My fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. This position should have been mine.

From the moment I gave up the family business five years ago and joined Wallace Group, I had worked my way up step by step from the bottom to deputy director—everyone believed it was a done deal.

"After careful consideration, I’ve decided to appoint Brian as the new Marketing Director, effective next month."

After a few seconds of dead silence, the conference room erupted.

Mr. Cameron, the Finance Director, was the first to slap the table and stand up. "Miss Wallace, this isn’t in line with the rules! Mr. Benneth has been with the company for less than three months—he hasn’t even passed his probation!"

Windy from the Operations Department also stood up to agree. "That’s right, in terms of seniority and ability, Mr. Benneth should be the one to take over!"

I sat quietly, my gaze fixed on Megan’s face.

Her expression didn’t waver in the slightest; she merely lifted her hand slightly to signal for everyone to be quiet. "Although Brian has only been here a short time, the new proposal he put forward has already been approved by the board of directors."

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness. "I believe he can lead the Marketing Department to new heights. So, it’s settled."

Brian kept his head lowered, wearing a modest expression. But the faint trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth still gave him away. When his eyes met mine, a glint of smugness flickered in them.

"If there’s nothing else, the meeting is adjourned." Megan closed the folder.

I stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

All eyes turned toward me.

Megan frowned slightly. "Raymond, do you have something to say?"

"No."

My expression remained calm as I turned and headed for the door.

"Mr. Benneth!" Brian suddenly stood up and quickly caught up with me. "Please wait a moment!"

He reached out to stop me. "I come from the countryside, with limited exposure and insufficient experience. For the position of director, I truly feel unworthy. So I think it would still be more suitable for you to take the role…"

His voice grew softer and softer, perfectly portraying the nervous humility of a newcomer facing a senior. But when he pretended to casually lift his hand to adjust his tie, I clearly saw the watch on his wrist.

It was the Patek Philippe that Megan had given me for my twentieth birthday. I had never worn it, unwilling to risk scratching it and had always kept it locked away in the safe.

The moment I recognized it, my blood seemed to freeze.

"Brian, don’t be like this." Megan walked over and gently patted Brian’s shoulder. "This is the company’s decision—you don’t need to give up the position."

She turned to me, a trace of reproach in her eyes. "Raymond, you’re not going to be this petty, are you?"

That sentence was like a knife plunging straight into my heart.

For years, I had given up my family business and started from the bottom. When she worked overtime, I brought her meals; when she was sick, I stayed by her side through the night.

I worked myself to the bone, driving Wallace Group’s business volume to climb year after year, its market value multiplying several times over and now, in front of all the company’s senior executives, she was calling me petty?

I nearly bit my lip hard enough to draw blood and said coldly, "Miss Wallace, I resign."

For the first time, a flicker of panic appeared on Megan’s face. "Raymond, what did you say?"

"I said, I’m done. Move!" I shoved Brian out of my way.

He staggered a little, immediately putting on a wounded expression.

"Mr. Benneth, please don’t be upset. This is all my fault, I apologize to you…" he spoke pitifully, yet his eyes kept flicking toward Megan.

Megan quickly caught Brian, then turned to glare at me. "Raymond! You’ve gone too far! Brian meant well—how could you push him?"

I let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Behind me came the sharp, rapid clicks of high heels. Megan hurried to catch up and grabbed my arm.

"Raymond, what kind of attitude is this?" Her voice was as cold as ice. "The company meeting isn’t over yet, and you haven’t apologized to Brian—how can you just walk away like this?"

I stopped in my tracks, my gaze calm as I looked at her.

Today, she was still dazzlingly beautiful. Her red lips burned like flames, her brows and eyes as if painted. But in those eyes that once drowned me, there was now only lofty arrogance and disdain.

"Miss Wallace, I’ve already resigned," I replied calmly. "The meeting has nothing to do with me. As for Brian, I will never apologize to him."

Her brows furrowed slightly. But soon, she regained that air of being in complete control.

"I haven’t approved your resignation letter, so you’re still an employee of Wallace Group." Her tone softened a little. "Let’s set the apology aside for now—go back and finish the meeting."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth in a smile. "Miss Wallace, since when have you started caring about procedure? Brian hasn’t even completed his probation, yet he was still promoted to director, wasn’t he?"

Her gaze froze for a moment. "The company’s decisions don’t seem to be yours to question, do they?"

"Yes, you’re right—it’s not my place," I nodded. "That’s why I’m choosing to walk away. Out of sight, out of mind."

With that, I stepped around her and kept walking.

She clearly hadn’t expected me to be so decisive. She froze for a moment, then came after me again, heels clicking sharply.

"Raymond! What are you making a fuss about? Just because I didn’t make you a director?"

I looked at her, suddenly finding it laughable. She still thought I was sulking just over the position.

