C112 A Different Point Of View

After leaving Samantha's office, I walked back to my own office in silence. Her tear-filled eyes refused to leave my mind. Every step felt heavier than the last. I shook my head and forced myself to focus. There was no point dwelling on the past.

Right now, I had something far more important to deal with. The project Josh had assigned to me. If I could successfully complete it, perhaps he would finally realize that I wasn't trying to steal his daughter's affection or cause problems within his family. Maybe then... He would stop seeing me as an enemy.

I sat down before my computer and opened the project files. Within minutes, my confidence disappeared. "This is harder than I expected..." The system architecture alone was complicated enough, and several parts required advanced knowledge of information systems, something I wasn't particularly experienced in. Only one person came to mind. Alicia. Without hesitation, I sent her a message asking if she could spare some time later to help me. Several minutes passed. No reply. She was probably busy.

I sighed and decided to work with what I knew. The office became unusually quiet as everyone focused on their own tasks. Time passed quickly, and before I realized it, it was already lunchtime. A familiar voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. "Still working?" I looked up. Alicia stood beside my desk with a warm smile. "Nerd, I came to kidnap you for lunch." I smiled helplessly. "I can't." "This project is giving me a headache."

She leaned forward to look at my monitor before shaking her head. "The project will still be here after lunch." "But if you skip another meal, you'll collapse before you finish it." I tried arguing. "I really need..." "No." She folded her arms. "Lunch first." Her stubborn expression made me laugh. Knowing there was no winning against her, I slowly stood up. "Fine." She smiled victoriously. "I knew you'd listen eventually."

As we walked out of the department together, I didn't notice the cold gaze following us. Inside his office, Josh watched us leave through the glass wall. His brows slowly furrowed. "This boy..." "He acts as though work can wait." His eyes shifted toward another familiar figure. "Bright." "A moment."

Bright immediately stopped walking and hurried inside. He greeted respectfully. "Good afternoon, Team Manager." Josh wasted no time. "Bright." "Were you the one who secretly photographed my daughter and Mike?" Bright's cheerful smile disappeared instantly. His entire body froze. His mind went completely blank. So... The woman holding Mike's hand that day... Was Team Manager Josh's daughter?

Cold sweat instantly formed on his forehead. Am I finished? Will I lose my job? Will he report me to the police? Will I become another person Team Manager hates... Just like Mike? Before Bright could organize his thoughts, Josh spoke again. "So." "What do you intend to do about my daughter's reputation?" Bright lowered his head immediately. "I..." "I'm truly sorry, sir." "I honestly didn't know she was your daughter." "If I had known..." "I would have never sent it to alex."

Josh leaned back in his chair. His voice became unusually calm. "If I asked you to break up with your girlfriend as compensation..." "Would that be too much?"Bright blinked repeatedly. "My..." "My girlfriend?" Josh nodded. Bright hurriedly waved both hands. "I don't have one!" "The girl everyone saw with me at the mall was my cousin." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Girls don't really like talkative guys like me."

For some strange reason, Josh felt relieved. He didn't understand why. After a brief silence, he continued. "Then perhaps you can make things right another way." Bright immediately straightened. "Anything, sir." "I'd like to meet your parents." "My... parents?" Josh nodded. "What you did could easily be considered a criminal offense." "Invading someone's privacy." "Spreading damaging rumors." "But..." "If everything goes well..." "...there might even be a promotion waiting for you."

Bright's eyes widened. "A promotion?" Josh simply nodded. "I'll leave the rest to you." Bright quickly bowed. "I'll contact them immediately." After leaving the office, Bright immediately took out his phone. His family wasn't poor. Far from it. His parents owned Nova Jewelry, one of the city's most respected jewelry stores. His father had always hoped Bright would eventually inherit the business.

Instead... Bright had chosen Information Technology. Although disappointed, his parents eventually accepted his decision after seeing how passionate he was about working at Wood IT. He called his mother, Godness Gomez first. No answer. He immediately dialed his father instead. The call connected almost instantly. "My son?" Bright nearly shouted. "Dad!" "I made a huge mistake!" Prince Gomez's voice immediately became serious. "What happened?"

Bright sighed. "I'll explain later." "But my Team Manager wants to meet you and Mom tonight." "He said..." "...if everything goes well..." "...I might finally get promoted." The silence on the other end lasted several seconds. Finally, Prince chuckled softly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack." "Tell your manager we'll be waiting after work." Bright released the breath he had been holding. "Thank you, Dad." After ending the call, he rushed back to Josh's office to relay the message. Josh simply nodded. "Good." "We'll go together after work."

Meanwhile... Alicia and I walked side by side toward Chris in the cafeteria. She was talking excitedly about something she had read online, occasionally teasing me whenever I looked distracted. I tried listening. But my thoughts remained trapped inside Samantha's office. Those tears... Those broken eyes... They refused to disappear.

Coming from the opposite direction, Samantha suddenly stopped walking. Her eyes landed on us. More specifically... On Alicia. The afternoon sunlight reflected beautifully off the bracelet wrapped around Alicia's wrist. The matching earrings sparkled just as brightly. Samantha's breathing slowed. Those weren't ordinary pieces of jewelry. Mike probably gifted them to her.

Another forgotten memory resurfaced. The day they had flown kites. Alicia holding Mike's hand. Back then, Samantha had dismissed it. Now... Another image appeared. Alicia smiling beside him. Laughing naturally. Walking together. Her heart suddenly tightened. Then... Why was Laura involved too? Why had her father opposed Mike? Could it be... No. Nothing made sense anymore.

At that very moment, Alicia looked down at the bracelet. She smiled before asking, "Mike..." "Why did your mother suddenly give me the Smith family's heirloom?" I laughed awkwardly. "I've honestly been wondering the same thing." "So?" "You must have a guess." I scratched my head. The only answer that came to mind slipped out naturally. "Maybe..." "...because she wanted me to see you wearing them every day."

For a brief second... Neither of us spoke. Our eyes simply met. A faint blush appeared on Alicia's face. Then she noticed Samantha standing ahead. Almost mischievously, she grabbed my hand before lifting her wrist proudly. "Look." "Isn't this heirloom beautiful?" Samantha heard every word. Her fingers slowly curled into fists. She watched us walk past without saying anything. Only her eyes remained fixed on Alicia.

Once we were out of earshot, I quietly asked, "Aren't you worried about offending Samantha?" Alicia laughed. "If anyone wants to bully me..." "They're welcome to try." "My father has been waiting for an excuse to interfere." I couldn't help laughing. "So confident." "I learned from the best." Together, we entered the cafeteria. Chris was already waiting. The atmosphere immediately became lighter. After everyone sat down, I finally remembered the project. "Josh assigned me a new system." "I honestly can't finish it alone." "I actually texted Alicia this morning asking for help." Chris looked offended. "Oh?" "So now you trust her judgment more than mine?"

Before I could answer, Alicia laughed. "What exactly do you know about Information Systems?" Chris opened his mouth confidently. Then... Nothing came out. I burst into laughter. Chris pointed at both of us dramatically. "You two are unbelievable." Alicia smiled. "I'll think of a plan tonight." "We'll solve it together." I nodded gratefully. Then... The conversation became serious. "There was another reason today was exhausting."

Both of them looked at me. "Samantha called me into her office." The smiles disappeared immediately. "What happened?" I took a deep breath. "She told me the truth." "The Year-End Function..." "It wasn't her." "Ben drugged her." The table fell silent. I continued quietly. "It was exactly like what happened to you chris during the celebration party in France." Alicia's eyes widened. "What?" Chris frowned deeply. "So..." "Ben really spiked her drink?"

I nodded. "He confessed after Sarah confronted everyone before returning to England." Chris leaned back. "So many things suddenly make sense." Alicia remained unusually quiet. Finally she asked, "She knew before the wedding?" "Yes." "And she still married him?" "I asked her exactly that." "What did she say?" "She said..." "...she did it for Monica." I laughed bitterly. "The funny part is..." "We chose Monica's name together." "And then she tells me she stayed for Monica." Chris sighed. "The whole situation is confusing." Now she's Vice Director too."

Neither of us noticed Alicia quietly thinking. Finally she spoke. "I actually understand why she stayed." Chris and I looked at her in surprise. "You... do?" She nodded slowly. "I don't understand naming her Monica." "But staying..." "I do." The table became completely silent. She looked directly at me. "Think about who Ben is." "He wasn't just a stranger." "He was your best friend." "He knew the relationship you and Samantha shared." "And he still destroyed it."

She paused. "If he could drug her once..." "What makes you think he would've stopped there?" My breathing became slower. Alicia continued. "By the time Samantha learned the truth..." "Monica had already been born." "She wasn't just Samantha anymore." "She was a mother." "A mother thinks differently." "She would've worried about raising a child alone." "About Monica growing up without a father." "The wedding had already been announced." "If she cancelled everything..." "The entire city would've demanded answers." "The Wood family's reputation would've been destroyed." "And Ben..."

She lowered her voice. "Would someone like him simply let her walk away?" "What if he threatened to take Monica?" "What if he threatened her parents?" "What if he ruined everyone around her?" Every possibility pierced my heart. I had never... Not even once... Thought about it from her side.

I remembered Samantha standing before me that morning. Her voice shaking. Her tears falling. Then... My own words echoed mercilessly inside my mind. "I see selfishness." "I see greed." My chest suddenly tightened. I had watched her cry... Yet I had never truly tried to understand why she had cried. For the first time... I wondered if the cruelest person in Samantha's story... Hadn't been Ben alone. Perhaps... Without realizing it... I had become one too.