Chapter 5

Sophia Bennett POV

Friday was my twenty-eighth birthday.

For the past four years, no matter how busy Ethan Pierce was, he would cancel all his engagements on this day and have dinner with me at a discreet restaurant.

This was our unspoken secret, the only warmth I could draw from this hidden relationship.

Last month, Ethan Pierce had kissed my earlobe and promised he would give me a huge surprise for this year's birthday.

At seven o'clock that evening, I arrived punctually at the restaurant and sat by the window.

Outside, autumn rain began to fall, and the temperature dropped sharply.

I wore a thin dress, looking at the exquisite cake on the table, quietly waiting.

Eight o'clock. Nine o'clock. Ten o'clock.

The restaurant's clientele changed wave after wave. The servers' glances toward me gradually shifted from admiration to pity.

Eleven-thirty.

I picked up my phone and dialed Ethan Pierce's number.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered, but it wasn't Ethan Pierce's deep voice—it was Lily Hayes's sweet, delicate tone.

"Hello? Sophia? Ethan can't come to the phone right now."

My fingers tightened around my phone:

"Where is he?"

"We're at the vet hospital."

Lily Hayes's voice carried a hint of sweet complaint.

"My Ragdoll cat suddenly got diarrhea. I was terrified, so Ethan immediately drove me here. He was running around holding the cat and got all sweaty—he left his phone in the car. Sophia, it's so late. Is there some urgent work matter?"

A cat with diarrhea.

I looked at the cold rain outside the window and suddenly found it all absurd.

My birthday that I'd looked forward to with such anticipation, my five years of youth—in Ethan Pierce's eyes, they couldn't even compare to Lily Hayes's cat having diarrhea.

"Nothing urgent."

I said,

"Sorry to bother you."

I hung up, picked up my fork, and shoved a large piece of cake into my mouth.

Too sweet. Sweet to the point of bitterness, so bitter my tears fell without warning.

I didn't wipe them away. I just kept eating that cake, one bite after another.

After paying the bill, I walked out of the restaurant and into the cold, rainy night.

Back at my temporary rental apartment, I opened my laptop and logged into Pierce Corporation's HR system.

I looked at the resignation application I'd already drafted, my cursor hovering over the "Submit" button.

My phone screen lit up with a message from Ethan Pierce:

【Lily's cat got sick. I won't come over tonight. I'll make up for your gift tomorrow.】

I looked at that message without replying.

I opened my photo album and, without a moment's hesitation, permanently deleted all five thousand-plus photos and videos of Ethan Pierce.

Then I moved my cursor and pressed "Submit."

The system displayed: 【Your resignation application has been submitted. Thirty-day handover countdown begins.】

Eight years of foolish infatuation, five years of absurd devotion—in this moment, it all finally came to an end.

After submitting my resignation application, it required approval from both the department head and the CEO according to protocol.

But Ethan Pierce had recently devoted all his attention to Lily Hayes and hadn't logged into the office system at all.

The HR director sighed and simply approved it by default.

The thirty-day countdown began quietly.

Lily Hayes decided to host an extremely lavish charity gala in Pierce Corporation's name.

"Sophia, Ethan says you're the most detail-oriented. I'm putting you in charge of coordinating this gala."

Lily Hayes tossed a thick planning document onto my cramped desk, her tone carrying a condescending sense of charity.

"I want white roses flown in from overseas. The lighting at the gala must be warm-toned. Also, you need to personally review all the media releases—they must highlight my image as Pierce Corporation's future mistress."

I looked at the planning document without even lifting my eyelids.

"Alright."

I responded flatly.

Over the next two weeks, I executed all of Lily Hayes's unreasonable demands.

I slept only three hours a night, coordinating venues, confirming procedures, verifying guest lists.

I never initiated contact with Ethan Pierce again, nor did I show even a trace of grievance over Lily Hayes's deliberate difficulties.

Occasionally, when Ethan Pierce ran into me in the company hallways, he would see my gaunt face and cold eyes.

The day before the gala, I compiled all my work handover documents, encrypted them, and sent them to my deputy in the investment department.

I looked at the countdown calendar on my computer screen.

Tomorrow would be my last day at Pierce Corporation.