Adeline Carter's POV:

I stubbornly held out for a week, refusing to give Gill an answer.

The consequences were swift and brutal. My position as team lead was revoked. I was demoted.

To make matters worse, a petty, small-minded woman was promoted to my old position. She became my new superior.

Every day, she found new ways to harass me. “Adeline, is that report finished? Or are you too busy dreaming about a promotion you'll never get?”

Another week passed. I still didn't respond to Gill.

The bullying intensified. My new supervisor humiliated me in front of the entire team during a meeting, tearing my work to shreds. “This is garbage, Adeline! Worthless! Are you even trying?” My face burned with shame. I felt exposed, my dignity trampled.

Three weeks passed.

My desk was moved to a corner right next to the overflowing office trash bin. Coworkers, eager to please Gill, intentionally threw trash outside the bin. “Adeline, could you pick that up? You're right there.”

I couldn't quit. Our company was an industry leader. If I left, Gill would blacklist me, ensuring I'd never find a decent job in New York again.

He wasn't just my boss; he was a powerhouse in New York society with deep connections. I was a nobody, a disposable pawn. I had no leverage.

My will was breaking. But I couldn't tell Brock. I couldn't burden him when he was already under so much pressure.

Even as my world crumbled, I clung to my principles. My love for Brock, though battered, still flickered like a fragile candle in the dark.

Adeline Carter's POV:

Gill delivered his final ultimatum. “Adeline, this is your last chance. If you keep being this stubborn, you're out. Fired.”

Fired. Blacklisted. No job in New York. We'd lose everything.

“Adeline, you don't want to lose your job, do you?” Gill sneered.

I walked through the bustling streets of Manhattan, lost.

Brock and I were from a remote small town. we had worked so hard to get here. We both had to work; there was no other option.

And now, everything was at stake. I couldn't lose this job. I simply couldn't.

The thought of losing our home filled me with a cold, paralyzing dread.

Adeline Carter's POV:

That afternoon, I wandered aimlessly, trying to clear my head.

A sleek, expensive sports car pulled up slowly beside me. The window rolled down, revealing Alvin Thompson's handsome face.

He smiled, a gentle, disarming expression. “Adeline,” he said. “What a coincidence. Would you like to grab a coffee?”

He was Brock's superior, after all. I couldn't bring myself to say no. I nodded and followed him to a quiet cafe.

As soon as we sat down, he pushed his phone across the table, open to a chat window.

My husband's name. Alvin's name. Those messages. The full text of Brock offering me up like a ritual sacrifice.

I stumbled home, my mind a chaotic blur. I opened the door to find Brock in the kitchen.

The table was covered in food—all my favorites. He grinned, a stiff, awkward expression. “Addie! You're back. Go wash up, dinner's ready.”

There was a flicker of nerves in his eyes, a subtle unease I only noticed now. We sat at the table. Brock talked incessantly, a torrent of words. He complained about his boss, about how terrible his job had become.

“I can't get fired, Addie. The mortgage, the debts. We'll lose everything.” His voice cracked, thick with self-pity. “I'm useless. I can't give you the stable home you deserve.”

He gripped my hand tightly. “I promise, I'll work harder, I'll make more money, we'll have a better life, Addie. I swear.” He looked at me with desperate, pleading eyes. “Trust me, my love. Everything I do, I do for our future.”

“Addie, I love you. Truly, more than anything.”