She rolled her eyes Impatiently. “Whatever.”
20.49
The process of going abroad was smooth. It wasn’t until I was standing on foreign soil, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, that it truly sank in.
My new life had truly begun.
I received sporadic news about Benjamin. After I left, he didn’t spiral into drunken despair or emotional breakdowns. He didn’t even try to contact me. Instead, he threw himself into his work. Three years passed, and his company was on the verge of going public.
The biggest difference between reality and fiction is that reality is… well, real.
But it didn’t matter. I never needed to live off someone else’s guilt.
Abroad, I had carved out a world of my own. I achieved outstanding results in my internship program and was chosen by the university to present at an international psychology conference.
I never expected to run into Benjamin there.
I was holding a little girl, searching for a seat, when I heard whispers around me. “Isn’t that Mr. Vance’s ex–girlfriend? Didn’t she go abroad? What is she doing here?”
“Hey, have you noticed? That little girl she’s holding… she kind of looks like Mr. Vance.”
I frowned and looked up, but before I could see who was talking, a pair of high heels clicked sharply, and a young woman in a red dress blocked my view.
She raised an eyebrow. “Who are you? Why aren’t you wearing a name tag? Did you sneak in?”
I gave her a cool glance. Young, bold, with her ambitions written all over her face. She reminded me a little of the old Maya.
“You came all this way to find me,” I said, my voice flat. “Surely you already know whether I snuck in or not.”
She was momentarily speechless, then turned her attention to the little girl in my arms. “And who is she? Don’t tell me she’s some… bastard child of yours.”
“Cynthia!” a voice shouted from behind me.
It was Benjamin.
1
He strode over to me and gripped my arm tightly. “You’re finally back?”
The little girl in my arms stared at him with wide, curious eyes.
Benjamin’s gaze wavered. “She… is she mine?” A flicker of joy appeared in his eyes. “Cynthia, I’m willing to….”
Before he could finish, a cool, calm voice interrupted. “Nora.”
We turned to see the speaker. It was the leader of a major American mental health corporation, the organizer of the conference, and also…
Benjamin’s older brother, Julian.
The little girl’s face lit up. “Daddy!”
Julian nodded at me, expertly scooped up the child, and left.
The surrounding area fell silent.
Benjamin’s face was a storm of emotions. “What is the meaning of this? Are you with Julian now?” He quickly masked his joy with a sneer. “I didn’t even want you. You think he would? What, did you save his life when you were kids or something?”
I sighed.
In romance novels, the heroine saving the hero’s life is a common trope. It’s the only way to explain why a hero would fall for someone so far ben- eath him in status, ability, and looks.
But I was not ordinary. And I didn’t need fate to write me such a cliché storyline.
Besides, Julian and I had no romantic relationship. I was a technical consultant for his company. He had simply asked me to watch his daughter for a moment while he went to the restroom.
The girl in red seemed to have found her ammunition. She shot me a disdainful look, “Ma’am, it’s been three years. Don’t tell me you couldn’t
Chapter 2
20 49 @
The girl in red seemed to have found her ammunition. She shot me a disdainful look. “Ma’am, it’s been three years. Don’t tell me you couldn’t even get a ticket to this event and had to rely on Mr. Vance’s brother to get in. I, on the other hand, am here because of my own merit, not because of a
man.”
Her words caused people to turn and whisper.
Just then, a staff member hurried over. “Dr. Chen, what are you doing here? The judges‘ panel is over there. Please, come quickly. We’re waiting
for you.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened in shock. “Cynthia, you’re… you’re this successful now?”
The girl in red tugged at his arm, frowning at me. “So what if she’s a judge? Our project is the biggest hit of the year. You’re about to be amazed.
I nodded. “I look forward to it.”
The conference began, and soon it was Benjamin’s company’s turn to present.
The girl in red took the stage. She was confident and articulate, earning waves of applause. She kept shooting me triumphant glances.
After her presentation, it was time for the judges to score. The scores were all high.
