When I submit my resignation letter, my boyfriend, Daniel Carter, happens to have an arm around the new intern, Kimberley Lester, while teaching her how to secure a deal that's worth ten million dollars.

After he's done with his lesson, he finally spares my resignation letter a glance.

"What are you on about this time, my dearest sales champion?"

I reply calmly, "I've already transferred all details of the company's clientele to others. I don't want any bonuses and commissions of this quarter. In fact, I've already had the finance department recall the funds and list it as the company's funds."

Daniel is stunned for a moment. But he still thinks that I'm trying to gain his attention by sacrificing my own benefits.

"You don't want money, huh? Then what do you want? You want me to fire Kimmy? Or you want me to give you some of the company's shares?"

He passes a cup of coffee to me, thinking that I'll act the same way I did in the past—that I'll endure everything and keep working my ass off for the sake of my sales team.

But I just shake my head.

Now, I just want Daniel to watch his company fall into bankruptcy.

"Maggie."

Kimberley Lester interjected with a sweet tone, flaunting the limited-edition handbag dangling from her wrist. It was a handbag I had bought with my bonus from last quarter.

"Mr. Carter has said before that the company can't do without you, but relying on you alone to carry everything is a little too risky. I'd like to help share the burden," Kimberly said.

Daniel Carter patted her hand approvingly. "See? Kimmy is so considerate. Margaret Sinclair, stop being so difficult. There's a dinner tonight, and Mr. Ashford specifically asked for you to attend.

"Take Kimmy along to show her the ropes and close this deal while you're at it. Count it toward her performance. I'll reimburse your commission privately."

It was the same old story. In the past, I had always swallowed my pride and endured in silence to keep the team together and protect the company we co-founded—a company I deeply cared about. But this time, I refused to take the coffee he offered.

"I'm not going," I said.

Daniel's hand froze in midair, and his expression darkened instantly. "You're not going?"

He sneered and brandished his phone. "Margaret Sinclair, your mom is still in the ICU, isn't she? I still have her medical expense approval for this month sitting on my desk. The finance team told me the funds won't be released without my signature. Are you sure you want to throw a tantrum at me right now?"

I glared at his smug face as my chest tightened. Mom was my weakness, and she was also the sole reason I drove myself so hard to make money.

When I stayed silent, Daniel grinned triumphantly, convinced that he had me under control again. "That's more like it."

He casually tossed my resignation letter into the shredder. As the machine whirred with a harsh grating sound, he stood and straightened out his suit.

"Go change your clothes. Don't dress like a spinster. Make Mr. Ashford happy tonight, and I'll approve twice the amount for your mom's treatment."

I took a deep breath, my nails digging into my palm. "Fine. I'll go."

Satisfied, Daniel wrapped an arm around Kimberley and headed for the door. "Let's go, my future top salesperson."

As I watched them walk away, the final spark of hope within me vanished completely.

On the way to dinner, I sat in the front passenger seat, while Daniel and Kimberly sat in the back of the car.

Kimberley kept acting coy the entire ride, her voice cloyingly sweet. "Mr. Carter, I really don't want to drink. I heard that Mr. Ashford is quite handsy."

Daniel tapped her nose affectionately. "What's there to be afraid of? Maggie is here. She can hold her liquor and has plenty of experience, so she can handle this kind of scene. You just need to look pretty and sign the papers."

I stared at the streets flashing past the window, my stomach twisting in nausea.

I had once been the young lady he shielded behind him. Five years ago, during the company's early days, a client pressured me to drink. Daniel had almost flipped the table in a rage, then carried me on his back for two miles to reach the hospital.

He promised he would never let me suffer again, yet now he was pushing me toward ruin just to please his new flame.

As the car turned, my bag slid onto the back floor mat. I turned around to pick it up, but froze.

In the corner of the back seat lay a torn condom wrapper and a pair of torn nude stockings. They were the spare tights that I had always kept in the car's storage compartment.

Daniel followed my gaze. There was no panic on his face. Instead, he looked at me with a hint of provocation.

"Oh, we were in a hurry yesterday, so I borrowed them. You're never interested in wearing stuff like that anyway, so you might as well let Kimmy make good use of them," he said.

Kimberley giggled behind her hand, her eyes gleaming with smugness. "Oh, Maggie, I'm so sorry. I'll buy you a new pair next time."

Instead of getting angry, I laughed. I picked up the torn stockings, rolled down the window, and tossed them out. "No, thanks. I never keep things once they're dirty."

Daniel's expression shifted, as if he suspected something behind my words. Just as he was about to lash out, the car arrived at the hotel entrance.

At the dinner, Mr. Ashford proved to be a lecher, his greasy hands constantly wandering over me. "Ms. Sinclair, you really are the gold standard in the industry. Your skin looks far too youthful for someone in their 30s."

Daniel sat at the head of the table, pretending not to notice. He was busy cutting the steak for Kimberley. He even raised his glass, smiling, while Mr. Ashford tried to slide a hand under my hem.

