I chased Jaxon for ten years, cleaning up after his endless parade of girlfriends, until this time. I had a conflict with a girl in the restroom, and Jaxon rushed in with his entourage of friends. After examining the minor injuries on Avery’s body, Jaxon stood up, his face ice-cold: "Stella, apologize to her." 1 I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. The women’s restroom. It was packed with Jaxon and his frat-bro friends. The girls outside were too scared to come in, and the crowd stared at me with eyes full of mockery or secondhand embarrassment. I shook the water off my hands and explained calmly, "I didn't push her." There were no cameras in the restroom, and this girl was clearly banking on that. Avery offered a bitter, fragile smile, gently tugging at Jaxon’s sleeve. "It really was me being careless." "Stella, I’ll say it one more time—apologize!" Jaxon roared, grabbing my arm. In my twenty-five years of life, my dignity had never been trampled on like this. One of his friends stepped forward, looking uncomfortable. "Jaxon, come on, this is Stella..." "What makes you think she’s any different?" Jaxon raised his voice, glaring dead at me. "She’s just a dog!" The blood in my veins seemed to freeze instantly. Memories wrapped in raw emotion flooded my mind. The insecurities and terrors that kept me awake on countless late nights finally materialized, slapping me hard across the face. A few girls whispered among themselves; some even suppressed a laugh. Jaxon’s friends, who had always disliked me, were secretly gloating. I stared at the face in front of me, a tidal wave of bitter sorrow overturning in my chest. When someone tried to intervene and break up the fight, Jaxon refused to let me go. I lowered my eyes, clenched my left fist, and slapped him across the face as hard as I could! 2 Jaxon froze. My eyes were red as I looked straight through him. Leaning in close, I whispered, "I’m a dog? Then you’re a son of a b*tch." 3 Jaxon and I grew up together as childhood friends. Our family backgrounds used to be evenly matched. When we were ten, his family fell from grace. His father was sentenced to prison, and from then on, he lived with my family. Because I liked him, I was always chasing after him, catering to his every need. You could say that the crushing inferiority he felt from the world’s cruelty back then was slowly healed by my daily, unwavering devotion. Gradually, his silence shifted from submissive to aloof. Years later, his father was released from prison. With the help of my dad and several old connections, he made a triumphant return to Wall Street, reclaiming his empire. And Jaxon? He became the untouchable, high-and-mighty golden boy. Jaxon’s mother had poor health and had been living in an expensive sanatorium for years. The only way he and his mother survived those dark years was entirely through us, definitely not from his father’s frozen assets. So when I told him he was a son of a b*tch raised by me, I wasn't bullying him. I was stating a fact. Jaxon’s eyes went wide, his breathing turning ragged. "Stella, that’s going too far, don't you think?" Off to the side, Carter Evans couldn't help but frown. "Blackmailing Jaxon all these years using the favor your parents did for him as a kid—isn't it time to drop it? Besides, how clean are you, really?" A sharp jolt shot through my brain. I shot a lethal glare at Carter. Jaxon’s face changed in a rare display of panic. He opened his mouth to speak. I stared dead at Carter. "What do you mean by that?" Carter smirked, an arrogant, careless look on his face. He exchanged a glance with the guys around him, and suddenly, they all looked at me with cold, disdainful mockery. They... what did they know? 4 I stared fixedly at the man in front of me. It made sense now. He knew exactly what I cared about, exactly where it hurt the most, which was why he deliberately twisted the knife there. Avery stepped forward. "Jaxon, let it go." Jaxon stood completely still. Carter, seeing that this drama was about to be brushed over, yelled out like he was enjoying a show: "Jaxon, you aren't gonna say it? Fine, I’ll say it! This girl, Stella, started off using childhood favors to chain you down. Then, she gets assaulted, you play the hero and save her, and she uses that to leech off you forever! Have you ever seen someone so shameless?!" Boom. If earlier I only suspected Jaxon didn't love me, in this moment, I was absolutely certain of it. He hated me. The scene from the past flashed before my eyes. I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath, but my entire body felt like it was about to collapse. Assaulted? Is that how he understood it? Is that how he told the story to everyone else? The restroom fell into chaotic whispers. A crack appeared in Jaxon’s expression. He tried to grab me, but I dodged. Bending over, I could barely catch my breath. In a spot where Jaxon couldn't see, Avery shot me a triumphant, gloating look. It seemed she knew about it too. I licked my dry lips and picked up my purse. As I brushed past Jaxon, my eyes were bloodshot. I couldn't help it. Being bitten by the wolf pup I raised with my own hands actually hurt. I gave him one last look, offering a faint smile as I pulled out my phone, blocked and deleted every single contact method I had for him, and dropped the phone back into my bag. "I won't apologize. You deserve each other. May we never meet again." 5 Jaxon and I shared the exact same social circle, overlapping from childhood to the present day. When we were kids, we went to the same elite prep school. In high school, we shared the same AP Physics and Calculus classes. Even setting aside our parents' business ties, the shared history of growing up together meant our lives were deeply intertwined. So even though I deleted him, I knew avoiding him completely and blocking out all news of him would be impossible. I went home. I slept for two days. When I finally checked my phone, I saw comforting messages from my best friend, Gia, mocking texts from Jaxon’s friends, and passive-aggressive posts from trust-fund kids in my feed. And, of course, Avery’s latest Instagram post: "I knew you would protect me." The photo showed Jaxon’s large hand tightly gripping her delicate, pale fingers. A classic aesthetic of strength and vulnerability. This time, I felt absolutely nothing. I drove to work, only to run straight into Avery in the lobby. Dressed in sharp business attire but sporting a fragile, doe-eyed look, she was brought to my office by the HR manager for orientation. I froze, flipping through her file. "Who authorized bringing her into the company?" The HR manager looked incredibly awkward. "Mr. Brooks arranged for her to join. He asked that you mentor her and familiarize her with our operations. She’s... assigned to you." After Richard Brooks was released from prison, my father naturally went into business with him. This company was a joint venture between our families. It was meant for our mutual benefit, and also to lay the groundwork for my future marriage to Jaxon. Now, Jaxon held the title of CEO, and I was the Vice President. He had blatantly planted his new girlfriend right under my nose. Avery lowered her head. "My family is going through a tough time, and my last job didn't work out. I had to bother Jaxon for a favor. Ms. Wright, where should I start?" The girl's eyes shimmered with feigned innocence, but the undisguised thrill of victory leaked through. I dropped the file on my desk. I originally thought that after vowing never to see Jaxon again, I’d just resign, hire a professional to manage my shares, and take a long vacation. I didn't expect him to march right up and deliver another slap to my face. He really didn't want me to have a moment of peace, did he? I walked right up to Avery. Her bold demeanor shrank slightly, as if she was terrified I was going to slap her. But she was too disgusting. I didn't even have the desire to touch her. I gave a short laugh. "You can start by packing your things and getting the hell out." "This company changes ownership next month... Consider yourself fired." With that, I walked around her and headed out. It took Avery a few seconds to process what happened. She frowned and yelled, "Jaxon won't allow this!" I turned my head and replied, "Him? He’s just a dog my family used to feed. Who does he think he is?" 6 There were a lot of people around, and I was sure many heard it and would pass it along to Jaxon. Good. Once I stepped into the elevator, all the energy drained from my body. Ten years of feelings. Even if I poured my heart into an abyss without a single echo, we didn't have to draw blades against each other. But remembering what Jaxon said to me that day, even as I logically told myself to remain dignified and composed, the sour grief still surged violently upward, making me tremble. "Ahem." The elevator stopped on the third underground parking level. Accompanied by a cough from behind, I realized in shock that there was someone else in the car. My eyes widened as I looked back. A man was casually leaning against the elevator wall, holding a coffee by the rim with a few fingers. He tilted his head and looked at me. "Excuse me?" I was blocking the door. I didn't recognize him until he walked out. Dominic Evans. The professional executive manager I had hired. My subordinate. I hoped to God he hadn't heard my meltdown. 7 Jaxon showed up at my door faster than I expected. He completely ignored my authority, forcing Avery to take a desk right outside my office. The very next day, she personally delivered a stack of documents to me. "Hurry up. The CEO is waiting," Avery said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, looking both arrogant and aloof. I threw the files directly in her face. Following Avery's dramatic screams, crying, and the shocked stares of the entire office, Jaxon stormed in. The veins on his forehead were pulsing. "Stella, I gave you an inch and you took a mile! What is your problem? She’s my person, how dare you touch her?" I was so angry I actually laughed. I didn't want to argue in front of the whole office about what our "relationship" actually was after all those years of me catering to him and his refusal to set boundaries. It was too degrading. I stood up. Before the real confrontation began, a figure walked over and knocked on the door. Dominic stepped in, handed me a file, and glanced at Avery. He said smoothly, "The CEO assigning subordinates to the VP without her approval is quite inappropriate. Internal warfare among top executives makes a lot of noise. It’s bound to alarm the Board of Directors." He gave a faint smile and looked at Jaxon. "Given VP Wright’s temper, if you try to force someone on her, you’ve got to use corporate protocol. Otherwise, she won't just be throwing files. What if she decides to throw acid next time?" I didn't know if his tone was just too casual, but a few people nearby actually struggled to hold back their laughter, their faces twitching before they regained their composure. The underlying message was clear: If Jaxon wanted to make me look bad, he had to go through our parents. He only dared to throw tantrums in private because he didn't have the guts for a real corporate war. Jaxon froze for a second, about to erupt. I stared at Dominic’s devastatingly handsome face and hooked my arm through his. "I’m not entirely sure about this section of the report. Come over here and walk me through it. As for the rest of you, what are you waiting for? If you force a person I didn't hire to stay here, you’ll have to start worrying about her physical safety. As for her, does she want a job, or does she want her dignity? You pick for her, Jaxon." Both Avery and Jaxon looked shocked. One was pale with anger. The other stared darkly at my hand linked through Dominic’s arm. Jaxon left. Before he walked out, he sneered at me and whispered, "Stella, are you absolutely sure you want to escalate this to our parents?" I sat down. It felt like someone had fired a bullet straight into my chest. Bang. Flesh and blood flying everywhere. 8 My family did indeed owe Jaxon an immense debt of gratitude, but that was strictly limited to the time before his father was released from prison. Before his father went to prison, my family was not as wealthy as the Brooks family. After he got out, within six or seven years, Richard Brooks dominated Wall Street once again. Business naturally has its ups and downs. One day, my mom said to me, "Things have been tough these past few years. Thank God we still have your relationship with Jaxon to lean on." Looking at the wrinkles that seemed to have appeared on her face out of nowhere, the urge to pour out my grievances was instantly sealed shut. "You’re so lucky, Stella. After what you went through, Jaxon still doesn't look down on you. Child, you need to learn to be content." I couldn't utter a single word. A massive, gaping hole tore open in my chest, the cold wind howling through, bleeding endlessly. That incident. How did it suddenly become my fault? Especially when Jaxon knew exactly what really happened. 9 The tension between Jaxon and me finally reached its breaking point. That night, there was a high-society gala. Everyone in our circle was attending. Even Jaxon’s father stepped off a plane and headed straight there. I was dreading it. Working late at the office, I delayed going, until Dominic, who was sitting nearby, glanced at his watch. "It's almost time. Aren't you going to change into your dress?" He had these captivating, peach-blossom eyes that seemed to naturally flirt with everyone he looked at. Yet, when he worked, he was cold, composed, and decisive. He constantly switched between being an illusion and a harsh reality. Dominic looked up, glancing at the designer dress box. "Dusty pink. It’ll look good on you." I had been anxious all night, but suddenly I froze. My plus-one for the gala was supposed to be Jaxon. But a few minutes ago, my assistant texted me saying Jaxon and Avery had already gone inside together and had met up with Richard Brooks. All my business partners were in there. The genuine ones, the fake ones, the ones hoping for an alliance between me and Jaxon, and the ones waiting for me to fail—they were all inside. It wasn't that I didn't have best friends, but most of them weren't in this elite circle. As for my parents... given our background, how many people really look out purely for their children? I knew exactly what was going to happen tonight, and yet I had no choice but to go. My mind drifted back to when I was thirteen. A gala hosted by my family. Jaxon was dressed immaculately, but he refused to enter the main banquet hall. He sat by the swimming pool in my backyard. I found him and told him to come inside. His eyes were ice-cold. "No need. Those people inside just want to see me as a joke." I marched up and hugged his arm tightly. "I want to see who dares to laugh at my Jaxon!" I had already been a simp for him for two years. He had always been freezing cold. That was probably one of the very few times I actually moved him. In that moment, the pool rippled under the early summer sun. Jaxon looked down at me in surprise, and in his eyes, I saw the reflection of my own face—flushed red, carrying the unique mix of shyness and bravery only a young girl possesses. Jaxon went inside. After that, his attitude remained frosty. But on the day we went back to school, I forgot to bring milk. He pulled a carton out of his backpack and handed it to me. He had kept it in an insulated bag, and it was still warm. Jaxon placed his hand on the top of my head and said softly, "Drink it." Because moments where he was genuinely good to me were so incredibly rare, I took those tiny details and analyzed them over and over again throughout the years. And then, bit by bit, they were shattered by his current coldness and ruthlessness, until there was nothing left. I forced myself to stand up and sent Jaxon one last text message: "Jaxon, are you truly going to cut ties with me?" Jaxon replied with a voice memo. "I just proposed to Avery. We are even now. Stop harassing me." Harassing. Heh. Seeing me smile with such deep sorrow, the man beside me propped his head on his hand and watched me for a long time. Finally, he draped his jacket over my shoulders. "If you’re tired, take a breather before we go. Stella, there's no rush." My name had a repetitive sound to it. In that moment, I didn't want to overthink whether he called me by a nickname. I sat down. I didn't cry. I just sat in total silence for five minutes. Waiting for the blood to rush away and then flood back into my heart. I finally gave up.
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