It was day three of the silent treatment from Luke. I had typed out a long, pathetic apology text, ready to hit send. Then I walked into the breakroom and saw him sharing a single lollipop with the new intern. The intern, Summer, was giggling, daring me to go confess my love to the icy, untouchable CEO of our company. I thought Luke would stop her. He was my boyfriend, after all. Instead, he looked at me in front of the entire staff and smirked. "Go ahead. Who knows? Maybe the big boss will actually like you. Consider it climbing the social ladder." He leaned back, his eyes cold. "Don't worry, I won't cling to you. After all, if it works, we’ll all have to call you Mrs. Sterling!" Suddenly, a row of neon text floated across my vision like a live stream chat: [The male lead is sick in the head. Who says that in front of everyone?] [Ugh, why is our male lead such a toxic tsundere? The heroine just needs to coddle him, and he’ll take her back!] [I’m so over this two-faced man. Girl, look at the CEO! He’s been in love with you for years. He only transferred to this branch for you!] [The CEO is 6'3", has an eight-pack, and is totally devoted. You dump this loser, and the CEO will be kissing away your tears in five minutes!] I stared at the floating text, then at Luke’s mocking face. I adjusted the strap of my black dress. "Fine. I'll try it." I looked around the room. "If I succeed, everyone gets a raise!" 1 This was the ninety-ninth time Luke had given me the silent treatment. I had my apology script ready. I was always the one to fold. Then I saw Summer, the new intern, using a "status report" as an excuse to stare at the candy in Luke's mouth. "Luke," she asked, blinking her doe eyes. "What flavor is that?" Luke put down his pen, took the lollipop out, and glanced at it. "Strawberry." "Can I taste it?" she asked innocently. Luke paused. Before he could answer, she snatched it from his hand and popped it into her mouth. Luke, seemingly slow on the uptake, asked, "Is it sweet?" She pulled it out, blushing. "Super sweet." I turned around, walked downstairs to the convenience store, bought a bag of one hundred lollipops, came back, and shoved them into Summer’s hands. "Next time you're hungry, tell me. I'll buy you your own. You don't need to snatch food from someone else's boyfriend's mouth." The entire office went dead silent. Everyone looked over. Summer turned bright red. But Luke slammed his hand on the desk, standing up to defend her. "It's just a piece of candy, Sarah. Why do you have to be so aggressive?" "You haven't even finished the proposal I gave you yesterday, but you have time to be jealous?" "You've been here three years with no promotion. You're incompetent. Honestly, I’m embarrassed to tell people you’re my girlfriend!" Seeing Luke take her side, Summer dropped the embarrassment and smirked. "Sarah isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but you shouldn't be so mean, Luke." "You can just do her work for her. You did mine when I couldn't finish it, remember?" Luke sat back down, crossing his legs, looking at me with pure disdain. "She’s different from you. You're new; she's a veteran employee." "If a veteran employee can't create value for the company, she should just be fired." I stood there, frozen, feeling like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. 2 My work performance wasn't bad. I used to be a star in the Sales Department at HQ. I only transferred to Planning at this branch because Luke begged me to. He said he didn't want to work at the same company but feel like we were in a long-distance relationship. I had only joined the Planning Department a month before Summer. Summer leaned against Luke’s desk, grinning at me. "Office romances are so cute. In those CEO novels I read, when the innocent heroine can't finish her work, her boss boyfriend does it for her." "And for every task he finishes, she has to give him a kiss as a reward!" Luke scoffed, but there was a smile playing on his lips. "Uninstall those trashy apps, Summer. What kind of nonsense are you reading?" Summer stuck out her tongue. "Is it nonsense? Then why did you ask me for a reward last time you helped me?" I stood there, feeling like I’d been slapped in public. Angry, humiliated, and numb. Actually, the reason for this current cold war was also Summer. A few days ago, Luke and Summer went on a business trip together. It was Luke’s