Erase Me in the Next Life

“Just handle her work as a side task from now on. It’s not much.”

I trembled when I heard this. I worked diligently for three straight months to win a unanimous vote for my promotion to department manager.

And with one careless word, he instantly turned me into her subordinate.

Now he expected me to clean up her messes and even provide her food, drinks, and entertainment!

I thought back over the past five months.

From the moment Julia Snow joined the company, Ethan Reed dumped all of her tasks on me.

She had only a junior high education and couldn’t draft a weekly report, so Ethan always asked me to write it.

She couldn’t prepare a speech for the year-end awards ceremony, so Ethan pushed me to scramble one for her. I earned first prize at that ceremony with my hard work. Yet in the end, Julia stood on stage, stumbling through my speech as she accepted the award.

I did all of Julia’s work, but in the end, I got nothing, while she reaped the rewards.

Even when she got drunk and behaved recklessly at work, Ethan blamed me for not stopping her.

Now she was my boss, and she expected me to do everything?

Why was Ethan so blind? A shiver ran down my spine.

In five years of marriage, he had never posted a single photo of us online, always saying he’d do it “next time.”

At every company annual meeting, when he mingled with executives, he pretended not to know me.

When I confronted him in private, he whispered,

“Isn’t this better for us? Why seek such attention?”

“On our fifth anniversary, I’ll make you department manager and livestream our honeymoon to the entire company!”

I still remember that promise.

But instead, he embraced Julia and handed her the manager’s role.

And the promise of posting our photos was delayed again and again—ninety-nine times—until I finally gave up hope.

At first, my colleagues privately called me the future president, President Reed’s jewel.

But as Ethan ignored me more, and his parents treated me with disdain, those gazes turned scornful. “She’s just a houseguest. He probably eats leftovers at home.”

“The CEO thinks she’s unpresentable and won’t even post a picture.”

Hearing their gossip, I pretended not to notice, though my heart grew colder each day.

I should have awakened sooner. Everything Ethan did in the past six months showed he didn’t love me.

“Alright, Vivian,” Ethan’s tone softened again over the phone.

“I won’t keep you up too long. Next year, when Julia gets promoted, I’ll make you department manager.”

At this, the corners of my mouth twitched.

“Alright, get the paperwork done. Don’t delay her appointment as manager,” he added gently.

“Julia worked so hard to get into this company. It hasn’t been easy, and she has to care for her brother with leukemia.”

“You helped her, and she’s thankful. She even gave you travel tickets.”

Hearing this, my chest tightened.

“He only sees Julia now. To him, she’s perfect.” While he and Julia surfed and sunbathed, I was drowning in work at the company.

He and Julia enjoyed a candlelit dinner on an island in the lake, while I drank myself into gastric bleeding over a single order.

I always followed his instructions and worked tirelessly for the company.

But while I labored, they had fun, and when they returned, they stole my achievements and honors.

I shook with rage.

“Ethan, has my manager done it yet?” Julia’s languid voice floated through the phone.

Ethan instantly brightened. “Alright, Julia.”