She even pulled out the formal dress she had cherished for over a decade.

I tried to convince her that the weather was too cold and it wouldn’t be suitable for the New Year.

With a gentle smile, she assured me it was fine. She could wear a coat over it and with the cars picking us up and dropping us off, she wouldn’t catch a chill.

Besides, the formal dress had been a gift from my father on their wedding day.

Wearing it, she said, would be her way of honoring him.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she spoke.

I fell silent for a few seconds, no longer trying to change her mind.

On the way to the Ellis Family’s ancestral home, my mother chatted and laughed with Leigh, her voice light and full of warmth.

But when Leigh’s phone rang, Wendell’s name flashing on the screen, her smile disappeared as if it had been wiped away with a single stroke.

She suggested we take a cab ourselves, but I refused.

In this heavy snow, hailing a cab seemed impossible and I couldn’t bear the thought of my mother enduring the cold.

My mother caught the sudden shift in Leigh’s mood and gave me a knowing look.

Always the dutiful son, I couldn’t go against her wishes, so I finally stepped out of the car.

Who could have known that less than a minute later, my mother, unable to endure the bitter cold, would collapse from a heart attack?

The more I replayed that moment in my mind, the colder my heart became and the deeper the ache settled within.

I wanted to slap myself.

If only I had been firmer, maybe my mother wouldn’t have died.

Seeing my silence, Leigh finally snapped, her patience thinning.

“Harris, I’m so disappointed in you,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

“Fine, since you’re so stubborn, I’ll let your mom decide who’s right and who’s wrong.”

As she reached for her phone, a ringtone sliced through the air, a distinct, familiar tone, one I’d heard only on New Year’s Eve.

Leigh’s expression faltered for just a moment before she quickly stepped onto the balcony to take the call.

Faint voices filtered through, but they were distant, muffled.

“Who are you…? What? Wendell’s drunk and passed out on the roadside?”

“…Alright, thank you. I’ll be there right away!”

Leigh rushed out, not even sparing me a glance or offering an explanation.

It was the same decisive, almost callous manner she’d shown when she abandoned my mother and me that night.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

No matter the situation, Wendell would always occupy a sacred spot in her heart.

If that was the case, it was time for me to leave.

My mother’s most cherished wish was seeing me marry and have children, had always been to visit Luxembourg.

It was where she and my father first met, a place filled with memories too beautiful to capture in words.

Yet, in all these years, I’d failed to make that wish come true, too consumed with taking care of Leigh.

Now, I had made up my mind. I would set off on a journey around the world with my mother’s ashes and Luxembourg would be the final stop.

As I delved into the details of the trip, Wendell’s social media updates caught my eye once more.

I had no intention of looking, but somehow, my fingers betrayed me, clicking on the screen.

The first photo showed Leigh, someone who had never so much as stepped into a kitchen, cooking noodles.

The second photo captured her feeding the noodles to Wendell, her face glowing with concern, tenderness and warmth I had never known her to show me.

The third photo was of her cleaning stains off the carpet and sofa with meticulous care.

A wave of bitterness and sorrow flooded my chest.

Last year, during the Autumn Luminary Festival, I had drunk three bottles of red wine with a client for a key Ellis Group project, vomiting until my head spun.

When Leigh found me passed out on the sofa, she was utterly at a loss, eventually calling my mother for help.

While my mother worked tirelessly to care for me, Leigh stood at a distance, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the smell of my sickness.

But when Wendell was in need, there wasn’t a trace of disgust in her eyes, only care that seemed to surpass the duties of a real wife.

Leigh didn’t return that night, nor did she show up the next few days.

I wasn’t concerned about any of this; my focus was entirely on preparing for my global travels.

On the thirteenth day of the new year, Leigh’s secretary called to inform me of a product launch conference scheduled for the next day.

At first, I didn’t want to attend. But realizing it was the result of years of hard work, I reluctantly agreed.

Seven years ago, after confirming my relationship with Leigh, I had turned down lucrative offers from Fortune 500 companies and joined Ellis Corporation.

Through my tireless efforts, I helped the company rise from a second-tier enterprise to Portland’s leading high-tech powerhouse.

This success had led the Ellis Family, who once looked down on me, to start involving me and my mother in family discussions, even inviting us to their mansion for New Year’s to discuss our marriage plans.

The product launch was grand and lively.

Just as I was about to step onto the stage to deliver my speech, Leigh suddenly appeared.

She was impeccably dressed and breathtakingly beautiful, but there was an intriguing edge to her expression.

She didn’t offer an explanation for her absence over the past few days. Instead, she halted me with a sharp command.

“Harris, wait a moment.”

“The company has arranged for someone else to deliver the speech this time.”

I froze.

For as long as I could remember, I had always been the one to lead the new product projects.

In the entire company, no one else was as qualified as I was to take the stage.

No one knew the product better than I did.

From the design to the development, I had poured my heart and soul into it, investing countless hours and effort.

It felt like my own creation, my child.

But then, Wendell’s voice echoed across the stage.

“Good day, esteemed guests! On behalf of Ellis Corporation, I extend a warm welcome to all of you.”

“Now, let me introduce the features of the product we are launching today…”

Watching him, smug and dripping with confidence, it all became clear.

I turned to Leigh, my voice cold and steady. "If everything was already arranged, why bother having me attend the launch?"

Leigh’s response came without hesitation. "As the head of the new product project, it’s only natural for you to be here."

She continued, “Harris, the decision about the speaker was made by the company and I fully support it.”

“After all, you’ve already made your mark in the industry. You don’t need this kind of superficial recognition.”

