Chapter 4

"Mason, I'm not trying to steal her stuff... I just wanted to learn something. I didn't know she'd mind this much... Maybe we should just forget it. I'll find another project."

"No." Mason held her, his tone becoming forceful. "You have to take this project."

He looked at me, his gaze oppressive. "Give it to her."

I didn't move.

"I don't agree."

Sophia burst into tears.

"I really didn't mean it. I just wanted to achieve something, to not disgrace my parents... If they were still alive, they wouldn't want to see me bullied like this..."

The moment she mentioned her parents, Mason's entire body tensed.

He held her tighter, his voice dropping. "No one is bullying you."

Then he looked up at me, his eyes turning completely cold.

"Give it to her. That's an order."

I felt something crack open in my chest, leaving it hollow.

I looked at Sophia in his arms. "Sophia, do you know what my relationship is with him?"

Sophia's crying quieted a bit, her eyes flickering.

"You've always said you didn't know. He never told you either."

I smiled slightly. "But let me ask you—these past eight years, every time you made things difficult for me, did you really not know in your heart who I was? Every time you had him come keep you company, did you really not know he was supposed to be with me?"

"Shut up!" Mason cut me off sharply.

I didn't shut up.

"You knew." I looked at Sophia. "You knew everything. You're knowingly acting as the other woman."

"Slap!"

A burning pain suddenly spread across my face.

I turned my head to the side. It took two seconds to register—he'd hit me.

Mason's hand was still suspended in mid-air, a flash of heartache and regret in his eyes.

"You've gone too far," he said.

I touched my face. It was swelling.

Then I looked up and smiled.

"Mason, I'll give it to her."

He froze.

"The project—I'll give it to her." I took a step back. "But I have one condition too."

"What condition?"

"Ten years' salary." I said. "Pay me ten years' salary, and I'll leave right now. I'll hand over all the project files properly and never look back."

He probably hadn't expected me to bring up money.

Sophia froze too, even her crying stopped.

"You..." Mason frowned. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Didn't you tell me to take leave?" I looked at him. "I still need to eat. I can't starve to death."

He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Fine. I'll pay you for twenty years."

I turned and left.

Behind me came Sophia's voice. "Mason, she seems angry..."

I didn't look back.

Returning to my desk, I started packing my things.

The secretary came over, her eyes red. "Vivian..."

"It's fine."

I dumped everything from my drawer into a box. A photo fell out.

It was of Mason and me, secretly taken at the company's annual party four years ago. He was drunk, leaning on my shoulder, smiling foolishly.

I looked at it once, then threw it in the trash.

"Oh, leaving already?"

Sophia had somehow appeared, leaning against my desk, her voice neither loud nor soft—just enough for everyone around to hear.

"Don't blame me. I really didn't know about your relationship with Mason. He never said anything. I thought he just pitied you, since you'd been chasing him for so many years. The whole company knows."

A few snickers sounded around us.

I continued packing, ignoring her.

"By the way, don't worry about the project. I'll do a good job."

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Besides, you've been working on it for so long without producing anything. Four years—your efficiency is way too low."