Chapter 4
880 Words
Damian froze, as if he hadn't heard me correctly. Then, he let out a scoff that echoed gratingly in the empty private dining room.
"Are you threatening to break off the engagement? Evelyn, how childish can you be?" he sneered. "You want to break off the engagement over a trivial matter like this? Who do you think you are without me? Without the Hale family's resources and my network, do you honestly believe you can survive in the business world? What an absolute joke!"
"I'm not threatening you. I'm serious," I replied, looking at him with eyes devoid of affection, filled only with utter disappointment and cold detachment. "I don't want to marry someone who doesn't care whether I live or die. And I certainly don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone who helps an outsider harm me."
"Why, you!" My words made Damian's face flush with embarrassment and anger, as if I had stepped on his tail. Flying into a rage, he barked, "You are completely unreasonable! Making a mountain out of a molehill over nothing. I think you've just been spoiled rotten!"
Simon immediately chimed in, a sycophantic, smug grin plastered on his face. "Mr. Hale is absolutely right! Ms. Shaw, you really don't know how to appreciate what you have. A wonderful man like Mr. Hale is someone most women could only dream of. Didn't you get to where you are today solely by relying on him? To demand to break off the engagement over such a trivial matter is truly heartbreaking!"
His words acted as a trigger, prompting the other opportunists in the room to chime in.
A project manager, whom I had promoted despite fierce opposition from others, kept his head low and muttered, "Yes, Ms. Shaw. Mr. Hale treats you so well. This negotiation is incredibly important, so please don't let your emotions get the better of you."
Another subordinate, whom I had once lent a generous sum of money to when his family fell on hard times, avoided my gaze entirely and agreed, "Indeed, Mr. Hale is just looking at the bigger picture. You should be more understanding, Ms. Shaw."
Staring at these faces that felt both familiar and alien, and listening to their ungrateful words, a surge of deep sorrow and fury swelled within me.
Ignoring the excruciating pain, I let out a cold laugh as my gaze swept over them. "Relying on him? My position today was built project by project by me, Evelyn! I stayed up all night drafting proposals and drank myself to stomach hemorrhaging to win those partnerships! And as for you," I said, pointing at the subordinates who had once begged for my help, "when you were pleading for my favor back then, why didn't you claim I was relying on someone else?"
Turning my eyes back to Damian, I stared him down, speaking each word with absolute clarity. "Damian, listen to me carefully. Without you, I, Evelyn, am still Evelyn! Today, now that I've seen the true colors of you and your little gang, I am absolutely breaking off the engagement! I have no use for a relationship built on manipulation and betrayal!"
My words completely enraged Damian. His face turned a deep purple, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He took a violent step forward and kicked the coffee table, sending it crashing with a deafening bang.
"Fine! Fine! You have guts, Evelyn!" he snarled. "Remember what you said today! I want to see how far you get without me. You can rot here for all I care! When you finally come to your senses and beg me on your knees, maybe then I'll consider giving you another chance!"
With that, he turned on his heel, wrenched the door open, and stormed out without looking back.
Simon didn't follow immediately. He purposely lingered, waiting for the others to trail after Damian. Then, he squatted down next to me as I lay slumped on the floor, whispering in a highly mocking tone meant only for my ears.
"Did you ever think you'd see this day, Evelyn? Who are you trying to impress with this high-and-mighty act? If you don't want a man like Mr. Hale, plenty of others are begging for him. Thank you for handing me such a wonderful opportunity on a silver platter. You can just hold onto your pathetic pride and wait to die right here!"
His hot, damp breath carried a malicious thrill, flaunting his imminent triumph. Straightening up, he adjusted his suit, gave me a victorious smirk, and hurried after Damian.
The heavy door slammed shut once more, cutting off the noise, betrayal, and poison. It felt as though my last sliver of hope had been locked away with them.
Sprawled on the freezing floor, the crushing weight on my chest felt like a boulder. The room spun, and my vision began to fade. The only sound left was my own shallow, rapid breathing. Perhaps this was where I would die today, killed by the betrayal of those I had once trusted and helped.
Just as darkness was about to swallow my consciousness, a flurry of hurried, heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor, getting closer and closer.
It was the medical team! They had finally arrived!
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