Everyone knew that Maggie Kolberg only started dating Jeffrey Arellano after Amber Cohen went abroad.

People were just waiting for the drama to unfold.

They all wanted to witness the moment Jeffrey would dump Maggie once Amber came back.

But nobody realized that Maggie was also waiting for the day Jeffrey would end things with her.

Half past five in the evening, at the City Hall.

When the last couple filing for the documents walked out, one of the staff came over to Maggie and kindly asked, "Excuse me, we're about to close. Is the person you're waiting for still not here?"

Maggie tightly held onto the marriage application form and said gently, "Just a moment. I'll try calling him one last time."

She pulled out her phone and dialed Jeffrey.

Her call log showed a dozen missed calls, and this final one got declined, too.

Without a word, she closed her phone, apologized to the staff, and quietly walked out of the building.

As the door shut behind her, she stopped in her tracks.

Then, slowly, she raised her hand and tore the application to pieces, tossing it into a nearby bin.

It was the third time Jeffrey failed to show up on the day they were supposed to register their marriage, and this would be the last.

She loved Jeffrey, but that didn't mean she was someone who lacked self-esteem.

"Jeffrey, this is where my love for you ends."

After getting into the taxi, Maggie opened up her Facebook.

A post from a mutual friend caught her eye: "So glad to see an old friend again. Welcome back, Amber! Wishing you a bright future!"

In the picture, Jeffrey, who had been unreachable all day, was clearly visible, and right next to him sat Amber.

His first love, his childhood sweetheart.

She was also Maggie's closest friend.

The three of them had known each other since childhood, but now Amber's return had been a secret kept from her alone.

Taking a deep breath, she tapped the like button on the post.

Before Jeffrey could even reply, a message from her boss popped up, "You're now in charge of the SkyLuxe Airlines project."

Her eyes lit up instantly.

She replied, "Got it," then looked up and told the driver, "Sorry, can we head to BrightPath Accounting instead?"

The SkyLuxe Airlines business involved a fortune, tens of millions. Rather than go home and feel miserable, she chose to bury herself in work.

It wasn't until ten o'clock that the office lights finally went off.

Maggie stepped out, called another taxi, and headed home.

The house was quiet and empty.

Maggie was used to these kinds of situations and intended to go to bed after taking a quick wash.

But, unexpectedly, the doorbell rang.

She got up to answer it and froze the moment she opened the door.

Jeffrey, clearly drunk, was leaning on Amber.

Maggie felt a sharp pang in her heart at the sight.

After a brief silence, she spoke to Amber, "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has." Amber replied with a smile, then casually added, "Why didn't you come to my welcoming party today?"

Amber still appeared as composed as ever, dressed in a white dress with her long black hair flowing straight.

Maggie replied in a neutral tone, "Today was supposed to be the day Jeffrey and I registered our marriage."

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Amber's gaze shifted briefly, and she apologized, "Sorry about that, I must have delayed you both."

"No problem, it's nothing serious," Maggie answered.

"Maggie glanced at Jeffrey, her thoughts composed—

She wasn't planning on marrying him anymore."

Taking a step back, she made space at the door.

"Would you like to come in?"

Amber, slightly taken aback, politely declined. "No, I just got back and still have a ton of things to sort out. I'll leave Jeffrey with you.

"When he drinks, he gets headaches. Remember to make him some hangover drink in the morning. Lots of honey, too..."

She stopped speaking midway and gave a knowing smile. "Oh, I almost forgot. You're his girlfriend now, so you must know all of this."

Amber's words felt like sharp thorns piercing Maggie's heart.

Of course, she was well aware of everything about Jeffrey. She had known these details for the past ten years, during which she secretly loved him.

Maggie didn't lose her cool. Instead, she smiled. "I never would have guessed that someone who left Jeffrey for an offer from a foreign research institute would still remember his likes and dislikes so well. That's quite impressive."

Amber's face froze in response.

Maggie shut the door behind them and helped Jeffrey into the bedroom.

After wetting a towel in the bathroom, she gently wiped his face, and that's when he opened his eyes.

In an instant, Jeffrey's crazy kiss landed on her.

Maggie tried to push him away, but his strength was overwhelming, and she couldn't escape.

In the bedroom, the dim lighting highlighted their tightly intertwined bodies.

Maggie's nails unintentionally scraped across Jeffrey's toned back.

Jeffrey gasped in pain and muttered frantically in her ear, "Amber, stop messing around."

Chapter 2

Maggie suddenly froze.

Overcome by the overwhelming ache in her heart, she weakly closed her eyes and silently endured the pain.

Once it passed, she glanced at Jeffrey, who was asleep next to her. She forced herself to sit up, took Misoprostol from the bedside table, and swallowed them.

A burning sensation spread through her stomach, and soon, she lost consciousness. Lying beside Jeffrey, she drifted into a deep sleep after what felt like an eternity.

The next morning.

Maggie awoke as soon as the alarm went off, and she found herself alone.

She quickly got up and freshened up, only to bump into Jeffrey, who was about to leave.

He stood upright, wearing a tailored suit, his expression calm. "Don't forget to take the pills."

Maggie froze for a moment.

Her heart tightened again.

She didn't mention that she had already taken it and responded casually, "Okay."

He didn't want her to have the child.

It just so happened that she didn't want to have it either.

Jeffrey received her response and turned to leave, but then paused, recalling something. "I had something come up yesterday, and I forgot to go with you to get the marriage certificate. We'll go when we have time."

This was the third time Maggie had heard those words.

She had no response, so she simply said, "Okay, when you have time."

Her composure, even calmer than he'd imagined, made Jeffrey pause and glance at her intently. In the end, he said nothing and walked out the door.

Once Maggie arrived at the office, she hurried straight to the administrative director and said, "You don't need to approve my excused leave anymore."

The administrative director looked at her in surprise. "What happened? Aren't you getting married? Did you change the wedding date?"

Maggie shook her head and replied, "No, I don't want to get married."

Seeing the administrative director's surprised reaction, Maggie handed over another set of documents.

"I've also applied for a permanent post in Germany and will be leaving next month."

The administrative director's shock deepened as she asked repeatedly, "Are you sure? You don't have any connections in Germany. If you go, you'll be starting completely from scratch."

Maggie gave a serious smile.

"The top positions here are already filled. If I want to advance, don't I have to start over anyway?"

After leaving the director's office, Maggie returned to her office, opened the file, and began to work diligently.

By the time she finished for the day, it was already nine o'clock in the evening.

When Maggie came home, she found Jeffrey deeply focused on something on his tablet.

His sleeves were rolled up carelessly, exposing his strong forearms.

Noticing her arrival, Jeffrey closed the tablet and looked at her calmly. "Amber has returned, did you know?"

Maggie nodded.

She met his gaze steadily and replied, "You were drunk yesterday, and she was the one who brought you back."

Jeffrey paused for a moment.

Then he raised his eyebrows slightly, steering the conversation away. "Amber's birthday is in a few days, and she wants to invite you to her party."

Maggie looked at him without changing her expression and asked, "If she wanted to invite me, why are you the one delivering the message?"

Jeffrey spoke in a composed manner, "She's currently working at my research institute. It was just a convenient errand."

Maggie's mouth twitched upward, her eyes gleaming with an unspoken mockery.

She clearly recalled how, five years ago, when Amber moved overseas, Jeffrey had vowed never to work with her again.

But now that she was back, it seemed like those words were forgotten entirely.

Maggie couldn't be bothered to revisit the past, so she simply replied, "I got it," and ended the conversation.

A few days later, it was Amber's birthday.

Jeffrey left early that morning.

After getting ready, Maggie walked in the closet to choose an outfit. As she stared at the row of white dresses, she suddenly felt lost in thought.

It dawned on her that over the years, she had stooped so low, even unconsciously trying to mirror Amber's preference for white.

