"Mr. Larson, Priscilla has done so much for the company," one of my colleague said. "Even though her title is head of marketing, she's been doing the work of a vice CEO. Now that we're about to go public, you're bringing in another vice CEO. Isn't that a bit much?"

"Exactly," another chimed in. "Without Priscilla, there wouldn't be Larson Technologies. If she's not made vice CEO, I won't agree to it!"

Several colleagues, who had worked alongside me for years, couldn't stand it anymore and spoke out in my defense.

Corey's face instantly darkened. He scanned the room before speaking coldly, "I'm the boss here. Do I need your approval for every decision I make?"

After saying that, his eyes locked with mine, and his expression softened.

"I know you're upset, but Jayda studied abroad. She has a PhD in economics. She knows how to manage a public company, and she's much more qualified than you. I'm doing this for the company's future. You've been with me for ten years, so you should understand—"

Unable to listen to his hollow words any longer, I cut him off with a bitter laugh, "Stop with the excuses. Isn't it really because she's your first love?"

Corey was my senior in college. With his good looks and background, he was the dream guy for every girl on campus.

It was said that he had a childhood sweetheart, with whom he had a passionate relationship before she left for abroad after high school.

One night, after a drinking binge, I had to help Corey back to his place. He kept muttering Jayda's name at that time. So when I heard her name earlier, I already had an answer in mind.

Corey's face darkened as I called him out. His gaze turned scornful. "Yes, she's my first love. But was I wrong to say what I said?

"Forgive me for speaking frankly. The company is about to go public. You're not qualified for the vice CEO position, not with your abilities or education. The reason I've kept that position vacant all these years was to save it for her!"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I almost staggered, barely keeping myself upright.

At that moment, the last shred of hope I had left shattered.

Corey had once explained to me that the reason he didn't appoint me as vice CEO was to prevent any distance between me and the staff and to keep morale high.

I had foolishly believed him.

Now, hearing the truth from his own lips, I realized that perhaps I had wasted ten years. Maybe I never held much value in his eyes at all.

In an instant, a whirlwind of emotions—anger, sadness, and resentment—filled my entire being.

If bringing in his first love to be vice CEO without consulting me was a slap in the face to all the hard work I'd put in for the company, then keeping that position vacant for ten years—just to save it for her—was a betrayal of everything I had ever felt for him.

The meeting ended with me storming out of the room.

Back in my office, I couldn't make sense of it. For the past ten years, I had given everything to Corey and the company. I had turned down countless opportunities. He knew how I felt about him, and he enjoyed the love I had for him.

So why was he suddenly doing this to me? Did my ten years of sacrifice and love really mean nothing compared to his first love who had just come back into his life?

"Priscilla, everyone at the company knows how much you love Corey, and we were all rooting for you two to end up together. But now, he brings his first love into the company and steals your position as vice CEO. This is too much. Why don't you resign and start your own business with us?"

Reyna Watkins pushed open the door to my office, looking upset. She was someone I had mentored since her trainee days. We'd worked together for seven years.

Seeing me backstabbed like this made her furious. As a sign of protest, she'd even led her entire team in a strike.

I didn't say a word. Through the glass, I saw Corey, dressed in a tailored suit, exuding his cool, distant air. Standing next to him was Jayda, who wore a white dress.

The two of them were chatting and laughing, and it made my chest feel tight.

It had been ten years. I had worked my fingers to the bone for this man for ten years.

I had gone from a naive young woman rushing into love to a woman in her 30s still holding onto that love.

In the process, I had missed and lost so much.

I had turned down high-paying offers abroad, ignored the advances of several men who had pursued me, and placed my heart entirely in Corey's hands. I had even missed the chance to see my mother, Adelaide Todd, one last time.

I had always believed that after everything we had been through together, he understood my feelings, and we were bound to end up together. But now…

"Don't hesitate anymore, Priscilla."

Reyna's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. After a moment of silence, I asked, "You started your internship at Larson Technologies. Are you really willing to leave?"

She paused, taken aback by my question, then fell silent.

From near bankruptcy to where we were now, for both Reyna and me, Larson Technologies felt like a child we had nurtured from the ground up. She couldn't let go, and neither could I.

Of course, what made it even harder for me to walk away was Corey—the man I had loved for ten years and supported every step of the way.

In truth, I wasn't ready to give up, nor could I let it go.

Most of the company's employees were ones I had recruited and trained. They were just as unhappy with the way I was being treated, and they expressed their dissatisfaction in their own ways.

For example, they would outwardly obey Jayda's orders but undermine them behind the scenes. Some of them would work half-heartedly, deliberately dragging their feet in getting the required materials to her.

Jayda had tried to win them over by taking everyone out to eat, but they all found excuses to decline. In the end, not a single person showed up.

Corey had held several meetings and even lost his temper during one of them, but nothing changed.

Things stayed the same for two weeks. Eventually, Corey had no choice but to come to me.

"What is this supposed to mean?" I stared at the check he handed me with a frown.

