Stefan had overheard the argument and came over. Stepping to my side, he spoke in a low voice, "She has already laid down the rules. I can’t undermine her in front of everyone. But I’ve paid the fine, so you don’t have to leave."

I shot him a cold glare and slammed my ID card onto the table. "Don’t bother. If you won’t fire me, then I’ll quit. I’m done."

Grabbing my suitcase, I turned to leave. But he stopped me again.

His expression darkened and he raised his voice in front of the whole office. "Caitlyn, stop being so dramatic."

"Alicia’s rules are there to keep order. Isn’t the office running more smoothly lately?"

I rolled my eyes.

Smoothly?

Just yesterday, someone had gone off in the group chat. [Salespeople on business trips can only book hard seats on the train, stay in hostels for 51 nights straight and treat clients at street stalls because the meal allowance is capped at 35 bucks.]

[Stefan thinks she’s saving the company money, but people are suffering.]

[How are we supposed to close deals worth millions or even tens of millions when we’re feeding clients meals that don’t even hit a hundred bucks?]

[Alicia is clueless and Stefan is even worse for approving her nonsense. I’ve been away on business, barely set foot in the office this month and now they’re even limiting bathroom breaks—twice a day, ten minutes each. At this rate, the company’s going to implode.]

I did not even bother acknowledging the new fine Alicia slapped on me for not silencing my phone. I turned my back on that circus and walked out of the company without once looking back.

When I got home, I collapsed into bed and slept until late afternoon. Then I dragged myself up and, for the first time in a while, cooked myself a decent meal.

Just as I laid the dishes on the table, I heard the sound of the door unlocking.

Stefan and Alicia waltzed in like they owned the place, sat down without a word and started helping themselves to the food.

I stared at them coldly. "I made this. What do you think you’re doing?"

Stefan frowned. "Didn’t you see the messages I sent?"

I opened my phone. For the past month, ever since he hired Alicia, he had not messaged me once. But today, there were more than a dozen—all about her.

First, he scolded me for embarrassing him.

Then he said I was too harsh and made Alicia cry.

And finally, he gave me an ultimatum: apologize or the engagement was off.

[You humiliated Alicia in public today. That’s on you. She did nothing wrong. Everything she does is for the company.]

[I’m bringing her home for dinner. Cook something decent. And apologize.]

He glanced into the soup and scoffed, which only added fuel to the fire.

"I told you Alicia doesn’t like cilantro. Are you blind? Pick it out. All of it."

Then, he picked up a piece of meat, gently blew on it and offered it to her. "This is Caitlyn’s specialty. Try it."

She took the bite off his spoon, still pouting. "The food’s okay... but unless she apologizes in front of the whole company, I’m not forgiving her."

"How can I lead a team when she’s this defiant?"

Stefan turned to me again, his eyes blazing. "You heard her. Apologize to Alicia—right now. Or don’t bother coming back to work. And forget about the engagement too."

We had once promised never to throw around the word breakup during fights.

But lately, he had used it over and over again. Always because of Alicia.

And now, the two of them were openly flirting—right in front of me. My hands trembled as I clutched my phone. I was so furious, I nearly crushed it.

"If anything needs to be thrown out, it's you!"

My voice came out firm, even if slightly muffled. "Stefan, take this woman and get out!"

"You brought your mistress into the office and openly flirted with her in front of everyone. Do you really think I’m the kind of woman who would tolerate that?"

"This isn’t just you breaking off the engagement—it’s mutual!"

Stefan’s expression turned stormy, his voice cold. "This is our wedding apartment. You’re throwing me out?"

I met his gaze without a trace of emotion. "This is my family’s apartment. So take your little assistant and leave. Now."

However, Alicia was not about to slink away quietly. She let out a sharp snort, her face twisted in smug defiance. "You dare throw me out? Do you even know who you’re messing with?"

Crossing her arms and lifting her chin, she declared, "I’m backed by someone powerful in the investment world. If you get on your knees and apologize now, I might even be generous enough to speak on your behalf."

Stefan’s frown deepened and his voice turned stern. "Did you hear that, Caitlyn Sinclair? Apologize to Alicia—right now. The company still depends on her."

I did not hesitate. I slammed the door shut in their faces.

"I don’t care who back you up," I called through the door. "And the company? That has nothing to do with me."

Alicia’s shriek of rage was muffled by the heavy door.

Finally, silence returned to the room. But the food I had prepared had already been tainted by their presence.

I had lost my appetite. Grabbing my bag, I headed out for dinner instead.

While waiting for my food, I checked my phone and saw a new message from Stefan on WhatsApp.

[Caitlyn, I’m warning you—if you don’t apologize to Alicia in public, our engagement is over.]

I rolled my eyes and blocked him immediately.

I had not had time to leave the company group chat yet, but by morning, gossip was spreading like wildfire. Someone claimed to have seen Stefan and Alicia stepping out of the same car that morning, still wearing the same clothes as the day before.

Another coworker chimed in, saying the two of them had been spotted entering a hotel. Alicia and her friends had apparently been waiting by the roadside and someone had snapped a photo.

The truth was undeniable.

I exited the group chat on the spot and went straight to the Aldrich Group.

