In 1982, at the Tarrin Food Factory.

As the Spring Festival approached, the young and handsome factory director, Juno Marlow, was holding a general staff meeting.

He cast a cold glance at Sasha, who was standing in front of him with gauze wrapped around her forehead and red medicine staining the wounds on her hands.

His expression grew stern. "I will announce a penalty now."

"Sasha Lenore, a female worker from Workshop Two, was accused of being narrow-minded and malicious, deliberately harming the factory director's secretary, Quinn Ledger. After discussion, the factory decided to deduct six months of her salary. She is also ordered to kneel and apologize to Quinn within two weeks. If she refuses, she will be fired without exception. Meeting dismissed!"

The announcement caused an uproar, leaving the workers stunned.

Everyone knew that Juno, the only son of the prominent Marlow Family, graduated from a top university and became the head of a factory with thousands of employees.

This cold and distant man, who seemed indifferent to romance, had fallen in love at first sight with Sasha during a business trip to the north.

Since bringing her back three years ago, he had treated her like a treasure, even building her a private house on the factory grounds.

The gap in their social statuses was significant, so he worked hard to mediate, eventually convincing his family to agree. Once Sasha secured the position of factory director's secretary, they consented to their marriage.

To make this happen, Sasha put in relentless effort, always being the first to start work and the last to leave. She also devised ways to optimize the assembly line, boosting the factory's efficiency.

But just yesterday, as she was about to be officially appointed as the factory director's secretary, Juno's first love, Quinn, returned.

He seemed as if his soul had been taken away. Grabbing the appointment letter, he tore it to pieces and pulled Quinn tightly into his arms.

“Is it really you, my Quinn? Am I dreaming?”

He gently caressed her face, inch by inch, his usually cold eyes filled with overwhelming joy.

“This is wonderful. I no longer have to think of you through a stand-in. Please, promise me you’ll never leave me again, okay?”

When Quinn nodded, he cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her.

Outside the door, Sasha watched with a heart-wrenching pain. Just as they were about to kiss, she ran away, trying to convince herself it wasn’t real.

That day, for the first time, she was distracted at work.

Her palm was slashed by the machine, blood splattering everywhere and exposing a deep wound down to the bone. The pain was so intense that she almost fainted.

She went to the factory’s medical room to have the wound treated, then returned home with a pale face.

But when she arrived, she saw all her belongings carelessly thrown into the muddy yard.

Juno was holding Quinn’s hand, directing workers to rearrange the room according to Quinn’s preferences.

When he turned and saw her, the warmth in his eyes turned cold.

In a formal tone, he said, “This is Quinn, our factory’s new secretary. She’s a talented returnee from abroad and grew up in a wealthy family, so she’s not used to living in the dormitory. It’s against the rules for a worker like you to live here anyway, so move to the dorms.”

Sasha felt a sharp pain in her heart.

This was the place she had lived in for three years. Here, Juno had whispered sweet nothings to her, kissed her over and over and told her he loved her.

Now, with just a single phrase—"against the rules"—she was being cast out.

Sasha opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. After all, she was just a stand-in. Now that the real one had returned, what right did she have to continue "taking over someone else’s nest"?

With that thought, Sasha held back her sadness, lowered her head and began packing her belongings.

Quinn crouched down gently beside her and said softly, “Let me help you.”

But as she turned her back to Juno, the kindness on her face vanished.

Leaning close to Sasha’s ear, she mocked in a low voice, “I heard you’re an orphan with no family and no education? No wonder Juno used you as a stand-in to play with. Now that he’s tired of you, of course, you’re being thrown away like a rag.”

“Our families have been close for generations and Juno and I are meant to be together. Let me show you right now who Juno truly loves!”

With that, Quinn let out a sudden “Ah!” and fell backward.

“Quinn, what’s wrong?”

Juno rushed over and caught her in his arms.

Quinn looked utterly aggrieved.

“I’m fine. She’s probably just upset about moving out and pushed me out of frustration. I understand. You should comfort her instead.”

“I didn’t push her,” Sasha looked at Juno and spoke softly.

Even if he had only seen her as a stand-in over these three years, they had spent so much time together. He should have known she wasn’t that kind of person and would never stoop to such actions.

But all her certainty turned to dust in an instant when Juno kicked her.

The force of the kick sent her flying, her head slamming into the wall. Blood poured from the wound, staining her face.

Her hands were scraped raw against the rough ground and her already injured right hand was torn open, blood and flesh mixed. Cold sweat immediately drenched her body.

"Your hand is hurt?"

Juno finally noticed something was wrong, a trace of concern flashing in his eyes.

But he was quickly stopped by Quinn.

"Juno, don't blame her. This afternoon, when you were hugging me in your office, she was secretly watching from outside. That’s why she put so much red medicine on her hand, trying to get your attention. She just cares about you too much."

So the bright red on Sasha's hand wasn’t blood, but red medicine?

The concern in Juno’s eyes turned to disgust.

“Why couldn’t you just ask me directly? Why resort to such tricks? it's really not decent! Hurry up and take your things and move to the dormitory. That’s where someone like you belongs!”

Seeing his favoritism and indifference, Sasha swallowed all the words she wanted to say.

“Forget it, just leave it,” she said.

Three years ago, when she was working in her family’s factory, Juno came to inspect the workshop. At first sight, he fell for her and she had quietly fallen for him too.

For this love, she had been willing to cut ties with her family, give up her life as a wealthy young lady and travel far for the man she loved.

She never expected that in the end, she would become just a stand-in.

Now, she didn’t want anything anymore—not this place, not this man.

Once her thoughts settled, Sasha went to a phone booth, her voice choking as she dialed a number she knew by heart.

“Mom, Dad, I miss home. I’m willing to return and marry the son of the Maddox Family.”

On the other end, her parents sounded even more excited than she was. “Sasha, darling, we’ve been waiting for this day for three years. The door is always open for you.”

"What marriage?" Juno suddenly appeared behind her, grabbing her wrist tightly. "Sasha, didn’t you say you’d only marry me? You want to go to a workers' social? I won’t allow it!"

His anger was mixed with a touch of dominance.

It turned out he had misunderstood the word "marriage" as "social."

Sasha was relieved. She didn’t know how to explain, but she couldn't help but feel a bit amused.

Now that his real lover had returned, whether she attended a social event or married someone, what did it have to do with him?

"The situation isn't what you think."

Seeing her slightly melancholic expression, Juno frowned and tried to explain. "There can be two secretaries. If you kneel and apologize to Quinn, you’ll still have a chance to be secretary. As for our marriage, that’s still on the table."

Sasha stared at him in surprise. At a time like this, he was still trying to play both sides?

"What if I don’t apologize?"

"Then you’ll be fired and there will be no chance to be with me. Are you willing to let go?"

Juno knew Sasha too well. She loved him deeply, so she would never want to leave him. He was sure she would give in.

To his surprise, Sasha simply said, “I’m willing.”

The eyes that used to look at him with so much love became calm and indifferent.

Juno froze, an unfamiliar sense of unease creeping in. "Sasha, listen to me..."

He impulsively wanted to explain himself, but before he could, someone wrapped her arm around his.

It was Quinn. She looked at Sasha with a sigh of admiration and said, "You really know how to handle men. This ‘play hard to get’ move was done perfectly!! Unlike me, I’m so silly. I've only ever liked Juno and for him, I was willing to give up a good life abroad and come back to find him."

So she was just playing hard to get?

Juno's gaze grew colder with each passing moment. In a fit of anger, he shoved Sasha away.

She was caught off guard and fell backward, her head crashing into the window. The glass shattered and blood started to seep from the bandage on her forehead.

Her hand was also cut again, with bright red blood staining her pale skin. It was a painful and shocking sight.

Juno’s eyes flickered with regret and he instinctively moved to help her, but before he could, Quinn let out a sharp gasp.

"Juno, you didn’t even use much force, how did she end up like this? First, she’s playing hard to get and now it's a pity act. Are all the girls in this country so clever? How is it that after just three years abroad, I can’t figure them out anymore?"

Sasha forced a bitter smile. After yesterday's injury, she felt so weak that it only took a small push for her to fall.

But unfortunately, the man who once cherished her, now easily believed Quinn's words and only saw her with disgust in his eyes.

"Always pretending, huh? You’re so good at this. It’s just a little blood and I’m sure you’ll heal on your own!"

Quinn chuckled lightly. "Juno, let’s go. Let’s head to my little house, roast some oranges, drink tea and read books. Remember, no other business during the day."

Upon hearing her suggestive words, Sasha finally noticed that under her coat, Quinn was wearing a low-necked sweater, revealing an ambiguous mark.

Sasha's heart ached painfully.

She had been with Juno for three years and they had only hugged and kissed, never going further.

She had thought it was out of respect for her, but now she realized that his uncontrollable feelings were only for the one he truly loved. And she was not worthy.

Juno and Quinn had already walked far away. But those little red marks seemed like a beast with a gaping bloody mouth, biting Sasha's heart into a bloody mess.

When she arrived at the factory's medical room, the doctor was shocked. "The wound just started to scab, how did it get worse again? Do you still want to celebrate the New Year?"

New Year?

Sasha's heart stung with sadness.

For Juno, she hadn't returned home for three years. She missed home. She desperately wanted to go home for the New Year.

The factory was decorated with lamps and festivity, making it a joyful scene. Yet Sasha, covered in scars, went to the workshop supervisor to apply for resignation and request a referral letter.

Nowadays, individuals without identification documents needed a referral letter to leave the province.

The workshop supervisor, who had witnessed her relationship with Juno from the beginning, agreed with regret.

"It's close to the New Year now, even with a referral letter, the earliest you can leave is the tenth day of the new year."

"Then let's make it the tenth day. Thank you, Sir."

That day was exactly fifteen days later. It was the day she was supposed to be dismissed.

The workshop supervisor gave her the referral letter and said, "Just get the factory manager's stamp and it will be effective."

Needing Juno's approval? Sasha was immediately troubled.

"Anyway, you have to submit the workshop report, why don’t you just include it with the report and see if it works?” the workshop supervisor suggested after noticing her difficulty.

Sasha expressed her gratitude.

The door of the factory office was open.

Juno was sitting in the director's chair and Quinn, who was supposed to be in the secretary's office outside, was hugging him from behind, looking extremely intimate.