The sound of knocking interrupted my thoughts.

"Sorry for the late delivery. Please sign for it."

A courier delivered samples of the new packaging for Charm.

Charm had been on the market for a month, leading to skyrocketing sales. The staff in the factory had been working overtime. Henry had requested a packaging change.

He required the packaging to be more exquisite and fashionable.

At that time, I didn't think there was anything wrong with his proposal.

It wasn't until I saw the words on the new packaging that I realized how foolish and naive I had been.

The designer of the old packaging for Charm was Monica Keith.

The name of the designer of the new packaging read, [Alana Diaz and Monica Keith.]

I went from being the sole designer to being an assistant.

Alana came from abroad only half a month ago. But she stole my man from me. Now she wanted to ruin my career.

Alana was my nominal elder sister.

We had no blood relationship.

When I was in primary school, my father became unemployed.

Soon, he caught my mother and Mr. Diaz in bed.

Although Mr. Diaz was widowed, he constantly had love affairs. He even bought condoms on public accounts.

My father couldn't bear the humiliation. He divorced my mother. I chose to live with my father.

In my view, my mother might be resourceful.

She stood out and became Mr. Diaz's second wife.

In junior high school, my father unexpectedly passed away. I had to go to the Diaz family's house and live there as a dependent.

In the Diaz family's house, I deeply realized the truth, that stepfathers and stepmothers were alike in a way.

My mother had a theatrical personality.

She knew that marrying Mr. Diaz was a social climb. To express her gratitude, she not only turned a blind eye to Mr. Diaz's extramarital affairs but also seized every opportunity to show her love for the daughter of Mr. Diaz's ex-wife, Alana.

She cared for Alana meticulously and showed concern for her in every possible way.

When Alana had gastroenteritis, my mother had an urge to taste Alana's feces herself to determine whether she was not digesting properly or if she had eaten something cold.

She kept flattering Alana.

Moreover, my mother needed someone to pose a stark contrast against Alana.

And that was where I came in!

She believed that only by treating me and Alana differently, favoring her stepdaughter, and being harsh to her daughter, could she show that she was noble, great, and righteous!

So, in the Diaz family, I was a punching bag.

I didn't get to enjoy good food and drinks.

I could only wear the clothes that Alana didn't want.

It was a luxury for me to buy a harmonica, while she could take piano lessons.

My mom's favorite comment was, "Mrs. Diaz, you are the best stepmother in the world. You are treating your stepdaughter better than your own."

Every time she heard such a comment, she smiled happily.

I had endured all of these.

In college, Alana stole my perfume formula and cheated to win an award. When I stood up for justice, my mom came out to testify against me falsely.

She praised Alana and slandered my innocence.

At that moment, I realized that I was an orphan even though she wasn't dead yet.

I was not worse looking than Alana, and I was better at studying than her.

But I wasn't as glamorous as her. I couldn't act coquettishly like her.

So, she was the Campus Belle, and I was just an ordinary person.

Henry was the president of the student union, and he was pursuing Alana closely.

Alana had been deliberately ignoring him. He had no choice but to come to me several times, begging me to help him pass on messages and be his matchmaker.

Henry misunderstood our sisterly relationship.

In front of others, Alana always acted like we were affectionate siblings.

In theory, by asking me to help him pursue Alana, Henry was wasting his efforts.

But unexpectedly, it worked out.

Alana had been regarding Henry as a backup plan. Then she accidentally discovered that I was getting close to Henry. He would always wait for me after school was over. Henry was waiting for her instead. Then her damn possessiveness possessed her again.

She liked to compete with me for everything.

She would be happy to see me unhappy.

So, she became Henry's girlfriend. They displayed their affection in front of me every day.

Alana hoped that I would be jealous and angry.

Henry, who didn't know the truth, thought it was his true love that had moved Alana, so he became even more attentive to Alana.

He, a promising young man, became a simp.

Alana was delicate and needy. Once she felt comfortable being flattered and she got used to it, she would occasionally treat Henry with some sweetness and a little bit of sincerity.

Henry was naturally grateful and loyal to her.

Unfortunately, in his senior year, Alana hooked up with a teacher from Orco named James.

To Alana, the temptation of moving abroad was much greater than having an obedient boyfriend.

She decisively dumped Henry and went abroad with 40-year-old James.

Henry was heartbroken and despondent, skipping classes every day.

I became his confidant, listening to him vent his pain and accuse Alana of being materialistic and heartless.

I could relate to him!

I knew better than anyone else that beneath Alana's charming look, there was such an ugly soul!

Both Henry and I were toyed with and bullied by Alana.

But Henry was active, and I was passive.

So, I sincerely comforted and cared for Henry.

After all, he was so handsome.

I was a vulgar woman. I judged others by their appearances.

So slowly, we got together.

I did my best to help Henry start a business.

The reason for my contributing such efforts was of course because of my feelings for him.

To be frank, I had my ultimate motives.

Henry was a man that Alana didn't want.

I wanted Henry to become a successful and shining man in my hands.

I hoped to make Alana regret it.

After all, I knew Alana was not living well.

James liked to invest.

In many cases, investing in startups was more extravagant than eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling.

The subprime mortgage crisis on Wall Street hit everyone.

Alana wanted to become a rich lady by going abroad. After unremitting efforts, she finally became a dishwashing girl in a steakhouse.

If everything ended here, it would be wonderful.

Half a month ago, Alana returned from Orco.

She said she had divorced James.

Now she was alone and helpless.

Alana wanted to go back to Henry's side, which I wasn't surprised about.

After all, she was born like this.

Now Henry was considered a hotly sought-after bachelor.

But I didn't expect Henry to be like he had amnesia. He had forgotten everything Alana had done to him.

He acted like Alana wasn't a materialistic and unfaithful woman.

He treated her as if she were a princess who had fallen from glory and endured hardship!

Henry didn't return to the company until noon the next day.

His face was red. He seemed to have drunk fake alcohol.

Of course, Alana was behind him.

Alana, who always liked to dress like a young girl, was dressed in a professional outfit and a tight skirt at this time.

No one in the company spoke. They were all pretending to be busy with their work.

But everyone pricked up their ears.

"Monica, come here for a moment."

Henry pointed in the direction of a meeting room.

The three of us went in. The door closed, and the blinds were lifted.

"Monica, I'm sorry! I let you down!"

Henry said with some emotion, "You know that I have always loved Alana. Being with you was an accident. Originally, Alana was abroad. I silently wished her happiness in my heart. I didn't have any extravagant hopes for her anymore. After all, there is a kind of love called letting go, right? As long as she is doing well, I can endure the torment alone."

Henry's eyes were a little moist. He was like a love saint.

"Monica, you're not bad either. You love me so much and have done a lot for me. In terms of emotions and reason, I owe you an explanation. So, I've decided to compromise with you and live like this for the rest of my life. We will get married, have children, and live a mundane life. After all, we're all adults, and we know that everyone in the world is realistic. Love in fairy tales is all a lie."

I laughed at myself.

"So, the marriage I have been looking forward to is just a reluctant and perfunctory act for Henry?"

"But I didn't expect Alana to suffer outside. My princess is back! I can't stand by and be an onlooker indifferently! If I ignore Alana, I will betray my youth and my dreams, right? Alana is in trouble, and she comes to me first. If I turn her down indifferently, I will let down Alana's trust in me, right?"

Henry suddenly became excited.

"So, I must do something! I know I'm a scumbag! I've been struggling and agonizing! I don't want to let down Alana, nor do I want to hurt you! But there's no such thing as having the best of both worlds in the world. After several sleepless nights, I finally figured it out!"

Henry smiled in relief as he said, "Love is a complicated and yet simple matter. If you treat yourself as an outsider, you can analyze the situation calmly! You love me, and Alana loves me too! If I marry you, Alana will be in pain, and I will be sad. If I marry Alana, only you will be in pain. It's better for one to be sad than for two people to be entangled, so I can only sacrifice you, Monica!"

Henry said earnestly, "Monica, I know this is unfair to you! But there's no absolute fairness in the world. I hope you can understand my good intentions, and you can bless us! I believe you can do it. After all, you're so kind, right?"

Henry looked at me eagerly.

He was waiting for my answer.

He hoped that I could understand the righteousness and take the initiative to withdraw from their relationship. He hoped I could even take the initiative to propose that I would help take care of them or be a nanny when Alana was pregnant.

"No! No! I can't take away my sister's things. Sob!"

Before I could state my position clearly, Alana acted like a drama queen and left.

She was crying sadly.

Henry didn't chase after her. Sighing, he said, "Let Alana be alone. After all, she is a kind person just like you. Among the three of us, she is the one under the most pressure! She suffered so much abroad, and she had no one to rely on when she returned from Orco. Monica, can you fulfill me since you love me? You don't want to see me suffer from insomnia and exhaustion, do you?"

"Shut up first!"

I stopped Henry from bragging further.

Otherwise, I would vomit. Then others would mistakenly think that I broke up with Henry and became pregnant.

Then it would be double tragedies.

"I don't want you anymore. I agree with your marriage."

"But what about the signature of the perfume?"

"I can give up on you, but not my work!"

