Under everyone’s gaze, Ashley burst into
tears.
“I don’t want it, I don’t want anything.”
“I don’t deserve your kindness. I’ve caused you so much trouble these past few days. Michael, Matthew, thank you, I’ll leave now.”
Michael grabbed Ashley’s wrist, his voice rising an octave.
“Emily, you’ve gone too far! Apologize to Ashley and Matthew right now!”
“Is this how you were raised, to bully a
vulnerable young person who just entered
society?”
“You even dared to hit someone in front of
everyone, Emily, that’s illegal!”
He shouted righteously, as if he had forgotten
that just a few days ago, they had jointly
pushed me into traffic, and I had just been
Г
discharged from the hospital.
The employees who had once benefited from
my kindness watched this scene, whispering among themselves.
“Miss Emily is going too far, constantly making things difficult for Ashley, and now forcing her to apologize on her knees.”
“Yeah, they’re all shareholders, why doesn’t
she give Mr. Michael a say, and insists on
firing Ashley herself? It’s so unfair.”
“Ashley already has depression, Emily’s too
cruel, really not giving her a way out.”
I sighed, finding everything in front of me
utterly ridiculous.
“Michael, Matthew, either she leaves, or I…”
Before I could finish, they both spoke in
unison.
“Fine, leave then, see if we care.”
“If you have the guts to leave, don’t come
back!”
I never thought that years of my dedication
would result in these two dismissive
sentences. I turned and left in a huff.
But as soon as I got home, I received a
message in our three–person shareholder
group chat:
【Emily, we were wrong today, we’re sorry.】
【We want to apologize to you at the old
place, please come.]
Holding my phone, I didn’t want to respond, but the words “old place” tugged at my heartstrings. I drove there.
The “old place” was a private dining room in
a restaurant. The day we got our business
license, we celebrated there.
Later, every time we closed a big deal, every
time there was something to celebrate,
Michael, Matthew, and I would invariably
choose to celebrate there.
Choosing this place to apologize, maybe they
really knew they were wrong.
As I wrestled with whether to forgive them
Everyone’s eyes were on me.
I suddenly felt like all my years of dedication
and hard work had gone to waste. My voice turned cold.
“Ashley, you’re sitting in my seat.”
Ashley immediately stood up apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Emily. Michael and Matthew asked
me to sit here.”
“Please don’t be mad at them. It’s my
housewarming party today, I thought I could
sit here, so I didn’t refuse.”
Michael and Matthew slammed their
chopsticks on the table, yelling at me angrily.
く
“Emily, why are you being so difficult? It’s just
a seat, why make such a big deal out of it?”
“Today’s main character is Ashley, where she
sits is none of your business. Do you own the
hotel?”
Under their scolding, I suddenly remembered
the day the company landed its first big deal.
The two gently pulled me to the main seat,
resting their chins on their hands as they
looked at me, saying that this would be our
secret base from now on, no matter what
happened in the future, the three of us would
never change.
Turns out, “forever” only lasted two years.
く
I suddenly felt exhausted and turned to leave,
but Michael angrily rushed in front of me,
slapping my still–casted arm hard.
“First you caused Ashley’s depression to
relapse, and now you’re ruining her
housewarming party. Are you just going to
leave without apologizing?”
I had been discharged early. Now, with
Michael using all his strength on my fractured
arm, I gasped in pain.
Matthew, who had also stood up, laughed.
“You’re faking it again. She has depression,
so you fake a fracture, right? Emily, I never
knew you were so jealous.”
Г
My body trembled with anger. Suddenly,
someone pulled me back.
I turned around to see Henry, my childhood
sweetheart whom I was arranged to marry,
standing behind me.
His face was cold, his eyes devoid of any
emotion as he looked at the crowd.
“I never knew the two Mr. Michaels treated
their benefactors like this.”
Michael and Matthew froze, and Ashley finally
put down her wine glass, joining them in
scrutinizing Henry, who was protecting me.
く
Chapter 2
After a long silence, Ashley’s voice broke the
awkward atmosphere.
“Hello, sir, I’m Miss Emily’s assistant, Ashley.”
“I accidentally sat in Miss Emily’s seat.
Although she yelled at me to get out, I believe
she didn’t mean it.”
“The two Mr. Michaels were also anxious and
had a little argument with Miss Emily. Miss
Emily is actually a good person, it’s just her
temper…”
She spoke cautiously, observing Henry’s
expression.
Seeing Henry smirk, Ashley wanted to
く
continue, but a slap landed heavily on her
face.
Amidst everyone’s gasps, Henry stared coldly
at the sobbing Ashley.
“Who gave you the guts to slander my fiancée
in front of me?”
“What’s next? Are you going to say Emily has
a bad temper, is incompetent, and hangs out
with shady people? In short, a complete
bitch?”
“Too bad, your little green tea act only works
on idiots. It doesn’t work on me.”
Henry said this pointedly, looking at Michael
and Matthew.
く
However, they were completely oblivious to
the implication, both focused on checking
Ashley’s injury with concern.
I stood at the edge of the crowd, watching
this farce, vaguely reminded of the past.
In college, young and energetic, after winning
several dance competitions in a row, I was
targeted by a group of senior girls.
The leader just shoved me, and Michael and
Matthew immediately shielded me, nervously
checking if I was okay.
