Yara watched him walk away until he disappeared from sight. The tears she had held back for so long finally fell.

She forced herself to stand. She ignored the pain, went to get a broom and a mop, and started cleaning the broken cups and spilled coffee on the floor.

A few kind coworkers came over to help. Their eyes were full of sympathy when they looked at her.

“I clearly heard her say iced, no sugar. How can she turn it around like that? Yara, did you do something to upset her?”

“Does she even need a reason? I’ve heard so many people say she’s arrogant and bossy. The moment she’s in a bad mood, she takes it out on someone. Lots of people in our circle can’t stand her. But Mr. Quinn spoils her, so no one dares to offend her.”

“Sigh. I’ve never seen Mr. Quinn care about anyone this much. Yara, you should be more careful from now on. We’re just ordinary people. We can’t compare to someone like her. She’s a rich heiress, and she has Mr. Quinn’s backing. Even if we’re being treated unfairly, we’re the ones who have to swallow it.”

Yara knew they meant well.

But their words stirred up too many emotions inside her. She could not say a single word.

In the past, there had been an issue with a contract she handled. It was clearly the client’s mistake, but they shifted the blame onto her.

When they accused her and put her under pressure, Marcus firmly took her side. He argued with them and cleared her name.

Quiana had dropped a casual lie, and he did not check the facts. He did not give Yara a chance to explain. He placed all the blame on her.

Yara had always worked hard and handled countless problems for him. In the end, did he have so little trust in her?

Or did right and wrong simply not matter to him? Did he only care about keeping Quiana happy?

The thought made her chest tighten with pain. The bitterness was hard to bear.

It took her a long time to finish cleaning up. After that, she dragged her exhausted body home.

She had just finished washing up when Marcus called again.

“Bring everything for Quiana's period.”

She prepared everything as quickly as possible and took it to his villa.

She had only been away for two or three days, but the simple and elegant villa had completely changed.

The peach tree that Marcus’ father had planted years ago was gone. In its place stood a garden of tulips. The black-and-white furniture had been replaced with pink and pale yellow, colors Marcus used to dislike. The display cabinets were filled with jewelry, designer bags, and expensive gifts.

It was obviously Quiana’s doing.

Yara looked around in silence. She walked to the bedroom, where the light was still on, and knocked on the door.

Marcus opened the door after a moment. He took the items from her hands and then looked at her.

After she washed off the coffee, the wound on her face looked even more alarming. He froze for a second.

“Was it that serious? Did you go to the hospital?”

Yara did not speak. She shook her head.

He rubbed his temples. His tone softened.

“Quiana wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t mean to take it out on you. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll balance out the salary deduction with your year-end bonus. Go to the hospital later. If it’s serious, take a few days off. I’ll approve it. You don’t need to go through the usual process.”

“There’s no need. At the end of this month, I’ll…”

Yara wanted to tell him she was about to resign, but he did not let her finish. He handed her a card and interrupted her.

“Be sensible. I still need you to help me organize a welcome banquet for Quiana. Get some rest and recover.”

The words remained in her throat.

She hummed in agreement, took the card, and left the villa.

The door had barely shut when she heard Quiana’s sweet, clingy voice from inside.

“Marcus, is the herbal tea ready yet? I want you to rub my stomach.”

“I’m coming. Just lie still and don’t move.”

His voice was so gentle and soft, it felt like a stream. Yara gave a silent laugh. There was a hint of self-mockery in her eyes.

She suffered from bad cramps, too. She had fainted at work more than once and had been taken to the hospital by coworkers.

Marcus had been aware. He had approved her leave, but he never visited her. He never made her herbal tea or brought her anything.

Back then, she thought he had been too busy.

But after what happened with Quiana, she understood. It was never a matter of his being busy. He simply did not care about her.

After leaving the villa, Yara went to the hospital to have her wound treated and bandaged.

She rested at home for a few days. The assistant sent her the banquet proposal.

Every detail was strict. The choice of flowers, the types of desserts, and even the servers’ uniforms all had specific requirements.

