Chapter 4

Against everyone's objections, I had followed Marcus to this unfamiliar city.

I thought that if we could survive the distance and the hardship, life would finally settle into something smooth and lasting.

Then Sophie appeared.

At first, I did not take her concern for Marcus seriously. I saw it as the bond between a mentor and his junior colleague.

Then one night, because Sophie casually said she wanted dessert, Marcus drove across half the city to buy every flavor he could find.

That was when I realized something was wrong.

I had a high fever that night and could barely be left alone.

Yet he went out without hesitation.

At the entryway, he finally turned back to look at me.

I thought he had remembered I was sick and needed him.

Instead, he only said coldly, "Fever medicine is in the TV cabinet drawer. Remember to take it."

Then he left without looking back.

Only when I heard the car start outside did I slowly come back to myself.

Thinking of that, bitterness rose in my chest.

The cab happened to stop at the hospital entrance.

I had just reached the ward door when I ran straight into Marcus.

He was carrying a fruit basket filled with oranges, the one fruit I was allergic to.

He sat down, peeled one, and held it out to me.

When I did not take it, he frowned.

Then he looked down and saw both my hands wrapped in bandages. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

"Is it that serious? You can't even move them?"

He set the orange on the table.

When I remained silent, he continued as if it did not matter.

"I know I wronged you this time, but I can promise you I truly did it for your own good.

"You've occupied the department's only competition slot for years. People already had complaints. Two days before the contest, I heard that some employees wanted to jointly report you for design fraud, so I stopped them.

"Of course, I believe your character. With your talent, you'd never do something like that. But if it reached the board, even a false accusation would cause trouble. It would damage department unity, and it would be bad for you.

"You know how people in the company are. They love rumors. Once this got out, it would be even harder for you to stay here."

He paused deliberately, looked at me, and continued.

"That's why I had no choice. Julia, you understand me, right?"

I could not help laughing softly.

He had said so much, but in the end, it was still for Sophie's sake.

If that rumor spread, the board would investigate. What he feared was that Sophie's faked assessment work would be exposed.

If he had really been protecting me, he should not have stopped the report.

He should not have made a decision on his own, sabotaged my car, and broken both my hands.

What a wonderful boyfriend I had, willing to destroy me so his protege would not be forced out.

When I said nothing, he continued.

"I asked the doctor. Your hands should recover in a little over a month.

"You can take this chance to rest. You've worked so hard for the company all these years..."