Amy stared at the girl in front of her, casually dressed in a bathrobe, her demeanor relaxed and at ease. The man who was usually too busy to even bother with breakfast for himself was now making it for her. Orion, a man who valued work above all else, had taken the entire day off for this girl. Amy had always known there was someone special in his heart, but now she realized his affection for this girl wasn’t just love-it was pure indulgence.
The red marks on the girl’s neck bore witness to their passion from the night before. He wasn’t some stoic, abstaining man; he had simply been waiting for the one he loved.
Amy had come early, hoping to assert her unique position. Instead, she discovered her fingerprint access had been deleted-and now, this scene unfolded before her eyes.
“Really? But the president has two important meetings today.” Amy finally found her voice, trying to avert her gaze and steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Why don’t you come in first before we talk?” Aveline’s tone was calm, but she knew exactly why Amy was here.
However, if Amy had come looking for something from her, she was destined to leave disappointed. Aveline had prepared for this.
“Orion, Amy’s here,” Aveline called out.
“Oh, help me entertain her for now,” Orion’s voice came from the kitchen. He was focused on frying eggs, knowing that even a moment’s distraction could burn them.
“Sure.”
Aveline turned to see Amy rummaging around the shoe cabinet. It seemed she was looking for a particular pair of slippers.
“Amy, why don’t you wear these? They’re new,” Aveline said, handing her a plain pair. She pretended not to notice Amy’s intentions.
“No need. There used to be a pair here that I always wore. I’ll just use those.”
A pair of slippers-such a trivial thing-yet neither woman was willing to give in. The slippers symbolized something far more significant: whether Amy was a guest or someone who used to belong here.
“You mean the pink ones? Orion threw them out last night. Oh, and by the way, Amy, your fingerprint access has been deleted. Orion was grateful for your care when he was here alone, but now that I’m around, you don’t need to trouble yourself anymore.”
Aveline’s words were polite and reasonable, but to Amy, they felt like a dagger to the heart.
Amy recognized the underlying message: she was being completely phased out.
From the moment she met Orion, Amy had known he loved someone else. Yet, she had been drawn to him, unable to resist. What started as a simple desire to be close to him grew into an unwillingness to let go.
Time would heal everything, she had thought. Orion hadn’t even returned to Clothville for the new year, so maybe that other woman wasn’t as important to him as she had imagined. Amy had believed that by staying by his side through his highs and lows, she could eventually replace the person he longed for but had never met.
But then Aveline showed up, and Amy realized how wrong she had been. This woman was irreplaceable to Orion.
Amy changed into the new slippers and walked into the house, a place she had once thought of as familiar. Now, everything felt foreign, even though the decor hadn’t changed.
“Amy, make yourself comfortable. I’ll go change,” Aveline said, heading to the master bedroom. She hadn’t expected Amy to drop by unannounced and was still in her bathrobe.
Amy watched as Aveline walked into the room. She had only ever seen its door from the outside. Inside, there was a large round bed with a canopy. Amy had once wondered why Orion, a grown man, would need such a whimsical setup. Now she understood-it had always been for Aveline.
Aveline had effortlessly stepped into the dream that Amy had longed for.
Amy turned toward the kitchen. Orion, dressed in casual loungewear, was fully focused on preparing breakfast. The scene was one she had envisioned countless times in her dreams, but it wasn’t for her.
“Let me do it. A man like you shouldn’t be in the kitchen-you’ll just end up ruining your clothes,” Amy said, trying to regain her composure. She wanted to show Aveline that she could do something better than her.
Amy had spent hours learning to cook Orion’s favorite dishes, practicing them over and over. Men loved women who could be both elegant and domestic, didn’t they? Who was Aveline anyway? Just a little girl.
But Orion, recalling how Amy had upset Aveline the night before, deliberately kept his distance. “It’s fine. I enjoy doing this for her. You can go rest outside.”
He enjoyed it? Amy felt another blow to her heart. A man like Orion, a high-powered president, actually said he liked cooking for a woman.
When Aveline reappeared, dressed neatly, she saw Amy standing dumbfounded at the kitchen door, staring at Orion. Clearly, she hadn’t given up yet.
By then, Orion had finished making breakfast and gleefully served a bowl of noodles to Aveline.
“Try it. Is it good?” he asked eagerly. He didn’t even think to eat himself, waiting for her opinion first.
“It’s delicious. You should try some too,” Aveline replied with a smile.
They sat across from each other, Orion’s face glowing with happiness. It was a side of him Amy had never seen before.
Amy sat on the sofa in a daze, completely forgotten by the two of them. It was as if she had ceased to exist in the room.
Once they finished eating, Orion finally noticed her again. “You’re still here?” he asked bluntly.
Amy’s face darkened. “Did you forget? You have two important meetings today. If you’re busy, I can accompany Miss Aveline into the city.”
Even though Aveline had already mentioned it, Amy wanted to hear it directly from Orion.
“I’ve already told my secretary to cancel them. Didn’t he inform you?”
Amy glanced at her phone and saw a missed call. “But, President, those meetings are extremely important!”
“Do you want to take my position instead?” Orion’s gaze turned cold. He had always disliked people overstepping boundaries.
He had valued Amy for her competence, but now she was questioning his decisions.
Amy froze, startled by his icy demeanor. Orion had never spoken to her this way before.
“No, of course not. Since you’ve taken the day off, I’ll head to the office,” she replied, masking her disappointment.
“Good. And in the future, don’t come here unless it’s something urgent. Just call me if you need anything,” Orion added as she turned to leave.
Amy stopped in her tracks. Was he drawing a firm line between them?
“Yes, President. I understand,” she said, her voice trembling. Only she knew how painful it was to say those words.