"Megan." I spoke each word clearly. "We’ve known each other for so many years—when have you ever seen me lose my temper over work?"

She froze for a moment, as if my words had caught her off guard. But soon, she lifted her chin again. "Then what are you angry about?"

I looked straight into her eyes. "You know better than anyone."

Her gaze flickered slightly. "I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

I got straight to the point and asked her what was going on with the cufflinks and the watch.

Megan was momentarily stunned, then explained openly. "The cufflinks were a reward I gave Brian for his hard work. As for the watch—since you don’t wear it anyway, what’s the harm in giving it to him?"

I almost laughed from sheer anger. So the things I had treasured so dearly had never meant anything to her.

Megan casually brushed a loose strand of hair from her ear, the corners of her red lips curling up. "Raymond, when did you become so petty? It’s just two little items. If you want, I can always buy you more."

She turned her head toward the conference room, her tone light and airy. "Brian has been staying up late every day for the project lately—I have to show some appreciation."

"Appreciation?"

It felt like a block of ice had been shoved into my chest.

Ever since Brian joined the company, the arguments between us had only grown more frequent. Every single time, it had been because of Brian—and every single time, I had been the one to give in.

But this time, I wouldn’t.

"Megan, that year on your birthday, I searched every antique shop in Paris before I finally found that pair of 19th-century dark-gold cufflinks. You said you loved the story behind them, that they were the most thoughtful gift you’d ever received."

I pointed at the bracelet on her wrist. "Just like this Tiffany piece I bought at an auction five years ago."

Her fingers instinctively rubbed the bracelet.

Her gaze wavered for a moment, then quickly returned to that lofty, composed air. "Raymond, be mature. In the workplace, it’s normal to reward capable subordinates. Didn’t you also often give gifts to your staff before?"

I didn’t bother wasting any more words with her, and in the end, we parted on bad terms.

After half an hour of smoking in silence, I returned to my office only to find my personal belongings scattered all over the floor.

The most jarring sight was my mother’s photograph. The glass frame was shattered, and a clear shoeprint marked its surface.

"Mr. Benneth, sorry about that." Brian jogged over, a false look of apology on his face. "Miss Wallace said this office needs to be vacated for the new director, so I had some people clear it out first."

I slowly turned around, blood surging until it roared in my ears.

"Who did this?" I pointed at the shoeprint on the photo, my voice low and dangerous.

Brian’s eyes flickered, his fingers twisting uneasily together. "Maybe the cleaning lady accidentally stepped on it while moving things…"

"Bullshit!" My eyes burned red as I kicked over the nearby trash bin, the metal slamming against the wall with a deafening clang.

Brian flinched in fright, his eyes instantly welling up, looking for all the world like a startled rabbit.

"What’s going on?"

Megan strode over quickly, and Brian immediately hid behind her.

"Miss Wallace, Mr. Benneth is upset that I had people clear the office ahead of time," Brian said.

Megan glanced at the mess on the floor, not even furrowing her brows.

"It’s just changing an office. Do you really need to get so worked up?" She didn’t even look at the dirt-stained photo. "If you don’t want to move, just put your things back."

I grabbed the photo, not even feeling the pain as shards of glass pierced my palm. "Megan, look closely! This is my mother’s memorial photo!"

Only then did she glance at it, her lips moving slightly.

Before she could speak, Brian cut in, "Miss Wallace, I really didn’t know this would happen! I never thought the cleaning lady would be so careless. But in the end, it’s my fault."

His tears came instantly, streaming down his cheeks.

"How about I visit your mother’s grave to apologize…"

"Shut up!" I couldn’t take it anymore.

Brian shrank into Megan’s arms like a startled quail.

She immediately glared at me. "Raymond! Are you out of your mind? Brian has already apologized—what more do you want? It’s not like he was the one who stepped on the photo!"

Brian instantly slipped into full drama mode, his tears falling even harder. "Mr. Benneth, I know you hate me, but I really didn’t mean it…"

Seeing my bloodshot eyes, Megan stepped in front of Brian. "Raymond, if you have a problem, take it out on me—don’t bully Brian!"

I hadn’t said a word.

The next second, Brian suddenly dropped to his knees without warning. His eyes were red, voice choked. "Mr. Benneth, it’s all my fault!"

With trembling hands, he took off the cufflinks and watch, holding them out to me. "I know you’re angry because Miss Wallace gave me these gifts. I’m just a kid from a poor family—completely unworthy of using these things. I shouldn’t have caused you to misunderstand and damaged the relationship between you and Miss Wallace."

I grabbed the cufflinks and watch in one swift motion. Right in front of him, I threw them straight into the nearby trash bin.

Brian’s shoulders suddenly shook, tears instantly welling up and streaming down his cheeks, looking like a bullied, pitiful victim.