Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Callum Fletcher, is bringing me to meet his parents, but the venue is picked out by his childhood friend, Sasha Mercer.

Sasha arrives fashionably late to the local steakhouse, where she gives Callum a playful punch. "I just mentioned it on a whim yesterday, but you actually held the gathering here? Vivian might get upset, you know."

Callum gives her a teasing glance as he wipes down her utensils. "Vivian wouldn't mind that. She's not like you. You've been petty since we were kids."

Sasha's face turns red, and she retorts in a small voice, "Who are you calling petty?"

Callum's mother, Brenda Hayes, simply smiles as she watches them banter. She eagerly nudges the basket of dinner rolls in Sasha's direction, urging her to eat something while we wait for dinner to be served.

However, Callum stops her. "We're ordering the ribs. If she fills up on dinner rolls, she won't have room for the protein."

I stare at the dinner rolls piled up on my plate.

I remember how I've been politely declining Brenda's offer just now. I've glanced desperately at Callum for help, but he just gives me a goofy grin.

As it turns out, he actually does know how to defuse the situation, but he only does it for Sasha.

Callum and Sasha exchange glances and smile at each other.

I know that smile all too well.

Callum is my and Sasha's superior, and every time he throws me under the bus to shield Sasha from the heat, they'll share that exact same smile.

This time, I've decided I won't be going to the branch office with them anymore.

Instead, I'll stay at headquarters and take Callum's place.

Chapter 1

Vivian's POV

Soon, a platter of ribs was served.

Half of the platter was garlic-butter ribs, while the other side was smothered in mushroom cream sauce. They were both Sasha Mercer's favorites.

Callum Fletcher picked up a piece of meat covered in mushroom cream sauce and put it on my plate.

I pushed the meat aside. "Callum, I'm allergic to mushrooms."

He was stunned for a moment. Then, he took the piece of meat from my plate, scraped off the sauce, and then placed it back.

I fell silent.

Frowning, he whispered to me, "Give it a rest, will you? You can't expect everyone to just accommodate you, right? Stop being so selfish and be considerate for once."

With that, he turned away and leaned in close to Sasha as they discussed which spot served better ribs and steaks.

I set down my knife and fork.

The piece of meat on my plate was turning cold, and its fat was congealing into a layer of white film.

Callum's mother, Brenda Hayes, smiled awkwardly as she put a mozzarella stick on my plate. "Vivian, try this. Those two grew up together, so please don't mind them."

"Thank you, Mrs. Fletcher." Smiling at Brenda, I picked up the gift sitting next to me. "Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, here's a little something—"

Sasha smacked her forehead. "Oh, right! I knew I was forgetting something. I actually brought gifts for Callum's parents."

She took out an exquisite box from her bag, opening it to reveal a pair of expensive emerald earrings. "Callum told me that Mr. Fletcher had given Mrs. Fletcher a pair of heirloom sapphire earrings when they were young, but Callum accidentally broke them. So, I thought these emerald ones would be perfect for Mrs. Fletcher.

"Also, this vintage tea set is for Mr. Fletcher. Callum helped me pick out these."

Brenda carefully caressed the earrings with uncontainable joy in her gaze.

I tightened my grip on the paper bag in my hands.

Callum had never told me any of that before.

Last month, I kept pestering him with the same question, "What do your parents like?"

He just pinched my cheek and said with a smile, "I'm sure they'll love anything their daughter-in-law gets for them."

Back then, I even took it as a romantic sentiment.

As it turned out, he had helped Sasha pick out the perfect gifts, but it had never crossed his mind that she might steal the spotlight.

I quietly hid the paper bag behind me, then subconsciously looked at Callum.

He was staring at the milkshake Sasha had ordered. He had a reprimanding tone in his voice as he said, "Sasha, you really should get something healthier."

Sasha stuck out her tongue. "It's just once in a while, anyway."

They seemed to enjoy the meal thoroughly.

After paying the bill, I went back to the booth to find it completely empty. All I could see was my lone paper bag lying on the floor.

My phone vibrated. It was a voice message from Callum.

