They both looked at me with the same animosity, as though I were the enemy. It was almost laughable how seamlessly they formed a united front.
When Lindsay looked at me, her face was cold and unyielding, but when she turned to Nigel, her demeanor softened, a smile playing on her lips.
All my efforts for her—all the years I stood by her side—were eclipsed by Nigel’s smooth, insincere words of defense. Years of devotion reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.
I nodded lightly, keeping my composure. “If that’s how you see it, I’ll resign. Expect the divorce agreement shortly.”
Nigel’s eyes flickered with barely contained joy, but he still played the role of the considerate mediator. “You know Lindsay’s just upset, yet you deliberately say things like this. Do you really want to cause a scene?”
Watching him—a grown man—speak like that, with an air of smug innocence, made my stomach churn.
Lindsay snorted coldly. “He always talks about breaking up and divorce, but it’s just a game of hard-to-get.”
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel, her voice dripping with contempt as she walked away. “Go upstairs and take charge of the situation for me. If you don’t, don’t blame me when I dock your salary or reassign you to another position!”
I couldn’t help but recall what she had once promised me: that if I worked hard and climbed the ranks step by step to become vice president, she would finally announce our relationship to the world.
For years, I treated promotion and salary increases as my sole purpose, believing they were stepping stones to the future Lindsay promised.
In the past, I would’ve swallowed my pride, followed her upstairs, and handled the situation, only to hand over all the credit to her.
But now, I finally understood. No matter how many multimillion-dollar deals I closed, she would always find a reason not to promote me, claiming the plans needed further refinement. The truth was simpler and far more painful—she had no intention of making our relationship public.
Because she didn’t love me.
I turned and walked away without looking back.
Behind me, Lindsay’s angry voice echoed through the hallway. “If you take another step forward, I’ll really lose my temper!”
I chuckled quietly to myself. Did she still think I cared about her moods?
When I returned to the villa alone, I expected to have the house to myself until the press conference wrapped up. I didn’t expect Lindsay to follow me home so soon.
She found me sitting on the sofa and approached, her tone soft and slightly aggrieved. “You just left me there like that. Don’t you feel the least bit guilty?”
It was rare for her to back down—her first attempt this entire year.
But I stayed silent, unmoved.
Her tone shifted, now tinged with frustration. “What are you so upset about? Fine, leave the press conference in a mood if you must, but divorce? What did I do to offend you this time?”
"If you’re upset because I didn’t clarify things with Nigel at the press conference, I’ll find an opportunity to explain it later."
Seeing a slight change in my expression, Lindsay quickly continued:
"You have no idea what happened after you left. A few major clients you negotiated with suddenly started backtracking, and one of them even said he’s considering pulling his investment."
She hesitated, then added, "Nigel doesn’t have enough experience to handle this mess. Can you come with me tomorrow to visit them and smooth things over, okay?"
She lightly tugged at my arm, her tone soft, almost playful, as though trying to charm me.
But I wasn’t moved. I looked at her with a sharp, mocking smile. "So, the real reason you’re here is to get me to clean up your mess?"
There was a time when I cared deeply for Lindsay. Back then, if she lowered her head and acted sweetly, I would’ve done anything for her, no matter how difficult.
But now, that fire—my passion, my devotion—had long since burned out.
For the first time, I felt calm, truly calm. And in that calm, I saw everything more clearly.
How had I been so blind?
All these years, was she with me because she loved me? Or simply because I was useful to her?
Lindsay’s face darkened, and her tone turned sharp. "How can you even think of me that way? What do you mean by cleaning up my mess? Don’t you have a stake in the company? Don’t you share in the profits? Isn’t it your responsibility to work for the company?"
