Returning Unwanted Goods

My colleagues were whispering amongst themselves, clearly taken with how well Owen and Vanessa seemed to go together, both strikingly attractive.

Their eyes slid over to me, silently comparing me to Vanessa. It didn't take long for them to decide that Vanessa was the prettier one. The comments I overheard stung a little, but mostly, I felt a sense of relief.

When everyone noticed how close Owen and Vanessa were, they pretended to be busy, but their eyes kept darting toward the three of us.

Everyone at the company knew Owen and I were engaged, and I was madly in love with him. But now, he was standing by Vanessa without a second thought for me.

My colleagues gave me pitying looks, their expressions saying they'd already imagined me sobbing, clinging to Owen, begging him not to leave. Those closest to me kept casting worried glances my way.

I quietly packed up my things.

Owen shot me an irritated look, snapping, "What's with the sour face? What are you doing?"

I gave a calm smile and pointed to my stuff. "I've resigned. I'm just packing up. Don't worry. I won't stand in your way or upset Vanessa."

Vanessa sauntered over. She placed a mango cake before me, her smile as sweet as it could be.

"Owen baked this for me, Ms. Millar. I bet you haven't had a chance to try his baking. He's really talented! You should definitely try it. And please, don't hold anything against Owen. A good job is hard to find. I know you come from a wealthy family, but that's no reason to waste such a great opportunity."

I didn't take the cake.

Vanessa's smile faltered, and she turned her gaze toward Owen, looking hurt.

Owen's expression darkened further, and he said coldly, "Vanessa is sharing this with you out of kindness. Just take it! Don't you have any manners?"

Sharing?

A smile slowly spread across my face as I met his gaze. "I'm allergic to mango, Owen."

He seemed taken aback. "I had no idea…"

Seeing him at a loss for words, Vanessa quickly chimed in, "But Owen says you're always bringing mangoes home. If you dislike me that much, Ms. Millar, just say it. There's no need to lie."

I couldn't help smiling again. It was true that I'd been buying mangoes often, but only because Owen loved them. I hadn't eaten a single piece.

Still, seeing how little Owen seemed to care stung more than I expected. After all, we had grown up together, yet he hadn't noticed my allergy to mango.

Before I could say anything, Owen's temper snapped. He grabbed a handful of fresh mango slices from Vanessa and threw them at my face.

When nothing dramatic happened, he shot me a harsh look. "When did you become such a liar, Audrey?"

I dropped my head, feeling the sting on my face as red spots bloomed one by one where the mango had made contact. My colleagues shrieked when they saw the sea of red spots.

My breath grew shallow, and then everything went black.