My Mother’s Lies Made the Man I Loved Leave

The last thread of reason stopped me from cursing aloud.

I yanked my hand free, holding back my temper before speaking. “Do you want to drive me to jump off the rooftop before you’re satisfied?”

Only then did she loosen her grip, murmuring, “Anyway, you’ll have to come back after a while.”

I was in such a rush to escape that I didn’t stop to think about those words.

When I stumbled into the meeting room, sweaty, one heel missing, and flipped open the computer, all I saw was the formatted blue initial screen.

I stood there, dumbstruck.

A cold wave of dread surged through me, numbing my fingers.

Only then did I realize what my mom meant by “after a while you’ll have to come back.”

“Millicent, where’s the proposal?”

My assistant, Athisa Serrano, asked in a trembling voice.

Clutching the edge of the table, I steadied myself against the dizziness clouding my head and whispered, “Bring me the initial draft.”

Her eyes widened, but at last she gave in and went to retrieve it

More than a hundred pages of proposal, I could recall the framework, yet the tangled, web-like details left me struggling.

As if the chaos wasn’t enough already.

The sharp buzzing of my phone suddenly broke the silence of the conference room.

I quickly declined the video call, flipped my phone facedown, and pressed on with the presentation.

The leader’s face grew darker with every vibration.

Feeling needles prickling my back, I snatched up my phone and shut it off completely.

I lifted the laser pointer, barely managing two words; this time, it was the leader’s phone ringing.

He stared at the flashing video call before handing the phone to me.

My head roared, my breath nearly stopped. I had no idea when my mom had added my leader on WhatsApp.

“I’ll give you five minutes. Handle your personal matters first.”

Swallowing the sting in my throat, I bowed again and again, apologized to the clients, and rushed out of the conference room with my phone in hand.

The video appeared on my screen. My mom was radiant, holding up a floral dress against my cousin. “Millicent, why didn’t you answer my video call? Look at this dress, doesn’t Kiersey look beautiful in it?”

My throat burned with fire, my temples pounded relentlessly, and I felt my strength slipping away, leaving only a hollow helplessness. “It looks good, buy it! If there are others you like, buy them too, I’ll pay. Just don’t call anyone around me ever again, okay?”

My mom stiffened, her eyes welling with tears as she cried out, “So now you think I’m annoying, don’t you? You promised Kiersey you’d buy her clothes, but you broke your word. I’m keeping her company for you, and yet you’re blaming me?”

I pressed my forehead, reminding myself over and over: That’s my mom, my real mom. Endure it, endure it again.

“Mom, I only slept four hours last night. I’m drained. Today’s project decides my entire career, and the proposal is already ruined. Please, I’m begging you, let me off this time, okay?”

Her eyes widened, and tears of grievance spilled at once. “Fine, fine, fine! You’re busy with work, making big money, and climbing high as an executive. And me, just an old woman living off her daughter, useless and worthless, of course, you despise me. I won’t call you again. Even if I drop dead this very moment, I won’t call you again. Rest assured!”

Before I could answer, the call ended, leaving only the hollow beep of the dial tone.

I leaned against the wall for a moment, gathering myself before stepping back into the conference room.

Thankfully, when it came to the crucial part of the core technology, I spoke with ease, and the clients’ tense expressions gradually softened.

With the company’s long-established trust and reputation in the industry backing us, today’s battle, full of twists and turns, was finally won, barely.