birthday, so I FaceTimed him. At midnight. Summer answered the phone. "Sarah? Luke is in the shower. What do you want?" My blood ran cold. "It's midnight. Why are you in his room?" Summer frowned, feigning innocence. "It’s not like that, it’s just..." She turned away from the camera. "Luke! Sarah is on the phone. She sounds mad. She wants to know why we're together. You better explain it!" A second later, Luke appeared on screen, wearing a bathrobe, towel-drying his hair. "Sarah, relax. The showerhead in Summer's room broke. I went to fix it, got soaked, and just took a shower here." "You have no idea how great Summer was today. She handled some insane demands from the client. I really owe her dinner." Summer tugged at his sleeve. "I told you, no need. Just take me on the next trip!" Luke looked down at her, his eyes softening in a way they never did for me anymore. "Deal. You’re smart and capable. You save me so much trouble." Summer giggled. "See? Now you know how important I am." "I know, I know. You’re my best student." They flirted right in front of me, completely forgetting I was on the line. Finally, Luke remembered me. "Right, why did you call?" I hesitated, clutching the gift I had bought. "Luke, Happy Birth—" "Happy Birthday, Boss! Surprise!" Summer cut me off. On the screen, she wheeled out a cart. A massive three-tier cake covered in rose petals, a gift box, and a bottle of expensive wine. "Open it! Look!" She shoved the box into his hands. Luke opened it. It was a Louis Vuitton wallet. The exact one he’d been eyeing for months. I looked down at the identical wallet in my hand. I stayed silent and hung up the phone. 3 When Luke got back from the trip, he saw the wallet I left on his desk. That’s when he realized why I had called. Unfortunately, he was already using the one Summer gave him. "If it was a birthday gift, why didn't you tell me sooner?" "If you had said something, I wouldn't have accepted Summer's." "Now Summer knows you got the same thing, and she feels terrible. She’s been apologizing non-stop, saying she didn't mean to upstage you." "There are rumors flying around that she’s trying to seduce me. Did you start those?" "If you keep targeting her like this, Sarah, don't blame me if I break up with you!" For the first time, I didn't want to explain myself. So, the silent treatment began. To punish me for not groveling, Luke had decided to humiliate me in the breakroom. It was lunch hour. Colleagues were filtering back in. Someone heard the tail end of the argument and joked, "Luke, aren't you afraid Sarah will dump you if you keep defending the intern?" Luke snorted, looking supremely confident. "Let her dump me. I'm not scared." "She chased me, remember? I didn't chase her." The guys laughed. "True that. In love, whoever cares more loses." My eyes stung. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. I looked down, blinking back tears. Not here, I told myself. Not at work. But Summer wasn't done. She poked Luke’s arm with a manicured finger. "I heard Sarah used to be the Prom Queen at State University!" "She's so charming. Why doesn't she try confessing to the Big Boss? Hunter Sterling?" "Unless... Luke would get jealous?" My head snapped up. Hunter Sterling. Our CEO. Cold, distant, terrifying. He was on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list. Rumor had it he was allergic to women. Or maybe he was gay. A girl once tried to ask him out; she was fired the next day and left the building in tears. Summer was trying to get me fired. Some of Luke's cronies chimed in. "That’s a great idea! Mr. Sterling is a State alum too!" "I wanna see if the Prom Queen can melt the Ice King!" "Oh god, if she fails, she's definitely getting pink-slipped." Summer beamed. "Don't worry! Sarah has such a great body. If she offers herself up, Mr. Sterling might not date her, but he’ll probably keep her around for... other things. He won't fire her!" A female colleague frowned. "That’s too much. Even if office dating isn't banned, Sarah is Luke's girlfriend." Summer covered her mouth, acting shocked. "Oops! You're right! Forget I said anything!" I used the last shred of my sanity to look at Luke. He was smart. He had to hear the malice in her voice. Instead, he shrugged. "What does it matter?" "If the boss actually wants her, she’s hitting the jackpot." "Don't worry. I won't stand in your way. Heck, we’ll all have to call you Mrs. Sterling!" 4 Laughter erupted around the room. They were certain I’d be rejected. I was furious, humiliated, and ready to scream. But then, the glowing text appeared again. [Male lead is engaging in self-sabotage again. He loves her to death but acts like a jerk!] [Sarah, listen to me! He's been stalking your Instagram for days. Just apologize like usual, and he’ll fold immediately!] [Apologize for what?! Our girl did nothing wrong! This insecurity king needs to go!] [Seriously, look at Hunter Sterling. He’s been secretly in love with you since college. Remember the Hiking Club?] [He still keeps the group photo from that mountain trip in his wallet. You break up with Luke, and Hunter will be worshiping the ground you walk on.] I widened my eyes at the red text. The CEO... has a crush on me? Before I could process this, Summer tugged at Luke’s sleeve again. "Sarah isn't saying anything. Is she chicken?" "I guess the rumors are true. She’s obsessed with you, Luke." "Those kinds of women are so annoying. Like gum stuck to your shoe. You'll never get rid of her." Luke raised an eyebrow, soaking up the ego boost. "What can I do? She’s been obsessed since college." "Honestly, there were plenty of girls better than her chasing me. I only agreed to date her because she wore me down." "But she's getting annoying lately. Always starting cold wars." "Let her confess to the boss. She needs a reality check. Maybe then she’ll stop making a scene over nothing." Summer grinned, bumping his shoulder. "If Sarah succeeds, maybe you should date me instead. I'm not clingy!" Luke laughed. "Sure!" He glanced at me. "But I doubt she can bring herself to leave me." I knew his game. He was pushing me to the edge, waiting for me to break and beg for forgiveness. I was an orphan. I lived with my aunt, who was kind, but my uncle hated me. I learned to be useful, to be quiet, to be diligent. I desperately wanted a home of my own. Luke had introduced me to his mom and sister. They were wonderful. They sent me homemade pickles and knitted scarves. I wanted to marry him to keep them. To keep that feeling of family. Luke used that against me. But I heard his mother divorced his father because of infidelity. I didn't want to be her. I clenched my fists. "Fine. I'll do it." "If I succeed, everyone gets a raise." 5 The smile froze on Luke's face. His eyes turned dark. The chat went wild. [Hahaha! Karma! That’s what you get for being arrogant!] [Good job, Sarah! My blood pressure just went down seeing the look on his face!] [Hunter is infinitely better. Rich, handsome, and actually respects boundaries. He knew she had a boyfriend, so he just watched from afar.] [Though... he's not that pure. He definitely does things to her photos at night...] The comments were making me blush. I marched to the CEO's office before I could lose my nerve. Knock knock. "Come in." Hunter’s voice was deep and magnetic. I pushed the heavy oak door open, leaving it slightly ajar so the nosy crowd behind me could see. Hunter was in a black suit, signing documents. He looked up, glanced at me, looked down, then his head snapped back up. His eyes widened slightly. His Adam's apple bobbed. He sat up straight, put down his pen, and looked at me with an intensity that made my knees weak. "Yes?" I stared at the collar of his crisp white shirt, too nervous to meet his eyes. "Um, Mr. Sterling..." "I... I like you. Will you... go out with me?" Hunter froze. He glanced at the crowd peeking through the crack in the door. The spectators scattered. Hunter interlaced his fingers behind his head and leaned back. His sharp, almond-shaped eyes locked onto mine. "It's lunch hour." "Did you lose a bet with your colleagues?" "Tell me what the game is. I'll go win it back for you." I swallowed hard and finally looked at his face. He was gorgeous. At least 6'2", chiseled jaw, an aura of old money. If I had really met him in college, how could I have forgotten him? The chat said we were in a Hiking Club together. Why did I have zero memory of that? Outside, people were whispering. "See? He's giving her an out." "If she keeps going, she's getting fired." My palms were sweating. Could I trust the floating text? But I was already here. No turning back. "It's not a game. I really like you. Please date me!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387264", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel