Chapter 2
Maggie suddenly froze.
Overcome by the overwhelming ache in her chest, she weakly closed her eyes and silently endured the pain.
Once it passed, she glanced at Jeffrey, who was asleep next to her. She forced herself to sit up, took the contraceptive pills from the bedside table, and swallowed them.
A burning sensation spread through her stomach, and soon, she lost consciousness. Lying beside Jeffrey, she drifted into a deep sleep after what felt like an eternity.
The next morning This book had been added on your bookshelf.
Maggie awoke as soon as the alarm went off, and she found herself alone.
She quickly got up and freshened up, only to bump into Jeffrey, who was about to leave.
He stood upright, wearing a tailored suit, his expression calm. “Don’t forget to take the pills.”
Maggie froze for a moment.
Her heart tightened again.
She didn’t mention that she had already taken it and responded casually, “Okay.”
He didn’t want her to have the child.
10:49
Chapter 2
It just so happened that she didn’t want to have it either.
Jeffrey received her response and turned to leave, but then paused, recalling something. “I had something come up yesterday, and I forgot to go with you to get the marriage certificate. We’ll go when we have time.”
This was the third time Maggie had heard those words.
She had no response, so she simply said, “Okay, when you have time.”
Her composure, even calmer than he’d imagined, made Jeffrey pause and glance at her intently. In the end, he said nothing and walked out the door.
Once Maggie arrived at the office, she hurried straight to the administrative director and said, “You don’t need to approve my excused leave anymore.”
The administrative director looked at her in surprise. “What happened?
Aren’t you getting Did you change the wedding date?”
Maggie shook her head and replied, “No, I don’t want to get married.”
Seeing the administrative director’s surprised reaction, Maggie handed over another set of documents.
“I’ve also applied for a permanent post in Germany and will be leaving next month.”
The administrative director’s shock deepened as she asked repeatedly, “Are you sure? You don’t have any connections in Germany. If you go, you’ll be starting completely from scratch.”
Maggie gave a serious smile.
“The top positions/here are already filled. If I want to advance, don’t I‘
17.93%
C
10:49
1
Chapter 2
have to start over anyway?”
After leaving the director’s office, Maggie returned to her office, opened the file, and began to work diligently.
By the time she finished for the day, it was already nine o’clock in the evening.
When Maggie came home, she found Jeffrey deeply focused on something on his tablet.
His sleeves were rolled up carelessly, exposing his strong forearms.
Noticing her arrival, Jeffrey closed the tablet and looked at her calmly. “Amber has returned, did you know?”
Maggie nodded.
She met his gaze steadily and replied, “You were drunk yesterday, and she was the one who brought you back.”
Jeffrey paused for a moment.
Then he raised his eyebrows slightly, steering the conversation away. “Amber’s birthday is in a few days, and she wants to invite you to her party.”
Maggie looked at him without changing her expression and asked, “If she wanted to invite me, why are you the one delivering the message?”
Jeffrey spoke in a composed manner, “She’s currently working at my research institute. It was just a convenient errand.”
Maggie’s lips twitched upward, her eyes gleaming with an unspoken mockery.
She clearly recalled how, five years ago, when Amber moved overseas,
44.95%
10:49
Jeffrey had vowed never to work with her again.
But now that she was back, it seemed like those words were forgotten entirely.
Maggie couldn’t be bothered to revisit the past, so she simply replied, “I got it,” and ended the conversation.
A few days later, it was Amber’s birthday.
Jeffrey left early that morning.
After getting ready, Maggie entered the closet to choose an outfit. As she stared at the row of white dresses, she suddenly felt lost in thought.
It dawned on her that over the years, she had stooped so low, even unconsciously trying to mirror Amber’s preference for white.
Since Amber preferred white, Maggie also wore white, though in truth, she had always been drawn to vibrant red.
Now that she had made up her mind to leave, she decided to start by changing her dress.
Maggie dug out a dress from five years ago, buried deep in the closet, a striking red mermaid dress that perfectly accentuated her slim waist.
As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, seeing a strange yet familiar version of herself, she tied her hair back and applied bright red lipstick.
By noon, Maggie arrived promptly at the agreed–upon location.
Just as she reached the door of the private room, a sharp voice from inside cut through the air. “What’s this? Amber, you invited Maggie, too? Why would you bring her? Can she even follow what we’re
67.36%
10:49 D
Chapter 2
talking about?”
“Exactly. She’s just an undergraduate student from an ordinary university. The rest of us graduated from Ivy League universities, at the very least, with a master’s degree. If it weren’t for Jeffrey’s sake, she wouldn’t even be allowed into our party.
“Jeffrey, now that Amber is back, tell me, who do you choose, Amber or Maggie?”
