"Yeah … there's something that needs to be thrown out … and it's you two!" I snapped.

With a furious voice, I yelled, “Mia! Take Trevor with you and get out! You're the one who is having a boy toy and bringing him to the company to flirt, so what am I supposed to say as an apology?"

"As for the engagement,” I paused. “I'm the one who's breaking it off."

Mia's expression turned cold, her tone hostile, “This is our wedding home and you think you can just kick me out?”

My face remained blank when I said, "This is my family’s house. So, get out with your assistant … stats!”

Before he left with a smug look on his face, Trevor snorted and stated, “You dare kick me out? Do you even know who I know?”

“Let me tell you," he stated. "I know that gentleman in the investment world. You'd better kneel and apologize to me right now and I might say a few good words for you in front of him!”  

Mia furrowed her brows and chimed in with a hostile voice, "Did you hear that, Blake? Kneel and apologize to Trevor right now. Our company is counting on him!”

I slammed the door shut without blinking. “I don’t care who you know. What does the company have to do with me?”

Trevor was so furious he could barely breathe.

Finally, I was completely alone and silence returned to the house. But the food on the table had already been spoiled by them, made I completely lost my appetite. So, I just went out to eat.

While waiting for my food, I came across a new post from Mia on her Instagram feed.

[Blake, let me tell you, if you don’t publicly apologize to Trevor, our engagement is off!]

I rolled my eyes and immediately blocked her.

Before I had a chance to leave the company's small group chat, the next morning, someone revealed that Mia and Trevor had arrived in the same car and they were still wearing the same clothes from the day before.

Someone else also claimed to have seen them going to a hotel together yesterday. At that time, she and her friends saw them waiting by the roadside and there were photos to prove it.

I immediately left the group and went to Jane's company, because I didn’t want to see any information about the two of them.

Even though Jane had prepared a private office for me, she still found it hard to believe it when she saw me.

She exclaimed, "You're here! You actually came. I've already worried that I set up the office, but you didn't show up."

I handed her the contracts for those two orders and said, “This year's industry awards are coming up soon. Whether we can win first place depends on you.”  

Her eyes gleamed with fierce ambition to win first place as she said, “Don't worry, with your help, our company will definitely overtake the Baker Group this year.”  

After working for three years, I’d built a solid client base. By that afternoon, I had already finalized another deal.

On the way out, I saw that Trevor was embracing Mia. Their gestures were very intimate.

I didn’t plan to acknowledge her, but Mia pulled back from him and approached me to explain, "I know what they were saying in the small group chat of yours, but don't overthink it. Trevor's house is leaking and as his boss, I’m just providing him with accommodation.”

Who are you trying to fool? Anyone with eyes can see they slept together last night.  

However, I said nothing and prepared to leave.

After explaining things, Mia spoke condescendingly to me, "Blake, I know you want to come back. Trevor has just drafted a contract. If you help him land the deal, I’ll reinstate you.”

I let out a cold laugh. “You’re dreaming. I’m not helping him negotiate any deals.”

Mia sighed. Then she spoke in a fake noble tone that made me sick.

"Trevor is a recent graduate with no experience in negotiating projects," she said. "If you help him secure it, it will serve as an apology for what you did last night.”  

“Don't be stubborn," she advised. "If you secure the project, I'll not only reinstate you, but our engagement will proceed as planned.”  

I didn’t respond. She and I were clearly no longer on the same wavelength. I brushed past her and was ready to leave.

Suddenly, Trevor noticed the signed contract in my hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait! Isn't this the new project contract I drafted? You stole someone else's work!”

He handed his project proposal to Mia, his voice full of grievance. “I spent two whole days and nights putting this together and he just snatched it away from me.”

The project document in Trevor's hand was actually the one I submitted for approval back when I was still at the company. I was the primary lead on it. After I left, no one claimed it, so he simply changed the lead’s name to his own.

When I was about to explain that the project was mine, Mia slapped me hard across the face without bothering to ask.

She demanded angrily, "Trevor was just following company rules when he punished you. And now you go and steal his project? How dare you! No wonder you refused to help him earlier. Blake, you really disgust me! Did you steal all your past deals?"

My face stung, like it was on fire. I stared at Mia in disbelief.

I had worked at the company for three years, while Trevor was just a freshly graduated college student. How could I steal his project?

She snatched the proposal out of my hands and ordered her bodyguards to pin me to the ground and yank at my hair in front of everyone.

Her face was cold as ice. “Blake, this is the apology you owe Trevor.”

I tried to struggle, but people behind my back held me and forced me to bow to Trevor over and over again.

