Chapter 8

Seeing Liam's embarrassed expression, I felt a wave of satisfaction.

I loved seeing him look so uncomfortable.

He was especially humiliated after thinking he had everything under control.

"Did Lily send you this? But..."

"Enough, Liam. Whatever happened between you and Lily, I don't care," I cut him off.

Seeing that I wanted to leave, Liam blocked my way.

"Lily's just immature. The photo is a misunderstanding. There's nothing between us."

Hearing his words, I felt nothing inside.

Even if the photo was fake, it did not prove they were innocent.

These meaningless explanations were a waste of my time.

I spoke mockingly.

"Mr. Smith, it's late. Spare me the act. The performance is convincing enough... you just picked the wrong woman to play it to."

As I finished speaking, I ignored his attempts to stop me, walked around him, and left.

The bar incident was merely a minor episode.

After that day, I never saw Liam again. Once I blocked him, we completely lost contact.

Starting at Elegant Design Company, I had a heavy workload to manage.

My work account under the name Sue, which I had previously left idle, was reactivated.

As soon as I logged in, my phone buzzed incessantly with messages.

Right then, a friend request appeared on my work account.

Seeing the familiar profile picture caused me to frown.

I had no idea how Liam had obtained my work account.

Looking at the work-related note in the verification message, I rejected it without hesitation.

Even if he didn't realize Sue was me, I wanted no connection with him.

After processing my work messages, I logged out.

But unexpectedly, an unwelcome visitor appeared at my front door after work.

It was Liam again.

I ignored him and walked past, heading for the yard, but he intercepted me the moment he saw me.

"You got into the Elegant Design? Are you aware that's the company Lily wanted to join?"

Liam's voice was cold, his eyes colder.

I didn't understand his accusatory tone.

"What does Lily’s career have to do with me? Did I block her entry, or did I steal her spot?"

I didn't need to think twice to know Lily had stirred things up again.

Otherwise, Liam wouldn't have made a special trip for this.

"Sophia, I know you want to prove yourself, but Elegant Design isn’t for someone like you. Quit now, or you'll lose your dignity later."

The same old stunt: he ground me underfoot while parading Lily around like royalty.

It seemed that in Liam's eyes, I could never measure up to her.

In all the years I'd been with him, this had happened too many times.

Hearing these words again, I felt completely numb.

"What if I don't? Liam, you should know I don't have enough pull to make decisions at Elegant Design. If Lily wants in, she should earn it through her own merits."

I looked up at him, my expression level and unyielding.

If I could get into Elegant Design, I could certainly hold my own.

Thinking that a few words could make me surrender what I’d earned was pure wishful thinking.

Seeing my stubborn refusal, Liam’s patience snapped. His brows furrowed as he spoke with visible displeasure.

"Sophia, don't be ungrateful."

"I'm just particularly stubborn. Mr. Smith, you shouldn't waste your time on me. In my eyes, Lily's abilities are just like your sexual performance."

I deliberately provoked him, intentionally glancing at his lower body.

After that, I shook my head dismissively.

Sure enough, Liam’s face darkened.

"Sophia, do you know what you're saying?"

I didn't care.

"Mr. Smith, of course, I know what I'm saying. Let me repeat: I don't want to see you or your sister."

With that, I pushed past him through the door and shut it in his face.

That night, a message in the work group mentioned the company was hiring an employee who got in through connections.

I didn’t think much of it until the next day.

A familiar Maybach appeared at Elegant Design.

Seeing those two together, I understood immediately.

The "connection" hire mentioned in the group must be Lily.

I hadn’t expected that Liam, who was always so fair, would actually use his influence for Lily’s sake.

The two immediately sparked discussion among the women in the company.

I stood at the entrance watching them.

Even from a distance, I could see the smugness on Lily’s face.

Liam thoughtfully opened the car door for her, the action natural and smooth, as if they had played out this scene many times before.

Lily stepped out without a care for those around her, her tone coquettish.

"Liam, I'm going to work now. Let's have dinner together tonight."

"Okay, contact me after work, and I'll pick you up."

Mockery rose in my heart. I cursed under my breath, "Disgusting."

A passing colleague overheard me. She followed my gaze and spoke enviously, "That's the new intern. I heard the guy with her is her boyfriend—an investor in our new project. He specifically added more investment to secure her spot. I wish I had a boyfriend like that."

I asked coldly, "Do you know that guy?"

The colleague shook her head, confused. "No, I don't. Sophia, do you know him?"

I smiled mockingly. "Sort of. He's my soon-to-be ex-husband."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Sophia, you're not joking, right? That's your husband? Then he's still...?"

I patted her shoulder and joked, "You actually believed that? I was just kidding."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Sophia, you scared me to death! How could you joke about that?"

I smiled and looked at them in the distance, saying nothing more.

Their intimate behavior easily led people to misunderstand; many employees already defined them as a couple.

And regarding these speculations, Liam's gaze turned toward me.

The moment our eyes met, I looked away, refusing to give him another glance.

Perhaps because he saw me, Liam didn't deny his relationship with Lily.

Lily took his silence as consent. Smugness bloomed across her face, and when she spoke, her words dripped with honey. "Liam, see you tonight. I'll wait for you to pick me up."