My online boyfriend is incredibly good at swearing. Especially when he's roasting my annoying boss. He can curse him out for ten minutes straight without repeating a single word. Then, one day, I accidentally pocket-dialed a video call. My online boyfriend answered instantly. And then, the handsome, chilling face of my boss filled the screen. “...” I was completely speechless. 1 [Baby, want to play a game?] When my online boyfriend sent that message, I was still stuck at the office, miserably grinding through overtime. I replied bitterly: [Can't. Still working.] [Why are you still working so late?] [Poor baby.] I replied, feeling sorry for myself: [Management forced it. Honestly, there's absolutely nothing to do.] He slowly typed out a single question mark. I was bursting with frustration and had nowhere to vent, so my fingers flew across the keyboard. [The big boss came to the office today. Remember the one I told you I hate?] [Our management just wants to kiss his ass. They forced us all to stay late to show off their 'leadership' skills.] [Tell me, is there something wrong with his brain?] My online boyfriend filled the entire screen with question marks. [No way... Is your management team brain-damaged?] [Forcing overtime is good leadership? Doesn't forced overtime just prove how incompetent they are?] [I have literally never seen such pathetic ass-kissing in my life.] [But then again, that boss of yours has a weird way of thinking. Who knows, maybe he actually eats that stuff up.] [You've been treated so unfairly, baby.] I was about to complain some more when the big boss, whose brain was allegedly wired wrong, appeared at the door of our bullpen. He was holding his phone in one hand, his thumb tapping away at the screen. His head was slightly bowed, looking like he was texting someone. His expensive suit jacket was casually slung over his other arm. His dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. He exuded the cold, aloof aura of an untouchable heir. Until he looked up— The expression in his eyes completely suppressed that careless, relaxed vibe. Our department head was already scurrying over to brown-nose him. At that exact moment, I received a new message from my online boyfriend. [Baby, don't be mad. I'll show you my abs, okay?] I was just about to say yes. In the dead silent office, Preston Sterling's low, commanding voice rang out: "Why hasn't anyone left?" "Overtime," the department head said with an ingratiating smile. "Everyone's work ethic is very strong. To support their efforts, I also—" Preston cut him off: "Are you actually getting work done, or just pretending?" Instantly, a cold sweat broke out on the department head's forehead. "W-working..." Preston called the department head out into the hallway. Less than a minute later, the department head trudged back in, looking thoroughly defeated. His face was pale as he weakly announced: "Go home." My coworkers and I exchanged bewildered looks. Then, we packed our bags at lightning speed and bolted. 2 When I got home, I jumped on a voice call with my online boyfriend to play our usual game. Maybe because I had just heard the big boss speak not long ago, I kept feeling like my online boyfriend's voice sounded somewhat similar to his. Especially the pacing and the way he emphasized certain words. It was almost identical. "Baby, get in the car. We need to outrun the blue zone," he called out to me. "Oh," I said, quickly hopping into the virtual vehicle. I tested the waters, "Can you say a specific sentence for me?" "Say what?" "'Why hasn't anyone left?' Say that." He dragged out the syllables, pausing between each word like he was pouting: "Whyyy~ hasn't~ anyooone~ left~? Are~ you~ waiiiiting~ for~ me~?" "..." I completely abandoned the idea that they sounded alike. If these two were the same person, the sun would rise in the west tomorrow. I focused on the game, but my online boyfriend wouldn't let it go: "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly want me to say that?" I couldn't shake him, so I told him the truth. "It's just... for a split second, I thought your voice sounded a lot like my boss's." "The boss who sexually harassed his female subordinate?" "...Yeah." The rumor about him sexually harassing a female subordinate was something I had heard from a colleague who had recently quit the executive suite. According to the rumor, Preston wanted to sleep with her. She refused and fought him off, so Preston made her go to HR and process her own resignation. At the time, I never would have thought that Preston, who looked so respectable and professional on the outside, was actually a monster behind closed doors. I had complained about him to my online boyfriend plenty of times, which is why he also deeply despised the man. "Baby! How could my voice sound like that animal's?" he sounded hurt, with a specific kind of stubbornness mixed in. "You're insulting me! I'm going to be mad at you!" I quickly tried to soothe him: "Don't be mad, don't be mad. You don't sound like him." "You already said I do," he argued irrationally. "I'm going to get vocal cord surgery tomorrow. I won't sound like him!" He made me laugh. "What do I have to do to make you not mad?" His attitude instantly turned shy and bashful. He mumbled, "You know what." I did know. I tested the waters, calling out softly: "Babe~" "Hmph." "Boyfriend?" His huff grew louder: "Hmph!" I pulled out the ultimate weapon: "Husband." He immediately replied: "Hehe. Not mad anymore." Not only was he not mad, but even through the internet, I could feel him grinning from ear to ear. We played until eleven o'clock. I grabbed my pajamas and went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. By the time I finished showering, washed my hair, and came out, my clingy online boyfriend had already sent me a barrage of messages. [Baby, I finished my shower!] [You take so long.] [But waiting for you to shower makes me feel so happy.] [Daily reminder: We agreed to meet up in person this Saturday.] [I already bought that men's cologne you like. When we meet, I'll make sure you can't keep your hands off me!] [Baby, what do you want to see me wear?] [I put together a few outfits. Pick your favorite, and I'll put it on for you!] I opened the photos he sent. Just then, a drop of water fell from the end of my wet hair and landed directly on the screen. Then, the screen automatically backed out of the chat interface. I blinked in confusion, turned off my hairdryer, and casually flipped my wet hair out of my face. At that moment, a second and third drop of water hit the screen. I pulled a tissue to wipe the water off the screen. I didn't expect the screen to be so hypersensitive. I didn't know when, but it had automatically dialed a video call to him. I watched helplessly as the call connected. The person on the other end of the video was sitting up straight in front of the camera, his hair fluffy and soft from a fresh shower. Exquisite brows, a straight nose, full lips—every single one of his features was perfectly proportioned. The only problem was... This face was exactly the same as the face I had seen in the office not too long ago. —He was Preston Sterling! The moment I realized this, I panicked and slammed the 'End Call' button. 3 Water was still dripping from the ends of my hair, but I didn't have time to care. My mind was consumed by one thought— My online boyfriend was actually my strict, unsmiling boss, Preston Sterling?! This was absurd and ridiculous. But the truth was staring me right in the face, and I had no choice but to believe it. I tried to search through the past for clues, but the shock of "Preston is my online boyfriend" was too massive. My brain simply couldn't process anything else. In my anxiety, my brain conjured up an even more terrifying question. —Did he see me? Logically, even if he did, it shouldn't matter. After all, I had never interacted with him at the office; he probably didn't even know what I looked like. But what if? What if we bumped into each other at the office one day, and my cover was completely blown? I was restless, filled with panic and unease. Preston, who had been abruptly hung up on, was clearly not having a good time either. He sent a barrage of messages. [Baby, why did you hang up?] [Did you press the wrong button?] [I thought you wanted to see what I looked like, so I answered... I didn't mean to offend you.] [Baby, are... are you not happy with how I look?] [I just got out of the shower, so I might not look my best. Let me send you a few more pictures.] [Image] [Image] [Image] [This is how I usually look. Does this look a little better?] [Baby, do you like them?] If, a moment ago, I still harbored a sliver of hope that "Maybe I saw it wrong, maybe my online boyfriend isn't Preston," this moment completely crushed it. Because the candid photos he sent were undeniably Preston himself. Sitting in a conference room in a tailored suit, looking out from a mountaintop in a black windbreaker, leaping for a dunk in a #23 basketball jersey... Every single one was him. Every single one was Preston. I was losing my mind! He seemed to be losing it too, sending a voice memo that sounded almost like a whimper: "Baby, please don't ignore me. You're scaring me." A shiver ran down my spine. If I previously thought his pouting and whining was cute... Now that I knew he was the cold, untouchable Preston Sterling, it made my skin crawl. How could the contrast be this extreme? At the office, he was unsmiling, strictly professional. But in private... in private, he was shamelessly needy... I slowly typed: [Did you see me?] He was very excited. [I did!] [A super gorgeous girl!] "..." I was just contemplating how good I could possibly look from the fatal angle of having wet hair plastered to my face, when he sent another message. [But I didn't see clearly.] [I only saw baby's little chin and little nose. So cute, I want to kiss them.] [Did baby just wash her hair?] [Make sure you blow-dry your hair, okay? Otherwise, you'll catch a cold, and my heart will ache for you.] "..." This was a true test of my psychological fortitude. Using blow-drying my hair as an excuse, I paused this excruciating conversation. The hairdryer hummed loudly. I scrolled through my chat history with my online boyfriend, still finding it hard to believe that this person was Preston. Maybe someone was impersonating him? It wasn't uncommon for people to use other people's photos for online dating. Clinging to that last shred of hope, I opened a chat with a coworker. [Hey bestie, are you in a group chat with Preston?] [Can you take a screenshot of his WhatsApp profile for me?] My coworker replied: [I don't dare. That group is full of top executives.] "..." I offered a bribe: [I'll buy you breakfast for a week.] She still hesitated: [What if I accidentally 'nudge' Mr. Sterling? I'd be completely screwed.] I upped the ante: [I'll cover lunch too.] Only then did she muster the courage to send me the screenshot. The CEO's profile picture, nickname, WhatsApp ID, and even his location matched my online boyfriend's exactly. My online boyfriend was Preston. Preston was my online boyfriend. The moment I fully accepted this, despair washed over me. At the same time, I was deeply confused. How dare he use his main account for online dating? Preston, emboldened by my silence, sent another message. It was a few pictures, a virtual fashion show. [Baby, I changed into my clothes for Saturday. Which outfit do you think looks best?] I suddenly remembered, we were supposed to meet in person this Saturday. Today was already Thursday. Which meant I only had Friday to make things clear with him. Break up. I had to break up immediately! 4 Having decided to break up, I began to carefully choose my words. I couldn't just tell him the real reason, but breaking up out of the blue would definitely make him suspicious. After thinking it over, I decided to use the video call as an excuse. I typed coldly: [I don't want to meet anymore.] [What's wrong?] Even through the screen, I could feel his cautious anxiety. I replied: [You're not my type.] Preston panicked: [Then what type does baby like? Tell me, and I'll work hard to become that, okay?] [No.] [User is typing...] stayed at the top of the screen for a long time. A pang of guilt flashed through my heart, but remembering the Preston who sexually harassed female subordinates, I hardened my resolve. [Let's just break up.] [No!] [I won't break up!] [I don't agree!] He sent messages one after another. Seeing that I wasn't replying, he directly initiated a video call. He wouldn't have done this before. He was a man who understood boundaries. Even if he wanted to make a voice call, he would always ask if it was convenient first. He was desperate. But so was I. I was terrified I wouldn't be able to break up with him, and even more terrified my secret would be exposed. In my panic, I simply deleted his WhatsApp contact. The world was finally quiet. That was probably the one good thing about online dating. As long as you deleted the other person's contact info, it was as if they had never existed in your life, leaving no trace behind. I set the silent phone aside. Staring at the black screen, I felt like crying. How did it end up like this? How could my online boyfriend be the hypocritical Preston Sterling? He even used to curse himself out with me. Did he not realize he was insulting himself? For a moment, I wanted to read through our chat history again. But when I picked up my phone, I remembered I had already deleted him. I lay in bed clutching the empty phone, closing my eyes, trying to sleep away the melancholy of a breakup. But I couldn't sleep at all. My mind was full of him. I met him on a first-person shooter game. It was a classic "hero saving the damsel" scenario. He showed up right when I was getting cursed out by my teammates. He took out the hidden enemies with a couple of shots, revived my injured character, and then verbally destroyed the teammate who wouldn't stop spewing garbage. Although he was cursing too. But my stunned brain was left with only one thought: He looks so cool when he curses! After the game ended, I immediately DM'd him: [Can we play together again sometime?] He coldly rejected: [No.] I thought fate ended there, but who would have thought I'd get matched with him a second time. I followed him around like a little tail. He probably got annoyed, and finally relented, agreeing to play with me in the future. From meeting in the game to falling in love in reality, all those sweet memories weren't fake. I stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. Why did he have to be Preston? 5 I didn't sleep well all night, and I was still exhausted when I got to work the next day. My coworker at the next desk, Kelly, was practically buzzing. She rolled her chair over to me: "Wake up! The CEO is at the office again today!" My eyes widened: "Doesn't he only come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays?" "Who knows," Kelly shrugged. "It's his family's company, he can come whenever he wants." "But according to Maya from the executive suite," Kelly whispered conspiratorially, "Mr. Sterling's mood is incredibly foul today. The whole company is on high alert. Best not to get on his bad side." I nodded cautiously. As she rolled her chair away, I couldn't help but wonder, did Preston come to the office because of me? Although it sounded a bit arrogant, I was still worried. Would he recognize me? Probably not, right? I racked my brain trying to remember our past conversations, struggling to determine if I had ever let slip any identifying details. It was then I felt a wave of regret. I deleted him too early. I should have just blocked him. At least if I blocked him, I could still see our chat history. I could have analyzed the chat logs to see if I had dropped any hints. That way I'd have some evidence to base my worries on. I spent the entire morning on edge, but nothing happened. I silently comforted myself not to be too paranoid, and went to the company cafeteria for lunch with my colleagues. Unexpectedly, Preston was there too. He sat in a prime spot on the second floor, resting his chin on one hand, overlooking the entire dining area. Like he was looking for someone, or more specifically, looking for me. I instinctively hid behind Kelly, concealing the chin and nose he had seen last night, terrified of being recognized. Kelly looked bewildered: "What's wrong?" I made an excuse: "Chris is over there, he's annoying." Chris was a male colleague who had hit on me. Or rather, it wasn't hitting on me, it was relentless stalking. Kelly knew I found him annoying too, and like a mother hen protecting her chick, she stood in front of me: "Don't worry, I'll protect you." I kept my head down the entire time, only letting Preston see the top of my head. I thought I'd get away with it, but halfway through lunch, every employee received an email from the executive suite. A survey on "Ineffective Overtime." My colleagues whispered about how the department heads' performative overtime yesterday must have angered the CEO, and quickly clicked the link to fill out the survey. I followed suit, dutifully entering my name and department. The survey redirected to a new page. My eyes instantly locked onto a required question that had absolutely nothing to do with the survey's content. Username for First-Person Shooter Game. The colleagues around me were confused, muttering about why they had to fill this out. I, however, broke out in a cold sweat. I thought, Preston knows! It turned out he really was that sharp. From just a few sentences, he had deduced that I was in his company, and wanted to use this opportunity to draw me out. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. I made up a fake game username, randomly selected a few answers, and submitted the survey. The cafeteria was noisy with chatter. I silently told myself not to panic. Preston didn't know who I was yet, at least I could buy some time. I ate my lunch clinging to that hope. After the lunch break, Maya from the executive suite messaged me. [Aria, come upstairs. Mr. Sterling wants to see you.] "..." In that moment. The heart that had been hanging in suspense, finally died. 6 Even though I knew there was a high probability that my cover was blown, I still wanted to make a final, desperate struggle. Before leaving, I put on a face mask. Maya met me by the elevator. Seeing me wearing a mask, she paused: "Do you have a cold?" I nodded: "I don't want to pass it to Mr. Sterling." "That makes sense." She led me all the way to the CEO's office door. I tried several times to glean what this was about from her expression, but she only gave me a sympathetic look. My shoulders slumped in defeat. She comforted me: "Maybe it's good news." I thought bitterly, what