Working overtime on Thanksgiving weekend meant triple pay. I volunteered for it. But that didn't stop me from cursing my boss, Ethan Vance. In front of the breakfast diner, I touched up my lipstick using the reflection of the tinted window on a parked Rolls-Royce. While I was at it, I muttered a curse: "I hope the boss marries a woman with acne and has a son without an a—hole." Assuming the car was empty, I blew a kiss at the window. I checked my makeup and was about to leave. Suddenly, the window rolled down smoothly, revealing a cold, arrogant, and incredibly handsome face. A face I had seen on the giant screens during company-wide meetings. First glance: Looks a bit like... Second glance: Wait, is that... Third glance: ...Fuck. Isn't that my boss, Ethan Vance? He was wearing a bespoke suit. His long, elegant fingers rested lightly on a stack of pristine documents. In the dim interior of the car, his features looked sharp and enigmatic. His deep eyes stared at me with a half-smile. Then, a voice straight out of a nightmare spoke: "Which department are you in?" My brain went into overdrive. Did I say his name just now? No, right? I didn't, right? Maybe I did... Damn my big mouth... I instinctively played dumb: "C-Company? I don't work for your boss..." Then, the driver in the front seat snorted and let out a laugh: "Miss, I can see your employee ID badge around your neck." The gloating expression on his face was too obvious. I accepted my fate with an awkward laugh: "What a coincidence, Mr. Vance! I was just brainstorming how to maximize profits for the company, and look! Here you are! Working on a holiday weekend, such dedication! I must learn from your example." In the front seat, the driver's look turned from amusement to disdain, clearly mocking how fast I folded. All I wanted to do was flee the scene of the crime. Before I could hail a cab, Ethan Vance spoke up: "It's not a coincidence." His thin lips barely moved, his eyes narrowing slightly: "I've been sitting here, face-to-face, listening to you for a solid ten minutes..." He dragged out his words, looking at me dangerously: "So, do you have some grievances with the company?" I shrank my neck, wishing I could pull it into my collarbone, and denied it rapidly: "No..." After three seconds of silence, he asked again: "Then do you have grievances... with me?" My scalp tingled: "How could that be! I am completely satisfied with you!" And then, the entire car fell dead silent. 02 Ten minutes later, I was sitting in the boss's Rolls-Royce, feeling like a criminal being personally escorted to the guillotine by the king. The car smelled faintly of sandalwood. The only sound was the rustle of paper as Ethan flipped through his documents. My whole body felt stiff. I sneakily pulled out my phone and tearfully texted my online crush: "Waaaah, Sweetie, I was just caught badmouthing my evil boss right to his face! I don't think I'll live to see the moon tonight. If only everyone was as nice as you..." "Sweetie" was a finance guru I met online. When I first started interning at the company during my senior year, he taught me a lot. He seemed to know everything and could easily solve any problem I ran into. As we chatted more, we started pseudo-dating online. But we hadn't met in person yet. I told my best friend about it. She looked at me cautiously and told me her last online crush turned out to be a 5-foot-2 guy who weighed 250 pounds. She was harassed for three months and had to fly back from Europe just to shake him off. So, when Sweetie asked to meet up over the Thanksgiving weekend, I refused. My excuse was that my boss was making me work overtime. But I didn't expect the company to actually issue an overtime notice later. I sent Sweetie a barrage of messages complaining about it. Before I got a reply, Ethan's phone vibrated twice. I subconsciously turned slightly and saw him frown as he glanced at my phone. Then, his clear eyes moved from my phone to my face, lingering so long that I started blushing. After a long while, he turned his head, rested his index finger against his jaw, and let out a low chuckle. His voice was deep and magnetic, like aged wine, intoxicating. My heart skipped a beat: "M-Mr. Vance? Is there something you need?" He spoke slowly: "Come to my office this afternoon." I'm dead. Me: "Yes, Mr. Vance." 