Since Amber preferred white, Maggie also wore white, though in truth, she had always been drawn to vibrant red.

Now that she had made up her mind to leave, she decided to start by changing her dress.

Maggie dug out a dress from five years ago, buried deep in the closet, a striking red mermaid dress that perfectly accentuated her slim waist.

As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, seeing a strange yet familiar version of herself, she tied her hair back and applied bright red.

By noon, Maggie arrived promptly at the agreed-upon location.

Just as she reached the door of the private room, a sharp voice from inside cut through the air. "What's this? Amber, you invited Maggie, too? Why would you bring her? Can she even follow what we're talking about?"

"Exactly. She's just an undergraduate student from an ordinary university. The rest of us graduated from Ivy League universities, at the very least, with a master's degree. If it weren't for Jeffrey's sake, she wouldn't even be allowed into our party.

"Jeffrey, now that Amber is back, tell me, who do you choose, Amber or Maggie?"

Chapter 3

Maggie paused in her steps.

She was fully aware that Jeffrey's social group didn't accept her.

Jeffrey was the leading figure of the young generation in theoretical physics in the United States, and he was the youngest professor at both Ivy League universities.

His colleagues, who considered themselves to be intellectual elites, often looked down on her academic background. They believed she wasn't as good as Amber and wasn't suitable for someone like Jeffrey.

In truth, Maggie didn't feel she was inferior, but for the sake of Jeffrey's connections, she had put up with it for a long time.

But now, she felt there was no need to tolerate it any longer.

Taking a deep breath, Maggie opened the door and stepped inside.

The people in the room noticed her, but instead of feeling awkward about being caught gossiping, they continued to mock her. "Oh, Maggie's here. We were just joking..."

Amid their laughter, Maggie responded with a smile. "That's quite amusing. I wonder if your annual salary is as much as my monthly bonus? How do you manage to be so confident?"

The room fell dead silent, and everyone stared in astonishment at the woman who had always allowed herself to be teased without speaking up.

The man who had just spoken was flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

Jeffrey raised his eyes to meet Maggie's and replied coldly, "Maggie, that joke wasn't funny."

Maggie stared back at Jeffrey.

When others made fun of her, he didn't intervene, but when she stood up for herself, he spoke out.

It was essentially because he shared the same opinions as the others.

He also dismissed Maggie's academic background, thinking she wasn't as capable as Amber, and even felt he was just tolerating her...

Maggie's heart tightened, and then she saw Amber approaching her with a soft smile, trying to smooth things over.

"Oh, Maggie has always had such a fiery temper since she was little. Please, everyone, don't mind her."

The fake sweetness in her tone was so overwhelming that it nearly suffocated Maggie.

Based on her usual temper, she would've snapped back at Amber right away. But strangely, after deciding to let go of Jeffrey, she didn't even feel like arguing with Amber.

Maggie smiled and sat down, saying, "Yes, it's my fault for having such a bad temper."

What surprised Amber the most was that Maggie didn't argue.

After a brief moment, the conversation around the table picked up again.

Someone intentionally raised their voice. "Marvin, your project is a national-level one. Just the research funding is worth millions.

"Unlike some people, who make money through shady methods!"

Maggie couldn't be bothered to engage with them anymore since she wouldn't have to see them again after this.

She just glanced at Jeffrey, who remained unmoved by these remarks, and internally sneered, briefly feeling sorry for herself.

When the meal started, Amber picked up a spicy chicken wing, but Jeffrey frowned and said, "You can't handle spicy food. Are you trying to ruin your stomach?"

Jeffrey was clueless about daily life. Maggie had to leave him sticky notes reminding him of what to do in all situations.

For someone who seemed so indifferent to the world, how could he remember every little preference of Amber?

Maggie had already lost her appetite, and now she couldn't eat a single bite.

When the party concluded, Jeffrey hurried to settle the bill first. They walked ahead, with Maggie trailing behind.

Maggie suddenly recalled how things used to be when the three of them were together before Amber went abroad.

Afterwards, when Amber went abroad, Maggie became Jeffrey's girlfriend. She finally moved from trailing behind him to walking beside him.

She thought that everything had changed.

But in reality, once Amber returned, everything went back to how it was.

The trio reached the hotel's entrance. Jeffrey turned to Amber, looked at her intently, and asked, "Is someone coming to pick you up?"

Amber nodded and responded, "My brother will be here soon."

Just then, a car pulled up at the door.

As the door opened, a little boy ran up to Amber and exclaimed, "Auntie, happy birthday!"

The next moment, upon spotting Jeffrey, the boy teasingly said, "Uncle! You haven't visited me in ages!"

Maggie stood frozen for a second.

Jeffrey glanced at her briefly before bending down to pat the child's head, then turned to Amber and said, "Text me when you get home."

Amber nodded at him, then glanced at Maggie once more.

There was no hint of boasting in her eyes, but it seemed to convey a message to Maggie, "See? Despite the five years of distance between Jeffrey and me, what we share is something you can never compare to."

Once the car drove away, Jeffrey turned back to Maggie and said, "Let's go."

Maggie hesitated for a moment before matching his pace.

After getting into the car, Jeffrey began to explain, "I used to be close to that kid, but I didn't expect that Amber didn't tell him that we broke up."

Hearing this, Maggie turned to face him. The car's lights were off, so she could only see half of his face, the other half hidden in darkness, making it impossible to read his expression.

Maggie thought about his explanation for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

The one who caused the misunderstanding was that child. Jeffrey could have cleared things up with a simple sentence earlier, but he hadn't.

Now, he had to explain it all to her.

Wasn't it ridiculous?

Maggie turned her gaze toward the window.

Since she didn't reply, Jeffrey glanced at her, his eyes inevitably drawn to her bright red dress.

He immediately frowned and said, "Also, don't wear red dresses anymore. They don't look good."

Chapter 4

When Maggie heard that, a wave of unease swept over her.

Was it because she didn't look good in the red dress, or was it that Jeffrey preferred her to dress like Amber?

Maggie shut her eyes and went silent.

Noticing her lack of response, Jeffrey grew distant as well and stared ahead, saying nothing.

Once she got home, Maggie headed straight to the study.

Since she would be going to Germany soon, it was essential for her to improve her German. Luckily, she had some prior knowledge of the language, so relearning it wasn't too hard.

She didn't hide from Jeffrey while studying, but he didn't inquire about what she was doing either, acting as though he didn't care.

The following day, the first phase of SkyLuxe Airlines' project officially reached an agreement.

Taking advantage of the moment, Maggie hosted a cocktail party, inviting several key figures from the financial industry. It turned out to be a huge success, and she ended up getting drunk for the first time at such an event.

Maggie shared a close bond with Roland Everson. He looked concerned and asked, "Why didn't anyone stop her? She's really drunk. What should we do now?"

The others exchanged glances, none of them sure what to do.

"Does Maggie have a boyfriend?"

"I don't think so. Otherwise, why not give that guy a chance? Doesn't he like Maggie? Let him take her home."

Roland sighed softly and was about to take Maggie home when her phone started ringing.

The caller ID showed "Jeffrey".

Roland answered the call and switched it to speaker mode.

A male voice, sounding emotionless, came through immediately, "Maggie, where are you? Why haven't you gone home yet?"

Even though his words were harsh, they made his identity clear.

So, Maggie really does have a boyfriend!

Everyone was taken aback.

Only Roland furrowed his brow at the man's cold tone and said, "Hi, I'm Maggie's colleague. She's drunk right now. Could you come pick her up?"

There was a brief pause on the other end.

Then the man's voice turned icy, "Give me the address."

Someone quickly provided the details, and the call was abruptly ended.

The colleagues, now even more surprised, began talking among themselves.

"In all these years, I had never heard that Maggie had a boyfriend."

"Exactly. Maggie has stayed late at work countless times, yet no one has ever come to pick her up."

Roland, however, stared at Maggie, whose face was flushed from the spirits, and sighed to himself.

When Jeffrey arrived at the location, half of Maggie's drunkenness had already worn off. She was sitting on the sofa in a daze.

As Jeffrey approached her, she simply stared at him blankly without uttering a word.

Jeffrey gave her a quick, thorough glance before asking coldly, "Was it really necessary?

"Was it necessary to drink yourself to this state for a job?"

Maggie was puzzled, but her instinct was to answer, "Of course it's necessary."

However, noticing Jeffrey's irritation, she stayed quiet, gently tugging on his clothes and softly murmuring, "Let's go home."

Jeffrey felt a strange heaviness in his heart. After giving Roland, who had been watching him, a quick greeting, he lifted Maggie and carried her away.

As soon as they were in the car, Maggie fell asleep in the passenger seat.

Jeffrey couldn't help but glance at her.

Noticing she wore a white shirt beneath her coat today, his expression softened immediately.

It definitely looks better like this.

At least it's not as alluring as the red one.

Once home, Jeffrey carried Maggie into the bathroom. He intended to wake her, but she pulled him closer by his tie.

She placed random kisses on his face and throat.

Jeffrey's gaze grew filled with desire, and he finally gave in, placing one hand behind her head to kiss her back.

Everything settled into silence.

Maggie rested on the bed, her mind finally clear, though her body lacked the strength to even move.

Jeffrey emerged from the bathroom, a rare softness in his eyes, perhaps feeling content.

Just then, his phone rang.

Seeing that it was Amber calling, he immediately answered.

Amber's anxious voice rushed through the line, "Jeffrey! I burned the pot while cooking, and now it's on fire! What should I do?"

Jeffrey's face immediately shifted, "I'm coming right now!"

After hanging up, he quickly started changing his clothes. When he saw Maggie looking at him, he instinctively made an excuse, "There's an urgent matter at the institute, I need to step out. Don't wait up for me tonight."

Without waiting for her reaction, he finished getting dressed and hurried out.

With the sound of the door slamming shut, the house grew quiet once more.

Maggie didn't speak a word, instead closing her eyes, feeling a sense of discomfort.

They had only just shared a moment of intimacy, with the warmth still lingering, but he rushed off to another woman...

She wasn't sure how long had passed.

Maggie's phone rang again.

She glanced at the screen and saw it was Amber calling once more.

A strange feeling washed over her, as she suspected this was some sort of tactic to intimidate her.

She listened to the phone ring before finally pressing the answer button. Amber's soft voice greeted her from the other side of the call.

"Jeffrey, let's make up.

"You still love me, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have left Maggie and rushed to me just because I called."

Maggie's breath caught.

She couldn't help but grip her phone tightly.

Jeffrey's gravelly voice came through, still clear, "I do still love you."

Chapter 5

The next moment, the other end ended the call.

The dim glow from the phone's screen showed Maggie's ashen complexion.

At that moment, Maggie wasn't sure if she should contact Amber or if she was upset about Jeffrey leaving her without a second thought.

Or perhaps she felt sorrowful that, despite Amber choosing her future over his, Jeffrey continued to forgive her time and time again.

Lying quietly in bed, Maggie recalled something she thought she had long forgotten.

It was during the first year that Amber went abroad. That same year, Jeffrey won his first major physics award.

Maggie eagerly took the flowers and was excited to surprise him backstage, but then she overheard a conversation between Jeffrey and his friends.

"You and Amber's project won a major award. Why don't you take this chance to go abroad and get her back? Don't tell me you plan to stay with Maggie in the future. Maggie is only good for her looks."

Jeffrey was quiet for a long time before replying, "I'll think about it."

The following day, he told Maggie, "I'm going abroad for an academic conference. I'll be back in a week."

Even though Maggie was already Jeffrey's girlfriend at that time, she didn't have the courage to ask him directly if he was going to see Amber.

She was afraid to ask, worrying that he would leave her after she did.

With tears in her eyes, Maggie only managed to say, "I'll wait for you to come back."

Maggie waited for a whole week, finally waiting for his return.

That day, Jeffrey, who never drank, got utterly drunk.

He leaned against her shoulder, mumbling drunkenly, "Maggie, from now on, it's just the two of us. You won't leave me, right?"

Maggie remembered feeling an overwhelming sense of sympathy, unable to express it in words. She hugged him and promised, "I won't leave you."

Once she made that promise, she stuck to it for the next five years.

She always believed she could wait until he accepted her, but she never expected she would grow weary before that moment arrived.

At that moment, her eyes were slightly swollen, and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Jeffrey, I'm sorry, but I can't keep my promise."

She was leaving him.

She no longer wanted his love.

The next morning, Maggie headed to the office.

However, she found out that the supervisor from Germany was coming to New York for an inspection that day. Afterwards, he unexpectedly decided to visit the Marcy Mountain.

As an employee about to head to Germany, Maggie was required to join the group as well.

She climbed for several minutes, only reaching halfway up.

Sitting on the stairs to catch her breath, a bottle of water was suddenly handed to her.

When she looked up, it was Jeffrey!

Maggie was stunned, thinking she might be imagining things.

Jeffrey opened the bottle and gave her a few sips of water. After she recovered, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jeffrey didn't respond but introduced Maggie to the man beside him.

"This is my girlfriend, Maggie Kolberg."

He then introduced the man to her, "Albert Ingram, a researcher from California."

Maggie smiled and extended her hand, greeting him politely, "Nice to meet you."

Albert waved his hand, grinning widely, "Awesome, Jeffrey, your girlfriend is stunning! You're really lucky. By the way, where does she work?"

Jeffrey paused for a moment, then answered vaguely, "A small company."

Maggie raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.

She knew very well that Jeffrey had no idea where she worked.

They had been together for five years, and she had never changed jobs, but did Jeffrey care about that?

Maggie then filled in the details herself. "I work at BrightPath Accounting."

Albert was taken aback and gave Jeffrey a playful smack.

"Why are you so humble? BrightPath is one of the top four firms in the world. If BrightPath is a small company, then there's no such thing as a big company in the United States!"

Jeffrey paused, his gaze on Maggie, turning conflicted as he went quiet.

Albert didn't dwell on it and, full of excitement for climbing the Marcy Mountain, said, "I'll head up first, you two catch up!"

Jeffrey nodded and walked away.

Now, only Jeffrey and Maggie were left, strolling slowly together.

Jeffrey's expression was serious, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

Maggie sighed and said directly, "I work at BrightPath Accounting. I'm a fund manager there, responsible for managing and investing the fund."

Jeffrey lowered his gaze, not meeting her eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

Maggie answered calmly, "Next time, you can introduce me to others like this, not just as your girlfriend with no background."

She wasn't just Jeffrey's girlfriend; she had her own identity.

Jeffrey furrowed his brow, his voice tinged with frustration. "Our work is in completely different fields. How could I possibly know anything about BrightPath Accounting?"

Maggie stayed quiet for a moment before offering a small smile and sighing.

"Yes, we come from completely different worlds."

The smile faded quickly, and she shifted her gaze forward to where her supervisor was waving at her.

"Alright, enough said. I'll go greet my supervisor now."

Maggie quickened her steps and moved ahead.

Once they reached the observation deck, Maggie approached her supervisor, who was looking at Jeffrey behind her with a knowing look.

He asked, "Is that your boyfriend?"

Maggie nodded. "Yes."

The supervisor teased, "Would you be willing to go to Germany alone? Without him?"

Just then, Jeffrey arrived beside her, calmly gazing at the view.

His features were still sharp and well-defined, just like before.

Maggie chuckled softly and looked away first.

She knew Jeffrey didn't speak German, so in front of him, she answered in German boldly, "I'd be willing to let go."