"You've worked hard all these years. Without you, the company wouldn't be where it is today. But the company needs to grow—"

I interrupted him without any expression. "Just get to the point."

Corey was clearly irritated by my interruption, but he bit back his anger and sighed. "You've seen it yourself, Priscilla. Jay can't do her job because of you—"

"Priscilla? Jay?" I smiled, cutting him off again. My smile was bitter, as I was extremely upset.

For all these years, whenever we were alone, Corey had always called me "Pris", and I called him "Cor". But now, he was addressing me by my full name, while his address of Jayda was so affectionate.

Ten years of hard work, and in the end, it couldn't compete with his first love.

My smile must have triggered something inside Corey. He glared at me and said coldly, "Your presence is disrupting the company's operations. I've decided it's time for you to leave.

"Of course, to compensate for your years of hard work, you can fill in any amount up to 100 million dollars on this check."

I had already guessed this outcome, but hearing him say it out loud made my body sway. I looked at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"

He thought I was upset over the amount and grew annoyed.

"Priscilla, I admit the company owes its success to you, but don't be unreasonable. You, a poor student, traded ten years for 100 million dollars. That's already a huge win."

Huge win?

Hearing those words from the man I had loved for ten years felt like a knife to the heart. The pain was suffocating, yet I still couldn't let it go.

"I gave up a lucrative offer abroad to join your company when it was on the brink of collapse. I've spent ten years on you, giving up my youth and everything, enduring hardships, even almost losing my life. And now you think I did it just for money?"

Corey leaned back in his chair and looked at me coldly. A smirk curled on his lips. "Isn't money what you wanted?

"Aren't women like you from humble beginnings all just gambling for a shot at a brighter future? Well, you've won your gamble. 100 million dollars is more than enough of a reward. You should be grateful."

Enough of a reward? Be grateful?

So, this was how it was. From the start, he had never respected me.

No wonder he never appointed me as vice CEO. It was because I wasn't worthy.

My ten years of devotion were truly wasted.

Ten years ago, Corey's family business was on the brink of collapse. Thomas had jumped off a building, his mother, Emilee Castaneda, had run off with a man, and the company was drowning in over ten million dollars in debt.

At that time, it was just Corey and me trying to save the company, and it seemed impossible.

I remembered that on the third day after I joined the company, debt collectors cornered us in the office.

A portly man in his 50s, flanked by a group of thugs, pointed at Corey and bared his teeth in a cruel smile. "Kid, don't say I didn't give you a chance."

He then pointed at me and said, "Either she spends a year with me, and I'll erase the three-million-dollar debt, or you figure out how to pay it off today. Sell your kidneys, your blood—whatever. I don't care."

At that point, the company didn't have a penny to its name. Corey pleaded desperately for more time, but the men were merciless.

A dozen of them charged at me to grab me. At that moment, all I could think about was saving Corey and this company.

I shoved Corey aside and grabbed a fruit knife from the table, fighting back with all my might.

I vaguely remember taking down three of them before I was hit. My ribs were broken, my hands were covered in cuts, and I was covered in blood when Corey held me in his arms.

Luckily, the police arrived just in time to save us, but I was in critical condition and spent eight days in the ICU. I almost didn't wake up.

When I finally opened my eyes, the first light of morning was creeping through the windows. Corey was leaning by my bed. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. A weak smile tugged at the corner of my lips at that scene.

"Why are you crying? I'm fine. See?"

The moment I spoke, Corey cried even harder. His voice trembled as he said, "Why were you so foolish? Why did you fight them? You could have... could have..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. He buried his face in my arm and sobbed uncontrollably. I reached up and gently patted his head. "You protected me, didn't you?"

After that incident, I suffered serious long-term effects. Whenever I did anything physical, I would struggle to breathe. The doctors said I had internal injuries to my lungs. It was something that could never fully heal.

The group that had attacked us was ordered to pay a compensation of 200 thousand dollars, and this money helped the company through the toughest times.

But Corey was still a young man new to the business world. He was full of ambition but naive about the rules of the corporate world.

In the early years, there were plenty of similar situations, and each time, I was the one standing in front of him.

I loved him. I was willing to do whatever it took to help him, even if it meant risking my life. I foolishly believed that love meant giving everything without hesitation.

Every time Corey told me that he would never fail me, my heart soared. I thought, no matter how hard things got, it would all be worth it.

But now, the man who had promised he would never fail me—the man I had protected with my life for ten years—was using this almost humiliating way to kick me out of the company.

I felt like my heart was being torn apart.

As I thought back to everything, I stared at Corey and said in a trembling voice, "Corey, you know why I did all of this for the company. It's because I love you. I love you!

"Don't you remember what you've said before? You promised you would never fail me."

Corey's eyes twitched, and I saw a flash of pain in his eyes. He instinctively turned his head away and spoke in a low voice, "Thank you for your love, but I have to be honest with you.

"You've always been the most important employee at Larson Technologies. What I meant by not failing you was that I would reward you handsomely. You misunderstood."

At that moment, I felt completely numb inside. I couldn't help but laugh bitterly, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing.