Chapter 2

Simon and I broke up three years ago.

There were no screaming matches and no dramatic fights.

One day, right after I finished eating a mango sundae, I just dropped the bomb.

"Our Social Security numbers don't match. We're just not a good fit. Let's end it here."

Simon froze.

He stood there looking like the sky had just crashed down on him.

First, he demanded a reason. Then, he desperately begged me to stay.

Finally, when none of it worked, he threw down a harsh threat.

"Paula Corbin, just you wait. I'll make you regret this."

And I really did regret it. 

I never should have stayed at this company.

Things were perfectly fine for the first two years.

But just when I thought my career was about to take off, our company's board members ran off with the investment funds and their mistresses. 

Facing a severe financial crisis, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. 

During that chaotic time, I sent out hundreds of resumes trying to jump ship. 

But before I could land a new job, a new boss landed in our office.

He was a corporate titan returning from Wall Street.

Almost overnight, he injected two hundred million dollars and single-handedly brought the dying company back to life.

But the moment I saw our new CEO, I wanted to flee.

On stage, he wore a sharp, tailored suit, radiating absolute power as he mapped out our company’s future.

In the audience, I prayed for the floor to swallow me whole.

The guy I had callously dumped had somehow become my boss.

I certainly hadn't forgotten Simon's vindictive streak.

If someone ever crossed him, he would make sure they paid tenfold. 

I carefully planned my escape. I was going to draft my resignation letter the second I got back to my desk.

But the moment I lifted my hips off the chair, my spotlight-hungry department manager, Mr. Grafton, shouted at the top of his lungs. 

"Paula, what are you doing? Mr. Rainer is speaking! Is this the time to walk out?!"

Great.

He scored major brown-nosing points with the new boss right away, perfectly playing the role of a strict, disciplined manager. 

My dignity was trampled on in front of the whole room.

As I turned my head, my eyes locked right onto Simon's gaze. 

Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes.

But that half-smile playing on his lips was absolutely terrifying. 

After the meeting, he made sure to pull me aside just to deliver a cold whisper.

"What did you say when we broke up? That you would never need me again. Now you expect me to step up and raise another man's kid? Let me tell you... it's too late!"

Having been completely shut down by Simon, I slunk back to my cubicle in defeat.

I had barely sat down when Celeste swayed past my desk.

She let out a mocking chuckle. 

"Paula, you're not mad at me, are you? After all, you really did put a lot of effort into this project."

"Then how about you split your paycheck with me?"

Celeste absentmindedly twirled a strand of her blonde hair, slowly looked me up and down, and let out a dramatic, fake sigh.

"Mr. Grafton assigned the project. He put me in charge, so naturally, the promotion and bonus belong to me. But if you're really that upset, I can treat you to lunch?"

I opened my mouth to shoot back, but the senior coworker next to me, Sharon, nudged my arm and shook her head.

Everyone in the department knew exactly what kind of person Celeste was.

On her very first day of work, she had "accidentally" spilled hot coffee all over Mr. Grafton's shirt. 

Relying on her innocent, helpless, and overly sweet persona, she quickly won his intense favoritism. 

From then on, all the best projects were handed to her. 

This current project was crucial and promised a massive bonus.

Mr. Grafton made Celeste the project lead, but immediately approved a generous two-month paid vacation for her.

The plan was entirely transparent: I would handle all the heavy lifting, and once the work was completely sorted out, she would return from vacation and effortlessly steal all the credit.

"You're not actually upset with me, right, Paula?"

Celeste blinked her big eyes innocently, then strutted right into Mr. Grafton's office.

A minute later, muffled, fake sobs echoed from behind the closed door.

Soon enough, Mr. Grafton marched out, fuming. He slammed a massive stack of folders onto my desk.

"Audit all these files and put them on my desk before you clock out. There were discrepancies in your last report, Paula. Stop bullying your coworkers and start pulling your own weight."

Leaning against the doorframe of the office, Celeste blinked at me and let out a triumphant little laugh.

Even if I skipped eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom, there was no way I could finish this mountain of paperwork by five o'clock.

Thankfully, Sharon was kind enough to drag her chair over and help me power through it.

We were so swamped that we worked straight through our lunch break.

With only thirty minutes left before the lunch hour ended, I finally stood up to grab a quick bite. 

Suddenly, I noticed a flood of unread messages popping up on my computer screen. 

They were all from Simon.

"Are you really pregnant? Who's the father?"

"I don't mean anything by it, and I'm certainly not worried about you. But even if I refuse to raise another man's kid, I still have a right to know who it is, don't I?"

"What if the guy shows up later and tries to fight me for custody?"

"By the way, did you get a thorough check-up? I know a top-tier OB-GYN. How about you go in for another scan?"

"Say something. What does it mean when you ignore me? Did you find some other guy to step up for you?"

"Paula, speak!"