We hated each other on sight.

Her mother entered my home like she belonged there.

My mother spiraled into depression and tried to end her life.

I almost lost her.

In high school, Vanessa and I ended up at the same elite school.

She missed the cutoff by one point, but my father, Richard Reed, pulled strings to get her admitted.

That same year, my mother left the country.

I stayed in the Reed house.

I thought if I behaved badly enough, Vanessa and her mother would get the message and leave.

My methods were childish, even stupid.

I poured ink into their cups, but because I was afraid they might actually drink it, I used obvious black ink they would see.

I only wanted to scare them.

I wanted Vanessa to know I would not be easy to push around.

Instead, Vanessa complained to Richard.

His face turned dark with anger as he scolded me.

I hated them, but I never dared to do anything truly cruel.

Everything I did only made Richard feel more sorry for them.

After graduation, Vanessa and I finally went to different universities.

What finally killed the last of my hope in Richard happened during my first winter break in college.

Richard took Vanessa to a formal business dinner.

He did not deny that she was his daughter.

He even wanted Vanessa to take the Reed name.

I told him that if he let her become a Reed, I would take my mother's last name instead.

His eyes filled with rage.

His hand lifted into the air.

Before it could fall, a tall figure stepped between us.

That person was Ethan.

After graduation, I met Ethan again.

I pursued him for an entire year.

Just when I was ready to give up, he agreed to be with me.

It was only after we were married that I learned Vanessa was his ex-girlfriend.

And Ethan had once visited the Reed home as Vanessa's boyfriend.

When Richard found out I had married Ethan, his face went ashen. He clutched his chest and nearly lost his breath.

"You did this on purpose?

"You knew Mr. Cole was Vanessa's ex, and you still married him?"

I was stunned for a long time.

One New Year, I did not want to return to the Reed house, but Ethan insisted on taking me.

At the house, Vanessa and I clashed again.

We both slipped in the courtyard.

Ethan moved fast. He caught Vanessa.

I hit the ground.

At the hospital, my eyes were red as I asked Ethan why he had not caught me.

He sat there peeling fruit, his expression flat.

"I didn't see you."

After he left the hospital room, Vanessa came to visit.

She smiled as she studied me in the bed, then told me story after story about Ethan in college.

Through her, I heard about a version of Ethan I had never known.

My chest tightened until it hurt.

After I was discharged, Vanessa and I crossed paths again.

We ended up working at the same company.

We competed for every opportunity, neither of us willing to give an inch.

She carried the identity of Richard Reed's "daughter," and leadership treated her with careful respect.

Now she had another identity too.

Ethan Cole's first love.

Everyone put her on an even higher pedestal.

I knew my proposal would most likely lose.

Still, I led my team through late nights, revisions, and endless drafts until our design was as strong as I could make

A month later, I walked into the conference room with our finished proposal.

Everyone was there except Vanessa.

She entered with Ethan.

The light landed on them as if someone had staged it.

Ethan occasionally lowered his head to listen to her, adjusting himself to her height.

His profile was sharp in the light, his features calm and elegant.

For one careless second, our eyes met.

I tried to read something different in his gaze.

There was nothing.

Only the same cool distance.

The presentation order was drawn by lot.

I went before Vanessa.

I walked to the front calmly, opened my deck, and explained every design concept and inspiration behind our plan.

While presenting, I forced myself to focus on nothing else.

When I stepped down, the applause was thin.

The only person clapping with genuine enthusiasm was Nora, a young intern who had followed me since graduation.

Ethan's face remained unreadable.

Our department head kept stealing glances at him, trying to guess what he thought.

Then it was Vanessa's turn.

She naturally met Ethan's eyes.

They smiled at each other.

The colleagues below exchanged looks, their faces bright with gossip.

Nora leaned close to me and whispered, "Sophie, are we going to lose?"

I pulled at the corner of my mouth and forced out a small smile.

Vanessa finished her presentation.

Her applause was much louder than mine.

Even leadership clapped for her with excitement.

Ethan's lips lifted slightly.

There was a thirty-minute break.

Lately, the rumors about Ethan and Vanessa had wrapped around me until I could barely breathe.

His gaze toward me was too cold. It made my heart clench.

From office gossip, I learned more and more about their past.

Ethan had pursued Vanessa first.

He had walked her back to her dorm every day, brought her breakfast, and shown up rain or shine.

Everyone from their university class knew how much Ethan had loved Vanessa.

I sat frozen in my chair.

Watching Ethan and Vanessa walk out side by side, my nose stung.

The man I had worked so hard to win had always carried the woman I hated most in his heart.

Only Nora and I remained in the conference room.

She held my hand.

When the break ended, the result was announced.

Ethan and the Cole Group representatives had already left.

Our department head delivered the decision.

There were three votes.

All three had gone to Vanessa.

As the result was announced, my eyes burned and blurred.

I forced the tears back.

Our department head exchanged a look with Vanessa, silently praising her.

Several coworkers surrounded her.

"Vanessa, you're incredible."

I quietly left.

But Vanessa followed me.

"Sophie."

I stopped.

Her eyes curved in a smile.

"Even if you're his wife, I'll always be first with him.

"Everything you worked so hard to get is effortless for me."

She was right.

At fourteen, Vanessa had easily taken Richard's love from me.

Now she had taken Ethan's heart too.

Far away, Ethan was being escorted into the elevator by our leadership, looking lazy and composed.

A wave of exhaustion rolled over me.

I no longer wanted to fight Vanessa.

I no longer wanted Ethan either.

The elevator was held open.

Our department head, eager to please, quickly invited Vanessa and me to join Ethan inside.

The elevator descended.

He started flattering them immediately.

"Mr. Cole, you and Vanessa look perfect together.

"A perfect match."

Several others chimed in.

"Exactly. I heard Mr. Cole and Vanessa are already married. Mr. Cole is such a devoted husband, choosing our company for his wife."

I listened numb, unable to feel much of anything.

Then I sensed a hidden, burning gaze beside me.

I looked over.

Ethan's face stiffened.

I met his eyes calmly.

Our department head nudged my arm, signaling for me to say something too.

"Sophie, don't you agree? Mr. Cole and Vanessa are a wonderful match."

"Yes," I said. "They are."

Panic flickered across Ethan's usually indifferent eyes.

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something.