Ophelia’s POV
The next day, I took the perfume and went straight to the company.
Zane and I had already agreed—this perfume was going to be my “gift” for Conrad.
When the new product launch happens, he’s going to fall straight into hell.
After handing the perfume over to R&D, I walked toward the lab the same way I used to—slow, fumbling steps.
I kept some necessary equipment stored there. Even if I’m quitting, I’m taking every last thing that belongs to me.
I had barely started packing when the other R&D staff walked up to me, their faces full of disgust.
“Some people really have no shame,” one of them sneered. “Never contributed a damn thing to R&D but still comes to the lab every day pretending she’s doing something. If the director hadn’t let her turn in her perfume formulas every time, she would’ve been fired ages ago.”
Another one immediately jumped in, like they’d been dying to say, “Yeah, exactly. She’s blind, for god’s sake. And she still has the nerve to show up here and freeload off the department? Must be nice having connections.”
“And what’s even worse,” someone added, “is she doesn’t even know how to be grateful. The director lets her hand in her perfume work, and she repays her by going after her man. Everyone knows the CEO and the director are together.”
My nails dug hard into my palm.
From the day the company was founded, Conrad hid who I was to him.
He said it was so I could focus on creating.
And I believed him. I let him hide me for years.
But the moment Estelle walked into this company, suddenly, everyone thought they were the actual couple.
I was blind. Even if I overheard things sometimes, I never saw the full picture.
And every time I confronted him, Conrad always had some righteous, perfectly logical explanation. Because of that, I never doubted them.
But now? Turns out everyone in the company already knew they were together—and they all thought I was the mistress.
I didn’t bother responding. I tightened my grip on the things in my hands and got ready to leave.
But they just wouldn’t let it go. The moment they saw me heading for the door, someone grabbed the tools in my hand and yanked them away with a mocking laugh.
“What? You still don’t get that we’re talking about you? How can someone be this shameless? Stealing another woman’s perfume work, and trying to steal her boyfriend, too? Because of people like you, our entire R&D department’s reputation is rotting.”
Then, without warning, they shoved me hard.
I crashed straight into the sharp corner of a table, and blood immediately gushed from my waist.
I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Gritting my teeth, I said each word clearly. “Every perfume I submitted was my own creation. And Conrad and I are actually—”
Before I could finish, a fake, delicate voice sounded from the door.
“What are you all doing?” Estelle widened her eyes like she was oh-so-shocked.
Everyone instantly put on their most bootlicking smiles.
“Miss Estelle, we were getting along with Ophelia just fine, but then she suddenly threw herself on the floor. No wonder she’s good at stealing other people’s boyfriends, she sure knows all the tricks. Please, don’t let her fool you.”
Hearing that, Estelle frowned deeply.
She glanced at the R&D team and said, all gentle and disapproving, “Even if you’re joking, that’s going a bit too far. Ophelia is blind, after all. This isn’t a nice way to treat her. Though… she has caused the CEO some trouble, but…”
She let her voice trail off and looked at me with a helpless little sigh, performing for the whole room.
“Forget it. Ophelia, just don’t do this next time. Don’t worry, as long as I’m still in R&D, you’ll always have perfume formulas to submit. I’ll explain things to the CEO on your behalf, too.”
With that one speech, everyone started looking at her like she was some kind of saint.
She didn’t say anything directly, but she pushed everything onto me.
That I stole her work. That I hooked up with Conrad.
When in reality, the perfume was mine. And Conrad was my legal husband.
She reached her hand out to me with that soft, pitiful expression—except behind her lowered eyes, I saw the flash of mockery.
I was furious. I slapped her hand away hard.
“Estelle! Spare me the fake sympathy. Why don’t you tell them the truth? Tell them the perfumes I submitted are my work. Tell them what my relationship with Conrad actually is. Or are you planning to lie to my face right here?”
I glared straight at her. She panicked instantly, her eyes darting, stuttering as she failed to answer.
And right then, a voice came from the doorway. It was Conrad.
“What’s going on in here?”
Estelle’s eyes instantly went red, like she was about to cry.
And the R&D staff jumped right in, running their mouths nonstop.
“Sir, thank god you showed up. You won’t believe this—this blind woman almost bullied Estelle to death. She even said all of the director’s fragrances were made by her! And she claimed she was closer to you than Estelle—like even more intimate…”
When Conrad heard that, his face tightened.
He looked at the R&D group with this dark, cold stare.
Then he snapped, his voice freezing the whole room.
“Who the hell told you to call her a blind woman? I’m giving you three seconds. Pack your crap and get out!”
And then, he reached a hand out toward me, his eyes all soft and concerned like he suddenly cares.
The R&D staff instantly went pale. Their mouths opened, closed, opened again; no one dared talk back under his stare.
None of them expected he’d actually defend me, and they all started side-eyeing Estelle like they were doubting her then…
“Sir… isn’t the director your girlfriend? Is she lying to us? And those fragrances she keeps presenting… they’re exactly the same as the ones Ophelia submitted. Estelle told us the fragrances in Ophelia’s hands were hers.”
“So… is the director just lying to all of us?”
They were about to get fired anyway, so screw caution—they just said it straight out.
And instantly, everyone in the room started looking at Estelle with disgust.
Seeing that, she freaked and grabbed onto Conrad’s sleeve, looking at him with teary eyes.
“Conrad… they just misspoke. They didn’t mean it. Everything I told you is true. You can tell them that, right?”
Something flickered in Conrad’s eyes—struggle, guilt, whatever.
And the more desperate she looked, the guiltier he looked when he glanced at me.
And then, in the end, he did it. He pulled his hand back. He just let me lie there on the damn floor in front of everyone like some pathetic wreck.
Not once did he care that I’m still pregnant.
Or maybe he did care just… not enough. It meant nothing compared to her.
And I thought that humiliation was already rock bottom.
But she let go of his sleeve, wiping tears dramatically, and said, all pitiful, “Conrad… after everything that happened today, I really don’t have the face to stay here anymore. Thank you for taking care of me… but I just can’t…”
And the tears fell—giant, perfect, actress-level tears.
And that was it. He forgot everyone else existed.
He pulled her straight into his arms, holding her so tight you’d think she was his actual wife.
He whispered to her, soothed her, waited until she calmed down—then finally looked back at the R&D team.
“Ridiculous. Every fragrance Estelle submitted was created by her and no one else.”
Then he shot a tiny glance my way—barely there—and said, “And about my relationship with Ophelia, that’s all in your imagination. Nothing improper happened. Maybe I handled some things poorly and made her misunderstand.”
Perfect. If I were just some shameless woman chasing him, maybe I’d finally give up after that.
But I’m not. I’m his wife. And he just turned me into the other woman in front of an entire department.
At this point, I honestly just wanted to laugh. Everything felt like some sick joke.
I already knew he wouldn’t stand with me… but I didn’t expect him to cut me off this fast, this clean.
And just like that, everyone who was starting to doubt things went right back to glaring at me—this time even nastier, like I was some dirty homewrecker.
I sat there on the floor, head down, feeling blood drip from the wound on my waist.
When Conrad saw my empty, hopeless face, I saw him flinch just for a second.
He actually reached toward me—his hand moved.
But the moment he saw Estelle looking at him with tear-filled eyes… he dropped it in silent surrender.
