The Decade I Loved You

In the end, I did not go in.

I went back home instead. With a face full of tears, I turned on my laptop and typed my resignation letter.

I did run for Ron’s secretary all for Ron’s sake.

But I was actually overqualified for it.

To tell the truth, Stone Corp had not even met my expectations at that time because it was on the verge of going under.

But I was cheap and naive. All I thought about was how I could help Ron while he was in trouble and after Flora abandoned him to pursue her studies abroad.

I kept on helping until this very moment, and all I did was make others think I was being a bother.

I wiped away the tears that were about to fall from my eyes.

I had to thank Flora for coming back.

She made me see the truth and let me have the courage to be my own self in the final moments of my life.

The next afternoon, someone came into my office. Although I was expecting her, I was still surprised to see her.

“How may I help you, Miss Lorde?”

Flora raised her chin coldly and proudly before ordering me, “I couldn’t get through to Ron’s phone, and his employees said that I need your permission before entering his office.

“What a bunch of ignorant idiots. I want to go in. Did you hear me?” She pointed at me impatiently.

I sighed in my heart.

Flora had always been like this since we were students. She only showed her gentle and dignified demeanor to people like Ron.

She always looked down on the rest of her classmates, especially me.

I did not want to say much else to her, but we were in the company, so I still had to ask her a question according to procedure. “Mr. Stone is in a meeting. Do you have an appointment, Miss Lorde?”

Flora giggled as if she heard something funny.

“Willow, are you an idiot?

“You were at the door yesterday, weren’t you? You must have heard what Ron said.”

I looked up at her in disbelief.

She seemed to be delighted by my expression. With a smirk, she walked over to me. “Ron knows too. He even said you were. A. Bother.

“I wonder if he did it on purpose to make sure you heard it? He was worried I’d be sad. Heh. Willow, even if I chose to leave the country, it doesn’t matter. Now that I’m back, all of this is still mine!

“I’m Ron’s girlfriend now, and I’ll be his wife in the future! All of the Stone family will belong to me! How dare you stop me, when you’re someone no one even wants?!”

Flora’s words cut into me like knives. The pain made it hard for me to calm down, and I glared at her. “You’re not worthy.”

Flora glared at me and brought her hand up to teach me a lesson while she yelled, “Willow, you’re just an unwanted piece of trash! You have no right to say that I’m unwort—”

Before she finished speaking, I grabbed her hand.

“Because you left when Ron was in his darkest hour!

“Flora, you always pretend to be a righteous person who’s above us all! You keep claiming that you won’t ever be a slave to money. But it’s been a long time since you have known about Ron’s family background. Am I right?

“He kept a low profile while we were still students, but you still managed to figure him out. That’s why you got closer to him and pretended to be a non-materialistic person.

“But in the end, what did you do? When the Stone family was in trouble, you said that you got an offer from a school abroad. How could it be so coincidental? You just didn’t want to go through hardships together with Ron!”

Flora’s face turned pale because of what I said. She staggered backward and stammered in disbelief, “W-What on earth are you saying…?”

Judging by her actions, I knew that I was right on the money.

At that moment, someone spoke at my door.