An Ungrateful Man Is Not Worth It

The next afternoon, I waited in the conference hall, but David was nowhere to be found.

I sent him a message, but there was no reply.

I called him twice more, but his phone was off.

I went to his office, only to find it empty. His colleagues told me he had left an hour earlier.

I had no choice but to handle the negotiations with the White Group alone.

Seeing that I was just a low-ranking employee, they gave me a hard time, slashing our proposal's price by thirty percent, practically turning my plan into wastepaper.

I had no choice but to beg them until we barely secured a bit of profit.

By the time the meeting ended, it was already dark.

I wanted to call David to pick me up, but his phone was still off.

The company was in a remote location, so I had to take the bus home.

The house was dark when I got back.

David still hadn't returned.

The messages I'd sent went unread, and none of my missed calls were returned.

I sat at the table, staring at the pile of documents in front of me, feeling a mix of bitterness and emptiness.

It was late. I decided to just take a shower and go to bed.

After my shower, as I was drying my hair, the front door opened, and David finally came home.

He was holding takeout and called out to me.

"Nina, I brought food. Come eat with me."

I muttered a response and sat down to eat.

He didn't eat but cautiously watched me, speaking with a hint of guilt. "Nina, I'm sorry about this afternoon. How did the meeting go?"

Without looking up, I replied coldly between bites.

"Smoothly. So smoothly that I never want to do it again."

Sensing something wrong with my mood, David looked nervous and quickly explained.

"Nina, it was my fault this afternoon, but I really had an emergency. Cindy had sudden menstrual cramps and couldn't even walk. I had to take her to the hospital, and I didn't have time to check my phone."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but laugh.

Menstrual cramps? Why didn't she claim she was on the verge of death?

I remember when I was in excruciating pain, all he said was that work came first.

Seeing my mocking expression, David became visibly uncomfortable.

"Nina, you have to prioritize. Anyone could have handled the negotiations, but Cindy was in so much pain that she couldn't move. If I hadn't taken her to the hospital, what would she have done? You're both women. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

Seeing him once again taking the moral high ground, I immediately retorted.

"David, what do you mean anyone could've handled it? Do you have any idea how important this project is to both the company and us? When I had cramps, I was clutching my stomach while drafting the proposal!"

"And where were you? Did you ever take me to the hospital? Why did you rush to her side the moment Cindy was in pain?"

Caught off guard by my words, David grew furious.

"Nina Yukio, can you stop being unreasonable? You're both women — show some understanding!"

My temper flared too, and I snapped back.

"I can't!"

"Fine, I'll leave!"

Bang—

David slammed the door and stormed out.

I didn't understand. I really didn't understand.

Didn't he think Cindy is more important than me? Why didn't he dare to admit it?