Your Scapegoat that Brought You Down

Sapphire's POV

I stared at her coldly. “Of course, I know what I’m doing. I’m teaching someone who made a mistake but still tried to pin it on someone else.”

“You! Do you even know who I am?” Melinda shrieked.

I let out a short laugh. “I don’t care who you are. To me, you’re nothing.”

Just then, Sylvester walked in. The moment he saw Melinda’s pitiful state, his face changed instantly. Without even glancing at me, he rushed straight to her side, cupping her face with both hands as he anxiously inspected her.

“Melinda, are you alright? Did she hurt you?”

He had never once used that tender tone of his with me. Even when I was sick and running a fever, the most I got was a cold: “Drink some hot water.”

Tears welled in Melinda’s eyes as she leaned into him, crying pitifully. “Sylvester, my face hurts so much. Do you think Sapphire was trying to ruin it on purpose?”

With that, she buried herself deeper into his arms.

Sylvester froze for half a second, then, shockingly, his expression softened into something close to joy. He immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

They looked more like lovers than he and I ever had.

Then he turned on me, his voice a roar. “Sapphire! Are you insane? Apologize to Melinda right now!”

Yet, I didn’t move. My tone stayed icy. “Sylvester, she poured water on me first. Why should I be the one to apologize?”

But that only made him angrier. He jabbed a finger at my face and snapped, “You hurt Melinda, and you still dare talk back? I must’ve been blind to ever fall for someone as vicious as you!”

Vicious?

So that was what he really thought of me all along. I wasn’t a partner to him. I was just an obstacle.

At that moment, I felt both relief and a sense of regret. Relief, because I had never revealed my true identity to him. The whole time we were together, I’d only told him that my family had some money, letting him believe I was just another average rich kid. And that disguise gave me the perfect chance to see his real face.

Regret, at the same time, because before leaving for overseas, I had personally recommended him to my father as the branch manager. I even swore up and down that he was talented and trustworthy.

Thinking about it now, the irony stung like a slap across the face.

“Since that’s how it is,” I said flatly, “we’re done, Sylvester. I’m breaking up with you.”

I grabbed my bag and turned to leave.

But he yanked me back by the arm, his temper boiling over. Snatching the compensation agreement off the desk, he shoved it at me.

“Sapphire, don’t think you can scare me with these games! You splashed Melinda. This isn’t over! And this agreement, if you don’t sign it, don’t even dream of walking out of here today!”

Maybe it was from the ice water earlier, but my head was throbbing. I was too exhausted to waste more words on him. Without hesitation, I took the agreement, signed a name in the final blank, and tossed it back at him.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to give in so quickly. For several seconds, he just stood there stunned, before bending down to snatch the paper off the floor.

I had just stepped into the elevator when his furious shout echoed behind me.

“Sapphire! How dare you sign Melinda’s name? Get back here!”

But the elevator doors slid shut already, cutting off his rage.

When I got downstairs, my family’s car was already waiting. I slumped into the seat, drained, and told the driver, “Take me home.”

Herman Shepherd, who had worked for my family for over thirty years and was as close to me as a relative, nodded and quietly pulled the car away.

My head still pounded, so I closed my eyes and drifted off before I realized it.

But when I woke up, the car wasn’t parked near home at all. It was stopped outside a five-star hotel.