Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The sound of applause and praise for Shirley and Digby as the “golden couple” echoed through the hall, grating against my ears. Her gaze swept past me without a flicker of recognition, as if I were nothing more than a stranger.
Watching the woman I had loved for five years, I finally understood why my parents always said I had terrible judgment. Turns out, they were right – I’d been blind. I never noticed that Digby, her assistant, had been involved with her all along.
But just because I was blind didn’t mean I was powerless. As the eldest son of my family, I had the means to raise her up, but I could also as easily bring her crashing down. Let’s see how long this company lasts after it goes public without me.
Clenching the dismissal notice in my hand, I turned to leave this suffocating place. But before I could take a step, Manager Simon Richards from HR blocked my path, wearing
that fake smile of his.
“Cyril, no need to rush off just yet,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose with a calculated smirk. “Company policy requires you to sign a declaration before leaving. It states that any actions you took while working here have no connection to the company. Oh, and there’s also a non–compete agreement you need to sign. Can’t have you running off and poaching our clients with underhanded tactics.”
Once, everyone here treated me with respect. Back when I was known as Shirley’s fiancé, the man who could land the biggest deals, people like Simon practically bowed in my presence. He even used to call me “boss” with his head down and voice low.
Now, he was looking down his nose at me, desperate to reclaim some sense of superiority. I scoffed, meeting his gaze coldly.
“A declaration? A non–compete? What makes you think I’d sign either?”
Simon’s fake smile vanished and his voice sharpened as he shot back, “What makes us think so? How about all the shady things you’ve done? The company isn’t even pressing charges. Consider yourself lucky. Don’t push it.”
“Shady things?” I laughed dryly. “You got proof? Or are you basing this on a few misleading photos?”
“Proof?” A sneering voice cut in. Digby strolled over, pointing at my phone. “The proof is probably in there. Who knows how many client contacts you’ve saved, ready to lure them away the moment you leave?”
Before I could react, Simon lunged for my phone and yanked it from my hand.
“Give that back!” I snapped, but Digby took it from Simon, stepping back with a smug grin. “Look how panicked you are. Seems like there really is something you don’t want us to see,” he taunted.
He tried unlocking my phone, guessing at the password. Shirley joined him, suggesting
12:29 Sun, 23 Mar 7
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combinations of birthdays and anniversaries, but none worked. Frustrated, she grabbed the phone herself and ordered security to hold me still while she tried using facial recognition.
But after too many failed attempts, they finally realized only the password could unlock it.
“What’s the password?” she demanded.
Since we became a couple, my phone’s password had always been the day I initially declared my love to her.
It was amusing how she forgot. But it wasn’t no longer surprising.
The longer she couldn’t unlock my lock, the more embarrassed she got.
Now vexed, she tried turning the tables on me, accusing me, “You kept denying the photos, then why did you change your password?”
But instead of feeling on edge, I only stared at her, feeling a strange emptiness. “It’s the date I first confessed my feelings to you.”
She froze for a long time. Clearly, she couldn’t remember it.
While she stood there, stewing in embarrassment, I wrenched myself free from the guards and snatched my phone back from her hands.
12:29 Sun, 23 Mar
Chapter 4
The sound of applause and praise for Shirley and Digby as the “golden couple” echoed through the hall, grating against my ears. Her gaze swept past me without a flicker of recognition, as if I were nothing more than a stranger.
Watching the woman I had loved for five years, I finally understood why my parents always said I had terrible judgment. Turns out, they were right – I’d been blind. I never noticed that Digby, her assistant, had been involved with her all along.
But just because I was blind didn’t mean I was powerless. As the eldest son of my family, I had the means to raise her up, but I could also as easily bring her crashing down. Let’s see how long this company lasts after it goes public without me.
Clenching the dismissal notice in my hand, I turned to leave this suffocating place. But before I could take a step, Manager Simon Richards from HR blocked my path, wearing
that fake smile of his.
“Cyril, no need to rush off just yet,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose with a calculated smirk. “Company policy requires you to sign a declaration before leaving. It states that any actions you took while working here have no connection to the company. Oh, and there’s also a non–compete agreement you need to sign. Can’t have you running off and poaching our clients with underhanded tactics.”
Once, everyone here treated me with respect. Back when I was known as Shirley’s fiancé, the man who could land the biggest deals, people like Simon practically bowed in my presence. He even used to call me “boss” with his head down and voice low.
Now, he was looking down his nose at me, desperate to reclaim some sense of superiority. I scoffed, meeting his gaze coldly.
“A declaration? A non–compete? What makes you think I’d sign either?”
Simon’s fake smile vanished and his voice sharpened as he shot back, “What makes us think so? How about all the shady things you’ve done? The company isn’t even pressing charges. Consider yourself lucky. Don’t push it.”
“Shady things?” I laughed dryly. “You got proof? Or are you basing this on a few misleading photos?”
“Proof?” A sneering voice cut in. Digby strolled over, pointing at my phone. “The proof is probably in there. Who knows how many client contacts you’ve saved, ready to lure them away the moment you leave?”
Before I could react, Simon lunged for my phone and yanked it from my hand.
“Give that back!” I snapped, but Digby took it from Simon, stepping back with a smug grin. “Look how panicked you are. Seems like there really is something you don’t want us to see,” he taunted.
He tried unlocking my phone, guessing at the password. Shirley joined him, suggesting
12:29 Sun, 23 Mar 7
92%
combinations of birthdays and anniversaries, but none worked. Frustrated, she grabbed the phone herself and ordered security to hold me still while she tried using facial recognition.
But after too many failed attempts, they finally realized only the password could unlock it.
“What’s the password?” she demanded.
Since we became a couple, my phone’s password had always been the day I initially declared my love to her.
It was amusing how she forgot. But it wasn’t no longer surprising.
The longer she couldn’t unlock my lock, the more embarrassed she got.
Now vexed, she tried turning the tables on me, accusing me, “You kept denying the photos, then why did you change your password?”
But instead of feeling on edge, I only stared at her, feeling a strange emptiness. “It’s the date I first confessed my feelings to you.”
She froze for a long time. Clearly, she couldn’t remember it.
While she stood there, stewing in embarrassment, I wrenched mys
