Sadie sat at the head of the table. The moment she saw me walk in, she arched a brow arrogantly and sneered, "Well … well, the Harrison Group's traitor has arrived."

Hearing the sarcasm in her words, a surge of anger washed over me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I turned my gaze to Declan, standing beside her and said, "Last time I remembered, only shareholders are allowed to sit in the meeting room. So, please step outside, Miss Rockwood."

Just as I took my seat, the photo on the table caught my eye. In the photo, I was having a lively conversation with the CEO of Miller Corporation. The date stamped at the bottom right corner was precisely during the month when Declan's company had collapsed seven years ago.

"Alice, you've deceived us so badly. Everyone in Lakeview City knows that it was Miller Corporation that drove Harrison Group into ruin."

“Look around you,” Sadie said while tapping the tabletop and making a crisp sound. “Several of these shareholders have been driven to the brink of collapse by you and their families have been torn apart by you."

“If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face around here!” she added.

"Embarrassed?" I sneered, leaning back in my chair. “Every day and night for the past seven years, I’ve dedicated my energy to this company. No one loves this position more than I do and that’s something everyone can see.”

Everyone whom I thought would support me remained silent, their faces filled with contempt.

“You can’t seriously be doubting seven years of work because of one photo, can you?" I asked.

I was still in astonishment when Declan, who had been standing there with his lips tightly pursed, made a move. He threw the contract in front of me.

“Sign this,” he said flatly. “If you do, I won’t pursue the matter with Miller Corporation.”

The share transfer agreement in front of me made me speechless.

“You want me to hand over my entire stake in this company?” I asked,

Declan spoke up, "Given your relationship with the Miller Corporation, no one here feels comfortable leaving those shares in your hands."

“That’s right,” Sadie said in a sweet voice, “Who knows how a young girl like you could have such a good relationship with the Miller? Maybe … something shady going on here …”

Smack!

A crisp slap echoed through the room. Sadie's head snapped to the side.

“A traitor dares to hit someone?”

“I think she has a guilty conscience!”

The surrounding shareholders stood up in agitation and condemned me. The next second, I was held down and forced to sign my name on the contract, stroke by stroke. Every inch was etched into my heart, erasing the hardships we had once endured together.

I had fought tooth and nail for seven years for this position, only to be taken away easily by Sadie.

On the day Declan decided to restart his business, he had paced restlessly. Then he held my hands with a hint of vulnerability.

“The business world is a battlefield,” he had said. “However, as long as we stick together, no one can put me in jail again.”

As he saw my crooked handwriting on the equity transfer document, Declan gave a satisfied smile.

As I looked at him, he was like a stranger to me. At that moment I was sure that the part of him that belonged to me had been completely destroyed when Sadie returned.

Everything in my office had been cleared out and replaced by Sadie’s computer.

As I walked out of the company, everyone stared at me weirdly. Rumors of my “secret alliance” with the Miller Corporation were already spreading like wildfire.

“Alice, this wasn’t my intention today.”

When Declan returned home, he hugged me and kept apologizing, “I was forced to act this way due to pressure from the shareholders’ meeting. I know you wouldn’t betray me, but the shareholders don’t believe it.”

"This is all for the greater good," he added. "Otherwise, the company would be in chaos and fall apart, which isn’t the outcome we want to see.”

"You’ll forgive me, won’t you?" He whispered against my ear, kissing it again and again.

“Alice, we're getting married soon, so I've decided to arrange a bachelor week for myself. We won't see each other and I'll do everything I want to do with my friends.”

“On the day of the wedding, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up and I've taken care of everything for the wedding dress,” he added.

Huh. Friends?

Declan had forgotten that seven years ago, due to his extreme lack of security, I had cut off all ties with my friends. Now, I was all alone.

After Declan observed my reaction and saw that I accepted it quietly, although he sensed something was off, the excitement took the upper hand.

In the days that followed, on the social media platforms, Declan and Sadie were always glued together.

Sadie sat and sipped coconut water while Declan played games shirtless beside her. She sunbathed and he played beach volleyball with the others.

As for me ... I took this opportunity to remove all my belongings from the house. I moved back to my old apartment and opened a bottle of red wine to celebrate, but my phone suddenly sounded an alarm.

It turned out I had forgotten to cancel the surveillance system at Declan's house. He did not have a key so he had to force his way to the front door.

As I was about to leave the apps, my fingertips accidentally touched the bedroom feed.

There they were … Declan and Sadie were entwined on the bed that used to be mine.

"Would it be more exciting to do it on Alice's bed?” Sadie asked. Her question was met with even more intense movements.

Sweat dripped from Declan's body as he panted, "Don't forget. The one that I love is Alice. After this bachelor week is over … we'll be strangers."

My joints were so tense they turned white. I could no longer suppress the urge to vomit. So, I rushed into the bathroom, leaned over the toilet and vomited until every trace of the nausea was gone.

As the wedding drew near, Declan finally remembered my existence, so he texted me. [Where are you?]

I did not text him back.

"Do you think the bride is running away from the wedding?" One of his classmates joked.

Declan flew into a rage. "Run away? Alice told me that her biggest dream was to marry me before she turned thirty!"

At the wedding, Declan kept his eyes fixed on the stage, but he couldn't see my figure.

Facing the curious glances of the crowd, he kept repeating, "Alice will definitely come."

The lights suddenly dimmed and Declan joyfully took the stage. However, when he saw that the woman in the wedding dress on stage was Sadie, his face darkened.

"Why are you here?" His voice dropped. "Where’s Alice?"

The assistant, who was among the crowd, said nervously, "Mr. Harrison, Miss Sanders asked me to give this to you."

Sanders took it, but when he saw it was my miscarriage certificate, his body started to shake.