"But for Wendell, it’s different. As a newcomer, he needs this opportunity to build his credentials…”

I watched her closely as she spoke, her words flowing like water unimpeded.

The more I observed, the more she seemed like a stranger to me.

The Leigh who had once loved me deeply, who had eyes only for me, had changed entirely.

It happened after Wendell returned from abroad and joined Ellis Corporation as her assistant.

She began leaving for business trips without a word, staying out all night.

The time she spent with Wendell far outstripped the moments she’d shared with me.

I had been so wrapped up in my work that I didn’t pause to consider the growing distance.

My perceptive mother had noticed it long before I did and one day, she cautioned me, “Harris, Leigh is your girlfriend, yet she’s always with another man. Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”

I shrugged off her concerns, dismissing them as overthinking. “Mom, you’re reading too much into it. Wendell’s just Leigh’s assistant. They have to work together; it’s nothing unusual.”

Leigh had even told me herself that Wendell had been like a brother to her since their college days.

“If they had any feelings for each other, they’d have been together long before I came into the picture,” I said, trying to reassure my mother.

Now, looking back, I realized how blind I had been.

Seeing my silence, Leigh smiled, misinterpreting it as acceptance.

“Harris, tomorrow’s our engagement day. Are you ready?” she asked, her smile almost too perfect.

I nodded stiffly, unsure of how I truly felt.

Leigh raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with mild curiosity. “Your mom must be so excited, huh? But it’s odd… I’ve been trying to reach her these past few days, but her phone’s been off.”

“Could it be her phone just acting up?”

Before I could dwell on it further, a sudden burst of applause erupted from the audience.

The presentation had ended and at that moment, I realized the truth. Wendell, not only had he presented the new product features, but he had skillfully taken the reins, positioning himself as the developer and effortlessly erasing my role from the picture.

A bitter laugh echoed in my mind, but I chose to remain silent, not wanting to air the truth for everyone to see.

However, the senior employees around us weren’t as composed. Their faces betrayed their disapproval.

Wendell gave a courteous bow to the audience before striding toward us, his voice smooth as he addressed me, “President Laurier, thank you for this opportunity to present.”

Before I could form a reply, Leigh’s voice cut in, sweet and effortless, “Wendell, no need for all the formalities between us.”

She reached out, casually adjusting his slightly misaligned collar, her fingers moving with an ease that only came from years of familiarity. It was as if they had been a pair for far longer than I had ever realized.

Wendell smiled at me, his eyes brimming with nothing but disdain, a smug victory written all over his face.

I didn’t flinch. Instead, I offered him a calm smile, masking everything beneath it.

The presentation had been a massive success. As soon as the product launched, it rocketed to the top of the trending charts.

At the cocktail party that followed, Leigh and Wendell became the shining stars, the center of attention.

They moved through the crowd with an ease that came from years of familiarity, raising their glasses, laughing freely, like an inseparable couple.

Meanwhile, I stood quietly in a corner, a silent observer of the spectacle unfolding before me.

No one took notice of my presence and truthfully, I didn’t care to be noticed.

I finished my drink, the silence around me almost comforting and then quietly slipped away.

Back at the office, I was packing up the last of my things when my phone buzzed with a stream of photos.

The sender was Wendell.

Each photo was a punch to the gut, showing him and Leigh in intimate, explicit moments at a hotel.

In the past, I would’ve lost my composure, fury surging through my veins.

But now, all I felt was emptiness.

I didn’t even waste a moment questioning the photos’ authenticity.

Ten minutes later, I posted a statement on social media, announcing my permanent departure from Ellis Corporation.

The post sent shockwaves through the industry, quickly overshadowing even the buzz from the new product launch.

Everyone knew that I was the real driving force behind the product, its creator and its heart.

Wendell? He was just the face, a hollow figure without substance.

Without my expertise, the product’s future was as bleak as a storm cloud on the horizon.

Unsurprisingly, Ellis Corporation’s stock took a sharp dive; the once-steady rise was now plummeting.

The Ellis Family scrambled to salvage their reputation, panic etched across their faces. And Leigh?

She rushed away from the cocktail party, the anxiety in her eyes unmistakable as she sought me out.

When she stepped into my office and saw the emptiness of my desk, her gaze faltered for a moment before she steeled herself.

“Harris, why did you post that statement?” she demanded, her voice strained.

“Do you realize the damage this has caused the company?”

I met her gaze coolly, my voice calm but unwavering. “Assistant Gatlin made it clear during the presentation that he’s the developer and head of the new product.”

“And with him around, that should be more than enough.”

Leigh’s face flushed crimson with fury, her brows furrowing like storm clouds ready to burst. Just as she parted her lips to speak, a female employee burst through the door, panic painting her features.

“President Ellis, something’s gone terribly wrong! Assistant Gatlin is threatening to jump!”

“He says he’s failed you, failed the company…”

“And most of all, he’s let Harris down!”

Leigh’s complexion drained of color, her breath hitching in shock as she bolted from the room.

I didn’t spare her another thought, finishing my task with cold precision before gathering my things and leaving the office.

As I stepped into the hallway, I saw Wendell perched on the window ledge, his figure a tragic silhouette against the glass.

Leigh, tears streaking down her face, was pleading with him, her voice shaking with desperation. A crowd of employees had gathered, watching the scene unfold with morbid curiosity.

As I watched Wendell’s hands, white-knuckled and clutching the window frame, a sudden understanding hit me.

I was about to leave when Leigh rushed toward me, her fingers locking around my wrist with a grip that felt almost frantic.

“Harris, you’re here just in time!” she gasped, pulling me closer.