Love Is Lost

"Sydney, come to my office."

Benji's sudden appearance brought tension. He shot me a cold glance before leaving first.

I didn't want to go, but Amy gave me a gentle push.

"Mr. Warren is a reasonable man. You should talk to him, and see if you can get the project back. The deal is about to be signed, and there's a big bonus involved."

Amy had been the one to guide me when I first joined the company, and she'd seen all my hard work over the years. That was why she wanted me to try again.

Nevertheless, she was wrong about how Benji would react.

As soon as the door to the CEO's office closed, Benji began to reprimand me with sarcasm.

"Sydney, are you really that desperate to marry me? The company is in a critical stage of development. If you're not going to help, at least don't make things worse. Do you know how much our stock will drop if word gets out that I'm marrying a project assistant?"

I didn't want to feel hurt as I knew breaking up was inevitable. But when I saw the contempt in his eyes, my heart couldn't help but ache.

I clenched my hands and was about to speak when Esme walked in holding a photo frame.

"Ben, the family portrait's ready. I've put it by your computer, is that okay?"

It was indeed a "family" portrait. Benji's parents sat in the front while Esme and Benji stood behind with their arms around each other, looking perfectly intimate.

It was laughable. After five years of dating, I was only seeing Benji's parents for the first time in a photo with him and another woman.

I forced a chuckle despite the ache in my heart.

"Don't worry, Mr. Warren. Although I'm just a project assistant, I would never interfere in other people's relationships. As for who I marry, that's a private matter. You don't need to worry about it."

Fearing I might reveal my vulnerability if I stayed any longer, I quickly left his office. It wasn't until I reached the stairwell that I finally allowed myself to cry.

I cried for the Sydney who had loved Benji so deeply for five years only to be met with disdain, and for the Sydney who had worked tirelessly and never been recognized.

As I wiped away my tears, I heard voices coming from behind the door.

"Hey, did you hear? That gal Sydney thought working overtime all those days would get her promoted and married to Mr. Warren. What a joke."

"It's all thanks to you, Ms. Lopez, for giving us this opportunity. We'll make sure to handle this project well."

Esme sneered and said, "She's still a country bumpkin at the end of the day. No matter how much she tries to fit into high society, she'll never succeed. If I could remove her from the project once, I could do it multiple times.

"She dreams of getting promoted by having Ben marry her. I have to say she's quite resilient, though. Even after getting denied her bonuses for years, she still can't bring herself to leave."

A surge of anger filled my gut.

I thought about my meager salary over the past five years and all the projects I'd worked on that had been stolen from me.

I thought of Dad, lying in pain on his hospital bed, while I couldn't even afford to pay for his treatment.

So, it was Esme all along, pulling the strings behind the scenes.

I slammed open the fire exit door and rushed out, throwing my handbag at her as I yelled, "Esme, if you want to steal my man, just say it. Why must you stoop so low as to sabotage my projects?"

"Sydney, what are you doing?"

The bag's embellishments caught in Esme's hair, and the metal studs scratched her face. Her cheeks flushed red with anger as she glared at me.

I thought she was about to lunge at me, but to my surprise, she suddenly dropped to her knees and cried pitifully, "Ms. Carroll, I'm sorry. I didn't know you cared so much about me being childhood friends with Ben. Don't worry, I'll resign right now.

"Just please, don't hit me or insult my parents. I was wrong. Please, let me go. You're right, you're Ben's girlfriend. Warren Group is yours. I shouldn't have tried to poke into your business. I won't ever show up in front of you again."

Esme's actions left me stunned.

Just as I wanted to get some clarity, someone came out of the elevator and shoved me away.

"So, now you've resorted to violence, huh? Sydney, this is the office, not some street corner where you can act like a petty street brawler. Apologize to Esme right now."