But when I played it, Sasha's sickly sweet voice rang out, "Vivian, it's raining right now, so Callum is taking us home first."

Callum added, "Vivian, you live nearby, so just hail a ride, and you'll be home in no time. Tell me when you get home, okay? Don't make me worry."

I stood at the entrance of the steakhouse. It was pouring rain, and thunder was rumbling right above my head.

He didn't even leave an umbrella for me.

Still, it didn't matter.

I didn't need his stupid umbrella anymore.

Chapter 2

Vivian's POV

By the time I got home, my makeup was already ruined.

Rainwater dripped from the ends of my hair and fell with rhythmic plops against the floor.

I pulled out my phone and called my supervisor, Gloria Miller.

She picked up right away. "Vivian? What's the matter?"

I said, "Gloria, I don't want to go to Sunshire anymore. Is it possible to withdraw my application?"

Gloria answered, "I already submitted the applications before leaving work on Friday. But the department head probably hasn't approved them yet. If you clock in early on Monday and wait for him in the office, you should be able to make it."

I quickly thanked her.

After ending the call, I went to the bathroom and took a shower. When I came out, I accidentally caught sight of a crumpled piece of white paper in the trash can.

I picked it up and smoothed it. It was a payment receipt.

It was a purchase for a pair of emerald earrings and a vintage tea set, which cost 7,000 dollars in total.

The last four digits of the bank card used for the payment matched the date we started dating.

Callum and I had racked up the savings on that card together.

Back then, he had held my hand and said, "Let's contribute a little every month, and then we can use the money for our wedding. Once we save up ten thousand dollars, let's go on a nice vacation."

Whenever I got paid, the first thing I did was to deposit some money in that account.

After three years, we had already long surpassed the ten-thousand-dollar mark.

However, Callum never took me on a single vacation. Instead, he forked out 7,000 dollars just to make Sasha look good in front of his parents.

…

Callum only came home the next day.

When he saw me sitting on the couch, he tossed a gift card right into my lap. "Here, something from my parents for your first meeting with them."

The card felt unbelievably light on my lap.

I asked, "Did you use the money in our account?"

Frowning, he answered in a slightly annoyed tone, "She was getting gifts for my parents, but when she tried to pay for them, her card was declined. With all those people watching, I can't just leave her hanging, can I?"

When we opened that account, we had agreed that the money was off-limits.

A few months ago, Dad had fractured his bone, and he couldn't afford the medical bills. I hesitated for a long while before asking Callum if I could withdraw 3,000 dollars from the account for the medical emergency.

He had replied, "Didn't we promise that neither of us would touch that money? Vivian, are you going back on your word?"

What hurt more than the judging whispers of the passersby was the look in his eyes.

I froze on the spot.

Noticing that, he softened his tone. "Vivian, since we've decided to save up, we have to keep our hands off that money. If we withdraw it even once, it's only going to snowball."

With that, he pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and transferred 300 dollars to me. "Here's something to tide you over. See if you can borrow the rest from your friends."

In the end, he simply watched as I sobbed and asked my best friend to lend me some money.

He couldn't bear to see Sasha embarrassed, but he had no problem letting me be humiliated.

I gripped the 7,000-dollar receipt so tightly that my palm felt like it was on fire. "That's not what you said when my dad fractured his bone."

My voice was shaking as I asked for an answer I already knew.

Callum looked offended. "What's the point of dragging up the past all the time? We already put that behind us!"

At that moment, I finally realized something.

I had brought it up because, deep in my heart, I still couldn't get over it.

I said calmly, "Callum, let's break up."

He stared at me for a while. Then, he said in an even more annoyed tone, "It's just money, isn't it? Fine. I'll put the money back in tomorrow."

Noticing that I wasn't talking, he put on a wry smile. "Besides, could you actually bring yourself to break up with me? Come on, stop sulking. You've met my parents and even accepted a gift from them. Do you know how damaging it is to our relationship when you keep threatening to break up?"

I got up and went back to my room. The gift card fell onto the floor, and no one picked it up.

Chapter 3

Vivian's POV

When I woke up the next day, Callum was already gone.

