When Christian broke up with me for the nth time, I was pulling an all-nighter for my annual performance review. "Chloe, I'm giving you twenty minutes. Get to the club and apologize, or we're done." I instantly broke down. "This report is critical for my promotion. Can you pick another day to throw a tantrum?" His tone was light, dismissive. "Tantrum? Looks like your job is more important than me. Fine, let's break up." "Oh, and by the way, I can be pretty petty." "Stopping your promotion is just one phone call away." I slammed the phone down, furious. But suddenly, a stream of floating comments—like a Twitch chat—appeared in front of my eyes. [Does the FL (Female Lead) actually believe his threats? The ML (Male Lead) already secretly approved her promotion. He just wants to surprise her!] [As long as she shows she'd choose him over her career, he'd give her the CEO chair if she asked. He'd never actually ruin her future.] [Avoidant attachment style at its finest. Says 'go away' but means 'hug me tight.' He needs her to cling to him.] [The ML is literally standing outside her door right now, waiting for her to run out and comfort him. This angst is delicious!] I was skeptical, hand hovering over the doorknob to go find him. Then, a WeChat notification popped up. "Heard your promotion is dead in the water, Miss Zhou. Interested in jumping ship?" 1 I stared at the message from a user named "Wings." After racking my brain, I ruled out a prank. Was this Christian using a burner account to test me? No. Christian was too arrogant for that. In our ten-year relationship, I was always the one to cave, to apologize. The drama of me rushing over to beg for forgiveness? We'd rehearsed it a thousand times. My unconditional love had made him fearless. So who was this? The floating comments gave me the answer immediately. [The ML's arch-nemesis is trying to poach her! He overheard the ML on the phone in the club bathroom. He texted the FL the second he walked out. Ruthless.] [The FL isn't just the ML's girlfriend; she's a key player at the company. Julian Gu, the rival CEO, naturally wants to steal talent.] [Let's be real, Julian has been thirsting after the FL for ages. This is personal.] I narrowed my eyes. Julian Gu. My team beat his company, Gu Corp, in the last bidding war. At the after-party, people joked that we should connect. Back then, he didn't even look at me. I stood there, smile freezing on my face, until he finally, coldly, let me scan his QR code. I thought he'd delete me the next day. Turns out, he kept me. But I only half-believed the comments. Christian never hid our relationship, but in public, he treated me with the cold detachment of a superior. To outsiders, I was just a corporate slave making $3,000 a month. Julian loved mocking Christian for it. "Finding a corporate slave who doubles as a free bed-warmer? Christian really is a brilliant businessman." Julian looked down on me. His job offer felt less like an opportunity and more like a way to piss off Christian. I scrolled past his name. Christian's assistant had sent a voice note. "Chloe, please come quick. Mr. Pei is drunk and refuses to leave." He also sent a video of Christian making a scene. I hesitated, about to change clothes, then froze. There she was. Bella, giggling in the background at the 30-second mark. [The ML is pulling this stunt again. Calling the Second Female Lead over just to make the FL jealous.] [He knows she falls for it every time. Scare her a little, and she loses her mind.] [Go to him, girl! I bet my membership on it—if you apologize tonight, he'll be on his knees waiting for you.] [I get the ML. Seeing your partner suffer over a breakup feels so validating. It proves they love you.] I was stunned. The floating text wasn't a hallucination. They called me the FL, and Christian the ML. Christian was exactly as they described—always threatening breakups, waiting for me to salvage things. If I didn't go, he'd get everyone around us to pressure me. But even when I went, he wouldn't soften immediately. Last time, I took a red-eye train just to comfort him. I walked in, exhausted, and he didn't even look at me. Instead, he leaned into Bella. "Who told her to come? I thought you had a backbone. Didn't we break up?" But seconds later, his body betrayed him. He clung to me. That night, he wouldn't let me go. Seven times. The next day, he showered me with bags and trips, overcompensating. I once asked him, "Aren't you afraid I'll run away if you treat me like this?" He buried his face in my neck. "Wifey would never leave me over something so small." "Chloe, as long as you take one step toward me, I'll walk the remaining ninety-nine steps to you." But he didn't know. After being tortured like this repeatedly... I didn't want to take a single step anymore. I was too tired for this exhausting love. Seeing no reply from me, the assistant kept calling. I hesitated. Should I coax him one more time? Then Bella sent a message. "Christian says don't bother coming. He wants me to watch the sunrise with him!" She sent a short video. "Christian, Chloe isn't coming. Is she really breaking up with you?" Christian downed his drink. "We broke up. Don't mention her." "Didn't you want to see the sunrise? Let's go." He glanced at the camera. He knew she was recording. I took a deep breath and threw my phone onto the couch. I turned back to my laptop. Optimizing my PPT. Instead of believing the comments about a secret promotion, I chose to believe in my own competence. I wasn't Christian or Bella, born with a silver spoon. I grew up poor. I had to seize every opportunity myself. 2 Christian didn't come home all night. I didn't sleep a wink. The next morning, I walked into the office with a heavy heart. Christian was already there. Impeccably dressed. Stern face. Radiating the oppressive aura of a CEO. A complete 180 from the childish drunk he was last night. I presented my performance review nervously. When I finished, he applauded with everyone else. His gaze was calm, even friendly. I was confused. Did me ignoring him actually fix things? After the meeting, I noticed a small gift box on everyone's desk. The Finance Director next to me eyes lit up. "Wow, having a CEO boyfriend is nice. You get a promotion, we get gifts?" The admin girl cleared her throat. "This is a welcome gift from the new Executive Assistant." The Finance Director was shocked. "Everyone gets a limited edition perfume as a hello?" "What is this, a new way for rich kids to flex on us peasants?" The admin glanced at me uneasily. She pulled the Finance Director aside. "The new assistant is the only daughter of the Bai Group, our biggest client." "Mr. Pei paid for the gifts. Said he wanted to help his childhood friend make a good impression." Bella. I understood immediately. Bella had always wanted to work at Pei Corp to get close to Christian. The Bai family had proposed a marriage alliance multiple times. Christian had always refused because of me. But after one night, he agreed. And he put her in the CEO's office as his private assistant. A position I, his official girlfriend, wasn't allowed to hold. I tried not to think about what happened between them last night. I opened a file, trying to work. A colleague told me Christian was looking for me. I headed straight to his office. When I walked in, I saw Bella sitting on Christian's desk, her back to me. Her waist, snatched in a pencil skirt, was leaning against Christian's hand. My palms stung. I never thought I'd see Christian intimate with someone else. I coughed lightly. Bella jumped off the desk. Seeing it was me, her smile vanished. She pouted. "You've worked here for years, don't you know how to knock?" I paused. I never knocked when entering Christian's office. "Sorry. Next time you guys are doing something inappropriate, lock the door." Christian, who was expecting me to explode, changed his expression slightly. But he kept his cool. "Did you need something, Mr. Pei?" He replied calmly, "The board decided to put your promotion on hold." Bella shot me a triumphant look. I stared at my shoes. "Mhm." He didn't lie. Just because I didn't baby him last night, he halted my career. It felt like a boulder crushing my chest. My eyes burned. Thanks to the floating comments, I was prepared enough to keep my composure. "Okay. Understood." Silence stretched between us. Dead air. "If you want to fight for it..." I cut him off. "I don't. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." I turned quickly. He called out. "Also, the Project A account. Bella will handle it from now on. Hand it over to her today." I whipped around. "What did you say?" I had spent six months prepping Project A. No days off. The stress was so bad I needed pills to sleep. This project was my hope. I wanted to prove I wasn't just riding Christian's coattails. He knew how much it meant to me. He even helped me get resources behind the scenes. Now, right before the finish line, he was giving it to Bella? "Bella is new. She needs a win to establish herself." "Project A is high profile and almost done. Perfect for her to practice on." I fought back tears. "You know this project is my life." "Why are you doing this to me?" He smiled vindictively. "I told you. I'm petty." "Besides, I'm the boss. I don't need your permission to assign projects." "If you don't like it, you can quit." Bella giggled, covering her mouth. I looked at them coldly. One gloating, one arrogant. Both sure I wouldn't leave. "Fine. I quit." Christian's smile vanished. He stared at me in disbelief. He raised his voice. "Chloe, don't think being my girlfriend gives you the right to throw tantrums." "Don't test me. I will let you go!" I looked him dead in the eye. "Mr. Pei, you seem to forget. We broke up." He choked. Bella, seeing the tension, smirked. She put on a worried act. "Christian, maybe we should forget it. Don't fight because of me." She added provocatively, "I'm so clumsy. What if I ruin Chloe's hard work?" He patted Bella's head indulgently. "It doesn't matter if you ruin it. It's just a small project. Worthless." Blood rushed to my head. It took everything I had not to slap them both. My nails dug into my palms until they bled. "A company that uses projects to flirt with women isn't worth staying at." "Consider my years of hard work dog food." Bella put her hands on her hips. "Who are you calling a dog?" I sneered. "If the collar fits." "Chloe!" Christian's face was livid. I turned and walked out without looking back. 3 I walked back to my desk like a zombie. Only when no one was looking did the tears fall. The floating comments appeared again. [The FL is so confused! The ML was putting on a show! The second she left, he kicked the Second Female Lead out!] [He just wanted to see her get jealous and submit. He didn't expect her to be so stubborn and actually quit.] [Dating a superior means swallowing your pride. She wants the money AND the dignity. Greedy.] [She's not thinking straight. Without this job, who pays for her sick mom's medical bills? Can dignity pay for chemo?] The comments were right. My mom's life depended on expensive imported drugs. Christian's salary kept her alive. If the money stopped, my only family in this world would die. Just as I was agonizing over money, Christian messaged me. A rare initiative. "Come apologize to Bella, and I might consider giving the project back." "I'll even give you the new Pei Corp projects for the second half of the year." "And your ID badge. Come get it yourself." This was the first time Christian had ever offered a compromise. The comments rallied for him. [He finally lowered his head! You have no idea how hard this is for Mr. Pretend-He-Doesn't-Care.] [As an avoidant myself, I'm moved. We have to love someone A LOT to swallow our pride! Cherish him, girl!] [Aside from being a tsundere, he's rich, hot, and devoted. Don't throw him away.] True. Aside from being a drama queen, Christian was good to me. If I could tolerate this, he was an excellent boyfriend. But I refused without hesitation. "I'm handing my resignation to HR today." He replied after a long pause: "For real?" "Fine. Don't come begging later." "Don't regret throwing away a perfect relationship and career over your ego." I buried my head in my arms and cried silently. I mourned ten years of love. I mourned the job. But I couldn't accept being treated like this anymore. He had a black hole inside him where love should be, and he tried to fill it by torturing me. I couldn't see a future in that darkness. Instead of endless pain, I chose to end it myself. 4 I sent the resignation email, then pulled up Julian's contact. "Mr. Gu, is your offer still valid?" He replied instantly: "Valid. But no girlfriends of Christian Pei allowed." Me: "Broken up. Resigned." Julian went silent. My heart was in my throat. Did I guess right? Was he just trying to get back at Christian? A long time later, my phone pinged. Julian sent a photo of a huge corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river. "Office is ready. Want me to pick you up to see it?" I laughed and cried at the same time. How much did Julian hate Christian? I was just a mid-level manager. Did I deserve this? "Let me finish the handover first." Him: "Skip it. Screw Christian over. Whatever the penalty is, I'll pay." Before I could reply, he sent another one. "Actually, never mind. Say goodbye properly. I know how breakups feel." "Need to get drunk? Call me. Designated driver included." I facepalmed. No wonder people said Julian Gu was eccentric and flashy. What a character. ... Christian didn't show up all afternoon. His assistant said he was escorting Bella around to every department. The CEO acting as a tour guide. A privilege I never had. When I joined, Christian had just secured his position. He didn't want people gossiping, so we kept it secret. He asked me to understand. Christian was kidnapped as a child. We scavenged for scraps together in the slums for three years. When the Pei family found him, they had already moved on to their second son, the golden child. Christian was the awkward extra. He studied hard and worked like a maniac to gain their approval. To support him, I pretended we were strangers for two years at the company. Only after I nailed several huge projects did we go public. In contrast, Christian knew people shipped him and his "childhood friend" Bella... Yet he paraded her around without a care. The bias was unbearable. "See? I knew the CEO would marry someone of his own status. Bella entering the company is just prep for becoming Mrs. Pei." "Some people sleep their way up and think they can become the lady of the house. Delusional." Knowing I was leaving, colleagues who disliked me stopped whispering. I ignored the gossip. I grew up picking through trash for tuition. I was used to discrimination. HR called. She sounded awkward. "Ms. Zhou, Bella says she likes the view from your office. She wants to move in." "So... can you pack up immediately?" Before I could answer, IT was at my desk. "Ms. Zhou, I'm here to watch you delete files. To ensure no corporate data is stolen." He spoke loudly. Everyone stared. I looked at my computer, access already revoked, and smiled bitterly. Christian was humiliating me on purpose. Holding back tears, I numbly packed my box. I threw the gifts Christian gave me and our framed photo into the trash. Walking to the elevator, I ran into Bella holding small gift bags. And Christian, with her arm linked through his. She blocked me. "Don't go, Chloe! Christian is treating the whole company to a Japanese buffet tonight to welcome me. Stay and eat?" Christian stood silently beside her. The comments were more agitated than I was. [The Second Female Lead is shameless! The dinner was originally booked to celebrate the FL's promotion! The ML is just using her to provoke the FL!] [Please, girl, just give in! If you don't turn back now, the ML is going to get drunk tonight, Bella will take him home, and once they sleep together, it's really over!] I pushed her away. "Move. I'm busy." She grabbed my arm. "Is it because you're embarrassed about being dumped?" "Or because you were fired for incompetence and are running away in shame?" Looking at her arrogant face, I snapped. I backhanded her across the face. Slap. "Get lost. You're not worthy of eating with me." Bella screamed and threw herself into Christian's arms. "Christian! She hit me! She's crazy!" Christian shielded Bella, looking at me with eyes full of fire. I took a step forward. "And you." I raised my hand to Christian. "You're trash too." As my hand came down, Christian caught my wrist in a vice grip, then shoved me hard. "Chloe! Stop acting like a shrew!" I slammed into the wall. Pain shot through my back. I held back the tears and stood straight. I scanned Christian's icy face. "Mr. Pei, I slapped your little mistress. If you're unhappy, call the cops."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387627", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel