Despite my parents' objections, I stay by Julian Grant's side for ten years. He goes from having nothing to building his own empire.

The moment it's time to fulfill our ten-year promise, I proudly tell my parents I'm going to marry him.

But then, he gives the vice president position meant for me to another woman.

I confront him only to overhear a woman's hesitant voice behind the door. "Mr. Grant... you gave me the VP role, but what about Ms. Jones? Aren't you two getting married?"

Julian's tone is cold and sharp, though his face is calm and unaffected. "Noelle's been with me for ten years. Who else would even want her? Relax—she won't dare make a scene."

The words hit me like a slap to the face. Without another word, I turn and make a call to my arranged marriage contact.

"Are you free?" I ask. "Let's get married."

The office door was left slightly ajar.

Inside, Julian Grant was claiming the woman in front of him with raw passion. She moaned, her cheeks flushed red with lust.

I clenched my fists, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Just last night, I had assured my mom that I was going to get married. But the moment I stepped into the office this morning, I found out that Julian had appointed someone else as the vice president—a position that was supposed to be mine.

I hadn't even made it to my office yet—I came straight here, demanding an explanation.

But as if taking the vice president position from me weren't enough, Julian had the audacity to make out with someone in his office.

As the woman in front of him panted, she flashed a provocative smile at me.

I wasn't familiar with her, and it took me quite a while to finally remember who she was.

It was Zoey Jenkins, an intern from one of our partner companies.

The only time we'd met was two months ago during a negotiation. She had taken the wrong contract and burst into tears when her boss scolded her in front of everyone. I remembered speaking up for her that day.

Who would've thought that two months later, she'd not only take my position but also get involved with my boyfriend?

I scoffed, hot tears suddenly prickling at my eyes.

Zoey glanced at the door and deliberately raised her voice. "Mr. Grant, Ms. Jones' absolutely smitten with you. What if she finds out about us and decides not to marry you?"

My heart clenched, and my fingertips trembled as memories of the ten years we'd spent together came rushing back.

When Julian was 20, he'd made a vow to my parents that he'd marry no one but me. Now, at 30 and with a successful career, he had promised them he would appoint me as vice president.

The room immediately fell silent. Then, his voice came through loud and clear.

"We've already been together for ages," he said with a scoff. "Marriage is just a legal certificate. It doesn't matter if we don't marry at all.

"In fact, it might actually be better that way. I can do whatever I want—it won't count as cheating on her.

"Honestly, she just doesn't do it for me anymore. She's already 30—she's getting old. How could she ever compare to you?"

His voice was lilted, almost laced with laughter.

Zoey feigned embarrassment and playfully hit his chest, a triumphant glint flickering in her eyes.

I left in a daze, belatedly realizing my face was already covered in tears by the time I reached my office.

Staring at the sun's rays streaming across my chair, I wiped away my tears and sent a message.

Seconds later, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the reply and smiled.

"What's up? You look entranced."

A hoarse voice echoed from my door, the unmistakable sound of someone thoroughly sated.

I flipped my phone face down and glanced at Julian, now neatly dressed. If not for the lipstick stain peeking from his collar, I might've questioned whether what I'd seen earlier had been some kind of hallucination.

He leaned against my desk, one hand propped up on it while the other twirled my pen between his fingers.

Silence stretched between us before he broke it with a sigh.

He reached to ruffle my hair, but I instantly jerked my head away in disgust. That hand had just touched another woman—not to mention, he still reeked of intimacy.

Julian's gaze darkened. His hand froze midair before he sheepishly withdrew it and said, "I know you're mad, Noelle. But it's just a title.

"Aside from being the vice president, you can pick whatever position you want. I'll fulfill your wish."

I stared right into Julian's eyes and demanded, "But what if I insist on becoming the vice president? Will you make it happen?"

Whenever he stared at someone with a stoic expression, he looked intimidating. After years in the business world, he was no longer the naive young man in his 20s—nor the one who swore to build a future with me.

I looked away and let out a self-deprecating smile.

Julian lit a cigarette with a soft snap of his lighter, the knot between his brows resembling someone dealing with a tough client. As he puffed on his cigarette, his patience seemed to be running thin.

"Noelle, don't make this difficult for me," he ground out.

I froze and gawked at him. "Julian, you're one to talk. I'm already 30 this year, and we've been together for ten years. You know the vice president position isn't the issue here."

Ten years ago, Julian was nothing but a penniless young man.

My parents strongly disapproved of our relationship, but back then, we were too inseparable to be torn apart. The more they tried to keep us apart, the more defiant we became.

Left with no choice, Dad gave Julian 300,000 dollars to start his business. He and Mom promised they would no longer interfere with our relationship if Julian still treated me the same after becoming successful.

But he was given only ten years. If he failed or showed even the slightest change of heart after ten years, I'd have to obey my parents and marry someone else.

Julian blew out a stream of smoke and stubbed out the cigarette.

"Noelle, we're like family now," he said flatly. "There's no need to cling to a piece of paper. As for your parents—they'll come around eventually.

"But Zoey's different. She needs this position. So stop making a fuss and behave. That's final."

With that, he strode out, clearly frustrated by our exchange.

His steps faltered for a moment at the door. After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, "By the way, Zoey needs an office, so you have to move out.

"You should also prepare for her welcome party. As the company's vice president, she deserves a proper ceremony. Don't let anyone look down on her. You've been around for years, so the others will definitely accept your invitation.

"Noelle, I trust you to separate work and personal matters. You know what to do, right?"

The office door slammed shut.

As I slumped into my chair, my gaze fell on the photo frame on the desk.

It was a picture of Julian and me. He was beaming at the camera, his appearance miles away from the cold, heartless man he was now.

I reached out and turned the photo frame face down. Then I got up and headed to the HR department.

The HR manager, Winnie Lane, gaped at me.

"Ms. Jones, are you resigning?"

I nodded.

"Um… Ms. Jones, your resignation has to be approved by Mr. Grant. H-he mentioned it when he came by earlier," Winnie stammered.

I was stunned. Well, after ten years together, he clearly knew me well enough—I was never a tolerant woman.

Getting my resignation approved wouldn't be easy, and sure enough, my first attempt was rejected.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I noticed a crowd gathered outside my office. They were all Julian's assistants and secretaries.

The moment they saw me, they immediately parted to let me through.

My office was a complete mess.

Zoey was lounging comfortably in my chair, casually directing the janitors as they sifted through my belongings.

"Throw away that photo frame and those books on the shelf.

"Actually, forget it. I hate everything here. Just toss it all out, and make sure there's not a speck of dust left. It smells awful now."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust and waved a hand in front of her face, as if there really was some unbearable stench. Then she glanced toward the door and spotted me.

"Ms. Jones, you're back!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet. "I was just having the office cleaned up for you.

"I figured there wasn't anything important, so I didn't leave anything behind. Thoughtful of me, right?

"Oh, and Ms. Jones, I might need your help with work from now on. I'm still young, so I need to focus on more important things. If anything goes wrong, I'll be counting on you!"

Zoey clung to my arm, squeezing it as if we were close friends. But I could clearly see the taunting look in her eyes.

I withdrew my hand and dismissed everyone else. Now, only Zoey and I were left in my office.

As soon as everyone was gone, she immediately pulled her hand back and grumbled, "Ugh, you reek like an old woman."

The moment her words fell, she clasped her hand to her mouth. Her gaze darted around wildly, feigning fear as she whimpered, "Ms. Jones, I didn't mean it that way! It's all Mr. Grant's fault… He's been saying that all the time, and I couldn't help it. You'll forgive me, right?"

Malice flared in her eyes—she didn't look the slightest bit sorry.

Seeing I was unfazed, Zoey pushed further. She slipped one side of her shoulder out of her shirt, revealing several hickeys as she continued smugly, "Ms. Jones, look how shameless Mr. Grant is. He totally wore me out. I'll have to cover these up for the entire week!

"I really envy you. You can wear whatever you want—unlike me. If I so much as show my shoulder, Mr. Grant gets jealous. When we went to the hot spring last time, he wrapped me up in a towel like a burrito whenever someone passed by.

"Why is he so petty, huh?"

I spotted the broken photo frame on the floor.

"Well, you're his latest pet," I replied nonchalantly. "Of course he's going to be a little possessive."

Zoey's expression changed. She glowered at me, but I flashed her an unbothered smile.

After all, I was more than familiar with the version of Julian she described. So no matter how much she bragged, it didn't faze me.

I was zoning out and didn't notice the sudden shift in her expression.

Zoey suddenly grabbed my hand—and in the next instant, she threw herself backward, crashing hard to the ground.

Before I could react, a furious voice sounded behind me.

"Noelle, what the hell are you doing?"

Someone whizzed past me, shoving me hard on the shoulder. I barely managed to steady myself by grabbing the edge of the table.

Julian helped Zoey up and shot me a scathing glare.

"Apologize to her," he ordered.

My knuckles turned white as my grip on the table tightened.

"I didn't push her."

Julian snorted. "Sure, you didn't. As if I'd believe she threw herself on the floor for fun! You're 30, yet you're still pulling these petulant stunts. Don't you feel pathetic?"

A sting hit my nose, and my eyes reddened. Why did he have to keep reminding me of my age?

Did he think I was too old for him now and preferred someone younger? Then why wouldn't he just break up with me?

Resentment flared in my eyes as I clenched my jaw, refusing to appear weak in front of him.

A smirk crossed Zoey's face. Buried in Julian's arms, she sniffled and said, "Mr. Grant, please don't blame Ms. Jones. That VP spot was supposed to be hers. It makes sense that she hates me.

"Maybe I should just leave the company."

Julian tightened his hold around her and said coldly, "This company isn't under the Jones family. Without my permission, no one can make you leave. I won't tolerate anyone targeting you, either."

His implication was clearly directed at me.

I scoffed and shot back, "Then why don't you fire me instead?"

With a loud smack, my face jerked to the side. A searing pain bloomed across my cheek.

The room fell dead silent.

I raised my hand slowly and touched my left cheek, staring at Julian in disbelief. This was the first time he had ever hit me in ten years—and it was for his new fling.

He stared at his own hand, clearly dumbfounded. His palm tingled, and his entire hand was trembling uncontrollably as he gawked at me.

When Julian saw the swelling on my face, he extended his hand toward me and began, "Noelle…"

I stepped back, dodging his hand.

He froze.

Just then, Zoey cried out and collapsed into his arms. "Mr. Grant, I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much!"

That snapped him out of it. He scooped her up in his arms and rushed out.

I closed my eyes. Right then, my phone buzzed.

Seeing the message, I took a deep breath and left the company. As soon as I got home, I packed up all my things. I didn't even leave behind a speck of dust.

When I tossed the last bag into the trash, my phone started buzzing nonstop.

"Ms. Jones, does your face still hurt? Mr. Grant's always this rough—he makes me so sore every single time. Make sure you ice it.

"But I have to say, the way he massages my feet is still quite gentle…"