Professor Gilbert had always been the picture of gentle composure.

So it turned out he was capable of an anger this big too.

I looked at him.

And suddenly I laughed.

"Take whoever you want into your group…"

I nodded.

Then I turned and walked out of the office.

Fine, then.

The project in my hands.

Was mine to give to whoever I wanted too.

I'd been saving this university-industry partnership project for him.

I knew.

Dad's research group had run into some trouble lately.

They badly needed a big project to prop them up.

Dad was the great professor I'd looked up to since I was a child.

I believed he could do it well.

But now.

I didn't want to give it to him anymore.

Back at the company.

A signed contract was sitting on my desk.

The university-industry partnership project.

The partner—

Professor Alfred Gilbert.

Alfred Gilbert.

Was my father.

I called my subordinate in on the spot.

"Who authorized handing this project over to Professor Gilbert!"

She looked at me, a little frightened.

"This… didn't you agree to it, Director Gilbert?"

"Me?"

I frowned.

"Yes… yes, Deputy Manager Delgado had your seal… he said you'd agreed to it."

I stared at her, unable to believe it.

"Warren Delgado?"

She nodded.

Warren Delgado.

Was my boyfriend.

I asked around and found out where Warren had gone.

Then I raced over to the biggest restaurant in the city.

Outside the private room.

I heard the clink of glasses from inside.

My boyfriend Warren's voice came through.

"For my sister to have the honor of joining your research group, Professor Gilbert—truly, the honor is all hers."

"You're too kind. Your sister has the ability in her own right. If I get to take on a student like her next year, the honor is really mine."

I froze in the doorway.

Warren's sister was taking the grad school exams next year.

He… was pulling strings for his own sister?

"Professor Gilbert, if Carrie Delgado doesn't meet your group's standards, please don't force yourself to take her just to save my face.

"This project was always meant for people with real ability. Whether or not you take Carrie, partnering with you is an honor for our company.

"And on that, my word is final."

The door opened.

Two men looked over at me, startled.

"One moment, Professor Gilbert."

Warren stood up.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me off to where no one could hear.

"What are you doing here!"

"The question is why you're here!"

I clenched my teeth, looking at him.

"Didn't I say this project was going to someone else!"

Warren sighed.

"Carolyn, you know how badly Carrie wants to get into grad school!

"She's failed two years running. If she doesn't make it this time, she'll fall apart!

"You're going to be her sister-in-law. Can't you show a little understanding?"

Understanding.

That word again.

When Dad gave me a zero.

The teachers told me to be understanding.

When Warren overstepped and agreed to hand the project to Dad.

He told me to be understanding too.

"I keep being understanding toward all of you—who's going to be understanding toward me!

"Warren! Do you have any idea I could hold you liable for the company's losses under the rules for this!"

It was rare for me to be this hard.

Warren looked at me like he couldn't believe it.

"You…"

"Warren! Sis! So this is where you two are!"

A familiar voice rang out.

I hadn't expected it.

Jemima was here too.

I looked at Warren.

He avoided my eyes.

This dinner, the one that decided the project deal.

Jemima was here for it too.

I was the only one left out.

Jemima didn't notice my face. Smiling, she walked straight up to Warren.

"Warren, Carrie and I have gone over everything. I've already sent her the actual written-exam questions from the last ten years.

"And I begged my father—he's agreed to mark out the key points for Carrie when the time comes."

"Really?"

Warren's eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth tugging up before he could stop them.

Jemima nodded hard.

Warren looked at me. There was disappointment in his eyes.

"Carolyn, we're all family. Look at Jemima."

Jemima's face went pink. She dropped her head, a little bashful, her gaze sliding once across Warren's face.

"Professor Gilbert is waiting on us. Carolyn, if you won't help, at least don't make trouble."

Jemima and Warren brushed past me. As they passed, Jemima turned her head as if by accident and gave me a look. The corner of her mouth curved into something knowing.

I stood there a long time. Slowly, I picked up my phone.

"Hello, Mr. Sullivan.

"About the university-industry partnership project for the East District development. My subordinate Warren Delgado overstepped his authority and reassigned it to Professor Gilbert.

"It never went through proper review. It could cost the company serious losses.

"I'm requesting an emergency revocation.

"And that I choose the partner myself."

A short silence on the other end.

"Handle it however you see fit."

"Thank you, Mr. Sullivan."

I hung up.

I didn't see them again. I didn't want to look at their faces.

I sat in the office. Outside, it had gone fully dark.

I leaned back in my chair. I still couldn't understand it.

My family—why would they treat me like this?

My phone buzzed. A new video on Jemima's feed.

That was how I found out. There'd been a family dinner.

Jemima sat surrounded by Mom and Dad and the rest of the relatives. And a table loaded with food.

She flashed a peace sign at the camera.

【Passed my grad school exams AND together with my family—waah, I have the best family in the whole world!】

Every seat at that big table was full.

They... hadn't even told me.

Someone was sitting in what used to be my spot.

Jemima turned the camera toward him. Warren smiled and waved at the lens.

Jemima's soft laugh made the frame tremble a little.

I froze.

Even my boyfriend was there?

Dad was the first to like it. His comment:

【The best daughter in the world】

Warren liked it too:

【The best Jemima in the world】

Right after him came Warren's sister, Carrie:

【The best big sister Jemima in the world!】

Everyone celebrating. Everyone leaving me out. And yet the post went up so promptly.

They...

This was punishment.

Just like it had been countless times before. Any time I got upset and threw a fit because Jemima got more, they'd leave me home alone and go off traveling. Even when everyone was in the house, there'd be no bowl and chopsticks set out for me at the table.

Within three days, I'd be crying, begging them to forgive me. Kneeling down, swearing I'd never give my sister a hard time again. Begging them to keep a place for me.

But now.

It suddenly struck me as absurd.

This kind of family bond, one I could only keep by groveling. It was so cheap.

It really...

couldn't be called family at all.

A few days later. The ceremony marking Dad's partnership with the company began.

Warren attended as the company's representative.

He didn't say a word to me about it.

By the time I reached the office,

he was already gone.

He was always like this.

His work was sharp, no question.

But.

He had never once treated me as his superior.

As if being my boyfriend

gave him the right to make calls without ever running them past me.

I picked up the freshly issued termination notice for Warren Delgado from headquarters.

When I got to the signing ceremony,

my father was just about to cut the ribbon with Warren.

The moment he saw me,

his brows drew together hard.

“Who said you could be here?”

Warren stepped forward too.

“Carolyn, this is a critical moment. If you want to throw a fit, do it after. Go now!”

He reached out to pull me along,

but I turned and slipped past his hand.

I didn't so much as glance at him.

His hand froze in midair.

He stared at me, disbelieving.

“Carolyn?”

I walked up to my father,

gripped the ribbon,

and tore it down in one pull.

“Professor Gilbert, I'm here to inform you the deal is canceled.

“As of today, this project is handed over in full to Lecturer Mason.”

A man standing off at the edge jerked his head up.

Smiling, I held out the project file to him.

“Mr. Mason, are you willing to work with us?”

“Carolyn Gilbert!”

My father surged forward, his voice sharp.

“Who gave you the right to hand my project to someone else!”

I looked at him coldly.

“My project. I give it to whoever I want.”

My father went still.

That line.

Strangely familiar.

“Your project?”

He frowned at me. “This is obviously……”

“Warren Delgado's?”

I curved my lips.

The termination notice landed against Warren's chest.

“One of my deputies, and he had the nerve to reassign a project over my head!

“Who gave you the nerve!”

“Deputy?”

My father stared at me, dazed.

“Warren……is your deputy?

“Carolyn……when did you climb to a position this high?”