My body matured faster than most girls my age.

When I turned 18, my overprotective brother worried I’d be taken advantage of, so he asked his best friend to look after me.

But the first time we met, that man's eyes never left my body.

After I graduated from college, he kept crossing the line, again and again.

By day, he was my boss, and by night, I was his "personal assistant."

For four years, we kept our affair a secret.

He molded me into exactly what he liked, and the worst part? I let him.

One day, his ex-fiancée came back from overseas. He slipped out of my bed in the middle of the night and rushed to the airport to pick her up.

Humiliated but unwilling to let go, I followed him there, only to watch him gently stroke another woman’s hair right in front of me.

He turned to me and said, "Jennifer Huckabee, four years ago, you were the one who crawled into my bed while I was drunk. The way you're behaving now… it’s really pathetic."

The way he looked at her was soft, and the way he mocked me was sharp and deliberate.

I suddenly realized he was right. This was meaningless.

So I lowered my head, texted my brother to tell him I’d accept the Sinclair family marriage proposal, then looked up at that man and smiled.

"Alright then. Goodbye."

Marvin Huckabee, my brother, called not long after.

I could hear the relief in his voice through the call, surely because he thought I had finally let go of the man I had loved for years.

What he did not know was that the man I was madly in love with…was his best friend, Devin Woodford.

After hanging up, I picked up the resignation letter I already prepared and headed for HR. However, the process stalled at the final step.

"Ms. Huckabee, if you want to resign within a week, you'll need the CEO's signature for approval."

Devin again. Even at the very end, I still could not avoid him.

I tightened my grip on my phone, walked to the end of the empty hallway, and dialed that all-too-familiar number.

The ringing went on for a long time.

Just as I thought no one would pick up, the line clicked. A strange female voice came through.

"Hello? Looking for Devin? He's in the shower…"

In the shower…

Those three words stabbed my chest like a thousand poisoned needles. Nonetheless, my voice stayed calm, almost unnaturally so.

"No need, thank you."

Before she could say anything else, I hung up. The screen went dark, reflecting my pale face.

Less than two minutes later, my phone buzzed violently again. I stared at Devin's name on the screen for several seconds before answering.

"Did you need something?"

His tone was businesslike: cold and detached. Just last night, this same man had been on top of me, whispering my name intimately over and over again.

My fingers whitened around the resignation letter.

"Mr. Woodford, there's a document that needs your signature before the process can go through."

He gave a low hum of acknowledgment, then added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, right. Stop by later and pack up the rest of your stuff. She's moving in.

"The apartment in the western suburbs is empty. You can stay there. I promised Marvin I'd take care of you."

Four years ago, he pulled me into his bed while drunk, tossing me the charity of being his bedmate. Four years later, under the excuse of loyalty to his best friend, he was offering me a place to live.

His carefully considerate gestures were so absurd, they almost made me laugh.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Woodford," I said, forcing a smile. "I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

Once he signed the resignation form and I finished my last handover, the ridiculous four years between us would finally come to an end.

Me? I was getting married.

I opened my eyes in the hotel room as morning light streamed in. For the first time in years, I felt more awake than in any morning I had spent by Devin's side.

I called a car and returned to the villa I'd lived in for four years. However, the moment I stepped inside, I almost thought I had walked into the wrong house.

The once minimalist black-and-gray space was instead drenched in warm tones.

The entryway wall, where I had begged him for a month to let me hang even a single plush toy, had been transformed into a display filled with stuffed animals.

"Melissa likes it this way," Devin's voice sounded from behind me.

When I turned, he looked slightly troubled.

"She came by yesterday. Saw your things and got upset."

It was not until he led me to the storage room that I understood what he meant.

In the corner, all my luggage was piled up like garbage. It was a chaotic mess of things that once held meaning.

The diamond necklace Devin had given me was crushed beyond recognition, and the pair of mugs we made together were shattered into pieces.

He sighed softly.

"None of this is worth much anyway. Just throw it out. If you need something, I'll buy you new ones."

'Not worth much'?

My gaze fell on a small, colorful glass jar among the wreckage.

The lid had broken open, revealing the folded paper stars inside. There were 1001 of them, each one I had made back when I secretly loved him, each carrying a bit of affection I never dared to speak aloud.

I picked up the cracked jar, then tossed it along with the other broken gifts into the trash bin nearby.

Devin's brows furrowed instantly, but I just smiled faintly.

"You're right, Mr. Woodford. Things that aren't worth anything should be thrown away when they're dirty or broken."

That included my foolish, misplaced feelings.

Ignoring the sudden darkness that crossed his face, I lowered my head and pulled out the resignation letter from my bag.

"Mr. Woodford, this is my..."

Before I could finish, his phone rang.

Melissa Nicholson's voice came through clearly in the quiet storage room.

"Dev, it's raining. Come pick me up."

The emotions on his face vanished in an instant. He did not even glance at the document in my hand and signed his name at the bottom.

"Take a taxi home. Text me when you get there."

By the time Devin drove off, the rain became a downpour.

The villa sat halfway up the mountain, so there was no way to hail a taxi. So, I opened my umbrella and started walking downhill against the wind.

Suddenly, I slipped. Pain shot through my knees and elbows as I hit the ground hard.

Ignoring the sting, I clutched my bag tightly. It held my resignation letter. If that got wet, I would have to see him again, and I did not want that.

Just then, a familiar black luxury car came speeding from afar. It did not slow down as it passed. Water splashed all over me, soaking me completely.

Through the passenger-side window, I caught a glimpse. It was Melissa, perfectly made up, sitting beside Devin, who smiled at her tenderly.

My jaw clenched.

