

[I can finally marry the most beautiful and perfect woman in the world!]

I saw that Cassandra had liked the post, allowing him to flaunt their happiness.

Frustrated, I took out the couple’s ring she had once given me and threw it out the window. Then, I left a comment under Damien’s post. [Wishing you a happy marriage. May you grow old together.]

After that, I turned off my phone.

I quietly handled my mother’s funeral on my own, then brought her ashes back to our hometown for burial.

Once everything was settled, I returned to the city.

There were still things I needed to take care of.

When I turned my phone back on, I saw hundreds of missed calls from Cassandra.

There were countless messages waiting for me on WhatsApp. Without even reading them, I deleted them all.

Just as I finished, my phone rang. It was Cassandra.

"You finally turned your phone on. I thought you were dead!"

I could hear a hint of excitement in her voice, but more than that, she sounded surprised.

When I did not respond, she lowered her tone and continued. "I got engaged to Damien Knox because he helped me secure a major project. His only request was that I agree to the engagement."

"But don’t worry! It’s just an engagement, not a real marriage."

"So don’t be mad. You’re always so jealous."

I gripped my phone tightly, anger surging through me. Veins popped on the back of my hand.

About that project… I was the one who had negotiated it. The client had insisted on a drinking contest to test the quality of our liquor. I drank until my stomach nearly bled just to win that contract.

But while I was hospitalized, Damien swooped in and took credit for closing the deal.

I had not even had the chance to explain before Cassandra announced our engagement. In the excitement, I had let it go.

Now, the thing that enraged me the most was not just the betrayal, but the fact that if she had told me the truth earlier, I never would have brought my mother to that party.

After my mother’s death, I had spent days in silence, forcing myself to reflect. In the end, I saw things clearly.

"Cassandra, it’s fine. I have no problem with you marrying him."

Her tone immediately turned sharp. "Nathaniel, don’t try to act tough and gain sympathy. I won’t allow it."

"Don’t go around blaming me, or I swear I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life."

Regret?

I laughed bitterly.

The only thing I regret is ever being with you and because of that, I lost my mother.

"Fine. Then I’ll make sure to fulfill that promise and never bother you again."

"From this moment on, I’m breaking up with you."

For a second, Cassandra was stunned as she had not expected me to push back.

Since the day we met, this was the first time she had ever seen me so indifferent and the first time I had been the one to bring up breaking up.

Then, suddenly, I heard Damien’s playful voice in the background. "Cassie, bring me the underwear from the bed. I’m naked right now."

"Or do you want me to walk out like this?"

Hearing that, I immediately understood. They were living together. That was why he spoke so ambiguously, teasing her about bringing him underwear.

I could already picture the scene where Cassandra picked up his clothes and played along with his little act. "How about you help me put it on?"

She giggled and agreed without hesitation. Then, as if nothing had happened, she spoke coldly into the phone. "Nathaniel, you want to break up? Fine, I’ll help you with that, too."

"But remember, if you ever regret this, you won’t be able to win me back and..."

I did not bother listening to the rest and immediately hung up.

There was no need to guess what would happen next. But strangely, I did not feel anything anymore. No pain, no heartbreak.

From that day on, Cassandra never returned to the home she once called warm.

She used to be so clingy. When I cooked, she would hug me from behind, resting her head on my back while waiting for dinner.

Now, when I looked at the kitchen, it was nothing but a cold, empty space. The laughter, the warmth… it was all gone.

Cassandra Sinclair, I’m so done with you.

Rolling up my sleeves, I started clearing away everything that reminded me of her.

Once I was done, I took a long shower and lay down on my bed. For the first time in a long time, I slept peacefully.

The next day, when I walked into the office, my colleagues gave me strange looks. "Mr. Arden, why are you back?"

One of them nudged the other and whispered, "You still call him with such respect? Careful! If Mr. Knox hears you, he’ll have you kicked out. Didn’t he already warn us?"

"Nathaniel’s new role is now Mr. Knox’s assistant. It’s time he gets used to his new identity."

When I heard the rumors, I finally understood what had happened. Cassandra had demoted me without my consent. She had handed my position to Damien and reduced me to his assistant.

