After seven years of dating, I finally pulled out the ring I’d spent so long saving for, ready to propose to Carl. But then he called.
“I sent you the address. Come over, and don’t forget the necklace on the table.”
With my heart racing, I grabbed the sparkling necklace, excitement and nerves swirling inside me. But when I arrived, the sight before me shattered everything—Carl was holding another woman in his arms.
He frowned, his expression cold as he yanked the necklace from my neck.
“This is Remi’s gift. Why are you wearing it?”
——
His words cut deeper than the necklace clasp, which tore a thin, painful line into my skin as he pulled it away. I winced at the sting. Without the necklace, my wide neckline felt exposed. I instinctively covered my chest with one hand, trying to shield myself from the prying eyes of the men standing nearby.
Then I looked up at the woman beside him. Her elegance, her beauty—she was everything I wasn’t. They stood together like a perfect match, leaving me feeling small, unworthy, and utterly broken.
When I arrived, a murmur rippled through the crowd, and whispers filled the room.
The woman barely acknowledged the necklace Carl had just taken from me, twirling it between her fingers as if it were nothing special. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, scrutinizing me with mild curiosity.
“This girl looks familiar. Have we met before?” she asked, her voice smooth but indifferent.
Carl waved dismissively, not even glancing in my direction. “She’s the one I saved a while ago.”
A slow smile spread across the woman’s face. “Mr. Lewis, always so caring,” she said with a playful lilt. “I heard she works as your secretary now. Is she... your secret girlfriend?”
Her tone dripped with amusement, as if the very idea was some kind of inside joke.
"Miss Eve, you're hilarious," Carl scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Why would I ever let someone like her get a piece of my wealth? I only gave her the job because her family’s poor and pitiful."
Then he turned to me, his frown deepening. "Why are you still here?"
Yes, why was I still standing there? My mind spun as I blinked, suddenly remembering why I had come—to propose to Carl. I had spent months preparing for this moment. Half a year ago, I asked a mutual friend to help me choose the perfect ring style. I had a dress custom-made, spent hours taking etiquette lessons to walk gracefully in heels, and practiced every word I would say.
I had poured all my energy into looking my best today, believing I would surprise him with the proposal. When I saw the beautifully wrapped gift box on his dressing table earlier, I took it as a sign that we were meant to be. But now, it was clear—the "Dear Dear" on the card wasn’t written for me.
After years of watching TV dramas about love and betrayal, I found myself in the middle of one—a real-life wealthy marriage, unfolding right in front of me. I stared at Carl’s hand resting possessively on Remi’s slim waist, a bitter knot tightening in my chest. My fists clenched at my sides, but instead of letting the anger consume me, I took a deep breath.
Without a word, I pulled out my bank card—the one I’d been using to save up for his ring—and held it out to him.
"Mr. Lewis, congratulations on finding true love and successfully proposing. This is all the money I owe you from the past years. Thank you for taking care of me. Since your heart is set elsewhere, I’d like to resign. Please approve it tomorrow."
Upon hearing my words, Carl sneered, refusing to take the card. "Mia, do you think my Lewis Group is a vegetable market? You can leave if you want; stay if you want." He then pulled out his cell phone, tapped a few times, and showed it to me in front of everyone.
"Your parents just messaged me, wanting to advance your salary for ten years—50 million—to pay off your gambling debt. Now you want me to clear that debt and join you for Escape from the Shell?" After reading that message, my heart sank.
"Emma, has that annoying girl Mia been behaving lately?" Carl's voice rang out, dripping with sarcasm. "My uncle wants to borrow her salary first. It’s not much, just 50 million! She'll pay you back, of course."
A wave of mocking glances swept in my direction. I bit my lip, forcing myself to keep my voice steady as I tried to swallow the humiliation.
"Sorry, I'll go back now and tell them to stop bothering you," I muttered, desperate to escape the scene.