"Ms. Sinclair is here in earnest today, Mr. Ashford. She'll finish this drink. Please, drink as you like," Daniel said.

He pushed a full glass of 52-proof liquor toward me.

I stared at Daniel. He smiled, but his eyes stayed cold and threatening. It was as if he were saying that only by drinking would Mom's life-saving money be secured.

I picked up the glass and drained it in one go. The burning liquid scorched down my throat, twisting my insides. Mr. Ashford cheered loudly and took the opportunity to wrap an arm around my waist.

Daniel nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Kimberley. "Learn from this. This is what professionalism looks like."

I fought through the sharp pain in my stomach and pushed Mr. Ashford's hand away. "I need to use the restroom."

Even someone made of steel would have been near their breaking point by then. However, I didn't go there to vomit. Once inside a stall, I quickly pulled out my phone and sent a message to a headhunter. "I accept the offer. I'll sign tonight."

Then, I saved the full recording I had just made. It was solid proof that Daniel had forced an employee to drink with a client.

After everything was done, I splashed cold water on my face and looked at my pale reflection. I told myself that this kind of life was over.

I never expected what I would see when I returned to the private room. My bag had been thrown on the floor, and my phone was vibrating. The screen displayed "Emergency Center of Central City Hospital".

Kimberley was holding my phone, her finger hovering over the red end-call button. When she saw me walk in, a malicious grin spread across her face, and she firmly pressed the red end-call button right before my eyes.

At that moment, I lost all sense of reason. I lunged forward like a madwoman, shoving Kimberley aside and snatching my phone back.

Kimberley let out a sharp scream and fell into Daniel's arms. "Mr. Carter! Maggie pushed me!"

Daniel slammed his hand on the table and stood, roaring, "Margaret, what is wrong with you? Apologize to Kimmy right now!"

I didn't have time to deal with him. I called the hospital back, my hands shaking.

The doctor's anxious voice rang through the phone. "Ms. Sinclair, why did it take you so long to answer? Your mother has gone into acute heart failure. If she doesn't go into surgery immediately, she won't make it!

"The surgical fees must be paid immediately. If the money isn't received within five minutes, there's nothing more we can do!"

When I heard the five-minute deadline, I looked up at Daniel and said, "Daniel, sign the approval."

My voice trembled, yet I forced myself to stand upright.

Daniel glanced at Kimberley's red, swollen elbow, then let out a cold laugh. "So now you're begging me, are you? Weren't you pretty arrogant when you shoved her just now? Get on your knees."

He pointed to the carpet at his feet. "Kneel and apologize to Kimmy, then I'll sign."

A deathly silence filled the private room while Mr. Ashford lit a cigarette, watching the drama unfold. Kimberley nestled against Daniel, staring at me smugly.

The seconds ticked away. Mom's life hung in the balance on the operating table, while the man I had loved for five years used it to control me, forcing me to kneel before his mistress.

I looked at Daniel's familiar features and suddenly felt as if I were staring at a complete stranger.

On a snowy day five years ago, he had drunk so much to secure an investment that his stomach bled, leaving him with a raging fever in our rented apartment. I carried him on my back, stumbling through deep snow for two miles to get him to the hospital.

When he woke up that day, he held me and cried, swearing that he would rather die than betray me. It turned out that promises were truly the cheapest things in this world.

I whispered his name. "Daniel, you'll get what's coming for you."

After saying that, I turned and ran.

Daniel's furious shout came from behind me. "Don't you dare leave! If you walk out, the money's gone! Let's see how you'll save that old woman then!"

I burst out of the hotel and hailed a cab. "Central City Hospital! Hurry!"

In the car, the radio was broadcasting an interview about Daniel's startup. The host asked him who he was most grateful to.

Daniel's voice was confident and warm as he said, "I'm grateful to myself for never giving up. I also appreciate the woman by my side now; she's given me new inspiration."

He didn't mention me at all. I turned off the radio, and the tears I'd been holding back finally fell.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I ran to the payment counter like a maniac, but the balance in my account was nowhere near enough. Just as I fell into despair and prepared to turn to loan sharks, a nurse stopped me. "Ms. Sinclair? Your mother's surgery has already begun."

I froze. "Who paid for it?"

"A man with the last name Kane. He prepaid 500 thousand dollars in one lump sum."

Kane? Before I could process it, my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Daniel with a photo of him and Kimberley in bed together at a hotel. It read, "Come back and admit you were wrong, and I'll drop this. Don't force me to blacklist you."

Looking at the tangled bodies in the photo, I felt utterly unmoved, even disgusted. I deleted the photos of us I'd kept for five years and blocked Daniel's number.

I turned away, neither returning to the office nor going home. Instead, I headed to the central business district on the other side of the city, to the office tower of Daniel's rival, Victor Kane.

In the top-floor office, Victor stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand. When he saw me walk in, he showed no surprise. "Ms. Sinclair, welcome aboard. I'll cover the penalty, and I'll take care of your revenge."

His gaze was deep and unreadable.

I accepted the drink he offered and clinked my glass against his. "Mr. Kane, here's to a successful partnership."