Returning to the publishing house, he felt a profound unease. He would not admit to mourning, for his pride was as tall as a mountain, yet his rationality whispered that he had made a grave mistake. Mary had once said that every debt has its debtor, and those who commit wrongs must pay their due.
Everything he had done to Mary resurfaced in a parade of memories – joyful moments entwined with sorrowful episodes that could not be erased. By hatred, he had unfairly blamed an innocent girl. Yet he could not comprehend why Mary, who had known the truth all along, had concealed it from him. Was it possible that she harbored the same bitterness towards him?
Suddenly, he remembered the first time they met. Mary was timid then, and he had wished for her to have been born into a different family. How many sleepless nights had he pondered whether to seek revenge, convinced that her innocent eyes and pure soul could not be his enemy in this life?
His thoughts shifted to brother Bryan, who had cut ties and left him alone to grapple with life’s traps. Andrew was now under pressure from Mr. Jonathan, while Agnes wanted to split the publishing house. As difficulties surrounded him and everyone distanced themselves, he wondered if his torment and loneliness were some karmic retribution.
Resting his face in his blood-stained hands, he sought tranquility. However, his inner torment relentlessly twisted his heart. How should he face Mary, having caused her such profound pain?
The woman he loved had lost herself because of him and endured immense suffering and humiliation. What should he do to compensate, heal that wounded heart, and reclaim his love?
Suddenly, he heard voices outside, a man and a woman chatting, their sounds getting progressively closer. He calmed himself and realized Bryan and Mary were discussing a new project. They planned to travel to the central region next week to find potential partners for their new product and take a vacation together. Since Mary loved the sea, Bryan wanted to stop at a coastal city together.
The two of them chatted and laughed, Bryan looking at her with a gaze that couldn’t hide his infatuation. Mary was carefree as if returning to the days before all the turmoil. Bryan’s love had somewhat revived her heart.
Andrew silently observed her from behind the glass door, his eyes reflecting jealousy and frustration, yet utterly powerless. He felt like a petulant child.
Andrew called an emergency meeting to announce the dismissal of Agnes on the grounds of negligence at work. He also decided to assign the project to Bryan while Mary would only assist, and from now on, she would also serve as his secretary.
To Mary, it was indeed a surprise. She did not understand why he, who hated her so much, would want her to work so close to him. Wouldn’t he despise that? For Bryan, this was certainly an unexpected and unpleasant announcement. He immediately protested.
“Didn’t you say if Mary failed this project, she would be fired? So why now, when she’s doing well, is she being denied her rightful progression? What’s your intention behind this?”
Andrew coldly replied.
“This project has been going on for a long time without substantial progress. I don’t believe in her capability. But it’s different with you. We’ve known each other for years. I know how you work, so you should still be responsible for this project.”
Bryan found it hard to comprehend. If Andrew dismissed Mary, he might accept it. But the man wanted her to be his secretary, coupled with Agnes’s sudden dismissal. The situation was getting more and more perplexing.
Bryan was upset.
“You’ve always wanted Mary out of sight, yet now you’re bringing her closer as your secretary. What are you scheming? I won’t hesitate to confront you if you dare to harm her.”
Hearing this, Andrew laughed uproariously, resonating around the room, causing unease. He responded with a chilling voice.
“Confront me? You’re too sensitive. A secretary is just a secretary, nothing more. Are you afraid I’ll steal her from you? I don’t date my exes.”
“You…”
Bryan watched Andrew’s retreating figure disappear through the door. On the brink of tears, Mary felt once more belittled by that cold-blooded man. To her, he was a haunting demon, chilling her to her core.
After the meeting, Bryan and Mary returned to their office. Suddenly, Bryan forcefully slammed his hand on the table, startling Mary. She slowly moved towards him, speaking gently.
“Don’t worry. This situation might be advantageous for us. As you’ve said, he’s been doing shady business. If I can work close to him, the chances of finding evidence to expose him might increase.”
Externally, Bryan maintained his composure, but inside, he was perturbed. Andrew’s operations were not unrelated to him; if exposed, Tan Phong would be held accountable as well.
“Let us men deal with our business, don’t worry too much about it. I will find a way.”
Bryan hugged Mary, comforting and reminding her to be careful around Andrew. If anything went wrong, she must immediately report it to him.
Mary deliberately arrived late on her first day in the new position, knowing Andrew had an important meeting with a partner in the morning. Contrary to her expectation of him being disoriented without the necessary documents, everything remained under his control. She arrived just as the meeting was about to end, but rather than showing anger, he smiled.
“You’re still just that innocent lamb of yesteryears, still too green for any real contention.”
Mary silently swore in her anger, ‘One day, you’ll suffer a resounding defeat at my hands.’
Her desk was set right outside his office. The glass door had a unique feature: it was opaque when looked into from the outside but transparent from the inside. Andrew closely watched every move Mary made as he worked. Every time her phone rang, he would strain to see if it was Bryan or someone else of importance on the line. As for Mary, she didn’t care about him. For a long time, he had ceased to be someone she loved.
Every day, he wondered how to engage her in more conversations, and so he kept assigning her various tasks, from one report to another, even when they weren’t necessary. Mary felt frustrated and decided to rebel.
“Don’t be so childish. These things are unnecessary. Why must you insist on them?”
He responded in his usual cold tone.
“So, what do you consider important? Office romances, dates?”
Mary laughed at his words and retorted.
“Exactly. It’s you who has too much time on your hands to engage in such pointless tasks.”
Andrew stood rooted to the ground as he watched Mary walk away with another man, his heart burning with anger. He couldn’t understand why, even though she was right before him, he couldn’t find a way to get close to her. For a moment, he felt as useless as a log, unable to connect with anyone.