Pressing my palm to the cold, wet ground, I forced myself to stand. Pain seared through my knees, but I straightened my back and walked away in the opposite direction of the car.

The resignation paperwork only needed three days to process. On the last day, I was in the office, wrapping up my final handover.

My phone lit up with a message from Devin.

[Bring in a cup of hot honey water.]

Technically, I was still his assistant, so I had to finish my duties.

I made the drink, then knocked on his office door.

As soon as I entered, I froze.

Melissa was lying on the couch, her head resting on Devin's lap. He was gently massaging her lower abdomen.

In these four years with him, when I felt the cramps during my period, I would curl up at my desk, barely able to straighten my back. All he ever did was toss me a box of painkillers.

"Don't let it affect your work." That was all he said, and coldly at that.

My old self–the pathetic self–foolishly fell for that subterranean act.

Keeping my expression neutral, I walked past them and set the cup on his desk.

"Mr. Woodford, your hot honey water is here."

I turned to leave, but Melissa suddenly stood up.

"Wait." Her eyes studied me. "You're... Marvin Huckabee's sister?"

Before I could answer, her hand had swung across my face.

My ear buzzed, my cheek instantly burning and swelling.

Devin shot to his feet, startled.

"Mel, what are you doing?"

Her eyes reddened, tears welling as she pointed at me and turned to him.

"She's from the Huckabee family in Jurnell! She could've lived like a princess, but instead, she came to you as an assistant. And you're telling me she doesn't like you?"

The air froze.

Devin's gaze flickered across my face, then he turned, gently pulling Melissa into his arms, wiping away her tears.

His voice was soft, tinged with helplessness and unmistakable affection.

"Even if she does like me…it's all one-sided. Because in my heart, there's only room for you."

A flash of triumph crossed Melissa's face as she nestled into Devin's arms, her voice sweet and coy.

"Then fire her! I don't ever want to see her again!"

Devin's brows tightened almost imperceptibly, a faint hesitation flickering in his eyes.

Seeing that, Melissa picked up the cup of hot honey water on the desk, and in the very next second, she screamed as she flung it toward me.

"Ah! Dev, it's hot!"

Her scream was sharp enough to pierce through the air.

As she clutched her reddened fingertips, Devin's face instantly darkened.

His cold gaze locked on me, completely ignoring the angry burns spreading across my bare arm.

"Jennifer! You've been with me for four years, and you can't even handle something this simple? Were you targeting Mel on purpose?"

Before I could explain, he turned to call his secretary in.

"Ms. Lane, Ms. Huckabee made a serious mistake. Dock her full month's salary and bonus! Also, announce her error publicly in next week's company meeting!"

Nancy Lane shot me a quick, uneasy glance before speaking softly.

"But, Mr. Woodford… Ms. Huckabee has already resigned…"

The moment those words left her mouth, Melissa suddenly gasped and cried out in pain.

"Dev, since you're so eager to defend your precious assistant, I'll just leave... forever!"

Devin's pupils constricted. Ignoring whatever the secretary said, he wrapped Melissa tightly in his arms.

"Mel, don't! Please..."

His icy glare cut into me like a blade.

"Jennifer, if this ever happens again, go back to Jurnell! Even if Marvin himself comes begging, I won't let it slide!"

My burned arm throbbed, cold sweat rolling down my temples, yet my voice came out steady and quiet.

"Don't worry. It won't happen again."

He clearly had not expected that response. For a brief second, he froze. Then, without another word, he scooped Melissa into his arms.

"Come. We're going to the hospital."

As his gaze swept over the blistered skin on my arm, his brows furrowed even tighter.

"You're coming too."

Worried about getting an infection, I said nothing and followed.

In the back seat, my phone buzzed: it was a message from Devin.

[I acted out of panic back there. But I've already lost Mel once–I can't lose her again. If you're upset, I'll make it up to you.]

I stared at those words, then at the man in the front seat, fussing over Melissa like she was made of glass.

The whole thing was so ridiculous, I almost laughed.

With one tap, I blocked him.

The next second, a friend request popped up. It was from my arranged fiance, Francis Sinclair.

We had met once before...

I took a slow breath, then pressed the [Accept] button.

The car stopped at the hospital's emergency entrance.

Just as I opened the door to get out, another car came speeding from the side. Instinctively, Devin shielded Melissa in his arms.

Meanwhile, I stumbled backward, falling hard into a nearby flowerbed.

When I got up, I saw him cradling Melissa as he rushed toward the ER. Her hand had only a minor scrape.

"Miss, your arm's bleeding. You need to have it dressed…" said a stranger as he handed me a clean handkerchief.

I pressed it against the burn and murmured a quick thanks.

Without a moment's hesitation, I walked to the curb and flagged down a cab. "Airport, please."

The car pulled away, heading in a direction without Devin.

Meanwhile, after settling Melissa in a hospital room, Devin suddenly remembered my injury. He asked a nurse for some burn ointment.

"Where's the woman who came in with me? Her name's Jennifer Huckabee. What room is she in?"

The nurse checked the records and shook her head. "Sorry, sir. There's no patient by that name."

Devin froze, his grip on the ointment tube tightening.

Then, his phone rang. It was a call from Marvin.

The moment he answered, my brother's furious roar exploded through the speaker.

"Is this how you take care of my sister, Devin?! She's covered in injuries, you jerk!"

Devin frowned, instantly assuming I had run to complain to my brother.

His voice dropped, heavy with irritation. "Is she with you? Put her on."

"Go screw yourself!"

My brother glanced at me, standing there in the airport terminal, and his tone was sharp with anger.

"If you really want to make it up to her, then show up in two days. She's getting married, and as you've taken care of her for so long, you'd better be there."