Chapter 5

Damon softened his voice, coaxing her.

“It’s truly about the work. We can’t delay the progress. Otherwise, a secretary is just a secretary, why would I lie to you?”

But Scarlett wouldn’t let it go. “If you can’t fire her, then make her kneel at the company entrance for a day. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

This time, Damon agreed and looked at me.

“These contracts involve major partnerships. You failed to safeguard them. Either pay fifty million, or kneel at the entrance for a day.”

I knew he was doing this to appease Scarlett, to force me to choose.

And there was no way I could come up with fifty million.

So, I stumbled to my feet, swallowed my humiliation, and walked to the main entrance to kneel.

I kept my head bowed, hiding the bitter emotions in my eyes, listening to the murmurs of passing colleagues.

“Isn’t she Mr. Thorne’s most trusted secretary? Why is she kneeling here? With so many people watching, it’s so embarrassing!”

“I just saw it. She didn’t do anything wrong; she just offended Ms. Hayes.”

“Ms. Hayes is Mr. Thorne’s ideal woman. Even after all these years apart, he’s still obsessed with her. She dared to offend Ms. Hayes, she deserves this punishment!”

Every word pierced my heart like a needle, making it hard to breathe.

I suddenly remembered back in college, on Scarlett’s birthday, I was mocked by some boys who said I was just the cow dung to highlight the campus queen.

Laughter erupted in the private room. I fled in a panic to the stairwell.

It was Damon who found me and handed me a pack of tissues.

“Don’t mind others. Focus on yourself, and you’ll be fine.”

To this day, I still remember those words.

I always believed that Damon saw something special in me, which was why he kept me around.

I had always worked diligently and without complaint for him.

But the moment Scarlett returned, he negated all my years of effort and dedication, all for her.

Yes, I was nothing more than a secretary he could fire at will.

Since I had lost all my utility, it was time to leave.

I knelt for a day, my knees scraped raw and bleeding.

I couldn’t even walk from the pain.

When work ended, I limped back to the office to get my bag, only to run into Damon.

He looked at my injuries and frowned slightly.

“Take a few days off, get some rest. Come back to the company once your injuries have healed.”

I quietly said yes, avoided his gaze, and silently turned to leave.

Back home, after treating my wounds, I started packing.

The day Scarlett’s return was announced, Damon immediately told me to move out of the villa.

I had left in a hurry then, my belongings crammed haphazardly into boxes.

Now that I was returning home, it was time to properly sort through everything.

I threw away all the necklaces and jewelry Damon had given me over the years, the candid photos I’d secretly taken of him while he slept, the diary filled with my secret crush from my school days, and all other miscellaneous items.

During this time, I occasionally saw gossip shared by colleagues in the company’s SnapChat groups.

When Scarlett came back from shopping with sore legs, Damon would kneel and massage them for her; when she complained that the company lights were too harsh, he would have all the lights in the building replaced overnight; when she was in a bad mood, he would cancel all work and meetings to be with her…

I watched silently, telling myself over and over.

Soon, it would all be over.

After my injuries healed, it was the company’s annual gala.

Damon attended with Scarlett.

The entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Everyone said they were a perfect match, a power couple, a match made in heaven.

He helped Scarlett down from the stage, adjusted her skirt, took off his jacket and draped it over her, shielded her from toasts…

I sat in a corner, watching the smiles that curved Damon’s lips and eyes, and quietly lowered my gaze.

Soon, the gala moved to the awards ceremony.

As in previous years, I received the Best Employee award.

I walked onto the stage under the spotlight, and a presentation documenting my year’s achievements played on the screen.

I adjusted the microphone, about to deliver my speech, when a sudden commotion broke out below the stage.

Everyone was whispering, looking at me with strange expressions.