Chapter 1
As the cancellation confirmations kept popping up on my phone, I sat at my desk and slid the gift box I had prepared back into the drawer.
Inside was a sizing card for a men's ring.
Last night, I had carefully wrapped a piece of string around Nathan's ring finger while he slept. He was deeply asleep, only turning over in his dreams and mumbling my name.
Back then, I still thought he'd love the surprise.
An email from Evan arrived at the same time.
Evan: Miss Parker, the position at Apex Capital is still being held for you. If you confirm your acceptance, we'll work around your schedule accordingly.
I stared at the words "confirm your acceptance" for a long time.
Just as my finger was about to click it, the glass door to the office swung open.
Nathan stood in the doorway, looking annoyed at being disturbed.
He tossed a set of keys onto my desk.
"What happened to the supplementary cards?"
I looked at him in confusion.
He took two steps closer, his eyes sweeping over my computer screen. I quickly closed the email, but he didn't press me about it. Instead, he nudged the keys toward me.
"You've always complained that commuting is inconvenient, haven't you? I bought you a car."
I suddenly remembered a rainy night three years ago.
He had held my hand and promised that once the company's first project got off the ground, he'd buy me the safest car he could find.
That night, the two of us had been crammed into a ten-square-meter rental apartment, with cups of instant noodles sitting beside our blueprints.
He'd said, "Elodie, you won't have to struggle with me anymore someday."
He hadn't forgotten.
For some reason, that realization left me with a bitter, complicated ache in my chest.
Down in the parking garage, the new car was tucked away in the farthest corner.
It was small and round, with a bubblegum-pink body covered in colorful cartoon stickers. It was actually kind of cute.
The only problem was that it looked like something you'd expect to see driven by a retiree.
A security guard passing by took one look at it and barely managed to hide his laugh.
"Miss Parker, nice ride. Easy to park."
I said nothing.
Nathan, however, proudly began explaining.
"Didn't you see people online saying girls love these little electric cars? I'm a little tight on cash lately, and this is more than enough for you to get to and from work. The city traffic is terrible. A bigger car would only be a hassle."
Then his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, and his expression instantly softened.
"Cecilia."
A woman's voice came from the other end.
She said someone had scratched her car and she was worried about looking presentable when she went out tomorrow.
Nathan's brows immediately drew together.
"Don't drive it anymore. It's not safe. I'll take you to pick up the latest Porsche this afternoon. You can choose the color yourself."
I looked at the little electric car beside me, which had cost less than fifty thousand yuan.
All I could think was that the whole thing was a joke.
After hanging up, Nathan turned back to me, as though he'd finally remembered that he still needed to placate me.
"Cecilia's different. She represents the Sterling family whenever she goes out. You only need something to get you to and from work. Once I have full control, I'll get you something better."
He'd said that to me countless times before.
After the financing round was over.
After the project launched.
After he reclaimed his voice in the Sterling family.
After we'd finally established ourselves.
Every "after" came at the cost of another late night spent revising his proposals, another drink I took for him, another client meeting I forced myself to attend even when my stomach hurt so badly I could barely stand straight.
I didn't argue.
I simply slipped the keys into my bag and said softly, "Okay. I understand."
Nathan seemed relieved.
His biggest fear was that I'd make a scene at the company, that I'd embarrass him. Seeing how quiet I was, he reached out and gently patted my head.
"That's a good girl. There's a lot to deal with before the wedding. Don't cause any trouble."
He turned and walked away.
The sound of his dress shoes quickly faded beyond the elevator.
I returned to my desk and reopened Evan's email.
With my cursor hovering over the reply box, I glanced once more at the gift box in my drawer.
Inside was the sizing card, along with an anniversary card I'd rewritten three times.
On it, I'd carefully—and rather clumsily—written down every hardship we'd endured together over the past six years.
I took it out and dropped it into the trash.
A confirmation box popped up.
I clicked "Confirm."
Then I replied to Evan soon.
Elodie: I accept the offer.
My start date would be the day of Nathan's wedding.
