I didn't say a word. Through the glass, I saw Corey, dressed in a tailored suit, exuding his cool, distant air. Standing next to him was Jayda, who wore a white dress.
The two of them were chatting and laughing, and it made my chest feel tight.
It had been ten years. I had worked my fingers to the bone for this man for ten years.
I had gone from a naive young woman rushing into love to a woman in her 30s still holding onto that love.
In the process, I had missed and lost so much.
I had turned down high-paying offers abroad, ignored the advances of several men who had pursued me, and placed my heart entirely in Corey's hands. I had even missed the chance to see my mother, Adelaide Todd, one last time.
I had always believed that after everything we had been through together, he understood my feelings, and we were bound to end up together. But now…
"Don't hesitate anymore, Priscilla."
Reyna's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. After a moment of silence, I asked, "You started your internship at Larson Technologies. Are you really willing to leave?"
She paused, taken aback by my question, then fell silent.
From near bankruptcy to where we were now, for both Reyna and me, Larson Technologies felt like a child we had nurtured from the ground up. She couldn't let go, and neither could I.
Of course, what made it even harder for me to walk away was Corey—the man I had loved for ten years and supported every step of the way.
In truth, I wasn't ready to give up, nor could I let it go.
Most of the company's employees were ones I had recruited and trained. They were just as unhappy with the way I was being treated, and they expressed their dissatisfaction in their own ways.
For example, they would outwardly obey Jayda's orders but undermine them behind the scenes. Some of them would work half-heartedly, deliberately dragging their feet in getting the required materials to her.
Jayda had tried to win them over by taking everyone out to eat, but they all found excuses to decline. In the end, not a single person showed up.
Corey had held several meetings and even lost his temper during one of them, but nothing changed.
Things stayed the same for two weeks. Eventually, Corey had no choice but to come to me.
"What is this supposed to mean?" I stared at the check he handed me with a frown.
"You've worked hard all these years. Without you, the company wouldn't be where it is today. But the company needs to grow—"
I interrupted him without any expression. "Just get to the point."
Corey was clearly irritated by my interruption, but he bit back his anger and sighed. "You've seen it yourself, Priscilla. Jay can't do her job because of you—"
"Priscilla? Jay?" I smiled, cutting him off again. My smile was bitter, as I was extremely upset.
For all these years, whenever we were alone, Corey had always called me "Pris", and I called him "Cor". But now, he was addressing me by my full name, while his address of Jayda was so affectionate.
Ten years of hard work, and in the end, it couldn't compete with his first love.
My smile must have triggered something inside Corey. He glared at me and said coldly, "Your presence is disrupting the company's operations. I've decided it's time for you to leave.
"Of course, to compensate for your years of hard work, you can fill in any amount up to 100 million dollars on this check."
I had already guessed this outcome, but hearing him say it out loud made my body sway. I looked at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"
He thought I was upset over the amount and grew annoyed.
"Priscilla, I admit the company owes its success to you, but don't be unreasonable. You, a poor student, traded ten years for 100 million dollars. That's already a huge win."
Huge win?
Hearing those words from the man I had loved for ten years felt like a knife to the heart. The pain was suffocating, yet I still couldn't let it go.
"I gave up a lucrative offer abroad to join your company when it was on the brink of collapse. I've spent ten years on you, giving up my youth and everything, enduring hardships, even almost losing my life. And now you think I did it just for money?"
Corey leaned back in his chair and looked at me coldly. A smirk curled on his lips. "Isn't money what you wanted?
"Aren't women like you from humble beginnings all just gambling for a shot at a brighter future? Well, you've won your gamble. 100 million dollars is more than enough of a reward. You should be grateful."
Enough of a reward? Be grateful?
So, this was how it was. From the start, he had never respected me.
No wonder he never appointed me as vice CEO. It was because I wasn't worthy.
My ten years of devotion were truly wasted.
