???
Just like a domino effect, after the devastating news about Cassie being with Fucking Jude, all of the other things crumbled too.
I started to think that God wanted to punish me when my family business received a threat from one of its major shareholders.
I was stabbed in the back by a person inside Klein Enterprise who used to be trustworthy, whose next business plan had a conflict of interest with his own business outside Klein Enterprise.
He was backed up by most of the directors because of God knows what fucking deal they had behind closed doors.
After they secured this dirty business plan, they would overthrow Klein Enterprise as their first competitor.
My father had a heart attack because of this and was admitted into the hospital, while my mother couldn't stop crying.
I'd never thought that I would reach the bottom of my hell, but this time, I believed that I finally had. This was the end.
It was when Josephine barged into my office and offered me the only solution to all my problems that I felt it was really the end.
She placed a paper on my desk. A deal. An agreement. Signed by her father.
"This is your only chance," she said calmly, and I knew for a fact that it was a threat coming out of her filthy mouth. "My father has agreed to sign this agreement. He has a share, and combined with yours, you two will become the majority shareholders. The rest won't be enough to overthrow your decision."
I stared at the paper on my desk, my eyes burning with rage, my fists clenched tightly at my sides.
"On one condition," Josephine continued, sounding like thesnake she was. "You will marry me, his daughter. And we will merge our businesses."
I felt like I wanted to destroy everything. Was this the only way out?
Fuck.
"What are you waiting for, Luke?" Josephine asked, still with the same soft and alluring voice. "This is the end of your problems. You won't get this kind of once in a lifetime opportunity again to fix everything. After you sign this paper, everything will be over. You won't lose everything that you've been working hard for."
My jaw tightened, my blood boiling even more because I knew what she was talking about. If I signed this agreement, all my hard work wouldn't turn into nothing because I would still be able to save Klein Enterprise.
The business would collapse if I didn't do this, and there were many employees involved—they all depended on me.
My father was in the hospital, dying. My mother would be sick too if she kept breaking down. I could save them all if I married Josephine.
But if I married Josephine, what about my life? Surely, I could sacrifice my life if it meant saving more lives, couldn't I?
My heart felt like it was being sliced, so slowly, but each cut was deep as fuck. My heart would die if I ever married Josephine.
I never loved Josephine. I loved...
I grabbed my pen and put it over the paper, ignoring the scream in my heart.
"Do it, Luke," Josephine's voice turned firm. She was watching me, waiting for me to sign the paper, to commit myself to her.
The pen in my hand hadn't touched the paper. It almost touched.Almost.
And the only thing that I could think of in my mind was Cassie.Cassie.
Cassie, who'd already betrayed me. Cassie, who was now happy with another man. Cassie, who wasn’t waiting for me anymore.
But she was also my Cassie, whom I gave my word to, whom I promised that I would come back to.
Say, I didn't sign this agreement. What would happen? Would I still be able to save my family and everyone else?
Maybe I would, by going through an even greater pain and hell. But then, even if I could do all of that and came back to Cassie, would she ever come back to me?