When I mentioned the signature on the perfume, Henry seemed indifferent.

"Oh, that thing? Alana just returned from Orco, and she hasn't had her career yet. You know, Alana studied perfumery specifically in college and won a gold medal in the city's perfumery competition. She is talented. So, I plan to let Alana do her old profession and work in my company. I added both of your names. What's the issue? We are not strangers to each other."

"There is a problem, a serious one!"

I said seriously, "I disagree! Charm is my work. I won't share it with anyone else!"

Henry was a little angry, saying, "Monica! Why are you so petty? It's too vulgar! This is the company's decision! I am the CEO, and I have the right!"

"Don't forget. Back at college, didn't you plagiarize Alana's work? In theory, such a stain would greatly affect my company's reputation, and it would be reasonable for Alana to replace you! But I went against the tide and gave you the second signature. You should be content! Don't be greedy!"

Henry looked as if he had made a great concession.

Yes. The plagiarism was a false testimony made by my mother.

I couldn't clear my name no matter how hard I tried.

Henry became gentle again as he said, "I know you are angry. You feel wronged. You are jealous. You can't bear to let me go! But we are working together. You can still see me every day! It can also soothe your attachment to me to some extent, right? Do you want me to get angry and never see you again? Then you will be even more miserable! So, I hope you can turn your love for me into enthusiasm for your work and help me make money!"

Henry was speaking fluently.

Suddenly, I remembered a popular phrase online.

He was so ordinary, and yet he was so confident!

"On what grounds?"

"Why does he think I can just let it go after he hurts me?"

"Why does he think I will love him as usual shamelessly after he cheats on me?"

"Why should I even actively help the mistress become famous?

"Am I being stupid?"

Henry thought I was hesitating. After all, I didn't say anything.

He emphasized, saying, "Monica! You are a woman! A woman's career is not that important! What's a little bit of suffering for my sake? I will remember your kindness! I, Henry Smith, am not an ungrateful man!"

"Yes!"

"You are not an ungrateful man!"

"You are a heartless person!"

"You are an ungrateful beast!"

"You are not worthy of being a human!"

I said, "Okay, I agree."

I adjusted my emotions and forced a smile.

"I will give you everything you want, Henry Smith!"

"I'm afraid you and the pretentious woman can't bear the consequences."

Henry and Alana don't know my true thoughts. They were cheering for victory in secret.

The next day, Henry officially brought Alana to the company.

Faced with great interest, Alana no longer pretended, and she revealed her greedy look.

At her request, Henry added a "Design Director" position in the company, which was to be taken by Alana.

As the "Chief Perfumer", I had to be monitored by Alana, the "Design Director".

Per her, she suffered from "mild depression". She couldn't work in dimly lit places. Otherwise, she would feel lost, depressed, and mentally weak.

Her reason was solid and convincing, so Henry gave my well-lit office to Alana.

I moved to a shady office.

She took my car.

She requested an imported car, and it would take a month to arrive.

"I'm sorry, Monica."

She took the car keys from my desk seductively.

On the side, Henry acted generously and mediated, saying, "Yes! Alana just came back. She is not familiar with the traffic. It's inconvenient for her to take a taxi. Monica, you can take a taxi to work first. Keep the receipts for reimbursement."

Smiling weakly, I said, "Okay, I don't need to take a taxi. I can take the subway."

"Who will help me wash the car? I'm a neat freak!"

Alana, like a victorious winner, flaunted her achievements in the company.

Since she joined the company, most people naturally sympathized with me.

They secretly despised Henry's betrayal and Alana's intrusion as a mistress.

But people were all realistic!

Alana called the shots in the company, while Henry indulged her. I kept retreating and compromising.

Many people thought that I had passed my prime days. They started to flatter Alana.

They praised her and belittled me. Under the support of these opportunistic people, I became a member of the disadvantaged group.

Especially Alana, who was very good at winning people's hearts, was giving those flatterers some small favors.

Her influence was even stronger.

Many people addressed her as Mrs. Smith.

So now she deliberately humiliated me with the car washing matter. Instantly, several colleagues were eager to help her wash the car.

Alana looked at me proudly.

She didn't say anything, but I could guess what she was thinking.

"Monica Keith!"

"I have taken your man!"

"I snatched your mother! away from you."

"I stole your car, your office, your product, and your interpersonal relationships!"

"Are you angry?"

I wasn't angry. After all, I always had a line from a TV drama on my mind.

That was, [Don't be happy about what you did today. Be careful about bearing the consequences tomorrow!]

I was sure Henry and Alana would experience what I was going through one day. The more successful they were, the more miserable they would be in the future!

My revenge plan was officially launched!