He Gave My Ring to His Assistant

There's a rule in my hometown village: if you're not married by 33, you have to accept blind dates arranged by the village chief.

Otherwise, misfortune will strike.

When I told my boyfriend Ethan about this, he let out a cold laugh.

What century is this? Your village is still so backward and superstitious? Clara, I will marry you, but you can't use such a cheap excuse to pressure me.

"I was actually planning to propose to you, but since you're lying to pressure me, let's just cool off for a while!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a ring and handed it to his assistant, Lily.

The wedding ring I'd waited so many years forhe casually gave it to someone else.

I was stunned for a moment.

Ethan walked out of my office with a swagger, a victorious smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Lily awkwardly handed the ring to me.

I looked at the ring's size, then slipped it onto Lily's finger:

"He bought it for you in the first place, didn't he? Look, it's a perfect fit."

"Tell Ethan that he and I are over."

That evening when Ethan got off work, I was packing my things.

Seeing the two large suitcases in front of me, he paused mid-step.

"Why did you come home early today without waiting for me?"

Here we go again.

He always had this ability to just turn the page on his own.

Then I was supposed to take the out he offered me and step down gracefully.

And pretend nothing happened while we played the part of a loving couple.

But now I didn't want to pretend anymore.

"Didn't your assistant tell you? We're done."

His brow immediately furrowed, like I'd touched a sore spot.

"I'm trying to have a decent conversation with you, and you just have to be passive-aggressive, don't you?"

"Lily grew up with you. You were the one who brought her to the company in the first place. What are you being so dramatic about now?"

He was right.

I was indeed the one who brought Lily to the company.

She and I grew up in the same village. The village chief told us to look out for each other away from home.

So when she graduated from college and couldn't find a job, I proactively brought her to our company.

She was obedient and sensible, and I was happy to mentor her.

Until I noticed her gazes at Ethan growing increasingly tender.

I was very familiar with that look.

Ethan had been a big shot back in school.

I'd seen countless girls look at him that way.

But Ethan's eyes had never lingered on them for even a moment.

So I dismissed it as a young girl's crush and didn't make an issue of it.

But she kept making more and more mistakes at the company.

I casually criticized her a few times.

She didn't talk back, just stood there crying while being reprimanded.

But Ethan wasn't having it.

For the first time, he yelled at me in front of the entire company.

"She's just a young girl. A few words would've been enough, wouldn't it?"

"Who do you think you are, pulling rank on your own sister like this?"

I laughed bitterly, but I wouldn't back down.

"Do you have any idea how many messes our colleagues have had to clean up because of her mistakes?"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"In that case, let Lily be my personal assistant!"

He looked around at the colleagues watching the drama unfold.

"From now on, if anyone has complaints, come straight to me! Stop gossiping behind people's backs!"

"If you can handle the work, stay! If you can't, get out!"

He strode ahead with large steps, like he'd won a battle.

Lily followed behind him, her back radiating worship for Ethan.

...

I looked up. Ethan was looking down at me from above.

I didn't know when it started, but he began making everything about winning or losing with me, always needing to come out on top.

He was no longer the man who told me in our rental apartment: "You're the only person I'll ever lose to in this life."

I glanced at my phone. The ticket confirmation was still on the screen.

I'd be going home soon.

I didn't feel like arguing with him.

"You're right. I was being dramatic."

"It won't happen again."

Seeing my reaction, his expression showed a moment of confusion.

I figured he must have been prepared for me to act like beforeto demand to know when he'd actually marry me, to question him about his unclear relationship with Lily, but he never expected me to look so defeated.

After a few seconds of silence, he dropped a "whatever" and left.

He didn't come home all night.

The next morning I went to the office as usual.

I could do without Ethan, but Era Media had all my blood, sweat, and tears poured into it.

Even if I left, I needed to arrange the company's affairs properly.

Besides, I could still collect steady dividends every year.

I was calculating who to promote to replace me on the front lines so I could provide remote guidance, when Sales Manager Amy stood at the elevator entrance looking completely defeated.

She was a company veteran who'd been with me through countless deals large and small.

I'd never seen her so crushed.

"Miss Clara, last night we sent the quote to Mr. Ethan. Assistant Lily said he was asleep and that she'd handle it."

"But she accidentally sent our bottom-line pricing sheet to the client as well."

"Now the client is demanding we cut our price by 20%, but our profit margin is only 30%."

Her voice choked up.

"This is a project we've been working on for half a year. If we proceed now, we'll lose money. If we don't, we'll lose this client completely."

I nodded while pushing open Ethan's office door.

Lily was lying on her side on the sofa bed. Ethan was spoon-feeding her water.

This sofa bed was from back when we first started the business, when Ethan bought it to force me to rest.

He said: "My office is your exclusive rest area."

So even when the company moved later and we bought our own property and renovated,

I still moved this sofa bed along with us.

Now another woman was lying on the sofa bed, and he was carefully watching over her.

Just like we used to be.

My chest tightened, but strangely, it didn't hurt anymore.

Seeing me, Lily immediately sat up.

"Clara, don't misunderstand. I fainted from guilt, so Ethan was just giving me sugar water."

I remembered that the first time she met Ethan, she called him her sister's boyfriend. I didn't know when that had changed.

I ignored her and went straight to slap the report on Ethan's desk.

"At the client's current asking price, if we want to secure the project, we'll lose 0-020,000."

I glanced at the two of them.

"Which of you is going to cover it?"

Lily's eyes immediately reddened.

"It's all my fault. I should have woken Ethan up. I just felt bad that he was so tired."

"I'll go find Mr. Li right now. I'll beg him!"

Ethan frowned tightly at the document and didn't stop her.

Amy and I stood there with no intention of stopping her either.

She found herself in an awkward position, frozen in place.

I crossed my arms and looked at her.

"Lily, crying or begging doesn't work in business!"

She threw off the cashmere blanket, but after just two steps she collapsed to the floor.

It was such a clumsy performance that I felt arguing with this kind of person was beneath me.

But Ethan, the supposed business genius, believed it.

He helped Lily up and carefully settled her on the sofa.

"Clara, you're always so aggressive."

"Does everyone in the world have to revolve around you?"

I freed one hand to tap on the desk.

"Don't give me this irrelevant nonsense. 0-020,000. What are you going to do about it?"

His eyes were bloodshot.

"If taking this project means losing money, then we just won't do it!"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Do you remember how much we drank, how many all-nighters we pulled to win this client in the first place?"

"Besides, this isn't the only project we have with them! If we drop this, how many times 0-020,000 will we lose?"

"Ethan, did a dog eat your brain?"

He glanced at me impatiently, muttering "so petty,"

Then he pulled out his bank card and threw it in my face.

"It's just 0-020,000. I'll cover it for her. Happy now?"

My face stung, but I was strangely calm.

The poor boy who once thought 0-00 burgers were too expensive could now throw around 0-020,000 without blinking.

He'd forgotten how many people's livelihoods were in our hands.

It wasn't just about the money.

Or maybe he knew, but just didn't care anymore.

Since he didn't care about 0-020,000, what about a hundred times 0-020,000?

I was curious whether he'd be so indifferent then.

I met my best friend Sophia for afternoon tea.

She hadn't even finished cursing out Ethan when I received a message from Amy.

"Miss Clara, please come back to the office right away!"

As soon as I reached my office door, I saw Lily directing people to move my desk.

All the contracts and documents were scattered on the floor.

This was what I'd built bit by bit over all these years.

What gave her the right?

"Put everything down right now!"

I took three steps in two strides and slapped Lily across the face.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

Lily covered her face, but her eyes were defiant.

"Ethan said you lost a major deal and don't deserve this position anymore. He told you to work from a cubicle in the main area."

Probably having heard the news, Ethan came over too.

Seeing the mess everywhere, his eyes flickered.

"Lily, I told you to notify her. Who told you to touch her things?"

Lily lowered her hand, revealing the handprint on her face, looking pitifully at Ethan.

He softened immediately.

"Clara, the decision was mine. If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on me."

"But rules are rules. Lily sent the bottom-line pricing sheet, yes, but it was your subordinate who submitted it to her. You bear direct responsibility."

He sighed and placed both hands on my shoulders.

"I saw you bought a plane ticket."

"But I don't have time to go back with you."

"Why don't you take this opportunity to go home for a few days and rest, okay?"

I shook off his hands.

"Who said I wanted you to come? I'm going home to"

He scoffed: "To go on blind dates and get married?"

"Drop the threats. Lily told me there's no such rule in your village about having to get married at 30."

Lily also said: "Clara, don't blame me for telling Ethan. I just couldn't bear to see him deceived by you anymore."

I calmly looked her over.

Designer suit, Chanel earrings, LV bag.

Completely inconsistent with her current salary, and worlds apart from when I first met her.

Back then she was still grateful to me for funding her tuition.

Her first outfit for college was one I bought her.

Her first bank card was one I helped her open.

Her first time at a buffet was when I took her.

She said she'd repay me once she graduated.

And now, she leaned against my boyfriend, wearing things my boyfriend bought her, then said she felt bad that my boyfriend was being deceived by me.

Even if I didn't care about my own dignity, I wasn't going to give them any more face.

I pulled out a stack of A4 papers from my bag.