03 It wasn't until noon that Sweetie replied: "Sorry, I was working and didn't see this. Baby, it's a minor thing. Your boss probably won't hold it against you." I immediately replied: "No, no, no. A 30-year-old unmarried man like our boss is a pressure cooker of emotions. I'm probably going to be his punching bag..." I regretted it instantly: "Why do I have such a big mouth." Thinking about how no unauthorized women had ever entered Ethan's office, I felt even more terrified. Just as I was hesitating outside his door, the elevator dinged, and out stepped a gorgeous, long-legged woman. Chloe Sterling, the daughter of a real estate mogul. When I first started working here, I saw her chasing Ethan, but she hadn't even managed to touch his hand. My eyes lit up. I opened the office door right in front of her. Sure enough, she charged in her heels, shoved me aside, and cried: "Ethan! I came to see you..." At his desk, Ethan looked up slightly: "You..." Before he could finish, I bowed deeply: "Mr. Vance, I saw nothing!" With that, I closed the door, pretending to leave them alone, and happily went back to my desk to eat a pumpkin pie. Unexpectedly, a little while later, Miss Sterling ran out crying, her makeup ruined. She pulled me into the hallway: "Tell me, has he been seeing another woman lately?" I thought for a few seconds and spoke up for my boss: "Lately, besides Mr. Vance's mother, no one else has visited." She stomped her foot: "I don't believe it! You're his employee, of course you're covering for him!" Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly looked at me meaningfully: "Why did you open his office door earlier?" My heart dropped. Crap, does she suspect me? I coughed twice: "Even though she hasn't been to the office, he might be keeping her somewhere else." Miss Sterling slapped her thigh: "Whoever is trying to steal my man, I'll tear her apart!" Before leaving, she pointedly warned me: "And you better watch it! Why are you wearing makeup to work? You look ugly." After she left, a coworker came over looking annoyed: "Ignore her. Didn't you see how Mr. Vance ignored her? She thinks she's so special." 04 Maybe because I brought up Ethan Vance too much lately, Sweetie misunderstood. He suddenly asked: "Do you like that kind of man?" I didn't want him to overthink: "Absolutely not! I hate that kind of man the most!" He went quiet. His hot-and-cold attitude made me panic. Did I offend him? Did I say something wrong? No... Over the weekend, I went out for dinner with my best friend. She brought her new boyfriend. They were so lovey-dovey and sweet, basically feeding each other mouth-to-mouth. I sat across from them, feeling like a giant third wheel. That night, lying in bed, I tossed and turned, opening our chat window again and again. Accidentally, I hit the video call button. My heart pounded, I was so nervous, but I hesitated and didn't hang up. After a while, the video switched to a voice call. I heard the faint sound of running water. My heart was in my throat. I tentatively asked, "Hello?" No one spoke. Then a message popped up: "I'm in the shower." Why wasn't he talking? I felt a wave of disappointment. Was my best friend right? Is he a 40-year-old creepy dude? Or maybe... is there something wrong with him? 05 Because of the Sweetie situation, I was distracted all day. I accidentally walked into the men's restroom at work. Several guys stared at me in horror. I backed out, face burning red, before I could even process what I saw. That afternoon, many coworkers started a group chat to discuss the "female pervert peeping in the men's room." I tried to explain, but it was useless. The group admin was a guy named Mark, who had been pursuing me recently. He seized the opportunity to spread rumors: "Oh, it's Audrey Miller. That makes sense. She did this to me before. Don't be fooled by her looks; she has a lot of weird fetishes. She's super creepy. Probably had a bad upbringing. I heard she did something similar in college and got disciplined." In the parking garage, I found Mark and told him to stop spreading rumors. His eyes lingered on my chest: "Are you really playing dumb, or are you just acting?" He reached out to grab me. Realizing something was wrong, I kicked him hard. I spun around and crashed into a stranger's chest. Ethan grabbed my wrist, his eyes cold as ice. Mark's fiery glare instantly turned fearful: "M-Mr. Vance..." Ethan sneered: "Too much free time?" Mark shifted his gaze: "She's a pervert. I was teaching her a lesson." Ethan's eyes grew even colder: "Since you love teaching lessons so much, it seems you'd be better suited for a trip to the police station." The next day, Mark was nowhere to be seen at the company. Word was he resigned. Those rumors also died down. I repented for ever cursing my boss. Waaaah, he's such a good guy. 06 My best friend heard about what happened at work and bought