I finished packing the last of my things into a suitcase and started looking for places online. After some browsing, I found a house in Bridgeside District that seemed perfect.

I booked a viewing with the landlord for the next day, hoping it was a good fit so I could move in right away.

Later that evening, Charles came home. When he saw the two suitcases on the floor, his face instantly dropped.

"Sydney, you're really leaving?" He sounded guilty, like he finally realized how messed up he had been staying out all night these past few days.

I just nodded. Seeing my calm reaction seemed to throw him off.

He stepped closer, wrapped his arms around me like he was trying to fix things. "Sydney, don't be mad, okay? Jenna's just like a sister to me. If it makes you upset, I won’t see her anymore once she's feeling better."

I looked up and saw the red lipstick mark on his collar. My stomach turned. I pulled away from him and said flatly, "No, I wish you happiness, though."

He stumbled back, clearly annoyed. "How long are you gonna keep this up?"

In the past, a softer tone from him would’ve been enough to get me to back down, but not this time. He tried again, his patience running out. "So, what’s it gonna be? Are we getting married or not?"

I just stared at him, quiet. I thought about everything; the way he had spoiled me, the way Jenna had pushed my limits.

I could’ve brought up the photos she sent, but what would it matter? He would find an excuse, like always.

I wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I just turned and went back to the bedroom without saying another word.

Charles was fuming, chasing me into the bedroom as he let it all out. "Can you stop being so cold? Jenna is like a sister to me. She’s upset because her boyfriend hurt her. I can’t just ignore her!"

He stormed around the room, clearly frustrated. "I went to the Town Hall right after comforting her. I waited for you for two hours, but you didn’t show up. I don’t even get what the problem is. I’ve already set everything up. Next Monday is a good day. We’ll go to the Town Hall, get the certificate and name your baby."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt so angry, tears just started pouring down.

My baby bump hadn't shown yet since I was only two months pregnant, so even though I had lost the baby, Charles had no idea.

But I couldn’t forget that he hung up on me three times when I was in that car accident, leading to the miscarriage. And now, he was standing there talking about naming the baby.

I shot him a cold look and said flatly, "I already had the abortion and we’re done. Please stop bothering me."

Charles froze, staring at me like I’d just slapped him. "What? You did what?" His voice was sharp with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

His emotions completely flipped and he nearly shouted, "I told you to get rid of the baby before, but you said it was a blessing and we’re the right age for marriage, so I agreed. We’ve talked about it forever and now you’re telling me you had the abortion? What the hell is going on with you?"

Each word cut deeper. I had spent all these years bending over backward for Charles, hoping to marry him, build a family and live that perfect life. I dropped hints about wanting a big proposal, but he didn’t care.

Then I gave in and told him I would agree, it didn’t have to be anything big, he just needed to propose. Charles didn’t even respond.

Two years went by and I realized he had no intention of marrying me. So, I started bringing it up, but he always said we were still too young and needed another two years.

The less he wanted to get married, the more insecure I felt and the more I wanted to lock him down with a marriage just to feel secure.

I even asked him if he would marry me if I got pregnant. I never imagined it would really happen, though, especially after all the precautions we took.

At first, Charles didn’t want the baby, but when he saw how firm I was about keeping it, he finally agreed to marry me. I was thrilled, thinking that after all these years of loving him, it was finally happening.

Then the car accident happened. My first instinct was to protect my baby, to make sure nothing happened to it.

But when I found out I lost the child, I wasn’t as devastated as I thought I would be. Instead, I felt this unexpected relief.

I had been so focused on building a family with Charles, but once I let go of that pressure, I felt calmer, more at peace.

I felt bad for my baby, for myself and for what had happened with Charles, but honestly, even if we broke up, I could walk away with a clear conscience.

Charles, of course, was still furious. “You're still mad at me, right?” he snapped. “My patience is running out. Don’t think I’ll let you walk all over me just because you’re pregnant! You really pushed me to the edge. I won’t even acknowledge you if you have this baby!”

I didn’t say anything and he just kept going, his words getting nastier.

He always did this. When he was angry, he could say the most cruel things without thinking. I used to cry over it, but now, I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t love him and his words couldn’t hurt me anymore.

Before Charles could say anything, his phone rang. He glanced at it and his expression shifted.

"See you at the Town Hall entrance next Monday morning. If you don’t show up, don’t try to use the baby to get to me later!" he snapped, then walked out without another word.

