"Life was hard, and people bullied me all the time. I was hungry most days. But as long as I could stay alive and see you once in a while, that was enough for me."

A single tear slid down her cheek at exactly the right moment.

Grant looked heartbroken.

His gaze hardened, and his voice rang across the hall.

"Enough! That incident was explained long ago. It was an accident. Chloe admitted her mistake and paid for it. Over the past year, she has changed a lot, and her abilities have improved. I believe she is qualified to serve as vice president.

"I do not want to hear anyone use that incident to attack her again. If I catch anyone doing it, you will end up the same way as Natalie Shaw."

The room fell silent.

The people who had still wanted to argue slowly lowered their heads.

Grant nodded with satisfaction. Then he turned to Chloe and said softly, "Don't worry. I will never let you go hungry again.

"Things are different now. I endured hundreds of days of humiliation for this moment. I will get justice for you.

"Everyone who framed you and hurt you back then will pay."

His tone grew colder with every word.

Then his eyes landed on me.

I met his stare and felt a chill crawl up my spine.

He hated me that much?

All because I fired Chloe in front of everyone a year ago?

If I had not done it, he would not be standing here celebrating his promotion. He would have been thrown out of the company right along with her.

Chloe had been his assistant. He was responsible for her conduct. Back then, the board's original decision was not just to fire Chloe. It was to fire Grant too.

I had personally guaranteed his future to the chairman and signed a performance pledge to win him a chance to redeem himself.

Even so, he had punished me with three months of cold silence.

Later, when I promised I would help him become executive CEO, his attitude toward me finally softened.

Now he had barely taken the seat before he rushed to fire me and claim justice for Chloe.

How ridiculous.

Seeing the cold smile on my face, Grant frowned and walked down from the stage.

"Natalie Shaw, if not for you, Chloe would never have been fired. She would never have suffered all those things.

"You owe her a public apology."

I ignored him, picked up the termination agreement from the floor, and turned to leave.

Grant had security block my way.

Chloe hurried after us, still wearing the expression of someone wronged beyond measure.

"Grant, look at her. She doesn't want to apologize at all.

"I just came back to the company and this is already happening. Who will listen to me after this? Instead of helping you, I'll only drag you down.

"Rather than watch that happen and make things difficult for you, I might as well leave now."

As she spoke, she moved closer to Grant instead of leaving.

Her reddened eyes fell perfectly into his line of sight.

Grant grabbed her wrist at once, as if terrified she might actually go.

"I told you I would get justice for you. Do you trust me that little?"

Chloe did not answer. She only lowered her head.

Grant coaxed her for several more sentences, and only when the corners of her mouth lifted did he finally relax.

The sight of them together was painful to watch.

In six years with Grant, I had never seen him this gentle or this patient.

Not even when we were supposedly in love.

In daily life, even basic kindness from him had become a luxury. Most of what existed between us was argument, cold war, sudden disappearances, and nights when he never came home.

So whenever he showed the smallest sign of softness, I would mistake it for a change of heart.

To keep that tiny bit of warmth, I fought for anything he casually asked for.

Even when he once said, "Then let me have the CEO's seat."

And what happened in the end?

He took everything I had fought so hard to build, accepted it as if it were owed to him, then turned around and kicked me aside so someone else could take my place.

Maybe there had been no room for me in his heart for a long time.

I was the only fool still believing that if I tried hard enough, he would eventually see me.

Thinking about it now, I had been unbelievably stupid.

Grant's cold voice pulled me back.

"Cat got your tongue, Natalie? Apologize to Chloe. Now.

"If you don't apologize, don't even think about leaving this room today."

The moment he finished speaking, the security guards around me closed in, each one holding a baton.

So that was how determined he was to force an apology out of me.

Chloe watched with expectation written across her face, satisfaction glinting in her eyes.

Seeing Grant so determined to defend Chloe, I felt something press down on my chest until even breathing took effort.

Once, he had stood in front of everyone and defended me just like this.

He had demanded justice for me.

That was the moment I fell for him.

Who would have thought that one day, he would demand justice from me for someone else?

And worse, I had done nothing wrong. I had never framed anyone.

The justice he wanted was never going to be the truth.

When I stayed silent, his brows knitted tighter.

Chloe handed him a glass of wine and whispered something by his ear. His gloomy expression softened at once.

Then he looked at me coldly again.

"Natalie, you owe Chloe this. I'm doing this for your own good. When someone makes a mistake, they should take responsibility. Isn't that what you always tell your subordinates?

"Why does that rule suddenly not apply when it's you?"

As soon as he said that, the room filled with agreement.

"Mr. Hale is right. Ms. Shaw, you should just apologize."

"Why make such a big deal out of it? Maybe if you apologize, you won't even have to leave the company."

I looked coldly at them and said nothing.

They were nothing but opportunists.

