Chapter 1
In high school, Elio missed his chance to make the basketball team because of bullying by a clique.
After that, he swore that in this lifetime, he would never let anyone pull strings right under his nose.
Even on our wedding night, he made sure to stress to me, "Our company values fairness above all. To avoid suspicion, we absolutely can't go public about us."
He added, "You're new here. You need to keep a low profile. Leave the wrap‑up work for the new project to someone else."
Because of that, for five years of marriage, even though I secured countless orders worth tens of millions for the company, I remained at a junior position in the department.
I thought this was proof of Elio's fairness.
Until his old classmate went bankrupt and parachuted into the company the next day, becoming my direct boss.
He said, "Valentina is a single mother. Life isn't easy for her. I want to help her out."
He continued, "It just so happens that completing the account under you would qualify you for a promotion. Let her have it for now. No one in the company will say anything."
Only then did I realize that in Elio's book, some people were exempt after all.
Watching the project I'd secured by drinking until my stomach bled get its lead reassigned yet again, I fell silent for a moment, and suddenly, I no longer wanted to stay by Elio's side.
So I replied to the text from our partner company.
Mattia: I'm willing to work at your company, on the condition that this deal no longer involves partnering with Elio.
Before I got a reply, a jarring cheer broke out from the workstations nearby.
I turned around. Elio walked in carrying Valentina's son, Milo, strands of kindergarten event streamers still caught in his hair.
Valentina went up to meet him, naturally taking Milo from him, "Thanks for today. If you hadn't accompanied him to the event, Milo definitely would have been laughed at again for not having a dad."
Elio responded gently, "Of course. Shall we have dinner at a restaurant tonight? I've already promised Milo and made a reservation."
His tone was so natural that anyone who didn't know better would have thought this was a casual family dinner.
I stared at Elio without speaking.
Today was the sixth anniversary of our relationship.
He'd promised me last week that he would go on a date with me after work today.
But he broke his promise.
Since Valentina's arrival, this wasn't the first time he had cast me aside for her.
I looked at Valentina. An excited smile flashed across her face, but she quickly composed herself, looking at Elio with a hint of hurt, "The proposal I'm working on isn't finished yet. I'm afraid I can't go out with you tonight."
Elio pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to me, "Mattia, come help Valentina with the proposal."
The air instantly fell silent.
I felt eyes on me from every direction, some pitying, others quietly mocking.
Without the slightest hesitation, Valentina picked up the documents on the desk and placed them cheerfully in front of me, "I'll leave this to you, then, Mattia. You know I don't have time to handle these tonight."
The papers in my hands felt as if they weighed a ton.
I'd negotiated this project and written the proposal, and now even the detailed refinements fell to me.
Yet Valentina was listed as the person in charge.
A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I refused coldly, "This isn't my job."
But Elio's expression instantly darkened, "Mattia, Valentina is your boss. What gives you the right to refuse work she assigns you?"
He added, "Besides, she's going out with me tonight to take care of some business. If you have any objections, you can take them up with me."
Blatant favoritism.
It felt as though my heart had been struck hard, a dull, heavy ache settling in my chest.
Elio had always treated it as a total taboo for anyone at the company to claim a personal tie to him.
An intern who'd just joined our department was fired on the spot simply for mentioning at a morning meeting that he and Elio had had the same advisor.
I still remembered speaking up for that intern, only to be met with Elio's cold expression, "Mattia, you know why I did that, and you know how painful that experience was for me."
He went on, "Speaking up for him is a betrayal of who I was in high school."
I hadn't betrayed Elio's principles.
But Elio had betrayed himself, and the "us" we once were.
I said nothing.
I stepped back and watched in silence as he left with Valentina, who was holding Milo.
The instant we brushed past each other, I caught the scent of roses on Elio once again.
I knew that in his car downstairs, there was already a bouquet he'd just bought from the florist.
But those flowers weren't for me.
