His Public Love Was a Private Lie Novel

Chapter 4 Handing things over would take time, so I stayed a few more days. During those days, I buried myself in finalizing the documentation. After what happened in the boardroom, the rest of the office flipped their attitudes overnight. They fawned over Vivian like she was already the new Mrs. Hill. Cyrus said nothing. He didn't stop them. One day I went out to grab lunch. When I returned, my desk was a mess. My files were scattered everywhere. "Evelyn, you're not mad, right?" Vivian blinked at me with her wide, doe-eyed innocence. "I just wanted to get a head start.

I didn't mean to mess up your space." My blood boiled at the chaos. "Please don't be upset," she said sweetly. "Get out," I said flatly. She sulked her way out while the office watched, waiting for a catfight. As she brushed past me, she whispered, "Evelyn, none of this was ever really yours. You still like those little love notes?" It was a private message, meant only for me. So that Instagram post was a taunt. I bent down and picked up what had fallen. It was our wedding photo. Now bent, scratched, and unrecognizable. I tossed it in the trash.

Vivian had no idea the thing she wanted most was already worthless to me. People gossiped even more after that. Cyrus insisted I finish the handover to Vivian under his supervision, as if I were some liability. AA AA He put her on a pedestal and left me in the dust. Cyrus, you really were cruel to me. I could already imagine life as a housewife, as Mrs. Hill, if he treated me like this while I was still a company VP, what would happen when I had nothing? When we finished the last of the handover, he said, "Oh right, Vivian might still need help. Keep your phone on and answer her calls.

Don't shut her out. I'm sure she'll do just as well as you did, maybe even better." "Sure." Vivian beamed like she'd just won the war. "Thank you, Evelyn." The secretary came in and asked quietly, "Mr. Hill, for the overseas deal meeting, should we change the name from Evelyn to Vivian?" "Change it.' His eyes softened at Vivian like she was the only thing in the room. I felt like the other woman in my own marriage. Soon came the big signing ceremony with our overseas partners. Vivian, glowing and perfect beside Cyrus, looked like the queen of the hour.

I watched from the side, lazily popping grapes into my mouth. Then the overseas company's rep, Beck, entered with a warm smile. He greeted everyone, then looked around. "Where's Evelyn?" Vivian stepped forward, confident and composed. "Oh, you must not have heard. Evelyn had other matters to handle. I've taken over the project. I'm Vivian. I look forward to working with you." She was glowing with pride. Right then, a staffer rushed in and whispered something into Beck's ear. Beck's smile vanished.

He opened the contract folder, flipped through it several times, then looked at Cyrus and Vivian. His tone went cold. "This deal is off." Lucia Morh Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she's not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.