She only had 30 bucks left. If she was careful, it might last 10 days, but there was no way she could afford a cab.

Still, she nodded, not wanting him to worry.

"Cancel it," Edwin said suddenly.

She looked up in confusion.

Without looking at her, he explained in a firm, cold voice, "I'm leaving for a two-day business trip. Maurice doesn't like being alone, so stay here for a few more days and keep her company. When I'm back, we'll talk. Take any car from the garage to get to work."

Her heart sank, but she didn't argue—just moved to the smallest room at the end of the hallway.

The room didn't have the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows she was used to—just two tiny ones that barely gave her a glimpse of the ocean.

Even though no one had roomed there for a while, it was spotless. The bedding had been freshly replaced, but she didn't bother unpacking.

She spread her suitcase on the floor, grabbed a few essentials, and left the rest untouched. She wanted to be ready to leave at any moment.

That night dragged on forever, but eventually, morning came.

Melanie got up early, went downstairs, and started helping prepare breakfast.

She noticed the time and realized it was almost time for work, but Maurice still hadn't come down. When she asked about it, one of the maids casually mentioned, "Miss Maurice went with Sir Edwin on his trip."

Edwin had always been strict about keeping work and personal life separate.

When Melanie wanted to join the game development department at Setchfield Square, she had to go through the proper hiring process and assessments like everyone else.

But now, he'd taken Maurice on a business trip?

Melanie couldn't explain how she felt. The breakfast on her plate might as well have been cardboard. All she knew was that she was about to be late.

At the office, her colleague Crista Joyce was the first to greet her.

When Crista heard that Melanie was planning to resign, the former gasped in shock. "Wait, what? Are you serious? But President Setchfield already approved your project proposal! They're going to announce your promotion any day now!"

On Melanie's first day, the department head asked everyone to submit a proposal along with a project plan.

Since she was new, she wasn't required to participate. But then, the department head casually asked if she had any ideas.

Back then, her reason for joining Edwin's company wasn't just because of him—it was because this company was the perfect place to bring her ideas to life.

She took the chance when the department head asked her; she brought up an old game concept she'd worked on before.

But she'd barely gotten through half her presentation before she fainted from a fever and ended up missing work for days. She had no idea anyone had paid attention to her pitch.

Back then, she'd shown it to Edwin once. He hadn't been impressed, dismissing it as "too risky." Businesses value profit, and just a few words doomed her concept to have no future.

"Melanie," Crista said earnestly, "you can't leave! You're so talented, and President Setchfield clearly values your work. Girl, how could you throw this chance away?"

Melanie forced a smile. "Well, nothing's really me keeping me here. I've been in Oklahoma for too long. I mean, it's time to move on and see the world."

She used to think she could stay in Oklahoma forever, even with all its painful memories—as long as Edwin was here.

But now, there was nothing left but the pain.

If leaving would make things easier for him, she'd go.

She'd been a burden to him for too long.

Still, by the end of the morning, she couldn't bring herself to formally withdraw her project.

It wasn't just a project to her—it was her dream, her hard work, her heart and soul. She couldn't let it go so easily.

That afternoon, Melanie knocked on the director's office door. She tried to explain that her project still had too many flaws and asked if it could be withdrawn and replaced with another.

The director gave her a polite but firm reply: the project had already been submitted, and the CEO himself had approved it. If she wanted to pull it back, she'd have to wait until he returned from his business trip.

As she stepped into the hallway, her phone buzzed a few times.

It was a message from Maurice, along with a photo.

[Melanie!!! OMG! OMG!!!!! Edwin proposed! We're going to look for wedding rings later. Can you help me pick from these designs? Which one do you think is best?]

The attached photo wasn't of rings, though. It showed Maurice nestled in Edwin's arms, gazing up at him like she was about to kiss him.

Two seconds later, the photo was deleted and replaced by photos of diamond rings.

[Oops! Sorry! Wrong pic!]

This wasn't the first time Maurice had "accidentally" sent pictures like this. Every time Melanie would stare at their intimate photos, they left her crying and sitting in silence for hours, struggling to keep the pain at bay.

But this time was different. She had decided to quit loving Edwin, so she could look at such intimate photos now.

She studied the pictures of rings, feeling oddly calm. After carefully considering the options, she picked one and replied with her suggestion.

Less than an hour later, another photo came through. This time, it was Maurice wearing the ring Melanie had suggested.

[Here, does it look beautiful in my finger?]

The diamond was huge and clearly expensive.

Melanie stared at the photo for a moment, her expression still calm. Then she typed a short reply.

[It looks perfect. Congratulations to you both!]

Later that day, her company's private group chat exploded with two pieces of gossip.

The first: [the new girl in Game Development, Melanie, is President Setchfield's sister!]

The second: [President Setchfield has proposed to Mr. Steffensen's daughter!]

The chat lit up like wildfire, with one comment after another scrolling by.

Sitting on the bus, Melanie scrolled through the messages, her heart sinking as she read them.