some gifts, telling me to give them to Ethan as a thank you. I thought about it for a long time and messaged Sweetie to ask his opinion. He replied: "You probably should." Should I? Doesn't he worry about another man stealing me away? Despite feeling a bit frustrated, I carried the gifts to Ethan's apartment. He lived in a luxury high-rise in the city center, and it took a lot of effort just to get past security. Unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a person wearing a black hat and mask followed me out. It felt like this guy had been tailing me the whole way... I was instantly terrified. I ran forward and frantically knocked on Ethan's door. He opened it wearing a gray casual hoodie, his handsome face looking much softer. Before he could speak, I lunged forward and threw myself into his arms: "Hubby! I missed you so much~" I was so tense I didn't even notice how stiff the person I was hugging had become. His eyes flickered, and he raised an eyebrow: "What did you call me?" But my attention was entirely on the suspicious figure behind me. Through the reflection in the window, I saw the person crouching around the corner, peeking this way. It wasn't until Ethan's searing body heat radiated from his chest that I suddenly snapped back to reality. Once the door was safely closed, I was ready to grovel and explain. But then I saw two pairs of bright eyes staring right at me in the living room. A white-haired elderly woman and a girl around 20 years old. The shock made me drop the bags I was holding. The girl walked over with a teasing smile: "Brother, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" She gave me a playful grin: "You're so pretty! I'm Mia Vance, Ethan's sister." I stiffly turned my head. Ethan was wearing a look that clearly said, "I'm enjoying this." As if saying: "You made this mess, you fix it." He pulled a pair of slippers from the closet, eyes smiling: "You sure you got the right door?" Under these circumstances, I didn't dare change my shoes... I stood awkwardly by the door: "You guys misunderstood, I'm here to..." Before I could finish, Mia cut me off: "She's struggling, and you're not even considerate enough to help her change her shoes?" Ethan leaned against the wall: "Want me to help you change?" I was dumbfounded: "Huh?" "I'm asking you," he chuckled softly, his thin lips forming the words, "Honey..." My face turned beet red: "No, no, I just came to drop this off and I'm leaving." Mia was helping me pick up the dropped bags and suddenly froze. She shoved an item into her pocket, then shyly shoved it into Ethan's chest: "Ahem, ahem. Looks like I'll be holding a nephew soon." At the same time, my phone buzzed with a few new messages. It was from my best friend: "Audrey! You haven't given the gifts away yet, right?! Check if there's a box in there with men's underwear. It should be at the bottom, please look for it! ..." Ethan also saw the item in the bag. He looked at me teasingly: "You bought this, hmm?" "..." Humiliating. I wanted to disappear. 07 Sitting in the living room was Ethan's grandmother. She was getting older, and her memory was a bit fuzzy. She held my hand, stared at me for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Where's my great-granddaughter? Didn't bring her?" I was completely lost. I just came to drop off a gift, how do I suddenly have a kid? His grandmother was clearly confused, mistaking me for someone else. With no other choice, I had to play along and chat with them for half an hour. But the grandmother was too talkative. She even spilled the tea about how Ethan wore dresses when he was little. I wanted to laugh but didn't dare, suppressing it until I started coughing. Finally, Ethan finished his work and walked over with a dark expression: "Grandma, you should rest." He helped her towards the bedroom, shooting me a warning glance. I pointed to my lips, promising not to tell a soul. As soon as I turned away, I pulled out my phone to chat with Sweetie: "Help, our boss is a 30-year-old grown man, but he used to wear dresses when he was little! Who knew there was a girly heart hiding beneath that tough exterior... Hahahahaha, I'm dying... ..." I added one last reminder: "Don't tell anyone." After hitting send, I felt great. I was about to leave when Mia said security was investigating a suspicious person in the complex and told me to wait two hours before leaving. Thinking of the man who followed me, a chill ran down my spine. So I followed her to a guest room to rest. The room was large and tidy, simple but exuding a quiet luxury. So this is how comfortable the boss's guest room is... I envy the rich. Two minutes later, standing in the bathroom, I realized something was wrong. Men's face wash, a razor... Does another man live here besides Ethan? Turns out, no. Because he pushed the door open and walked in. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, then his teasing gaze fell on the razor in my hand: "You like this one?" That tone made me suspect that if I said yes, my year-end bonus would be a box of razors. I quickly explained: "Wrong room! Sorry, Mr. Vance, I'm leaving right now!" I was panicked and in a hurry, and my foot slipped at the worst possible moment. I was about to do a spectacular faceplant, but Ethan seemed to take two steps forward, And I ended up clinging onto him. My face hit his chest, my hand grabbed his belt, And my lipstick left a perfect print right on his crisp white shirt. Looking at the placement, my face flushed with heat: "I-I didn't mean to..." He held my shoulders, his palms burning hot. "I know," his voice was low and magnetic, yet somewhat strained, "but could you please let go of my belt first..." I jumped up, covered my face, and ran out, Smacking into the doorframe on my way. Behind me, Ethan's voice sounded helpless: "Slow down..." 08 For the next few days, I kept seeing a familiar Rolls-Royce parked outside the breakfast diner near my apartment. It stood out like a sore thumb among the scooters; I couldn't ignore it if I tried. I had to bite the bullet, go up to say hi, And then "coincidentally" ride to work together. Later, I intentionally woke up twenty minutes early and switched diners, but still couldn't escape it. I started to suspect this car was operating just for me. But his place and mine aren't even in the same direction... I had a bold thought... "What are you thinking about?" Ethan's clear voice came from beside me. "You," I blurted out. Realizing what I just said, I stuttered: "No, Mr. Vance, do you need help with something?" Because there was a third person in the car, I was too embarrassed to be direct. Ethan seemed to notice my discomfort and ordered the driver to pull over: "You step out for a minute." Me: "Okay." I grabbed my bag, ready to get out. He pulled me back, chuckling in exasperation: "I told him to get out. Why are you running?" Now, it was just the two of us in the car. The atmosphere grew strangely intimate. I hugged my bag and huddled in the corner: "Mr. Vance, riding in your car so often isn't good for your reputation." He turned to look at me, leaning in closer: "You giving me all that underwear was good for my reputation?" He added: "The size was wrong, too." Good lord, could we not bring that up? Did he misunderstand because I gave him the wrong gift? My heart pounded as I explained: "Actually, I didn't buy that for you... Mr. Vance, I know you're a good person, but I already have someone I like." I wanted to describe my online crush, Sweetie, but that sounded too fake. So I pulled out a photo of me and my cousin and lied: "I'm afraid he'll misunderstand, so it's not appropriate for me to get too close to other guys." Silence filled the car for a moment. I didn't dare look at him. I opened the door and ran. I don't know why, but after clearing things up, I felt a fleeting sense of disappointment. I messaged Sweetie: "Can we meet?" He said: "Yes." So we agreed to meet at a coffee shop downtown in a week. 09 Chloe Sterling heard some gossip from somewhere and started keeping an even closer eye on me: "Why did you get out of his car? Why did he look at you? You smell a bit like him..." It was too annoying, so I just went to the bathroom. Strangely, she didn't follow me. Later, when I returned, my phone on the desk seemed to have been moved. Since it wasn't stolen, I didn't care much. Only two days left until I meet Sweetie. I was feeling nervous. Is he older or younger than me? I don't care if he's average-looking, as long as he's a decent guy. Thursday afternoon, company meeting. A new assistant forgot to distribute some files, so I hurried over to deliver them. Ethan sat immaculately at the head of the table. Under the glow of the projector and everyone's gaze, he looked calm and unshakeable. As I walked in, our eyes met for a split second before I quickly looked away. Listening to his tone during the meeting, I felt a strange sense of familiarity. 10 Friday night, having dinner with my best friend. I mentioned meeting Sweetie. She warned me to be careful; people online wear masks, and you never know what they're like in reality. The more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. I excused myself to the restroom. Turning a corner, I accidentally bumped into a guy in his forties. He looked at me, sweating slightly: "Careful, little lady." I hastily apologized while helping him pick up his dropped phone. But I accidentally saw his WhatsApp screen. There was a contact right there—it was my name and my profile picture. Everyone I've added on WhatsApp, I know in real life. Except for Sweetie, who I've never met. I was completely dumbfounded. The guy rubbed his belly, his voice overly gentle: "Hey gorgeous, are you okay?" I have a problem. A huge problem. I felt like my heart was bleeding. This is impossible. Sweetie clearly told me he was 6'2". I tried to keep my composure: "Um, you... you sure have a lot of friends on there." He laughed loudly, a smile with a hidden meaning: "Just a bunch of twenty-something girls clinging to me. One today, another tomorrow. I can't possibly keep up with all of them." My smile froze. He said: "Don't doubt it. As long as I flash a Rolex and casually toss a borrowed BMW key on the table, they all tell me how amazing I am... Look at this girl, username 'Too Free'. Hasn't even met me yet, and she's already completely obsessed with me." I clenched my fists. His phone rang, and he answered it: "Didn't I tell you I didn't want this kid? How did I trick you? You were the one begging to be with me. Jumping off a building? Suit yourself! ..." 11 In my mind, Sweetie was a rather aloof person. At least, that's how he was when we chatted. He was actually very busy, often replying after work, but he always explained every question clearly. Thinking about it now, was this the so-called "playing hard to get"? Thinking about that creepy guy... Reality really hit me over the head with a baseball bat... I hugged my best friend and sobbed, while sending Sweetie five hundred bucks: "Thank you for helping me before. I have a boyfriend now, and I'm afraid he'll misunderstand. I'm deleting you, sorry." The screen showed: Typing... I remembered the creepy guy's greasy, narcissistic look. I didn't even want to read his message. I just blocked him. 12 Then, I dragged my best friend to a bar downstairs. When I was feeling dizzy from the alcohol, I vaguely saw a tall, upright man walking through the entrance. Even though I was in pain, I could recognize that it was my boss and provider, Ethan Vance... With teary eyes, I tried to explain: "M-Mr. Vance, I asked for time off..." His breathing was heavy, as if suppressing his emotions: "Why are you drinking?" My best friend was worried and wouldn't let him near me, but after they walked aside and talked for a bit, she opened the door and left. Finally, it was just the two of us in the small booth. With a raspy voice, I spouted nonsense: "I'm happy! Let's toast!" He frowned, snatching my drink away. The splashing liquid dampened his black shirt. He rolled up his sleeves and sat next to me, looking somewhat defeated: "I'm very sad." I paused: "What's wrong?" He laughed self-deprecatingly and said: "I got dumped." Dumped? I got dumped too... I poured him a full glass: "Come on, drink!" My hand slipped, and the liquor spilled all over my neck. He glanced at it: "How do you expect me to drink that?" He took a tissue and wiped the liquor off me. A perfectly flawless face was swaying right in front of my eyes. Being so close, I noticed his eyelashes were very long, and his eyes were actually brown. Very pretty. I suddenly grabbed his sleeve: "Hey, why don't we just get together?" Ethan's aura darkened. He shook off my hand: "Do you know what you're saying?" I lost control: "My online crush turned out to be a scumbag. Isn't that infuriating?" His eyes deepened, looking like he wanted to say something. When I'm drunk, I get very talkative. Through my tears, I cursed Sweetie out, And told him all about that creepy guy. Half an hour later, Ethan's sleeve was soaked With my tears. He propped my forehead up with one finger. His eyes were confused, yet carrying a trace of imperceptible relief: "I have no idea how you misunderstood all that. But the person chatting with you all these days... was me." I waved my hand: "Don't comfort me. I've already accepted reality." He laughed so hard his body shook. He repeated all the complaints I had made about him, Then opened the account I had just blocked right in front of me: "See clearly now?" I nodded dumbly, Thinking this dream felt a bit too real. My online crush transformed from a 40-year-old creep into my handsome boss. I leaned in and kissed his lips. Soft, with a sweet taste of alcohol. Definitely dreaming. Otherwise, why wasn't he moving?
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