Only when he gave a slight nod did she finally signal for them to let go of me.

My scalp was torn and bleeding, every inch of me throbbing with pain.

Trevor then stepped on my hand with the shiny new leather shoes Mia had just bought for him and mocked, "Blake, the person I hate the most, is a thief. You don't really think an apology is enough, do you?"

The excruciating pain radiated deep into my heart and my wrist was bleeding under the pressure because he pressed his entire weight down on his heel and stomped furiously.

He roared, “A thief like you deserves to have your hands crippled!”  

It seemed Trevor's stomps had broken my wrist, because it hurt so much that my vision blurred and my ears rang.

I tried to whisper my defense while begging Mia to save me from under his feet.

After all, we had been together for three years. She used to worry about me so much and even got panicked when I scraped my skin, insisting on rushing me to the hospital.

But now, she pretended not to hear me. Her face twisted in pure disdain as she hissed, “No wonder your father divorced your mother. You’ve inherited your mother’s unscrupulous habits. Even with the engagement ... she secretly arranged it with my family. Like mother, like son.”

“I will never marry a thief." She spat out, "Our engagement is off!"

Then she turned around and left without hesitation.

My already broken heart was shattered even more.

She used to pity me for having no family to care for me, but now she used it as a weapon to attack me.

The thought that I had tried to ask for her help earlier was truly laughable.

Trevor held the project proposal I had completed and showed me he video and photos of him trampling me earlier, then sneered, "The project and Mia are mine. I'm warning you, Blake … If you dare to fight and compete with me again, I'll make sure everyone sees you kneeling on the ground like a dog."

I fainted from the pain and was taken to the hospital by passersby. I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, Jane was sitting beside me. There was a hint of sympathy in her eyes as she sat silently by my side.

I whispered that I wanted to take two days off to rest and recover and she immediately agreed.

“Alright, don’t worry. In three days, we’ll definitely beat the Baker Family in the competition," she reassured me.

On the day of the competition, Jane and I sat in the front row.

Seeing me sitting with Jane, Mia walked over with Trevor and mocked us, "Blake, you stole Trevor's project and now you're sitting with the eternal runner-up. Even if the company fired you and you’ve completely given up on yourself, you could’ve at least picked a better company.”

“Oh, wait, I forgot!" She sneered, "Our company is the number one. You won’t find a better place than ours.”

Trevor added with contempt, “Once the Baker Family wins first place again this year and collaborates with that investor, we’re going to dominate the entire market. You should be ready to go home and starve."

Just looking at them made me sick and my scalp tingled.

Since calling off the engagement, Mia didn’t even bother to hide her real feelings anymore. She clung openly to Trevor’s arm.

She said smugly, "Trevor's work capabilities far surpass yours! He effortlessly designed a new cooperation proposal for a cross-provincial collaboration with Alcove City. This time, you won’t have any chance to steal his hard work.”

I chuckled to myself. Was she referring to the scrap of paper I had thrown into the trash?  

I never expected Trevor to have a habit of rummaging through trash bins.

If Mia actually went ahead with that proposal, I could not wait to see the show

Other company bosses soon came over to fawn over Mia.

“Is there even a point to having this competition anymore? As long as President Baker is here, the first place is definitely in the Baker Group’s hands.”

“Exactly. That Best Enterprise Award is not a big deal for President Baker. Especially now that it's very likely she will get funding from that investor. With her endorsement, her status in the industry will only rise.”

“Well, obviously …. it’ll go to the Baker Family.”

They glanced at my seat and Jane's seat.

“Unlike some people … no matter how close they sit to the front, it’s useless. In this business, success comes from real skill, not from sitting in the front row.”

The compliment made Mia even prouder. Surrounded by her supporters, she left.

Jane and I just watched them quietly, completely unbothered. After all, who would become the winner was still hard to say.

As the usual procedure, the host began the award ceremony.

Mia was so confident. She even stood up first and walked toward the stage. She was so sure her name would be called out.

Under the dim lights, she even mocked her and gave Jane a dismissive gesture. However, when the host announced the winner, everyone was stunned.  

“Congratulations to Jane Collins for winning this year's industry-leading title and for the opportunity to meet with Mr. Walker!”  

When Mia, who had already stepped onto the stage, heard Jane's name, her mind went blank.

Jane approached her with a calm, elegant smile, but her eyes sparkled with pride and contempt. She spoke gently, "President Baker, I'm sorry … we took your first place this year, but rest assured, you won’t have the chance to catch up again! After all, you’ve already revealed your trump card yourself!”