She had just joined the group that afternoon. She hadn't even updated her display name or introduced herself yet before those two "explosive" messages shoved her into the spotlight.

[No wonder a rookie's project got approved! Nepotism much?]

[Yep! Did you see the budget for that project? No way they'd greenlight it, right? Well, turns out the CEO's her brother, so he doesn't mind investing in such a risky proposal!]

[I was working so hard for a promotion, but what's the point? She's obviously getting the lead role in this. Gosh, can you imagine a rookie bossing around?!]

[Please don't assign her project to my team. I don't want to waste my time making her look good.]

The comments just kept piling up. Different words, same meaning—they were all mocking her, painting her as incompetent, relying entirely on connections to get ahead.

But Melanie didn't bother defending herself. She simply turned off her phone, leaned back in her seat, and stared out the window.

By the time she got home, the sky was dark.

Mrs. Claire, the housekeeper, had dinner ready, but Melanie barely touched her food before heading upstairs.

She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

The next morning, when she finally came downstairs, Edwin and Maurice were already back. They were sitting at the dining table, waiting for breakfast.

Melanie noticed that her usual seat had been taken by Maurice. But without saying a word, she just sat at the far end of the table.

She didn't want to sit next to Edwin.

Breakfast was unbearable—the couple giggled and chatted like they were the only two people there.

Melanie just kept her head down, quietly sipping her coffee.

Usually, Melanie would sit beside Edwin, chatting away about everything that happened the day before—who got teased by the teacher, who suddenly started dating, or which new idol everyone was obsessing over.

But today, she was quiet. Too quiet.

Edwin wasn't used to it.

"I'm full. I'll head to work now." Melanie grabbed her bag and was about to leave when his voice stopped her.

"It's raining outside. The roads are slippery. I'll drive you later."

She froze for a second. It had been so long since she'd heard something like that from him. For a moment, she felt… disoriented.

Turning back, she replied calmly, "No need, I'll take the bus. It's convenient enough."

Edwin frowned, about to insist, but Maurice spoke first.

"Melanie, it's no trouble at all! Edwin and I are going to the company anyway. We can drop you off on the way," she said with a sweet smile.

Melanie blinked, glancing at Edwin. "I thought you two were going to pick out wedding outfits today?"

Yesterday, Maurice had sent her pictures of dresses, asking for her opinion before the photoshoot.

Maurice looked up at Edwin with adoration, her hand slipping into his. "Well, that's for later," she clarified. "This morning, babe's taking me to the company for a little tour. Soon, Melanie, we'll be colleagues!"

For some reason, hearing that made Melanie feel uneasy.

And her instincts were right.

At the company, she was called into the CEO's office.

Edwin didn't waste time. "Gummy Gem—I've decided to assign that project to Maurice. She has more experience. You'll work under her and learn from her."

Gummy Gem wasn't her baby. She'd spent countless hour and resources and sacrificed other opportunities to perfectly conceptualize that game.

And Edwin knew that. He knew exactly how much it meant to her.

Yet here he was, handing it over to someone else—without even discussing it with her first.

Melanie let out a bitter laugh. "President Setchfield, I don't agree."

Edwin's expression darkened, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "Why not?"

Why not?

He knew the answer. But he was cold and distant, still pushing her to accept his decision.

Was it because he didn't love her? Was that why he had to trample all over her like this?

Melanie blinked back the tears building in her eyes, forcing herself to meet Edwin's gaze. "Because Gummy Gem is my work. I put my heart into it, and I won't hand it over to someone else. Besides, has Maurice ever developed a game on her own? Has she led a team to win awards in international competitions? She—"

"Enough, Melanie." His tone was sharp, cutting her off. "This is business. It's not about your personal feelings but profits. Stop acting like a child."

"I'm not!" Her voice shook, but she held firm. "I'm just being logical. I don't—"

"This isn't up for discussion." His voice dropped, cold and final. "The announcement will be made later today. I'm just informing you."

The CEO's face darkened a little, and it was obvious his tone left no room for argument.

Melanie stared at him, and it was at that moment that she realized how that man in front of her felt like a stranger.

This was the same person who once told her she could do anything and encouraged her to dream. But now? He was dismissing her passion like it was nothing, calling it childish.

It hit her then—he really did love Maurice. So much so that he was willing to throw away his principles and standards, even use Melanie as a stepping stone to pave the way.

"Ed," Melanie said, "are you happy now?"

The light in the office flickered unevenly, casting shadows over Edwin as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at her.

For the first time, he realized that the girl who used to follow him around had grown up. But somehow, the bright, cheerful Melanie he used to know wasn't there anymore.

And yet…

The silence was broken when the door opened.

Maurice strolled in, wearing a chic little tweed outfit, her heels clicking against the floor. Without hesitation, she walked up to Edwin, clasping his hand with a playful pout.

"Babe, I've decided! I want the office right next to yours. The view is perfect, and I love the décor!"