A Decade’s Betrayal Chapter 05

A Decade’s Betrayal Chapter 05

My sobs mingled with the flush of the toilet as I cried in the bathroom.

That was when I finally realized how much I had suffered during the ten years I spent with Lucian.

I also understood how deeply I had been wronged.

While I hid there, the sound of voices drifted from outside the door.

“Did you hear? Mr. Thompson’s out. And guess who he put forward to replace him? Jessica.”

“Victoria, others might not know, but everyone in the secretarial office does.”

“Mr. Vance once promised Jessica that if she became Operations Manager, he would marry her.”

Victoria let out a cold laugh. “That clueless girl, Jessica, actually thinks she’s worthy of Lucian?”

“Please. I blocked her before, and I’ll make damn sure she never gets that title.”

“The woman’s like a cockroach. I’ve been docking her bonus for years trying to get rid of her, and still she clings on.”

A surge of rage shot straight into my chest.

Over the years at this company, employees who performed well received generous year–end bonuses.

Senior employees‘ salaries were gradually adjusted based on tenure. But I? I was still stuck at a junior salary.

It was because of this that I had cried and begged Lucian for money to pay for my mom’s treatment.

And now I realized it had all been Victoria behind it.

I flung open the bathroom door and stormed out.

“Victoria! It was you? All these years, you’ve been the one holding back my pay?”

“If you liked Lucian, you could have just told me! I would have stepped aside. Why did you have to work

behind the scenes?”

I charged at her and slapped her across the face.

Victoria’s expression instantly turned furious.

I thought she would hit back, but instead, she sank to the floor.

“Miss Miller, please… I know I’m no match for you, the boss’s girlfriend.”

“If I can’t escape your… displeasure, then I’ll leave. I’ll resign today. Just… please stop. Stop hitting me, stop

bullying me.”

“I admit I was wrong. Please, just let me go.”

I froze for a moment, staring at her kneeling figure.

Then a cold, commanding voice rang out from outside the bathroom.

“Jessica! What the hell is this? This is a workplace, not some back alley brawl. You will apologize to

Victoria. Now.”

Lucian walked over, his face full of concern, and helped Victoria to her feet.

“Are you okay? Did she hit you anywhere? I’ll take you to the hospital right now if you’re hurt.”

But Victoria, crying, clung to him.

“Mr. Vance… I’m fine… It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have vetoed Miss Miller’s application for Operations Manager.

She has every right to be upset with me.”

“I just… I was worried about the team.”

“She throws her wight around because she’s been here forever, and even a manager like Mr. Thompson felt

pressured by her. It got so bad he decided to leave.”

“And then, to get his support for the manager role, she essentially strong–armed Mr. Thompson.”

“I had to put the company’s stability first. What else could I do?”

“But I never expected Miss Miller to storm into the bathroom and hit me.”

Lucian’s face darkened. He patted Victoria’s back gently, then turned toward me, his expression now full of

anger.

“Jessica, did you actually believe that manager title was your ticket into my world?”

“Look at yourself. What, in your wildest dreams, makes you think you’re on my level?”

“For ten years, I’ve kept you. Fed you, dressed you, housed you. And you started thinking you could be my

wife?”

“Get to HR. Clear out your desk. You’re done here.”

A bitter laugh curved my lips.

So this was Lucian’s true thinking all along. From the beginning, he had only ever treated me as a mistress,

not a girlfriend.

I had known the answer a long time ago–I just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

Tears slid down my cheeks, but I calmly wiped them away and pulled out my resignation letter.

“Don’t bother escorting me out, Mr. Vance. I’m already gone.”