But Carl wasn’t finished. He never missed a chance to humiliate me. With a smug grin, he pointed at my shoes and said to Remi, “Even though she’s wearing the same style, you make them look so much more beautiful.”
I felt a sharp sting in my chest, but I forced myself to hold his gaze, offering him a half-smile. "Carl, when you bought these for me, didn’t you say there were only two pairs in the entire country?"
I let my words hang in the air for a moment before adding, “It seems your love for Miss Miller is less than mine.”
Carl’s face twisted with fury, his calm facade shattering as he stormed toward me. "Damn woman, what nonsense are you talking about?"
I sidestepped him, moving quickly to avoid his outstretched hand. In one swift motion, I kicked off my high heels from a nearby stool and flung them at him. The sharp heel struck his cheek, grazing it just enough to leave a thin trail of blood.
"You love these shoes so much?" I spat, my voice cold. "Why not give them to every woman? Go ahead—marry them all!"
Carl cursed loudly, clutching his cheek as rage boiled over. But before he could retaliate, I bolted, barefoot, out the door, leaving him to nurse his wounded pride.
Chapter 2The hotel was in a remote location, far from the nearest road, which was a ten-minute drive from the entrance. I ignored the pain in my feet as I stumbled over the uneven gravel, shivering uncontrollably. Tears blurred my vision, spilling down my face until everything became a watery haze. My legs gave out beneath me, and I fell hard onto the ground, scraping my knees on the sharp stones. Blood trickled from the cuts, but I barely noticed.
I glanced around and saw nothing—just the vast emptiness of the surroundings. The silence only made me feel smaller. Hugging my legs to my chest, I sat there sobbing, letting the weight of it all crash over me. I could already imagine what people would say—that this was just another story about a gold-digging girl chasing after a wealthy benefactor, desperate to secure a better life.
But they didn’t know the truth. Between Carl and me, he was the one who confessed his love first. I remembered the night he looked into my eyes with such sincerity and said, “Mia, my parents care a lot about status. Let’s keep this private for now. Once I sort everything out, you’ll be a Lewis in all your glory.”
I believed him. Seeing the warmth in his gaze, I foolishly agreed. I never imagined he’d use that promise to hide me away, while he flaunted himself as single to those wealthy, powerful women. It had all been a lie, and I had been too blind to see it.
I spent seven years of my youth on him, completely unaware of how foolish I was. I thought I was sweetly preparing for our proposal ceremony. The women he chose were all so elegant, perfect, and wealthy. In front of Remi, I felt like an ugly duckling lost among a flock of swans. It’s ridiculous to think about it now.
I was so angry that I cursed aloud. “Mia, you’re such a fool—you deserve to be deceived!”
At that moment, a casual male voice broke through my thoughts from behind me. “Assistant Lewis, did you do something wrong and get exiled?”
I quickly wiped my tears away, adjusted my loosening false eyelashes, and looked up. A young, handsome face came into view. When he met my gaze, he gave me a narrow smile, his eyes slowly moving down my tear-streaked cheeks to my bare shoulders before abruptly shifting away.
Because of how I was sitting, my breasts pushed against my tube top, nearly spilling out. If I were walking down the street like this, people might mistake me as an exhibitionist.
Ignoring the pain in my legs, I quickly covered my chest and forced a smile, feeling embarrassed. "Mr. Norris, what brings you here?"
Since graduating from college, I have been working alongside Carl, using my attention to detail to help him manage social affairs with various companies. Carl often mentioned that the Norris family was very influential in the capital and a partner everyone wanted to have. He also joked that I must have saved the world in a past life to have landed a job where I could negotiate such a big deal with the Norris family so soon after starting. Thanks to this opportunity, I was able to buy my own apartment in the city. I owed a lot of my success to Leo, who always praised me during our year-end evaluations.
After I spoke, Leo shrugged casually. "I was invited to Carl's party. When I walked in and saw the chaos, I decided to step outside."
I lowered my head in shame. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault..."
"It's nothing," he replied, reaching out to help me up from the ground.
"It just so happens that I haven't resolved a few issues from the last business deal. Could you help me?" I said, jumping awkwardly. He turned around and noticed my knee. "Are you injured?"
I forced a grin through the pain but was determined to finish my work. "I just fell. If you have any questions, you can go to the company and ask me."
Leo was quiet for a moment, then unexpectedly unbuttoned his suit jacket, bent down, and picked me up. "Be careful of infection. I'll take you to the hospital first."
Chapter 3It wasn’t until I was sitting in the car that the reality of what just happened sank in. Shrinking into the back seat, I could still feel the warmth of the man’s strong embrace on my skin.
As Leo drove, he said, “Try to keep your legs as flat as possible. Bleeding could lead to an infection.”
I murmured in response, but then a memory hit me. Once, when I went out to watch fireworks with Carl, I accidentally burned my arm on a spark. The blisters swelled, and I cried out in pain, but Carl just stood there with his hands in his pockets, impatiently scrolling through his phone for news.
“Are you an idiot? How can an adult burn themselves setting off fireworks? I’ve reserved a restaurant; are you coming or not?”
That day, to avoid disappointing him, I covered the burn with a wet wipe and stayed by his side for the entire day. When I finally got home, I couldn’t even take the wet wipe off.
It struck me that my boyfriend of seven years couldn't compare to my work partner in moments like these. My nose felt sore as tears began to well up again, and I cried silently.
When Leo heard my sobs, he surprisingly didn’t make fun of me. Instead, he quietly handed me a carton from the car.
After parking in front of the hospital, a team of well-trained doctors gathered around us. "You must be Mia. Mr. Norris has explained the situation to us. Please try to endure the pain and go upstairs for a checkup," one of them said. They then brought out a wheelchair and carefully lifted me into it.
Leo took the handle and wheeled me smoothly to the elevator. The process of treating my wound felt endless. Leo lay beside the bed, his gaze fixed on the sterilized forceps, while I watched him.
His features were sharp and defined, and the way he pursed his lips and frowned made him look different from his usual charming self. At that moment, he seemed so mature and elegant. A few young nurses stole glances at him, their cheeks flushing.
When the alcohol touched my wound, I couldn't help but cry out in pain. He looked up and met my eyes, but I quickly looked away.
"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital today," I said softly.
"It's nothing. If it hurts too much, I can get you some painkillers," he replied.
Leo got up and stepped out of the ward, and I covered my face with my hands. Who would have thought that one day I would be giving orders to a boss who couldn't even reach the level of the Lewis family, and he would be the one serving me?
When Leo returned with hot water and tablets, the doctor was explaining the follow-up care instructions to me. He casually picked up the diagnosis form and asked questions about the medication. Then he placed his hand on my waist, helping me walk slowly toward the door.
"The doctor you just saw is a good friend of mine. If you're worried about scarring in the future, you can always see him again," he said.
I nodded and replied, "That sounds good."
As I opened the door, a cool evening breeze rushed in, and Leo stepped in front of me protectively. "It’ll be windy tonight, so be careful not to catch a cold."
He wrapped me up snugly, and I climbed into the car, where there wasn’t much ventilation. After I gave him my address, he drove me back to my apartment.
As the car lights flashed, I spotted someone waiting in the darkness—someone I really didn’t want to see right now.
Carl and I faced a lot of relationship problems, and the people around him didn’t think highly of me either. Among them, the person who held the strongest negative opinion about me was Manager Smith. He had always believed that I got my position at the Lewis Group solely because my boss was infatuated with me.
When he saw Leo and me at the door of his house, his eyes widened, and his face turned red with anger. "Mia, I appreciate that the boss cares so much about you and asked me to check on you. Who knew you were here fooling around with another man!" he shouted.
"Are you up to those shady things behind his back? You cheap girl; it’s no wonder the boss would want to dump you!"
"The boss asked me to comfort you. Do you even deserve him?"
As the saying goes, it’s not just about the dog; it’s also about the owner. For Carl’s sake, I was determined to take down this dog today. I grabbed Leo, who was about to defend me, and pulled him close, holding his neck affectionately.
"Felix, I've wanted to complain for a long time. Why does it seem like your brain is connected to your rear end, making all you do is talk nonsense?"
"I'm guessing you're upset because Carl is being secretive, and you resent me for being with him!"
"I'm sorry, truly sorry for Carl. I didn't tell him the truth. Please let him know I fainted from the injection and won’t bother him again!"
I leaned delicately against Leo, twisting my hips as I walked out the door, feeling almost weightless. Behind us, Felix continued to shout helplessly and angrily.
It wasn't until I reached a secluded spot that I straightened up and lowered my head in embarrassment. "Mr. Norris, I apologize. I got a bit carried away just now. I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Leo smiled and replied, "It’s nothing. I actually enjoyed myself today."
Seeing that he didn't mind, I felt relieved; he must interact with women often. Just as he pulled out the keys from his bag, Carl called. His voice was so angry it rose an octave.
"Mia, if you dare go out and hook up with other men, I swear I’ll break your legs!"
"I can play around with you if you pay me. Why are you being so harsh?"
"Why aren’t you saying anything? Mia, I’m coming to your house right now to warn you. If you really cheat, I’ll make sure you regret it!"
I scoffed. "Are you the Pacific policeman with such weak control? Maybe you should focus on your own cheating problems instead. Be careful; if your spouse catches you, they might give you a good beating!"
"You better not come over, or I’ll make sure you wear a cuckold belt right in front of me!"
I hung up the phone and turned to Leo, who had seen my changing expression. I felt a little embarrassed.
Leo smiled and nodded. "As expected from a top-notch assistant, you’re quite eloquent."
I suddenly felt my cheeks flush and couldn’t find the words to respond. He glanced at my door and added, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation, but are you okay?"
At that moment, I bit my lip and looked at him with a pleading expression.
"Mr. Norris, could you come to my place for a bit? I’m feeling a little scared."
He glanced at the apartment building and replied, "Sure, that solves the issue I just mentioned."
"Thank you, Mr. Norris. I promise I won't let you down."
As Leo took my arm, he almost pulled me into his embrace, and together we stepped into the elevator. His tall, slender frame sheltered me closely, and when I tried to look up, all I could see was his well-defined chin.
The moment we entered my apartment, a loud, aggressive knock echoed from the hallway.
"Mia, open the door! I saw you with that jerk! Anyone who messes with me, Carl, is going to regret it!"
Leo swung the door open forcefully, catching Carl off guard; he nearly landed a punch on Leo’s chest.
As he recognized who was in front of him, Carl instinctively pulled back his hand as if he had touched something hot, forcing a smile that felt awkward.
Leo raised an eyebrow and asked, "The person you were just talking about is me. What’s the problem?"
Carl responded with a sycophantic grin.
"If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have worried," Carl said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Why's that?" Leo asked, his curiosity piqued.
"How could a woman like Mia ever have anything to do with you, Mr. Norris?" Carl replied, dismissively.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Who is she?"
Carl sneered at me. "You don't know? She was kidnapped as a child. The kidnapper had a terrible reputation and was said to have abused her. If they hadn’t saved her, who knows what would have happened? Her parents even called her a loser. Our family would never accept her. If a woman like that shows up, not even the Norris family would be fooled into thinking she could climb the social ladder!"
Carl's cruel words cut through me, leaving me feeling cold and exposed, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.
I couldn’t believe that after seven years of being together, Carl would look at me this way. I had thought the hero who rescued me from my nightmares would have compassion for my suffering. Instead, he just wanted to exploit my gratitude and take advantage of my kindness.
I realized how foolish I had been to think that he was the one I was meant to be with, all because he had sweet-talked me into believing it.
But he didn’t even show me the basic respect I deserved. I clenched my fists in anger, grabbing the broom behind the door, ready to confront him. However, Leo's long arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly into his embrace.
With a half-smile, his knuckles turned white as he gripped the doorknob, and he spoke slowly but firmly. “Mr. Lewis, if you don't want us here, there's no need to force us to stay. Let’s part ways with some dignity.”
Before Carl could respond, Leo slammed the door in his face. Through the peephole, I watched Carl kick the wall in frustration. He knew better than to lash out at Leo and ended up squatting by the door, smoking a cigarette instead.
My phone began to vibrate, and I glanced down to see it was my dad calling. Ever since Carl and I started dating, my parents had favored him more and more. This money-minded couple saw Carl as more important than me. No matter how poorly Carl treated me, they always sided with him, pushing me to bow my head and endure it for the sake of courtesy and family loyalty.
When my stomach hurt so badly it caused cramps, they insisted I bring porridge to Carl. I forced myself to eat for his sake until I ended up throwing up bile. They wouldn’t let me rest and pushed me to keep working with him. Carl even trampled on my dignity just to win his approval.
It was likely Carl who had called my parents, telling them I had dared to defy him and betray him, which made my dad anxious. I hesitated, thinking I’d get scolded if I answered the call right now, so I quickly pressed to decline.
My mom called immediately afterward. I hung my head and focused on fending off the two annoying guys instead. After a few minutes, they finally stopped bothering me and just sent a long voice message on WeChat. I tuned it out, treating it like the barking of a dog.
Leo had wandered around my house with his hands behind his back. When he noticed the furniture that clearly reflected Carl’s tastes, he shook his head in disappointment. “It really doesn’t match your style. There’s no point in keeping it.” With that, he sat down on the green sofa, unbuttoned his coat, and revealed an emerald tie clip.
With his handsome face, Leo looked just like a model from a magazine. I handed him a glass of water, and he took a sip before sticking out his tongue. “It’s too cold.” He leaned back against the seat, looking relaxed.
I glanced at the shabby fruit basket and felt unsure of how to entertain him, so I stood there awkwardly. He pulled out his phone and said, “You don’t mind if I play some music?”
Soon, a melodious tune filled the air, and Leo extended his hand to me. “Dance with me.” His large hand settled on my waist as he moved us in a gentle circle. My calf brushed against the fabric of his suit, and I couldn’t help but notice the warmth radiating from him. His eyes held a deep affection that made my heart skip a beat, and the atmosphere between us began to shift.
Suddenly, Carl slammed the door and shouted, “Mr. Norris, it’s getting late. You should rest!” Leo paused for a moment, clearly considering letting go of me. But I gritted my teeth and rushed over, hugging him tightly, my chest pressing against his shirt. His expression darkened slightly. “Miss Emma, what are you doing...?”
I pressed my knee against the side of his leg and fidgeted a little, trying to find the right words. “Aren’t you cold? I think I have a way to warm you up.” Leo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? What do you have in mind?”
Outside, Carl was still shouting, but I pushed past my nerves. I lifted my skirt slightly, revealing my slender legs. “I’m feeling warm. Just give it a try—I promise you won’t regret it.”
The cynicism faded from Leo's face as he looked at me with his captivating, peach-blossom eyes. I could see his Adam's apple shift slightly, and in a bold move, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to the warm skin of his neck, letting out a soft breath. His fingers tightened around my arm, and I noticed his pupils narrow slightly in surprise.
I intertwined my fingers with his, feeling a surge of courage as Leo lowered his head. Seizing the moment, I kissed him softly on the lips. His lips felt cool against mine, and our breaths mingled, creating an electric atmosphere that suddenly ignited.
He paused, taking a step back to put some distance between us, his gaze assessing me as if he were weighing his options. “Are you sure you want to use me to get back at him?”