Watching him cradle Tania so carefully, a memory surfaced unbidden:
I'd pulled two consecutive all-nighters to land a major contract. When my blood sugar crashed and I collapsed right in front of Neal, he refused to even help me up—all because of "avoiding suspicion." He just stood there, watching my forehead slam into the corner of the desk.
To this day, a scar hides beneath my bangs.
And now? Now he was putting on this public display of affection because Tania pretended to faint.
My colleagues' sympathy overflowed—straight onto me as accusations:
"Ivy, Tania practically begged you! How can you be so aggressive?"
"Exactly! It's just a little credit. Is it really worth making such a fuss? You're just jealous of her!"
I swept a cold gaze across the crowd, watching them twist right and wrong without a second thought. Contempt filled my chest.
My sharp eyes caught what they'd all missed: Tania's eyelids fluttering ever so slightly, the faint curl at the corner of her lips. She was faking it.
"Don't let her fool you—she's not unconscious. She's acting!"
The words had barely left my mouth when Neal's hand shot up.
Crack.
The slap rang out, sharp and brutal.
Searing pain bloomed across my face. My cheek swelled almost instantly.
I stared at Neal in disbelief. His face was twisted with rage.
"Ivy, shut your mouth! Apologize to Tania right now—or I'll strip you of your VP position on the spot!"
Agony lanced through my chest. I looked at this man I'd loved for five years, and something inside me finally died.
I held his gaze, enunciating each word:
"Neal. Are you sure you want to take her side like this?"
My stare made him flush with humiliation and fury. He whirled toward the HR director and barked:
"Remove Ivy from her VP position immediately! Starting tomorrow, she cleans the company toilets. She's on janitorial duty!"
Laughter erupted around me—gleeful, mocking. Each laugh drove into my heart like a needle.
And yet, I found myself laughing too. Laughing until tears streamed down my face.
For Neal, I'd sacrificed my youth. I'd poured my parents' inheritance into building this company alongside him, brick by brick.
And this was my reward. Scrubbing toilets.
What a joke.
I turned to leave. Neal rushed after me, leaning close to my ear:
"Ivy, just apologize. I'm trying to protect you. It's only a month of cleaning—just for show, just to avoid suspicion. Once this blows over, I'll reinstate you."
Avoid suspicion.
There it was again.
Those two words had become his all-purpose excuse to exploit me, to hurt me.
"Neal, I don't need your protection. I quit."
Shock froze his features. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
I didn't look back. I turned and walked out of the gala, one deliberate step at a time.
Behind me: insults. Mockery.
In my hand, my phone buzzed with a message from Apex Industries HR:
"Ms. Pruitt, congratulations on making the right choice! Effective immediately, you will serve as President of our subsidiary, with full authority over all operations!"
I read the message. A smile spread across my face as I typed my reply:
"Looking forward to working together!"
Moments later, Paddy Finch called.
"Ms. Pruitt, I knew you'd come around! I've always said—staying at Gilbert Corp for the sake of some man was a dead end. With your abilities, I have no doubt you'll land the $500 million contract with Runhao Group. You'll have the company's full support."
My smile deepened.
The Runhao Group's $500 million contract.
Oh, I knew all about it.