Fury surged through me like never before. Without hesitation, I stormed into the conference room, where Cassandra was leading a company-wide meeting.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room.

"What the hell do you mean by this?"

Cassandra bit her lower lip and shook off my hand, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I think Damien is better suited for that position."

Oh? I was so furious that I actually laughed.

From the company’s founding until now, I had been working like a relentless machine, pushing the business forward, securing deals and ensuring its survival.

And where was Damien Knox back then?

He was a nobody, just a useless man who relied on women to climb the ladder.

And now, they expected me to become his assistant? Someone like him?

If it were not for Cassandra Sinclair, I would have accepted an offer from a top company with a high salary. But instead, I chose to stay to help her build this business from the ground up.

And now? All of my efforts had been handed to Damien like a wedding gift.

"Isn't everything fine? There's nothing wrong with being Damien’s assistant."

"Oh, let’s do this. Once I’m free, I’ll go back to our hometown with you to visit your mother and I’ll apologize to her."

I watched her closely as she continued rambling on, making excuses, but the more I looked at her, the more unfamiliar she became.

The love that once burned so brightly had now faded, just like a shooting star disappearing into the night.

"Cassandra, my mother is no longer around to receive your visit."

"And just so you know, when I said we were breaking up that night, I meant every word. I’m also resigning. Effective immediately."

Cassandra froze, her brows furrowing as irritation flashed across her face.

"Nathaniel Arden, how long are you going to keep this up?"

"I’m not making a scene. I’ve simply come to my senses. Shouldn’t you be happy? I’m making room for you."

Her face turned red with anger just as Damien stepped out of the conference room.

"You’re not leaving. Sure, the project is secured, but someone still needs to handle follow-ups."

"If you walk away now, I’ll fire all the employees who have worked so hard alongside you."

"I doubt you would want to see them lose their livelihoods."

I narrowed my eyes, my gaze locking onto him sharply.

"And you? Do you agree with him?"

I kept staring at Damien, but my words were meant for Cassandra.

She said nothing. Her silence was all the confirmation I needed. She had accepted his threats against me.

At that moment, something inside me shattered completely. Still, for the sake of my colleagues, I swallowed my pride and endured.

Seeing me give in, Cassandra smiled, looking completely satisfied.

"See? This is the right attitude. Just follow Damien and work hard. Once he gets promoted to manager, I’ll return your position as manager."

"Oh, and don’t be upset. I even asked a designer to make a new dress for your mother. I’ll personally bring it to her when the time comes."

After that, Damien treated me like a servant. One moment, he demanded coffee. The next, he ordered me to massage his shoulders like I was some kind of personal assistant.

When his younger sister, Bianca, visited the office, he acted even more condescending, using me however he pleased.

I kept repeating to myself that I needed to stay calm and not act impulsively.

I need to endure because behind the scenes, I was already making my move. I secretly reached out to the company that had once offered me a high-paying job, connecting my colleagues with them.

Since Cassandra did not know how to value talent, I would make sure they found a place where they could truly thrive.

Once the company saw their abilities, they immediately agreed to take them in without hesitation.

With everything set in motion, Damien suddenly started a video call.

I answered and the moment the screen lit up, disgusting, filthy sounds flooded my ears.

On the screen, Cassandra Sinclair was no longer the cold, proud woman I once knew. She was completely debased, moaning shamelessly as she lay beneath Damien Knox.

Strangely enough, I was not angry anymore. When I saw Cassandra, there was only calm.

She felt like a stranger to me now.

Damien had sent that video to provoke me, to push me into acting recklessly so that Cassandra would despise me even more.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated. By then, I was already sitting in the waiting lounge, ready to embark on the journey I had once dreamed of.

All of Cassandra’s contact information was blocked and deleted.

Meanwhile, back at the company, as soon as Cassandra and Damien walked in, her new assistant, Bianca, rushed up to her in a panic.

"Cassie, I’m sorry! Nathaniel and his colleagues… they all resigned and left. They didn’t even take their salaries!"

"Also, the client from the partnership project came by. They said they’ll only continue working with us if Nathaniel remains on the project."