Three months into my new job, I discovered my colleagues had a nickname for me: “The Mourning Dove.” The name came from Alexis’s insufferably arrogant secretary. It was because I was thirty-two, still clutching the proof of an eight-year relationship, yet still waiting for a wedding ring. I confronted Alexis. “Your secretary calls me the Mourning Dove. Did you know?” He didn’t even bother to look up. “That’s just Shanna,” he said. “She’s unfiltered, just making a joke. You’re thirty-two, are you really going to pick a fight with a kid?” Then he looked at me and chuckled. “I hate to say it, but it’s a pretty good fit.” My heart felt like it was seized by an icy fist. Eight years of my youth, and to him, it was nothing more than a punchline. I turned and walked away. I quit my job and blocked him on everything. And that’s when the man who was always so composed finally panicked. “Carol,” he begged. “Please, come back.” 1 The first time I heard the words “Mourning Dove” loud and clear was during our Monday corporate meeting. Shanna was looking down, feigning humility as I reprimanded her, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. During the break, I overheard someone mutter. “What a Mourning Dove. Always picking on the pretty young girls.” The words hit me like a physical blow. That one comment opened the floodgates, and the whispers grew louder. “She’s on a total power trip, taking it all out on the new girl.” “She’s thirty-two and still clinging to an eight-year relationship that’s going nowhere. Talk about desperate.” I set my mug down, and the conference room fell silent for a heartbeat. Dozens of eyes focused on me, as if I were the one who had done something wrong. Shanna dabbed at her reddened eyes with a tissue. “Director Kennedy, I’ll double-check the data.” “You won’t double-check it. you’ll redo it,” I said, forcing the iciness in my voice to mask the sting in my heart. “I want an accurate analysis and a recovery plan on my desk before tomorrow morning’s meeting.” My gaze swept over her, and over the gawking faces in the room. “Meeting adjourned.” I stood first and strode out of the room. Behind me, the tide of whispers surged again, this time more brazenly. “Who does she think she is? She only got that director position because she’s sleeping with Mr. Price.” “The Mourning Dove is on the warpath. Tsk, tsk. Guess menopause came early for her.” Back in my office, a notification popped up. An internal email. I opened it. The subject line was glaring: “Regarding the Optimization of Managerial Communication and a Focus on Employee Well-being.” The sender was the HR Director, but I knew exactly whose strings were being pulled. Apparently, Shanna’s tears carried more weight than my performance reports. I scoffed and closed the window just as Alexis’s private line rang. His voice was a lazy, placating drawl. “Carol, you were a little fired up in the meeting, huh? You made the poor girl cry.” “Shanna’s young, she lacks experience. It’s normal for her to make mistakes. You should cut her some slack.” I could faintly hear soft sobs in the background. I fought to keep my own emotions in check, my voice as level as I could make it. “Shanna’s foundational data was riddled with errors. It directly impacts the company’s quarterly financial report.” “Oh, come on. It’s just work. A few slip-ups are bound to happen,” he said, brushing it off. “Besides, Shanna’s on her period, she wasn’t feeling her best. Try to be a little more understanding.” “Anyway, dinner tonight? That new sushi place just opened. I’ve already booked us a table.” 2 As I slid into the passenger seat of Alexis’s familiar black sports car after work, my mood finally began to lift. “She’s just a kid, Carol. She doesn’t know any better. Teach her the ropes, for my sake, okay?” he asked, putting on a show of pleading with me. I decided not to press the issue. I let it go. But when we arrived, Shanna was already there, her long hair perfectly styled, her makeup flawless. Seeing us, she immediately stood up. “Mr. Price, Carol! I was worried you’d be bored waiting for the food, so I went ahead and ordered. I hope you like what I picked!” I shot a look at Alexis, but he had already slid into the seat next to Shanna, smiling. “Shanna was worried you were still angry, so she came to apologize in person. See how thoughtful she is?” Shanna eagerly poured me a cup of sake, raising her glass to me. “Carol, it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry the data stressed you out, and I’m even sorrier that I caused everyone to gossip about you… Anyway, I’ll punish myself with a drink!” She downed it in one go, a becoming blush instantly rising in her cheeks, making her look even more delicate and charming. Alexis gave her an appreciative glance, then asked casually, “What are people gossiping about? What are they saying about Carol?” Shanna pursed her lips into a coy smile. “Oh, Mr. Price, you should ask Carol about that. It’s not my place to say.” Alexis turned to me, his gaze intensely curious. I met his eyes, my voice flat. “Your people are calling me the Mourning Dove.” Alexis didn’t even flinch. He just threw his head back and laughed. “Shanna was just trying to break the ice, kidding around with you. You’re not taking it seriously, are you?” He then looked me over, a smirk playing on his lips. “You have to admit… it kind of fits.” I stared at the face I had known and loved for eight years, and suddenly, he was a complete stranger. “Alexis, do you… do you really think this is funny?” “Hearing them call me a Mourning Dove, you actually find that amusing?” The air in the room went still. Shanna made a show of getting up, her eyes already glistening with tears. “Mr. Price, am I in the way? I should go. I’ll leave you two to talk…” “Sit down, Shanna!” Alexis grabbed her wrist, then shot an exasperated look at me. “Carol, Shanna came here to sincerely apologize. Can you stop being so aggressive? It’s just a nickname. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it?” It felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I looked at his hand, firmly grasping Shanna’s wrist, and a bitter, hollow laugh escaped my lips. The trust and love we had built over eight years crumbled into dust in that single moment. “Fine. That’s just fine.” I smiled, a real, chilling smile this time. I picked up the cup of sake Shanna had poured for me. “I don’t think I can accept this apology.” Without another glance at their shocked, ugly faces, I walked out. 3 The next day, I needed the latest sales data for a presentation to the Chairman. My email request went into a black hole. When I went to the department in person, the response was suspiciously uniform: “Sorry, Director. Shanna told us Mr. Price needed the data urgently, so we have to prepare it for him first.” “Shanna said Mr. Price hasn’t reviewed these numbers yet, so we can’t release them to you.” “You’ll have to check with Shanna. We’re just following her instructions.” The moment I turned my back, the snickering started again. “The Mourning Dove can throw her weight around all she wants, but she still needs us to get anything done!” “Honestly, she acts so high and mighty, but she’s just trash trying to pass!” I immediately called Alexis’s cell. It went straight to voicemail. This deliberate radio silence was a direct, calculated humiliation. Fuming, I marched straight to his office. And I found Shanna nestled in his arms, the two of them looking disgustingly cozy. When Alexis saw me, his voice was sharp with irritation. “Don’t you have any manners? Don’t you know how to knock?” My gaze was locked on him, my voice like ice. “Alexis, I need the latest sales figures for my report.” His brow furrowed even deeper. “I already told you I need that data first. What’s your rush?” He paused, then added, “Shanna is meticulous. She’s reviewing it again to make sure there are no mistakes, so you don’t have another meltdown over a tiny error.” “A tiny error?” A cold laugh almost escaped me. “Alexis, her ‘tiny error’ was on key data that impacts a multi-million dollar project decision!” I reined in my emotions, my voice hardening. “And your idea of ‘meticulous’ is letting someone who can’t even read a spreadsheet properly bottleneck our core data?” Shanna’s eyes immediately filled with tears, her voice trembling with manufactured hurt. “Carol, I know I’m stupid… I know I’m not as good as you, but I’m really, really trying my best…” “Shanna, it’s not your fault!” Alexis instantly wrapped an arm around her, his tone softening to a gentle murmur. When he turned back to me, his eyes were filled with disgust. “Carol! Will you give it a rest? You blow every little thing out of proportion! You’re acting more and more like a Mourning Dove every day!” The words, spoken so openly from his own mouth, made me freeze. He completely ignored the wounded look in my eyes, his voice rising in volume. “You can’t do your job, and you spend all day throwing tantrums! Calling you a Mourning Dove is putting it mildly!” “Look at Shanna! Look at how humble she is! I’m only saying this for your own good!” Leaning against Alexis’s shoulder, Shanna shot me a triumphant smirk. “Fine, Mr. Price. I understand,” I said, my voice flat and dead. “The data. I’ll figure it out myself.” As I turned to leave, I could hear Alexis’s voice, deliberately softened, comforting her. “Don’t cry, Shanna. Ignore her. She’s just jealous of you. She’s twisted…” 4 The humiliation didn’t stop. It got worse. Alexis’s endorsement was a blank check for Shanna and the rest of the hyenas. “Mourning Dove” became a semi-public joke. Two new interns saw me in the hallway and exchanged strange, mocking smiles. One of them whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. “Hurry, it’s the Mourning Dove. Don’t let her peck you.” “I heard there’s a group chat… haha, are you in it?” “No, not yet! Add me, quick.” This became a daily occurrence. The final straw came during a major project presentation. My last report had been a failure, leaving the Chairman deeply unsatisfied. So for this one, I had prepared meticulously, leaving no stone unturned. But ten minutes before the meeting, Alexis walked in with Shanna. “Shanna has also been following this project closely,” he announced. “She’ll lead the presentation. You can provide supplemental information.” I tried to argue. “Alexis, I’ve been in charge of this project from its inception. I know it inside and out.” Alexis sneered, glancing at me. “You know it? Then who was it that disappointed the Chairman last time?” He then turned to Shanna, his eyes full of encouragement. “Shanna, you can begin when you’re ready.” Shanna immediately stepped forward, confidently plugging her USB drive into the laptop. As she presented, Alexis nodded frequently, a look of deep satisfaction on his face. I watched the whole charade with cold, silent fury. Then, as she was switching between windows, her finger slipped. Her personal chat client was instantly mirrored onto the massive conference room screen. Pinned to the top was a group chat with a name that burned itself into my retinas: 【The Mourning Dove Observation Diary】 The feed was filled with candid, unflattering photos of me, each with a running commentary. “Look at the Mourning Dove with her yoga pants and fancy coffee. Acting like she’s high society!” “Please, Alexis pays for everything. If it were me, I’d have dumped her after eight years!” Even through the screen, I could taste the fake sweetness in Shanna’s reply: “Guys, don’t be so mean.” And right below it, a message from Alexis himself: “Shanna, stay away from the Mourning Dove. Don’t want her starting trouble with you again.” I looked at Alexis. His expression was completely untroubled, almost amused. My heart turned to ash. Eight years of devotion, of sacrifice… had been a complete and utter joke. I didn’t wait for the meeting to end. I walked straight to HR and submitted my resignation. As I was carrying my box out, I ran into Alexis and Shanna, who were laughing together in the hallway. Alexis’s eyes followed me, but he didn’t say a word. And in my heart, I said, Goodbye, Alexis. For good.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "393723", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel