Chapter 5

Vivian's POV

"Vivian!"

Sean barked, scowling at me.

In his eyes, I was placing the blame on Joy.

Joy immediately lowered her head in panic, apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling! I'm sorry, it's all my fault for causing losses for the company!"

She admitted her mistakes so quickly and obediently that, naturally, I was cast as the villain.

I had no desire to keep playing a role in this couple's little drama.

And I certainly didn't want Vance Group to be dragged onto the hot searches alongside Sterling Group. I turned around, paid the fine to the officer, completed the mediation paperwork, and walked away. Ignoring Sean completely, I headed straight to the parking lot to drive home.

Sean got into the passenger seat after me, his expression unreadable.

Neither of us spoke a word the entire way back.

Halfway home, Sean was the first to break the silence.

"Joy comes from a poor background, and she's always worked so hard. You've been pampered and shielded by Raymond, Rosalind, and me your whole life, so you don't understand the struggles of people at the bottom. I don't blame you."

"But what happened today had nothing to do with her. Don't make things difficult for her."

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, but I quickly let go and chuckled softly.

"Sean, do you even remember that you were supposed to be celebrating our fifth anniversary with me today?"

"Do you also remember promising me that you would never get into another fight?"

"Are you trying to tell me now that Joy is special, that she actually matters to you?"

Sean instantly panicked.

"I'm sorry, Vivian! I... I didn't mean it like that."

Mr. Sterling, who was usually so commanding and decisive, couldn't even speak clearly right now.

"Please don't be angry. I promise, it'll never happen again."

I looked at his frantic attempts to reassure me and gave him a gentle smile.

"Why are you so panicked? I was just joking."

"On our wedding day, you said that if you ever wronged me, your punishment would be to grow old and die completely alone."

"So, I believe you won't."

Sean's expression was priceless, his face turning from green to pale.

It took him a long while to regain his usual composure.

"Of course. You're the only one I love. How could I ever wrong you?"

I focused on driving and didn't reply.

As it turned out, the expiration date on that vow was only four years.

For the next two days, Sean behaved himself. He came straight home after work and dedicated all his time to being with me.

In the past, I would have been deeply touched and filled with happiness.

Now, I just found it exhausting to deal with.

Two days later was the Sterling Group's anniversary gala.

Sean and I attended in full formal wear, walking down the red carpet with our fingers tightly intertwined.

"Mr. Sterling and his wife are truly a match made in heaven!"

"Childhood sweethearts making it to the altar—they're the ultimate model couple in Los Angeles!"

Flatteries echoed all around us.

Sean looked absolutely triumphant.

I responded to each compliment, keeping a picture-perfect smile on my face.

"Vivian!"

A cheerful shout pierced through the crowd.

Yvonne Sterling, who had been studying abroad, was back on break. The moment she saw me, she rushed over and clung to my arm, refusing to let go.

"Sean monopolizes Vivian all day long. Tonight, Vivian belongs to me!"

Sean reached out to pull her away.

"Vivian is mine. Stop causing trouble."

"Give me a break."

Yvonne rolled her eyes. "You've been competing with me for Vivian since we were kids. You've been at it for over twenty years, and you're still not satisfied?"

Yvonne was two years younger than me, and the three of us had grown up together.

To her, I was Vivian, but I was also her absolute best friend.

Looking at her bright, lively face, my heart felt a mixture of warmth and bitter sadness.

Among the people I would miss the most when I left, Yvonne was definitely near the top of the list.

Halfway through the gala, Sean was pulled away by some business partners to socialize, while Yvonne was surrounded by several familiar elders who peppered her with questions.

Left alone, I took a glass of champagne and walked over to a quiet corner.

Joy Foster materialized out of nowhere, her face twisted with venomous hatred.

"A model couple? A match made in heaven?"

She sneered. "Do they know that Mr. Sterling can't keep his hands off me the second he sees me?"

"You think him coming home every day lately means he's giving me the cold shoulder? Let me tell you, yesterday in his office, Mr. Sterling slept with me three times!"

I looked Joy up and down.

"You want the title of Mrs. Sterling? Go ask him for it yourself. It's useless to come to me."

I swirled the champagne in my glass and calmly delivered a parting blow.

"Even if I divorce him, he won't necessarily marry you."

This statement struck Joy's Achilles' heel with perfect precision.

Her composure shattered instantly.

"Do you really think Sean still cares about you that much? If he did, he wouldn't be clinging to me day and night!"

Before she even finished speaking, she suddenly lunged her hands toward me.

Not knowing what she was planning, I instinctively raised my hand to block her.

The next second, Joy stumbled backward and fell heavily onto the floor.

Her collar was pulled open, partially exposing her chest, making her look disheveled and pitiful—as if she had just been humiliated and bullied.

Before I could even react, Yvonne rushed over.

She had witnessed the entire scene, clearly seeing how Joy had set me up.

*Slap!*

Yvonne slapped Joy hard across the face.

"Where did this little green tea bitch come from? How dare you pull your manipulative stunts here! Look around and see where you are!"

The surrounding guests all turned to look.

"Isn't that Mr. Sterling's assistant? How dare she try to frame Mrs. Sterling like that?"

"She's so young yet so calculating. She must be absolutely desperate to climb the social ladder."

Joy clutched her cheek, crying pitifully.

"I know I'm just an ordinary person, and I can't compare to you wealthy heiresses."

"But I have dignity too! You can't just bully and frame me just because of your status..."

"Enough!"

A deep, furious shout erupted from behind the crowd.

Sean pushed through the onlookers and stepped forward.

Yvonne couldn't wait to speak up.

"Sean, your assistant is incredibly manipulative! She actually tried to frame Vivian in public! Fire her immediately!"

Sean looked down at Joy, who was sitting on the floor, and a flash of heartache crossed his eyes.

When his eyes fell on her open collar, a surge of fierce possessiveness flared up in his gaze.

But when he looked up at Yvonne and me, his eyes held nothing but rage.

"Who taught you two to use your status to bully others like this?"

With that, he stripped off his suit jacket, bent down to wrap it around Joy's exposed body, scooped her up in his arms, and strode away.

"Sean! Sean! Sean!"

Yvonne yelled after him, but he never once looked back.

His tall figure vanished through the entrance of the banquet hall.

The room fell silent for a moment before the whispers began to spread.

"I thought Mr. and Mrs. Sterling had such a great relationship. Why did he carry another woman out?"

"Could it be that Mrs. Sterling and Miss Sterling really did bully that poor assistant?"

"Maybe Mr. Sterling is just infatuated with his assistant. Men will be men, after all. None of them can resist straying, and Mr. Sterling is no exception."

As the gossip drifted into my ears, I forced myself to maintain my composure.

Yvonne stared blankly at the doorway, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

"Vivian, what is wrong with Sean?"

I curled my lips into a bitter smile.

"Yvonne, it's exactly what you just saw."

Yvonne understood.

Her eyes instantly turned red with rage.

"How could he do this! I'm going to track him down and make him pay right now! I'm going to tell Raymond and Rosalind and have them come back to deal with him!"

She turned to give chase, but I grabbed her arm.

"Yvonne, don't bother."

I looked toward the entrance, a faint smile playing on my lips.

"In a few days, I'll be leaving anyway."