I hailed a ride to the entrance of the company building.

When I got out of the car, I noticed Callum's car parked nearby.

Sasha was eating breakfast in the passenger seat, and Callum was wiping away the sauce on the corner of her mouth with his bare hand.

Ever since Sasha joined the company last year, Callum had been picking her up every morning. His reason was, "My mom wants me to take good care of Sasha."

And for that reason, he had been picking her up and sending her home for a whole year, dropping everything to go to her every time she called.

Once, we were at the movies when she called. Callum abandoned me and went to her straight away. I remained in the cinema and watched the long-outdated romance movie all alone.

I had tried to tell him how uncomfortable I felt and how I wasn't fine with the lack of boundaries between him and Sasha.

But he just smiled and said, "Vivian, you're overthinking it. If there really is something between her and me, you wouldn't even have become part of the picture."

I put on a self-deprecating smile and strode into the office building.

Even from a distance away, I could already spot the department head, Kevin Henderson, getting into the elevator going up.

I hurried to the elevator and anxiously pressed the button.

"Vivian, what are you in such a hurry for? Careful. You might trip." Callum and Sasha walked side by side as they approached me.

Just then, the elevator arrived.

"Ah!" With a high-pitched scream, Sasha somehow managed to wedge her heels into the elevator gap, twisted her ankle, and fell straight into Callum's arms.

I stood in the elevator, feeling a sharp pang in my heart as I asked, "Are you getting in or not?"

Frowning, Callum looked up. "Vivian, how have you become so heartless? Can't you see that Sasha twisted her ankle?"

Without any expression, I pressed the close button.

After getting out of the elevator, I headed straight to Kevin's office.

He had his stamp in his hand, about to bring it down.

I shouted in a panic, "Mr. Henderson!"

He jumped.

I walked up to him and realized that the application he was about to approve was mine. "Mr. Henderson, I don't want to go to Sunshire anymore."

Kevin moved his stamp away. "You're not leaving with Callum anymore?"

I replied, "Yes, I'm staying."

Just before the new year, the company was selecting personnel at headquarters to set up a branch office in Sunshire.

To be honest, I didn't want to go. But Callum kept cajoling me, "We've always wanted to travel down south, didn't we? This is the perfect chance! Also, since the new branch is just starting out, veterans like us are definitely getting promoted."

I was a pushover. Unable to withstand his pestering, I filled in my application.

But when we were submitting our applications, there were three forms instead of two. Sasha had invited herself along.

Later on, I saw Sasha's post on social media. "I want to head down south, but I must bring my errand boy along."

She had attached a photo of Callum's hands putting on her shoes for her. He was still wearing our matching ring on his middle finger.

Returning to my senses, I looked at Kevin and said with undisguised ambition, "Once Callum leaves, the position of deputy team lead will open up, won't it?"

With my application form in hand, I left Kevin's office and happened to pass by the pantry when I heard Sasha's soft voice coming from within. "Did you really just wire me 1,001 dollars? Aren't you worried that Vivian might find out?"

I froze. The extra one dollar was a classic hint at being one in a million.

In these parts, that specific amount was only ever given when the man's family thoroughly approved of his partner.

Callum chuckled. "And so what if she does? I'm your errand boy, aren't I? I'll make sure you get anything you want."

Then, changing the topic, Callum smiled teasingly. "I remember someone making a bet with me that if I dared to choose a steakhouse for a meeting-the-parents dinner…"

He paused for a moment, then dragged out his vowels to tease her, "She'll… Wait, what will she do again?"

I could hear a dull thud like a soft punch landing on someone's chest. "I texted you, didn't I?"

Callum said, "That won't do. Vivian even got into a fight with me last night. That's a huge sacrifice, you know."

A while later, Sasha whispered in embarrassment, "Daddy."

Callum joked, "What was that? I can't hear you."

Sasha retorted, "What? Callum, you!"

The two came running out after each other, bumping right into me.

Chapter 4

Vivian's POV

Sasha and Callum froze simultaneously.

I recalled the knowing smiles the two shared at the steakhouse two days ago.