good news could possibly make Preston seek me out? This was skipping way too many levels of management. There was only one possibility. Online dating. I gathered my shattered emotions, thinking the worst that could happen was death, and pushed open the door with a sense of fatalistic relief. Inside, Preston was brewing tea. His suit jacket was carelessly tossed over the armrest of the sofa. He had his sleeves rolled up and his collar open, slowly and methodically handling a white jade teacup. Suddenly, he looked up at me, his gaze lingering: "Why the mask?" I faked a cough: "I have a slight cold." "Perfect," he said, raising the teacup toward me. "Tangerine peel soothes the throat. Try some." "..." For a moment, I really couldn't tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic. I asked cautiously: "Did you need to see me about something, Mr. Sterling?" He casually set down his teacup: "Aria, I hear you're quite popular in your department?" I answered conservatively: "I guess so." "Then can you help me clear up a rumor?" Preston stared at me intently. Being stared at like that, I had the inexplicable illusion that he could see right through me. I instinctively touched the mask on my face. Still there, thank goodness. I asked: "What rumor?" "Sexually harassing a female subordinate." He said reasonably, "People in your department seem to have a misunderstanding about me. I wasn't the reason for Lily's resignation." In an instant, I thought of a possibility I had never considered before. If Preston harassing a female subordinate was false, could it be that the female subordinate tried to seduce him, failed, and then falsely accused him? Preston's answer confirmed my suspicion. He tossed his phone in front of me: "If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself. Honestly, I feel quite wronged about this." On the phone was Lily, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. She was apologizing and clarifying, saying she had a moment of madness and tried to seduce the CEO, and that she shouldn't have thrown dirty water on him... I didn't want to listen anymore and hung up the phone. Preston was drinking tea again. He said: "She only told you this, but I'm not sure how many people you passed it on to. I hope you can clear my name." I thought, I only told one person. That was my online boyfriend, which was the person sitting in front of me. Preston asked: "Can you handle this?" "Yes." I answered sheepishly. The anxiety I had before entering the office was gradually smoothed over by this bizarre conversation. I thought, Preston probably didn't know who I was yet. He just guessed his online boyfriend was in our department, but he still needed to investigate exactly who it was. He sought me out just to have me clear up the rumor. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness. "Let's add each other on WhatsApp then," he suddenly said. My eyes widened: "Huh?" He smiled, his eyes curving: "Don't I have the right to be updated on your progress?" "Y-yes." In my panic, I hurriedly logged into my alt WhatsApp account and scanned his QR code. Seeing the familiar profile picture reappear in the chat window, I felt an indescribable emotion. Preston also stared at my alt account's profile picture for a few seconds. Finally, he smiled and said: "Looks good. You can go back to work." That day passed relatively peacefully. At night, I lay in bed. Staring at Preston's profile picture in the chat window, I zoned out. If the video call accident hadn't happened, what would we be chatting about right now? About meeting up, right? After all, we were supposed to meet tomorrow. He would repeatedly tell me the time and place for tomorrow's date. He would nervously recount what he was going to wear tomorrow, what we were going to eat tomorrow, what we were going to do together tomorrow. He would use actions to tell me how excited he was. More cheesily, he would say he was going to kiss me to death when we met tomorrow. I immersed myself in this beautiful fantasy, but was suddenly defeated by cold reality. He was Preston. Even if he was no longer a hypocritical boss, he was still my boss. Rather than finding out the truth at the moment of meeting and panicking, it was better that this video accident led to an early breakup. I repeated "early breakup is better" to myself and decisively tossed my phone aside to sleep. I slept until 10:30 the next morning. This was the time I had agreed to meet him. I had no intention of going, and idly scrolled through my phone. Suddenly, Preston updated his WhatsApp status. The picture was of the cafe where we agreed to meet. His caption: [Waiting for you.]
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