Now that I had lost power, they could not wait to step on me personally and use it to curry favor with the newly appointed Grant Hale.

When I still did not move, Grant finally lost his patience.

His irritation grew more obvious, and he snapped, "Since you refuse to apologize, then bow to Chloe.

"Once you bow, this ends here. I won't use this against you again."

I stared at him coldly and refused without hesitation.

"You want me to bow and apologize to her? Dream on.

"This matter had a conclusion a year ago. Now you're dragging it out again. What exactly are you hiding?"

The moment he announced my termination in front of everyone, I saw him clearly.

His whole heart was with Chloe now. There was no trace of me in his eyes.

So why should I keep lying to myself and keep orbiting around him?

Grant heard me and smashed the wineglass in his hand.

His voice turned icy.

"Natalie! I'm only asking you to apologize and admit you were wrong. Is that really worth twisting into some conspiracy against you?

"Besides, I'm doing this for you. So many colleagues are watching. Do you really want to embarrass yourself and be criticized for this in the future?

"Apologize now, or we will—"

He paused deliberately before finishing.

"Choose what happens next for yourself."

I had heard those words from him countless times.

Whenever I resisted or refused to obey, he would threaten me with a breakup.

In the past, I treasured our six-year relationship so much that before he could even say the word "break up," I would rush to agree with him.

That had taught him that those words were my weakness.

After I gave in, he would look at me with that pitiful, condescending expression and warn me that there would not be a next time.

That move had worked on me again and again.

But this time, I did not want to compromise anymore.

I looked him in the eyes and said each word clearly.

"Fine. Then let's break up."

The moment I said it, an unexpected lightness spread through my chest.

Grant, however, stiffened where he stood.

The words he had prepared died in his throat.

He stared at me, thrown. In all the time he had known me, I had never once refused him outright.

Chloe, watching from beside him, felt her barely-receding tears surge back. She must have assumed Grant would hesitate now that I had turned his own move against him. Her voice broke on perfect cue.

"Grant, I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed so hard for that apology, she never would have said that to you.

"If I'm the reason you two end up fighting and breaking apart, then forget it. I don't want the apology anymore. I just want you to be okay."

Grant heard her words and the image rose in his mind — Chloe alone, collecting trash in the scorching heat. His chest clenched.

His expression went flat.

"Fine. If you want to break up, we break up. Don't regret it."

The moment those words landed, every trace of Chloe's distress vanished. Satisfaction swept across her face.

She pressed it back down and arranged herself into something careful and concerned.

"Grant, are you really sure this is okay?

"I don't want to make things harder for you."

Without a second thought, Grant unclasped the watch from his wrist and dropped it on the floor.

His voice was flat.

"There's nothing hard about it. I've wanted this for a long time.

"And you — stop putting me first in everything. Think about yourself for once."

I watched the watch hit the floor like something thrown in the trash.

I said nothing. I bent down, picked it up, and walked toward the exit.

It was the first gift I had ever given him.

When I first joined the company, I had nothing. The watch wasn't expensive, but it had cost me a full month's wages. I had lived on almost nothing for thirty days just to save enough.

When I watched him open it, I thought every hungry day had been worth it.

He slipped it on with a broad smile and made me a promise.

"This is the most precious thing I've ever been given. I'm going to wear it for the rest of my life. I'll die before I take it off."

I had believed him then. I thought we would grow old together.

And yet here we were.

I let out a cold laugh and left the ridiculous celebration without looking back.

The next moment, the chairman walked in, his face dark.

He had heard the news of my departure.

Grant hurried over to greet him, but the chairman spoke first.

"I heard you fired Natalie Shaw."

Grant paused, then nodded.

"Chairman, Natalie was using her position to remove employees at will. I acted in the interest of the company — someone like that has no place here.

"Don't worry. She's already taken her termination agreement, and all other procedures have been handled."

He assumed the chairman had come to congratulate him on his promotion. He thought bringing up the firing might even earn him goodwill.

Instead, the chairman's expression darkened further.

Grant felt something shift but couldn't place what.

The chairman said nothing. He scanned the room, found no sign of me, confirmed I was already gone, and his brow knitted tight.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"The chairman doesn't look pleased with Mr. Hale's decision."

"You're reading too much into it. If the chairman had any doubts about Mr. Hale, he never would have approved the appointment."

"He came in person for the celebration — that's a sign of real backing. He probably came to hand over the transfer papers."

Grant heard those voices and the tension in his chest eased. He was about to say a few gracious words to smooth over the faint awkwardness.

Then the chairman glanced at him.

His gaze settled on Grant slowly, for several long seconds. The deep crease between his brows shifted — and then released.

He let out a tired sigh.

And then, with the air of someone who had made up his mind, he made his announcement.

"Effective immediately, Grant Hale's position as executive CEO of the division is hereby revoked. He is to be dismissed from the company."