Before going, I had asked Callum in confusion, "Don't people usually meet their partners' parents in their homes? Why would we go to a steakhouse?"

He had been quite open about it. "Sasha said that a nice steak dinner would be perfect for breaking the ice."

Back to the present, Sasha called out, "Vivian…"

She had gone pale in the face, and she could barely stand upright.

In contrast, Callum seemed quite calm. "Vivian, when did you get here?"

I looked quietly at him, noticing his gradually quickening breathing. He could barely keep up his mask of indifference.

I said softly, "I just got here."

The two sighed in relief almost at the same time.

I raised an eyebrow. "What were you guys doing in there?"

I had just finished speaking when the two immediately tensed up and denied in unison, "Nothing!"

I let out a chuckle.

That was interesting. As it turned out, they themselves knew that they were doing something shameful.

I went back to my desk and sat there blankly for a while.

Placing the application form in my drawer, I picked up my pen and began drafting my promotion performance review.

In the afternoon, Sasha came over to me, complaining that her numbers never came out right. "Vivian, you're a natural at this. Can you please help me?"

Actually, when she first joined, because of her connection to Callum, I had looked out for her a lot. Anything she didn't understand or couldn't do, I would guide her every step of the way.

Sasha had adorable and innocent looks, so every time she asked something of me, I would give in immediately.

But then, I ended up doing most of her work.

As time went on, she began passing her work to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Callum was letting her do whatever she wanted, too.

If I ever complained, he would call me petty and unaccommodating. He said that Sasha was just a recent graduate, and I was making a big deal out of nothing.

Lifting my head, I looked Sasha straight in the eye and said without any hesitation, "No."

She froze, then looked at me with reddened eyes. "Vivian, was it something I did? Did I upset you?"

Callum overheard our conversation and came right over. Frowning, he asked, "Vivian, what are you bullying her for?"

He rapped his knuckles on the table. "This software is launching tomorrow. She's a newbie, so she can't handle it on her own. Help her out here."

I thought, "A newbie? You mean, this woman who had been working here for a year?"

I shook my head. "I'm not doing it."

He grabbed my hand. "I am your superior."

I retorted, "I don't care. Even if you're the king, I'm not doing it."

He stared at me, dumbfounded. Then, he softened his tone and held my hand. "Alright, fine. You don't have to do it. Please don't get mad."

But every time he asked me not to get mad, he had no idea that he was the one making me mad in the first place.

…

By the time I was done organizing the materials, I was the only one left in the office.

It had been raining a lot these days.

When I opened the front door to my home, I saw Sasha sitting on the couch. She was wearing Callum's T-shirt, and her legs were bare.

My gaze fell upon the T-shirt. That was the first birthday gift I had given Callum.

It had an embroidered piece I had pricked my fingers countless times to complete.

Callum was wearing an apron while making some soup in the kitchen. When he noticed that I had come home, he said in a concerned tone, "You look like you really need a hot shower. Go on ahead."

By the time I came out of the shower, Callum was ladling out the soup.

He handed me a bowl. "This will warm you right up."

I was stunned. In our three years together, he had never once stepped foot in the kitchen. "This is the first time I'm tasting your cooking."

He got himself a bowl of soup, then gestured at Sasha. "It's only because the princess demands it. You're just coming along for the ride."

After three whole years, I only got to try Callum's cooking thanks to Sasha.

I nodded, set down the bowl, and then went back to my room.

I held my phone with my promotion report on the screen, silently rehearsing it in my head.

When Callum opened the door, I immediately turned my phone face down.

He was stunned for a moment, and he tried to turn it over. "What were you looking at?"

I locked my phone. "Nothing."

He sighed, then hugged me from behind. With his chin on my shoulder, he said in a voice thick with emotion, "Vivian, I feel like you've changed over the past few days. Gloria told me our applications to transfer to Sunshire are approved. We'll be setting up the branch office soon.

"I heard that Sunshire is a beautiful place. You can wear your prettiest outfits, and we can take photos to capture our best memories there."

I said, "I'm not the one who likes Sunshire. You should go keep her company. I'm withdrawing."