It was the company’s monthly holiday, and my boyfriend Aaron’s personal secretary posted a picture on her social media feed. The caption read: “Sure, you’re on top during the day at the office, but at night, I’m the one in charge!” The photo showed her, a woman named Chelsea, lounging on a waterbed strewn with rose petals. And kneeling at her feet, massaging them with an almost reverent expression, was Aaron. The ever-serious, no-nonsense director of our department. Tucked into his pocket was a brand-new, gleaming gold necklace. That very morning, I had given him the gold to make that necklace, begging him to finally go public with our five-year relationship. He’d taken it without a word, but when I tried to snap a picture of us together, he’d snatched my phone and smashed it on the ground. His eyes had been filled with pure contempt. “Don’t you own a mirror? Don’t you have a puddle to look in? You’re just a low-class, trashy piece of work, aren’t you? You’d do anything to ruin me.” Suddenly, the last five years—my quiet obedience to his strict “no office romance” rule—felt like a pathetic joke. The next day, I sent a text to my father. “I give up. I’m coming home to take over the family business.” … After confirming that the gold necklace was indeed the one I had paid for, I sent a message to the company-wide group chat. “Wishing Director Evans and Chelsea a long and happy life together.” A few minutes later, Chelsea replied, claiming it was just a game of ‘Truth or Dare,’ a command from her “master.” Then Aaron, who had been MIA all day, finally appeared. Are you insane? What the hell are you posting in the group chat? You’re both women, why do you have to be so damn jealous? Are you that desperate for a man? Before I could even type a response, he sent another message, a string of laughing emojis. What are you good for besides causing me trouble? Why don’t you just crawl back into your mother’s womb and stay there? His vulgar words still hit me like a punch to the gut, even though I should have been used to it by now. Disgusting. Utterly disgusting. The memory of me, just that morning, begging him to marry me, made my whole body tremble. “Forget it, Aaron,” Chelsea chimed in. “It’s my fault. I’ll go explain to Sophia right now!” “Don’t you dare!” Aaron’s voice boomed from my phone; he must have called her. Underneath the rage, I could hear a raw, unmistakable panic. “There are no cabs out there this late! Sophia, there’s a limit to your games! Do you really think I can’t crush you?” I hadn’t said a single word, but I could hear choked sobs from the other end of the line, followed by the rustling of clothes. “I’ll swim back if I have to, Aaron! Don’t stop me! I won’t let anyone spread rumors about you!” “Who gives a damn about that bitch? I’m firing her right now!” he roared. “Chelsea, you just stay here and relax. As long as I’m the director, no one is going to mess with you.” With that, he hung up. Even though I sent the word “Goodbye” less than five seconds later, he didn’t reply. Of course he didn’t. He had my notifications on silent unless it was something important. Two hours later, I had packed all my things. Every item in this apartment, from the kettle on the stove to the custom-designed feature wall in the living room, I had chosen myself. I had even bought the damn place, planning to surprise him by signing it over to him. Thank God I never told him. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Chelsea. Sophia, don’t worry, there’s nothing going on between me and Aaron. I’ve always seen him as a brother, a father figure. I would never have any improper thoughts about him. As if to prove her point, she sent two videos. One showed Aaron scrubbing her back in the bathtub. The other showed him tucking her into bed, singing a lullaby. In the past, I would have never dared to respond to such a blatant provocation. No matter what happened, I was always the one who ended up apologizing, begging for his forgiveness. Five years had worn away the passionate, hysterical girl who would fight for love. But now, I realized that my quiet endurance had been just another form of weakness. Are you itchy? I typed back. Are you sending me these because you want me to curse you out, so you can put your phone on vibrate and stick it up your ass? The “typing” bubble appeared and disappeared for a long time. See? You’re so emotional, she finally sent. I blocked her number. I didn’t sleep a wink. I just sat there, in the dark, until the first light of dawn. Then I texted my father. “I give up. I’m coming home to take over the family business.” My dad, the old man, responded with a string of flower emojis. Are you sure? You’re not messing with me? “I’m not messing with you.” A bitter smile touched my lips. Ha! I just won a five-million-dollar bet with your Uncle David! I knew it! My throat tightened. “You should have come home ages ago! You can have any man you want. Why waste your time on that one loser?” he continued. “I’ll buy that little company you work for first thing in the morning. A little toy for you to play with. How dare they bully my daughter? They must be blind!” “It’s fine, Dad.” “I want to do this myself. One day, I’ll be the one to acquire them.” The old man paused, then sighed. “You’re just like your mother.” “No matter what happens, Dad will always be here for you.” I hung up, took a deep breath, and prepared to leave. But as I opened the door, I ran right into Chelsea and Aaron. “There. Are you happy now?” Aaron strode into the apartment, his leather shoe coming down hard on my foot, grinding his heel into my instep. The pain was excruciating. I bit my lip to keep from screaming, my head ringing. I first met him during a hurricane. He’d lost his footing and was nearly blown away. The rain was so heavy that day, the water was up to our ankles. I’d grabbed him, and in the process, a piece of glass had pierced my foot, leaving a permanent scar. Aaron’s eyes widened for a second, a flash of guilt in their depths. But then he glanced over his shoulder at Chelsea, and the guilt vanished, replaced by a cold hardness. “Apologize to Chelsea.” “If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to get back here, and she wouldn’t have gotten into that car accident.” I looked past him at Chelsea, who was standing there perfectly straight, without a single scratch on her. “Don’t you know that car almost ran over her big toe? We’re lucky she’s okay, or our lives would have been over!” Aaron’s voice was sharp, accusatory. He looked at me as if I were a murderer. “Sophia, you’d better say what I want to hear. Or else… a little country girl like you… it would be nothing for me to blacklist you from this entire industry.” “An ant needs to know its place. You can’t fight a giant. You’ve heard that before, right?” Chelsea wrapped her arms around Aaron’s waist from behind and shook her head. “Aaron, sweetie, it’s not her fault. She’s never had a proper education. A well-educated person like me shouldn’t stoop to her level. Let’s just drop it.” “What am I?” I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to slap them both. For five years, Chelsea had been like a fly buzzing around a pile of shit, constantly circling me, never letting up. “Chelsea,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time.” SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Aaron’s face turned a deathly pale, his hands trembling with rage. “I told you to apologize!” My face was on fire, the taste of blood in my mouth. Chelsea let out a sharp, mocking laugh. Shame, rage, and a crushing helplessness flooded my veins. “Sophia, is it that hard to apologize? You’re the one who’s in the wrong!” Aaron grabbed a shoehorn from the entryway table and brought it down hard on my knee. “Chelsea is being generous by not making you kneel! And you’re still pushing it? Who the hell do you think you are?” I remembered just a few days ago, crying, begging him for forgiveness. But now, I was just tired. I just wanted to leave. Arguing with him felt beneath me. “Sophia, if you walk out that door, we’re done!” Seeing that I wasn’t backing down, a flicker of panic, almost imperceptible, crossed Aaron’s face. “Fine.” I nodded, feeling nothing, and limped out the door. Five years. Five goddamn years, all fed to a dog. Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into me from behind. I flew forward, instinctively throwing out my right hand to break my fall. A searing pain shot through my arm. I yanked it back, and a large flap of skin tore away, exposing the white muscle beneath. When I opened my eyes, I was at the bottom of the stairs, my head throbbing from where it had hit the stone steps. And Aaron, my boyfriend, was standing at the top, protectively shielding Chelsea. No concern. No worry. Just a look of cold satisfaction on his face as he pulled Chelsea back into the apartment. “Serves you right!” “You can kneel there and think about what you did. And don’t you dare get up until you understand what you did wrong!” The pain was overwhelming. I couldn’t move. I could only lie there, crumpled on the ground like a stray dog. By the time a kind neighbor found me and got me to the hospital, it was too late to avoid major surgery. My right hand. The most important tool for a designer. And I had to watch, helpless, as they drilled one steel pin after another into the shattered bones. My heart felt like it had turned to ash. Three days later, Aaron posted on his social media. It was a picture of him and Chelsea, locked in a passionate embrace. He was wearing the suit I had designed for him. The matching woman’s suit, tailored to my exact measurements, hung loosely on Chelsea’s frame, making her look like a sad, clumsy clown. Less than two minutes after he posted it, my phone rang. “Have you calmed down?” “It’s Chelsea’s birthday today. She wants to bury the hatchet. Don’t forget to get her a nice gift.” Aaron’s voice was casual, as if nothing had happened. Only the constant, throbbing pain in my hand was there to remind me. “Okay.” A nice gift… For five years, I hadn’t taken a single penny from my family. The hundred thousand dollars I had saved up, I had spent on gold to make Aaron happy. Now, after one surgery, my bank account had a balance of twenty-five cents. Chelsea wanted a nice gift? Ha. I wondered if bankrupting her would count. I made my arrangements. Right on time, I arrived at the party. Aaron stood at the door, his arm around Chelsea’s waist, looking for all the world like a newlywed couple. When they saw me, they intertwined their fingers. “Sophia, you came empty-handed?!” Aaron’s face darkened. “I should have known you had no class. Look at what you’re wearing. Rags. And all those bandages… you’re disgusting.” “You’re just here to ruin my night, aren’t you?” Chelsea couldn’t hide the glee in her eyes. She shook her head, forcing a placid expression. “It’s fine, Aaron. It’s enough that she came.” “Besides,” she added, a sly smile playing on her lips. “As long as you’re here, that’s the only gift I need.” “Although… I do have a surprise for you…” As she said the word “surprise,” she touched her stomach. Just that one gesture, and my breath caught in my throat. I clutched my phone tighter. In all our years together, Aaron had never crossed that line. Even in our most passionate moments, when I was wrapped around him, he would always pull away and take a cold shower. He said his first time was important, that he would never give it to a “gold-digger” like me. The other people at the party, all our colleagues, started to hoot and cheer. That’s when I noticed them. Aaron’s parents. And his younger brother. “Aaron,” Chelsea said, her voice soft and full of emotion. “Even though it’s my birthday, none of it would mean anything if you weren’t here.” “I know you don’t believe in marriage, but I worry about you being alone when you’re old. So… I selfishly decided to keep a part of you for myself.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining with sincerity. “The baby is two months along. It’s a girl. She’s beautiful, and she looks just like you.” Two months… My world tilted on its axis. My head felt like it was about to explode. My mother died when I was young. I was raised by my aunt. Two months ago, my aunt passed away. And Aaron had been by my side, seemingly inseparable. He was with me during the day, and with Chelsea at night. And I, like a fool, thought I had finally won his heart. It was just guilt. A pathetic attempt to atone for his sins. Aaron’s parents started clapping, leading the cheers. I could hear people whispering. Aaron was known for his ruthless, zero-tolerance policy on office romances. The last person who tried to hide a relationship was sued into bankruptcy and ended up in jail. But he just patted Chelsea’s back reassuringly and said, his voice calm and steady, “In that case, I’ll have to fire Sophia.” “After all, she’s the one who seduced me in the first place, shamelessly clinging to me and calling herself my girlfriend.” “A woman like that is a disgrace to this company.” Instantly, all eyes were on me. I could feel the weight of their judgmental stares, the invisible green hat of the cuckold settling firmly on my head. “Are you finished?” To everyone’s surprise, I just smiled. “Then it’s my turn to present my gift.” I clapped my hands twice, and suddenly, the room was filled with police officers. The one in charge stepped forward and addressed me with a respectful bow. “Ms. Sonny.” Aaron doubled over with laughter. “Sophia, are you on something? Where did you find all these actors? On your salary, you must have bankrupted yourself to hire this many.” “‘Ms. Sonny’?” he spat. “Give me a break!” His saliva hit my face. The older police officer, a man in his fifties, turned pale and rushed to get me a tissue. “Sophia, why do you always have to pretend to be something you’re not?” Chelsea sneered, stepping to the side. “Can’t we women be a little more gracious? I would give up my entire life for Aaron. And you? You’re just a bitch in heat.” Aaron’s younger brother, seeing the chaos, started running around, kicking over decorations and making a mess of the party. His parents, who had him late in life, doted on him, spoiling him rotten. Out of love for Aaron, I had always tolerated the little monster. I let him ride on my back like a horse, circling the living room ten times, all in the hopes of earning a sliver of Aaron’s affection. “Nathan! Get down from there!” Aaron’s lips thinned, a storm brewing in his eyes. He strode forward and raised his hand to slap his brother. So he could get angry! He did know his brother was a little demon. He did know how to protect others. He just never, ever stood on my side. But before the slap could land, his father grabbed his arm, and his mother kicked him hard in the shin. “That’s enough! What are you doing?” “You… what’s-her-name,” his father barked at me. “Come over here and apologize! Such a disrespectful thing.” “You’re just a gold-digger from the countryside, trying to climb the social ladder on our family’s coattails. You should be grateful we even let you in the door!” Five years. For five whole years, they couldn’t even be bothered to remember my name. “Wait, I don’t think this is an act,” someone whispered from the crowd. “That old guy in the front, he’s on the news all the time. I recognize him.” “It can’t be… I thought Sophia was from the country.” “Who knows? Maybe she’s some secret billionaire. Let’s just watch the show.” The room fell silent.
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