I did not want to see another word about them.

Hayden had already set up an office for me, but he still looked slightly surprised when I walked in. "You’re really here? I half expected I’d prep everything and you wouldn’t show."

I handed him two signed contracts. "The annual industry evaluation is coming up. Whether you come out on top this year is in your hands now."

His eyes lit up with ambition. "Don’t worry. With you on board, we’ll definitely beat the Hawthorne Group this year."

I had three years of experience and a solid client base to show for it. That afternoon, I secured another contract.

But just as I was stepping out of the meeting room, I saw Stefan holding Alicia close, whispering something in her ear.

As soon as he noticed me, he pulled away from her and rushed over.

"Don’t take what they said in the office group chat too seriously," he said, trying to sound casual. "Alicia’s apartment had a water leak. As her boss, I just offered her a place to stay."

Really?

Anyone with a functioning brain could tell they had spent the night together.

I said nothing and turned to leave.

He followed behind, still trying to make excuses. "Caitlyn, I know you want to come back. Alicia drafted a project proposal. If you help her land this deal, you can have your position back."

I let out a sharp laugh. "You’re dreaming. I wouldn’t help her even if my job depended on it."

He sighed, putting on a self-righteous tone that made my skin crawl. "She just graduated, Caitlyn. She doesn’t have experience handling clients. If you help her win this one, consider it your way of making up for yesterday’s… behavior."

"Don’t be so stubborn. If you land the deal, your job is yours again—and we’ll continue with the engagement."

Was this man even hearing himself? We were clearly speaking two entirely different languages.

Without another word, I brushed past him and walked away.

Alicia’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the signed contract in my hand.

"Isn’t that the new project contract I drafted?" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing at me in accusation. "You actually stole someone else’s work?"

She held up a printed copy of the same file and turned to Stefan, her expression pitiful. "I spent two whole days and nights working on this… and she just took it from me."

The document she waved in front of him was, in fact, the very one I had submitted for approval before I left the company. I had been the original project lead. But once I was gone, the lines blurred and she simply swapped my name for hers—then claimed the entire thing as her own.

I opened my mouth to explain, to speak the truth, but before I could say a word, Stefan struck me—his hand landing hard across my face without a moment’s hesitation.

Fury burned in his eyes. "Didn’t Alicia already discipline you according to company policy? And now you have the nerve to steal her project too? No wonder you refused to help her earlier. Caitlyn, you disgust me. Is this how you succeeded in our past collaborations—by stealing credit for other people’s work?"

The sharp sting spread across my cheek and I stared at him in disbelief. I had given three years of my life to this company. Alicia was a fresh graduate—how could I possibly have stolen from her?

Stefan ripped the contract from my hands and flung it aside. Then, in front of everyone, he ordered his bodyguards to pin me down. They yanked me to the ground and pulled my hair without mercy.

His expression grew even darker. "Caitlyn, this is the apology you owe Alicia."

I struggled against them, but it was useless. They forced me to kneel in front of her. Only when Alicia gave a smug, satisfied nod did Stefan finally release his grip on my hair.

My scalp was on fire. I could feel warm blood trickling down the side of my face. The pain was excruciating.

Alicia stepped closer, looming over me like a predator. Then, with a twisted smirk, she drove her stiletto heel into the back of my hand.

"The people I hate the most," she sneered, "are thieves. And you think an apology is enough?"

The heel stabbed into my skin, slicing through layers of flesh. Blood pooled beneath it and she pressed down harder, grinding her full weight into my bones.

"A thief like you should have both hands broken."

It felt as though the heel had gone straight through my hand. The pain was so intense it washed over me in waves. My vision blurred and my ears rang so loudly I could barely hear anything.

I turned to Stefan, pleading silently for mercy, for help.

After all, we had been in love for three years. He used to treat me like I was fragile porcelain—once, he panicked and screamed for a doctor when I scraped my knee.

But now, he did not even blink. His face showed nothing but disgust.

"No wonder your father wants to divorce your mother," he said coldly. "You inherited every bit of her shameful behavior. Even your mother secretly arranged our engagement without my consent. Like mother, like daughter."

Then came the final blow.

"I will never marry a thief. Caitlyn, our engagement is over."

He turned and walked away, leaving me kneeling on the floor, heartbroken and humiliated. The man who once cared for my loneliness, who once comforted my pain, now used it as a weapon to cut me deeper.

My earlier plea for help felt like a cruel joke.

Alicia, triumphant, held up the project plan I had created. In her other hand, she displayed a phone showing the video and photos of me being humiliated.

She laughed. "The project is mine. Stefan is mine. Caitlyn, if you dare stand in my way again, I’ll make sure the entire world sees you crawling like a dog."

The agony was unbearable. I lost consciousness right there. A few kind passersby rushed me to the hospital.

I had no idea how long I had been out. When I finally opened my eyes, Hayden was quietly sitting by my bedside.

There was a faint flicker of pain in his gaze, but he said nothing. He simply stayed close to bring me comfort.

In a broken whisper, I told him I needed two days to recover.

Without hesitation, he nodded. "Take all the time you need. Three days from now, during the evaluation… we’ll make sure the Hawthorne Family falls."