His Proposal? I Tore It With His Moonlight

Chapter 3 Revealing the Facade

Yale's face transformed from a furious red to an ashen white. He opened his mouth, struggling to find the words.

"Scarlett, t-that's nonsense."

"Really?" I turned to face him squarely. "You wrote Loving Scarlett, didn't you? You're the one who reshaped my smile, my eating habits, and my wardrobe to fit Yvonne's mold, right?"

He looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Should I read it to you?" I shot back, imitating the tone from his memo. "Plan A: Train her to smile with her lips curving up at a precise 15 degrees, just like Yvonne, soft and unthreatening.

"Plan B: Get her to ditch spicy food and anything else that could upset her stomach because Yvonne can't handle it.

"Plan C: Convince her to abandon racing and all extreme sports since Yvonne thinks they're too risky. Women should be quiet and composed."

With every point I made, his complexion grew even paler.

"That's enough!" he yelled, as if I had hit a raw nerve.

"What's the matter? Are you bold enough to act but too cowardly to admit it?" I mocked.

In an instant, he seized my hand with a grip strong enough to nearly shatter my bones.

"Yeah, I wrote those things! So what?" His eyes reddened, revealing a depth of emotional turmoil. "I loved Yvonne deeply, but she turned me down! I had to find some way to cope. Is that so terrible?

"Scarlett, I picked you. You should be grateful! Besides, haven't I treated you well over the last three years?

"I took care of you with great attention, molding you from a wild young woman into the sweet, charming person you are now. What more do you want from me?"

His brazen reasoning made me want to laugh in disbelief.

"So I should be grateful, and thank you for making me a replica of someone else?"

"That's what a woman should be. Demure, beautiful, not like you, full of sharp edges!" His words were thoughtless.

I jerked my hand away and flung open the car door. "Get out!"

"Scarlett!" he yelled.

"I said get out!" I pointed firmly at the door, my tone icy.

He stared at me, shock and anger flashing in his eyes, which soon shifted to a flicker of fear. He probably never imagined I, who had always complied with his wishes, would confront him like this.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally climbed out of the car.

I slammed down the accelerator, leaving him in my rearview mirror.

Once home, I sank into the bathtub, but even the steaming water failed to chase away the chill that had settled deep inside me.

Three years of what I believed was love had revealed itself as a carefully orchestrated ruse. Every transformation I underwent, every compromise I made, was simply to let him glimpse another woman through my facade.

My phone vibrated. It was the headhunter calling.

"Ms. Stone, I've met the candidate you asked for."

I sat up straight, my interest piqued. "What's the verdict?"

"It's a bit tricky," the headhunter said, his voice grave. "She possesses exceptional talent, but she's quite shy and carries some insecurities. Even after I offered her three times the salary, she still hesitated, worried she wouldn't be good enough."

"Send me the address."

"Ms. Stone, are you planning to go see her yourself?"

"Yes."

What I needed was a strong warrior, not a timid coward. I had to confront Yvonne face-to-face.

*****

I set up a meeting with Yvonne at a serene gallery.

In real life, she seemed even more delicate than in her pictures, dressed in worn-out jeans. Her eyes were shy, resembling those of a frightened deer.

I got straight to the point, sliding the details for the Skyward project across the table.

"Lead designer, top-tier salary in the industry, plus bonuses for the project. I have one condition. You need to secure this project."

She appeared stunned, unable to speak, her fingers twisting nervously.

"W-Why me? I-I can't do this."

"I'm not here to hand out favors. I'm making an investment."

I held her gaze, enunciating each word carefully. "I have faith in your talent. I know it can yield Illumine Ventures returns that are tenfold, even a hundredfold. Plus, I can offer you unparalleled creative freedom and the best team support in the industry. Yvonne, look at your designs. They're yearning to be seen. Are you truly willing to let them gather dust forever, hidden from the world?"

I envisioned a future for her that she had never dared to dream about. Gradually, a spark ignited in her eyes.

"I-I'm willing to give it a shot."

"It's not about giving it a shot. It's about making it a reality."

"Welcome to Illumine Ventures, my lead designer."

As she signed the contract, Yvonne's hands trembled with excitement.

I looked at her and saw a glimpse of my past self from three years ago. No, she would shine even brighter than I ever did.

After bidding farewell to Yvonne, I stepped out of the gallery and noticed a familiar car parked along the curb. Yale was leaning against the door, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, looking utterly drained.

The moment he spotted me, he quickly stubbed out the cigarette and approached with urgency. "Scarlett, we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I made a mistake. I shouldn't have said those things." He grasped my wrist, softening his tone. "Please, just forgive me."

I was about to pull away when another car pulled up beside us. The window slid down to reveal a strikingly familiar face.

It was Sawyer.

He lifted his coffee cup in a casual salute, a playful lilt in his voice, "Ms. Stone, it's been ages since I've seen you in red. It really suits you."

Sawyer's unexpected arrival and his words landed on Yale like a stinging slap, darkening his expression immediately.

I freed my wrist and flashed a smile at Sawyer. "Mr. Gray, you're quite the gossip. Did you hear I just landed a major deal today?"

Sawyer raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Ms. Stone, if you're personally involved, it must be something big."

"Definitely." I intentionally kept the conversation going with Sawyer, chatting about everything from the project to the weather, treating Yale like he didn't exist.

Seething with rage, Yale shook with anger before finally storming off.

Not long after, my phone buzzed with a message from him.

Yale: Scarlett, you're becoming increasingly disappointing.

I stared at the text, hit delete, and blocked his phone number in one swift motion.

'Disappointing? You haven't seen anything yet.'