In front of all my colleagues, I read aloud:

"Three months ago, my boyfriend took you to a hotel. The room and contraceptives totaled $5,800."

"Two months ago, he bought you a limited edition bag worth 0-00,200."

"One week ago, he bought you a ring worth 0-026,000."

...

"So tell me, who exactly is deceiving whom?"

Colleagues were whispering among themselves.

Some even showed looks of disdain.

Ethan's face alternated between pale and flushed.

I directed people to help me put everything back in place.

Even when Ethan tried to stop them, no one listened to him.

Amy was especially sarcastic: "Miss Clara, let me get some disinfectant to clean your office. It reeks of mistress in here!"

She sprayed alcohol all over them.

In the end, Ethan could only angrily repeat "Good! Good for you all!"

Before leaving with Lily.

As soon as I finished tidying up and sat down, I received a call from the village chief.

"Clara, are you sure you're coming home?"

"If you're sure, I'll have the Sullivan boy pick you up at the train station."

I smiled for the first time in a while.

"I've already bought my ticket, but don't tell Grandma yet. I want to surprise her!"

The village chief's tone became cheerful too.

He said "wonderful" several times before hanging up.

Our village really didn't have a rule about getting married at 30, but my grandma was 80.

She couldn't wait any longer.

Ever since Ethan and I had our falling out, they became more and more brazen at the company.

As if they finally didn't have to hide from me anymore, or as if they wanted to make me angry.

They were together every day, when Ethan attended events, Lily was always his female companion.

She even acted like the boss's wife at the company, ordering colleagues around.

Just waiting for me to leave so she could take my place.

Amy couldn't stand them and complained to me several times.

I patted her shoulder.

"Stay steady. Let her be arrogant."

When Lily provoked me for the fifth time and I still didn't take the bait, she finally couldn't keep up the act anymore.

She burst into my office without knocking.

"Ethan doesn't want you anymore. Why are you still clinging here refusing to leave?"

I casually adjusted the latest designer suit she was wearing.

Opening my mouth casually:

"Men, well, their love follows their money."

"You know that, right? I own 49% of this company's shares. What about you?"

"Want to make a bet with me? If he's willing to give you 10%, I'll give up my shares and pack up and leave."

"If he's not willing, you leave. Do you dare?"

Her face turned white.

But in the end she nodded: "Fine! You better not regret it!"

A few days later, Lily came to my office with Ethan.

She slammed an equity transfer agreement on my desk.

Looking at the second clause stating a transfer of 15% shares to her, I laughed out loud.

"Clara, stop pretending to be calm. Hurry up and pack your things and get out!"

Ethan glanced at me somewhat uncomfortably.

"Clara, don't blame me for helping her. It's just a bet. Consider it a consolation prize for the girl."

He changed his tone.

"But we're businesspeople who value credibility. Even personal bets require honoring the terms."

"But don't worry, even though you're giving up your shares, I'll still marry you. You'll be Mrs. Parker from now on."

"Your monthly allowance will only increase, not decrease."

"As for Lily, I won't let her appear in front of you anymore or challenge your position as Mrs. Parker."

I never expected that after all these years, he hadn't improved in other areas, but had learned to enjoy having multiple women.

"Ethan, you've really got it all figured out. I should give up my dividend shares to go home and be a full-time housewife?"

"I'm telling you, I'm not interested!"

Lily pulled out a recording of me clearly saying I'd honor the bet and give up my shares.

Then she handed me a voluntary share renunciation agreement.

Amy's eyes reddened as she tried to snatch it. I stopped her.

Then I picked up the pen and signed.

Lily's face flushed with excitement.

Though Ethan's eyes flashed with complexity, it was ultimately replaced by smugness.

I put down the pen and asked: "Is that enough?"

Ethan nodded and announced to everyone:

"From now on, Lily is my business partner. She'll take over Clara's position."

Some people felt threatened, but others started sucking up to her already.

"We'll definitely follow Miss Lily's instructions from now on."

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and move Miss Clara's things out to make room for Miss Lily!"

The thermos Ethan bought me was knocked to the floor, getting dented.

The blanket I knitted myself fell on the floor and was stepped on several times.

Even the orchid I raised had its branches broken off.

But I didn't stop them or get angry.

I just remembered the day we first moved in, when he spun me around in circles.

"Clara, we did it! This is our business empire!"

My vision blurred for a moment, then cleared.

I quietly watched the place I'd worked so hard for all these years being emptied bit by bit.

Until the nameplate changed from "Miss Clara's Office" to "Miss Lily's Office."

Only then did I turn around and walk straight to Ethan's office.

I sat in his chair.

I said: "Ethan, you're fired now."