She only had three days. She pulled herself together and got to work.

After days of nonstop effort, the banquet she organized began right at 7 p.m.

Quiana stepped into the hall in a custom gown as everyone watched.

The guests quickly surrounded her and praised her endlessly. She looked thrilled.

“After all these years, Ms. Xanthe is still as graceful and stunning as ever. Even your welcoming party is so grand. Mr. Quinn’s devotion to you clearly has not changed.”

“I remember back in school when someone confessed to Quiana. Mr. Quinn found out and forced him to transfer. He tore up every love letter she received. When people gossiped about her, he went to confront them and beat them badly enough to send them to the hospital.”

“Everyone knows Quiana is Mr. Quinn’s first love and the apple of his eye. Look at the jewelry she’s wearing tonight. It must be worth tens of millions. That gown is custom-made and one of a kind. Mr. Quinn has never spared any expense when it comes to making her happy.”

Yara stood a short distance away and listened quietly. She did not say a word.

Quiana proudly sauntered over and looked at her with obvious disdain.

“You did a good job with the banquet. But there’s a small problem. There was no carpet in the hall. My dress got dirty. To make up for it, I want you to hold it for me.”

Yara kept her head down and said calmly, “Please wait. There’s a carpet backstage. I’ll have someone lay it out right away.”

Quiana’s face turned dark. She could not believe Yara had refused her.

Just then, Marcus walked over. He saw Quiana looking upset and rushed over.

“What’s wrong?”

“Marcus, I don’t want my dress to get dirty. I asked your secretary to hold it for me, but she wouldn’t. Is she still upset about what happened last time?”

Seeing Quiana feeling upset, Marcus quickly pulled her into his arms. He glared at Yara.

“It’s just a matter of holding some garment up. That’s your job. You’ve been a secretary for a long time. You can’t handle such a small task?”

The guests nearby whispered and laughed.

“A secretary dares to give Ms. Xanthe attitude? Does she even know her place?”

“Different people have different luck. The rich heiress is born to be pampered. Letting you hold her dress is already generous. Be grateful.”

Yara’s eyes fell as she heard their mockery.

She pushed down her feelings, bent down, and picked up the dress.

Quiana dragged Marcus around the house, upstairs and downstairs, just to make Yara suffer.

The hem of the dress was covered in pearls. Yara’s arms ached from holding it. She clenched her teeth and kept going.

Quiana was not satisfied. She had more wine poured and waved at Yara.

“I don’t want to drink tonight, but my friends came to the banquet. I can’t refuse. Drink all this for me.”

“I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Marcus, look at her!”

Yara tried to explain herself, but Quiana started whining and acting cute.

Marcus was aware of Yara’s allergies. Still, he wanted to make Quiana happy, so he agreed.

“Don’t you carry allergy medicine? Take it first, then drink. You should be fine.”

There was no room for her to refuse. Yara felt her heart sink.

Her face turned pale. She stayed silent, took out her medicine, and swallowed a few pills.

Soon, people came over with glasses of wine, talking and laughing. Yara raised a glass and forced it down her throat.

One glass after another, her stomach churned. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her head felt heavy. Her vision blurred.

The hall spun around her. She heard Quiana scream.

“Marcus, the necklace you gave me is gone! The only person who came near me was your secretary. She must have stolen it!”

Hearing the false accusation, Yara regained her clarity for a moment.

“Mr. Quinn, it wasn’t me.”

Marcus looked at Quiana’s teary eyes and then at Yara, who was drunk and unsteady. His face grew serious.

“There were a lot of people around. Maybe you dropped it somewhere. Let’s look for it first.”

Quiana would not let it go. She shook his hand away. “If it wasn’t her, then who else? I only care so much because it was a gift from you. Yet you’re protecting her. If you won’t search her, then don’t come near me again!”

With that, she turned to storm off. Marcus quickly held her and called the bodyguards over.

The next moment, a few bodyguards forced Yara to the floor and tore at her clothes.

Her mind went blank. She struggled, but she was completely overpowered.

Her shirt was ripped into strips. Her dress was ruined. Her skin was bruised and scratched, and some areas were bleeding.

A wave of humiliation hit her. She could not help crying and screaming for help.

“It’s not me! I didn’t do it!”

Her cries only brought more violence.

The bodyguards reached for her undergarments.

Marcus could not bear to watch. He tried to stop them when several servers ran over.

“Found it! The necklace fell on the stairs!”

Everyone in the hall immediately turned to look at the sparkling diamond necklace in their hands.

Marcus’ tense brow relaxed. He waved for the bodyguards to step back.

He picked up the necklace and put it around Quiana’s neck himself. His voice was calmer.

“The necklace is back. Stop being angry, okay?”

Quiana finally smiled.

She looked down at Yara, who was lying on the floor in a mess. She held Marcus’ arm and acted cute again.

“Good thing it was found. If not, I would have been upset for a long time. But your secretary suffered so much because of this. Should I apologize to her?”

All eyes in the hall turned to Yara, whose clothes were torn and disheveled.

She could only curl up and hug herself tightly under the hostile stares.

Through the pain, she heard Marcus’ cold voice.

“No need to apologize. She’s just a secretary. A little suffering is nothing.”

That sentence cut Yara like a knife. It pierced her chest and tore at her already broken heart.

Her deeply scarred heart felt like it was being ripped apart. She felt unbearable pain.

Her mind buzzed, and her eyes were empty and numb.

At some point, everyone in the hall had left. Only the bright lights remained, showing all the marks on her body.

She forced herself to stand. She picked up the coat a kind waiter had left and wrapped it around herself. She staggered out of the hall.

Outside, heavy rain poured. She walked into it without noticing it.

The cold raindrops hit her face and ran down like tears.

But she could not shed a single one.

She did not know where she was going. She wandered through the streets without direction.

A car stopped beside her.

The window rolled down. Marcus’ cold, sharp face appeared.

“Get in.”

Yara did not answer. She dragged her heavy body through the rain.

Marcus frowned and said more firmly, “Get in.”

Yara stopped. She lifted her pale, bloodless face to him.

“Don’t bother, Mr. Quinn. I’m just a secretary.”

Her words were icy and sharp. Marcus’ heart ached at her tone.

He opened the car door and walked through the rain to her. He held her hand tightly.

“What happened tonight is my fault. I have already lost Quiana once. I can’t lose her again. I’ll find a way to make up for the humiliation you suffered. Don’t be angry with me over this.”

Yara was done giving in.

She used the last of her strength to pull her hand free and took a few steps back. Her voice was cold and still.

“You must be joking. An ordinary person like me could never be angry with you or with Ms. Xanthe. I was too naive and foolish before to understand my place. From now on, I’ll always remember that I’m just a secretary. I won’t disturb your life again. Are you satisfied? Can you let me go?”

The more she spoke, the angrier Marcus became.

His face turned cold. His emotions were out of control.

“You know I didn’t mean that! I never looked down on you. I only said those things to calm Quiana. In my heart, you and Yelena…”

He kept talking, but Yara could not hear a word.

The world around her grew blurry. Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

Her strength was gone. Her body swayed, and she lost consciousness.

She did not know how much time had passed. When she opened her eyes, Yara realized she was in a hospital.

Her wet clothes had been changed. Her wounds were treated and bandaged. A cup of water and some medicine sat on the bedside table.

A nurse was adjusting an IV. When she saw Yara awake, she gave a kind smile.

“You’re awake? Your boyfriend stayed with you all night yesterday. He just left.”

Yara opened her dry, cracked lips. Her voice was hoarse.

“He’s not my boyfriend. He never was.”

From the start, what they had was only a mistake.

Beyond her role as his secretary, he had never acknowledged any other connection between them.

She had once fooled herself and imagined a future that would never come.

She decided to face reality.

She would leave this place and never come back.