"Don't be afraid, Kid. No matter how others treat you, I, your wild older sister, will always protect you. Let this music box be the proof," she stated.

Her way of comforting me was so pure and straightforward that it shattered my helplessness. At that moment, I fell for Crystal completely for the whole ten years.

I still remember the promise she made at that time, but the person who swore it has long forgotten.

I held the broken pieces of the music box in my palms, stared at them one last time and tossed them into the trash.

If that was how it was, then the promise that I had with Crystal, I did not need it anymore. Never again.

Crystal did not come home that night.

The next morning, after shipping my belongings back to my family’s house, I went to the office to print my resignation letter and planned to deliver it to her personally.

On my way there, Crystal sent me a message. It said, "Baby, I spoke too harshly yesterday. I went back to the company to work until late so I crashed in the office. I just woke up and I'll be home soon."

I looked at her empty office and placed my resignation letter on her desk. I did not reply to her messages. Instead, I exited the chat box and removed her from my favorite contacts.

Moments later, a friend request popped up. It was from Thomas. As soon as I accepted, a message appeared in my dialog box.

“Crystal, don’t forget to grab more condoms when you’re back from the convenience store! We ran out of it last night. You were just too wild.…”

The text ended with a string of suggestive emojis.

Two minutes later, he retracted the message and wrote a message inside, "Ahh … Mr. Davis … I had accidentally sent the wrong messages. You didn’t see anything, right?”

A wave of bitterness washed over me. I did not bother playing along with his act, but instinctively clicked into his social media profile.

Photo after photo scrolled past, each post played out like a film before my eyes.

Turned out, he had been back in the city for a month. In that month, Crystal had taken the opportunity to accompany him to various destinations.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Mount Fuji in Tokyo.…

All the places I had begged her to visit with me over the years.

She would always hug me and promise, “Sure, sure, once work calms down, I’ll take you there.”

I had waited for eight years for her to make time but she never got free time for me.

However, in just one month Thomas came back here and she suddenly was not busy anymore.

Every place the two of them visited, she would pose for countless photos with him.

In all our years together, she had never once allowed me to point my camera at her.

“If my brother finds out I stole his best friend, that brat will probably curse me to death.”

“Baby, you’re my secretary. Office romances attract gossip and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

But when you truly love someone, how could you hide it?

I was a fool. For eight years, Crystal had kept our relationship a secret. I should have known a long time ago that she never loved me at all!

I was about to exit the app when Thomas’s latest post popped up.

It was a photo. Its background was a large bed. Thomas was topless. He was pinning a woman beneath him and their fingers intertwined.

It was a short video and when I clicked on it, a familiar voice filled the room.

"Thom …."

The same breathy sound that Crystal had whipped countless times in my ears, "Tom."

Tom and Thom sounded the same.

So, all this time, the one she had been calling out to was never me.

Tears finally spilled unstoppable from my eyes and landed squarely on Thomas’s caption.

“Last night’s sweet memories. She told me that a counterfeit will always be a counterfeit, it can’t compare to the real thing, not even a little.’”

I wiped my tears, casually gave the post a like and walked out of the office.

I turned around, and on my way out, I ran into my good friend, Rick. He came here to run an errand. Without thinking, I told him, “I’m heading to New Boonville soon. I’m getting married.”

Over the years, I had kept my relationship with Crystal a secret at her insistence. Every time Rick brought up relationships, I’d deliberately change the topic.

Now that I was leaving, I owed him a proper goodbye.

He stared at me in shock. “So sudden? Does this mean we’ll barely see each other from now on?”

I nodded reluctantly. Before I could explain further, he grabbed my arm firmly.

“Tom, you’ve always said work keeps you busy and I’ve never had the chance to introduce you properly to my mom. But now that you’re leaving, you have to come to tonight’s family dinner!”

Just like that, he dragged me to attend the family banquet that his family was organizing in the evening.

For years, I avoided his invitations because Crystal insisted that we should wait until she could formally disclose our relationship and bring me to the Lancaster Family as their future son-in-law, then introduced me to her mother.

After all these years we had been together, she never brought me to meet her parents.

Ironically, now that I was leaving, the opportunity had finally come.

After getting ready, Rick and I arrived at the Lancaster Family's home halfway through the dinner.

There, standing beside his parents, was Crystal. She linked her arm with Thomas’s. Around them, guests from all circles took turns congratulating them on their engagement.

So, tonight’s dinner was actually an official announcement of their engagement.

Crystal did not even try to hide her eagerness to proclaim to the world that she was marrying Thomas.

I instinctively wanted to leave, but Rick had already pulled me toward them.

“Mom! Dad! I finally brought my best friend to meet you!" he called out.

Crystal froze the moment she saw me. She loosened her hold on Thomas’s arm ever so slightly.

As soon as Lancaster's matriarch saw me, her face lighted up with joy.

“I’ve heard so much about you from my son," she said. "He told me how hardworking and upright you are. When I meet you in person, you truly have such a kind and handsome face!”

I offered a stiff smile and shook my head politely.

Watching her warm and affectionate demeanor left a hollow ache in my heart. We could have been a pair of harmonious mother-in-law and son-in-law.

“By the way, Mr. Davis,” she added, “Rick told me you’ve been so focused on work all these years so you haven’t had time for a girlfriend. There are many lovely young women at tonight’s dinner. Would you like Auntie to introduce you to someone?”

Before I could decline, Crystal let out a cold laugh, "He doesn't need that."

Of course, I did not. After all, I was going to back to my mother and marry out of obligation anyway.

Rick added, "Mom, Tom really doesn’t need your help. My dear friend here is getting married soon in New Boonville! Who knows how many times I’ll get to see him in a year after this ....”

Crystal’s smug expression froze when she heard Rick's words Her eyes darkened as she stared at me, her emotions unreadable.

Halfway through the dinner, I stepped away to use the restroom. When I returned to the dining room, Crystal was waiting for me. Looking up, she pouted slightly, her tone tinged with playful reproach,

She grabbed my arm and pulled herself into my embrace, then leaned lazily against me. “Baby, stop making up stories about marrying someone else. Hearing it makes me jealous, you know.”

I looked at her with a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "Aren't you going to be married to another man?" 

Crystal frowned. "Stop it! Don't be silly. I'm just doing this for the sake of the company."

A moment later she softened her voice to coax me, "Okay, Baby? You've always been the most understanding person, haven't you? I tell you what ... after the banquet is over, you go home and pack your things first. Then I'll take you to your new apartment."

"After all me and Thomas are engaged in the eye of the public, so it's no longer appropriate for you to stay at my place."

On the premise, that I was “understanding,” man, I had endured an eight-year secret relationship with Crystal that no one knew about.

Now, she was planning to keep me as a male mistress who couldn't see the light of day for the rest of my life again, right?

I was about to reject her outright when a frantic shout erupted from the banquet hall.

“Crystal!” Thomas's panicked voice rang out and Crystal instantly let go of me and rushed toward him.

“What’s wrong, Thom?” she asked anxiously.

Thomas extended his left hand and pointed to his bare ring finger with a look of utter despair.

“Crystal, the engagement ring you gave me ... it’s gone! That’s the one that can only be custom-made once in a lifetime! It was still there before I went to the restroom!”

Then his eyes fell on me. With a pitiful expression, he grabbed my arm.

“Mr. Davis, you were the only one in the restroom with me earlier … I know you’ve been Crystal's assistant for many years and it’s natural to feel possessive of her. However, that ring is really important to me. If you took it, please, I’m begging you ... give it back!”

His accusation immediately painted me as a thief in the eyes of everyone present.

“I knew it! Male assistants are never trustworthy. Look at him, even trying to mimic Mr. Gordon's style. A mudfish thinking it could become a dragon by pulling underhanded tricks!”

“Exactly! Just now he’s bold enough to steal an engagement ring? Men like him should be permanently cast out of our circles!”

Sharp, mocking words flew at me from all sides.

Instinctively, I turned to Crystal for help. Yet, all I saw was her cold, darkened expression as she snapped at me, "Give it back!"

Even though I knew she didn’t love me, I couldn’t believe that, deep down, she actually thought I was capable of something like this.

“I’ve never even seen the ring. How could I have it?” I said.

I bit my lip as I forced back the lump rising in my throat. I could not cry, at least not here. If I did, I would lose this battle completely.

Crystal shook her head. Disappointment clouded her eyes. "Are you still denying it? If you don’t return it, I’ll have no choice but to have you searched!”

With that, she called for several servants, ready to search me on the spot.

Rick rushed over and he called out, “Don’t do this to Tom! I’ve known him for years .... There’s no way he’d do something like this!”

His mother also intervened. She looked visibly upset. "I don’t think Mr. David looks like someone who would do such a thing, Crystal. Could there be some misunderstanding?” she asked.

Crystal sneered. "Impossible! Thomas is a kindhearted person. He wouldn’t accuse someone without reason. If Tom didn’t do anything, why would Thomas suspect him?”

My heart sank completely.

Even the Lancaster matriarch, who only met me for the first time, was willing to believe in my character and speak up for me. Yet, Crystal who had known me for ten years and been with me for eight, dismissed all those years in an instant.

One casual accusation from Thomas was enough to erase everything I had ever done for her. She didn’t hesitate to crucify me on the pedestal of disgrace.