Ten Years Of Cold

Because the company had a strict no-dating policy, my boyfriend and I kept our relationship a secret for ten years. During those ten years, I stayed by his side through his lowest moments, took care of his parents, and even carried his child. Our tenth anniversary happened to fall on the same day as the company’s team-building event. The man had always hated public attention. Out of nowhere, he suddenly announced that he wanted to propose to the woman he loved. In an instant, everyone looked at me with surprise and envy. They all assumed I was the one. I was so touched that tears filled my eyes, when he held out a ring and got down on one knee before my best friend. Chapter 1 When Blake Carter held up the diamond ring and got down on one knee in front of Nicole Quinton, everyone’s eyes turned to me at the same time. The warmth that had filled my eyes moments ago vanished. As I watched the scene unfold, my heart slowly turned cold. My coworkers’ shocked whispers still rang in my ears. “Wait, what? I thought Blake’s mysterious girlfriend was Winnie?” “Yeah… I thought so too. How did it suddenly become Nicole?” “Oh my God, we got the whole story wrong all these years!” “This is so awkward…” Awkward? I slipped my trembling fingers into my sleeves. I was the one who should be feeling embarrassed, not our coworkers. They had not misunderstood the situation all these years. I had truly been Blake’s girlfriend of ten years. Blake and I fell in love in college. He was the most popular guy in the computer science department, and I was known as the beauty of the finance department. Back then, our relationship became the talk of the entire campus. Everyone saw us as the perfect couple. One summer night, osmanthus flowers fell beneath the dormitory building. Blake had cupped my face and kissed me. The branches swayed overhead, and for a moment, it felt as if our whole youth was blooming around us. It was my first kiss. It was also my first love. After we graduated, we applied for jobs and joined the same company. Ten years have passed since then. In other words, it was the tenth anniversary of our relationship. Because the company strictly prohibited office romances, I willingly stayed in the shadows and kept our relationship a secret. Even though we could not make our relationship public, hold hands openly, or kiss without worrying about being seen, I never complained once in those ten years. Over the past ten years, when Blake’s career hit its lowest point, I stayed by his side. When his father became seriously ill, I cared for him in the hospital. I stayed awake by his bedside for several days and nights. Then, just two weeks ago, I suddenly started feeling nauseous and short of breath. I went to the hospital for a checkup and learned that I was pregnant. I was carrying Blake’s child. I thought fate had finally been kind to me. A week ago, the company’s newly appointed CEO suddenly announced that the ban on office romances was lifted. So, when Blake took out the ring, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. I thought our ten-year journey together had finally come to an end in the best possible way. I thought my love and devotion had finally been returned. I thought the empty ring finger I had waited ten years to fill had finally found its owner. Just as tears filled my eyes and the words “I do” were about to leave my lips, Blake walked right past me. He got down on one knee in front of my best friend, Nicole. The man I had stayed by for ten years, cared for for ten years, and loved for ten years had eyes only for Nicole. He looked at her with nothing but love and spoke from his heart. “Nicole, you’ve stayed by my side all these years. You’ve gone through every hardship with me. You’ve endured so much and suffered so much because of me. “Whenever I thought about how you couldn’t be with me openly and proudly, it hurt me more than I can say. “Now, I’ve finally found the courage to kneel in front of you. I only wish to ask you one question. “Nicole, will you marry me? From now on, whether we face poverty, hardship, or wealth, will you stay by my side and face everything with me? Will we never be apart?” How familiar those words sounded. There was a time when he had held me tightly in his arms and made the same promises to me. “Winnie, I know how much you’ve sacrificed for me. I’ve seen everything you’ve done for me over these ten years. “Without you, I never could have gotten to where I am today. “You made me who I am. Trust me. When I have the ability to do so, I’ll tell the whole world about us. I’ll do everything I can to keep you by my side forever. “You’re the only woman I’ll ever marry. We’ll never be apart.” The person he said had stayed by his side for ten years was Nicole, the woman who had only been a bystander in our relationship. My best friend, the person who had watched me give him the best of everything I had, stood there with tears in her eyes as she nodded happily. She held out her hand and let Blake slide the ring onto her finger. They hugged, kissed, and accepted everyone’s congratulations. It was as if the world had never known someone named Winnie Cooper existed. Chapter 2 Blake’s proposal pushed the team-building event to its climax. The room was filled with cheers and excitement. Everyone rushed toward the center. They were afraid they would miss the drama unfolding right in front of them. I was the only one who turned around and walked away. I clenched my fists and stood in front of everyone without shedding a single tear. I left the crowd behind and reached the fire escape alone before I finally allowed myself to collapse. I sank to the floor, completely drained of strength. The hurt, the sadness, and the unwillingness to accept what happened all flooded my heart at once. I did not understand. I did not understand how a relationship I had spent ten years building could be taken away so easily. I did not understand why my boyfriend and my best friend had betrayed me at the same time. Most of all, I did not understand why I had to suffer like this when I had never done anything wrong in my entire life. Did I really deserve this? Was I really not worth loving? In the darkness, I could no longer hold back my tears. They poured down my face uncontrollably. I bit down hard on the back of my hand to stop myself from making a sound. I cried in silence, filled with despair, in the empty stairwell where no one knew I was there. Suddenly, the door behind me opened. I covered my head in panic and begged in a broken voice, “Please don’t look at me. Please just don’t look at me...” The person who came in did not question me or laugh at me. He did not say a single word. He stood there quietly for a few seconds. Then he took off his suit jacket and placed it over my head. A faint scent of cologne, so light that I could barely notice it, instantly surrounded me. The man’s suit jacket felt like a shield that separated me from the outside world. At that moment, it gave me a sense of security like nothing else could. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps. The door closed again. He actually left just like that. I stayed wrapped in his jacket and cried for a while longer before I finally managed to calm myself down. I went to the restroom and touched up my makeup. Other than my slightly red eyes, there was nothing unusual about my appearance. No one would notice unless they looked carefully. Once I was sure I was fine, I picked up the suit jacket and examined it. First, it definitely was not Blake’s. I was the one who had chosen his suit for him that morning. Second... it looked familiar, and it looked expensive. Where had I seen it before? With a head full of questions, I carried the jacket back to the banquet hall. I stood at the entrance and quickly scanned the room. Everyone from every department was dressed in formal suits. The air conditioning was set so low that everyone still had their jackets on. Then, my eyes landed on the VIP table at the front. That was the place where only the CEO and senior executives could sit. The CEO, Lucas Parker, was there. His shirt was perfectly white and looked brand new. But his jacket... It was gone! I immediately sucked in a breath. No way! Was the person who put his jacket over me in the stairwell Lucas? I covered my mouth in shock and could not say a word. At that moment, Lucas, who was quietly talking with the executives in the distance, suddenly turned his head and looked straight at me. Then, his slender fingers lifted the champagne glass in his hand. He raised it slightly toward me. I swear, at that moment, I felt myself completely freezing over. Chapter 3 The unbelievable “encounter” almost immediately pushed the pain of being betrayed by my boyfriend and best friend out of my mind. At that moment, I did not even have the energy to feel hurt. What could be more humiliating than having my own boss see me at my lowest? For someone like me, who believed that dignity mattered above everything else, nothing was more important than maintaining my pride. Right then, I almost decided to hand in my resignation. But my wits finally won over my embarrassment, and I managed to calm myself down. Since Lucas and I had already made eye contact, there was no way I could pretend I had not seen him. Besides, his jacket was still in my arms. With that thought, I pulled myself together, took a deep breath, and slowly walked toward Lucas. Before I could reach him, someone blocked my path. I looked up and met Blake’s guilty eyes. “Wynn...” He called me by my nickname in a low voice. His voice was filled with desperation. I looked at him without any expression and did my best to stay calm. “Blake, you’re Nicole’s fiance now. I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to call me that.” “Wynn!” He stepped closer. “I know you won’t forgive me no matter what I say. I’m the one who hurt you. This isn’t the right place to talk. Let’s find somewhere quiet and talk properly, okay?” After everything that had happened, what else was there to talk about? No matter how much we talked, what was done could not be undone. His proposal to Nicole had been real. His choice to deny my existence had been real. The pain he caused me had been real. Everything was already beyond saving. With that thought, I frowned and took a step back. “I have nothing to say to you. Go find your fiancee. Don’t bother me.” With that, I walked past him. I did not expect Blake to suddenly grab my arm. “Wynn, you have to come with me today. I have something to tell you.” Before I could say anything, someone suddenly rushed over. While Blake still had a grip on my arm, that person took the opportunity to step forward and slap me hard across the face. The force of it left me dizzy. I almost lost my balance and fell. Nicole’s sharp voice rang out beside me like a thunderclap. “Winnie, I can’t believe you! I treated you as my best friend, and I never thought you could be this disgusting! “You just saw Blake propose to me with your own eyes. As my best friend, you could have at least congratulated us. But instead, you’re standing here, clinging to my fiance right in front of me! How could you do something so shameless? How could you face me after this?” Blake immediately grabbed her hand and snapped at her in a low voice. “Enough, Nicole. Don’t you think you’ve already embarrassed yourself enough? “Have you lost your mind? How could you hit Wynn? “Stop talking.” I covered my face and forced myself to stay standing. The entire scene felt ridiculous. I never imagined that one day I would hear those words from Nicole. Nicole and I had known each other since childhood. Her family was not well off, and she was never an exceptional student. Growing up, I did everything I could to look after her. Even after I became a department manager at the company, I helped her get a job there. She used to stay close to me all the time. She would hold onto my arm and act pampered. “Wynn, you’re so good to me. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. “Wynn, thank you for helping me find a job. You’re the only person who ever thinks of me. “Wynn, I’m so jealous of you. You have such a wonderful boyfriend. I hope I can find someone like Blake someday, too.” Somehow, we ended up with her standing in front of everyone, calling me disgusting and shameless. I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. When I looked at Nicole again, there was no trace of warmth left in my eyes. “Nicole, leave some room for yourself. You know exactly what you did. Don’t force me to tell the truth.” A flicker of panic crossed Nicole’s eyes, but she still refused to back down. “Winnie, I know you’re in a higher position than me, but don’t think you can intimidate me! “Blake and I have been together for so many years. You can’t destroy our relationship! You’re nothing but an unrequited admirer. Now that you see Blake and me finally getting married, you couldn’t accept it, so you’re purposely hanging onto him here! “You’re absolutely shameless!” Nicole’s voice was sharp and loud. Her public accusation quickly attracted the attention of the people around us. Just moments ago, everyone had been watching Blake’s proposal. When his “fiancee” had supposedly caught me trying to get close to him right in front of her, naturally, my coworkers immediately sided with the person they thought was being wronged. “I always thought Winnie and Blake had something going on. I never expected her to be this kind of person.” “Ms. Cooper wouldn’t do something like that, would she? She’s beautiful, and she’s good at her job. Why would she need to steal someone else’s boyfriend?” “Some people are just shameless by nature. They enjoy stealing their best friend’s boyfriend.” “Oh my God, that’s disgusting.” The noise of their whispers surrounded me. I stood there with a pale face and looked at Nicole, who kept attacking me. At that moment, I almost wanted to reveal everything. If we had to end up hurting each other, then so be it. Right before my emotions completely took over, a warm hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. I turned around. Lucas’ cold, intimidating face appeared before me. Everyone, myself included, gasped.