I watched him leave and bitterness started to spread in my chest. He really thought I would keep loving him even after everything.

That night, I barely slept, then the next day, I went to Bridgeside District to check out the new place. I was happy with it.

The landlord explained the house was originally for his son’s wedding, but his son moved abroad, so now he was renting it out and hoped I would take care of it.

I signed the contract right there, paid for three months and arranged for the movers to bring my stuff over.

By evening, I was just finishing up getting settled in when I got a strange call. I picked up, still confused and heard Charles’ voice. "Baby, you smell so good!"

"Ugh, Charles, you're such a tease!" Then Jenna’s voice came through, all breathy and seductive.

"How is it? Are you happy? Gonna head to the rooftop again?"

"Ah… Charles!"

In that moment, I knew exactly what was going on and it made me feel sick. I hung up the phone immediately.

My recovery leave was over and I was ready to get back to work. As soon as I walked in, I found out Gregory Lockwood from the Lockwood Group was coming by.

My company worked in the car industry and Lockwood Group was a big player. I had been working for months to get Gregory to invest in us.

A month ago, we closed the deal and Lockwood Corporation invested 250 million dollars.

I thought everything was on track, but I didn’t expect Gregory to suddenly show up for an inspection. What shocked me even more was seeing Jenna with him.

Apparently, she was now Gregory’s secretary. As the lead on this project, I had to stay professional, so I kept my cool when I saw her.

Gregory was impressed with the progress we had made, which was a relief. During lunch, I went to the pantry to grab some water and of course, Jenna followed me in.

As soon as she saw we were alone, she smirked and said, "Why did you hang up the other day? Was it too much for you to handle?" Her voice was dripping with fake sweetness, laced with smugness.

I didn’t even flinch. "I have good taste," I said, turning to leave. "Cheap entertainment has never been my thing."

Jenna’s smirk disappeared and she stepped in front of the door, blocking me.

She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I heard Charles dumped you," she said, her tone sharp. "And that baby of yours? Just a bastard. What’s your plan now?"

"Move," I said coldly, refusing to play her game.

But before I could push past her, she grabbed me and in one swift motion, dumped a cup of boiling water on herself.

She screamed so loud it made my heart jump. "Why would you do this to me?!" she cried, clutching her arm.

The commotion brought people running. Within seconds, the pantry was packed with coworkers, all staring at us.

Jenna, with tears streaming down her face, put on the performance of her life.

"Ms. Harrison," she whimpered, "I swear nothing’s going on between Charles and me. But if you’re mad, I understand. You can pour another glass on me if it will help you feel better."

I stood there, stunned, watching her crocodile tears and Oscar-worthy act. The way she flipped the narrative so quickly, no ordinary person could pull that off.

"Ms. Harrison, is there an issue with my staff?" Gregory’s voice cut through the room as he stepped in, positioning himself firmly on Jenna’s side.

My boss turned to me, clearly panicked. "Sydney, care to explain what's going on?" His tone carried more fear than anger, he was terrified the deal would fall apart.

Clutching my stomach, I kept my voice steady. "Sir, Mr. Lockwood, there are cameras in the room. Let's check the footage and see exactly what happened."

My boss looked relieved, nodding quickly. Gregory raised an eyebrow but didn’t object.

Jenna, however, froze. "That’s not necessary! Really, I don’t mind being misunderstood, it’s no big deal. Let’s not waste time on this." Her voice was shaking and her fake smile couldn’t hide the panic in her eyes.

But nobody listened to her. Everyone followed Gregory’s lead, heading toward the surveillance room.

Jenna trailed behind, pulling out her phone. I caught a glimpse of her typing furiously and moments later, she sent a photo of her burned arm to Charles. [I ran into Sydney at work. She got angry and... well, maybe I deserved it.]

In the surveillance room, the footage played in silence. Everyone watched as Jenna pulled her stunt—the fake accident, the screaming and the pitiful act that followed.

Gregory’s expression grew darker with every second. When the video ended, he didn’t even look at Jenna. "You don’t need to come to work tomorrow," he said, his voice ice-cold.

Jenna’s face turned pale.

Gregory straightened, turning to my boss. "As for our partnership, I’ve decided to establish a new subsidiary. Ms. Harrison will be in charge moving forward."

The room went dead silent, the weight of his words sinking in.