Chapter 1

Everyone was drinking and having fun when I arrived. Bruce sat amongst the crowd, the solemn expression on his handsome face lit up by the chandelier on the ceiling. Beside him was a pretty young woman. Bruce's hand rested behind her, displaying how caring he was of her. It was the woman's turn to choose between truth or dare. Before she could even make her choice, the host of the game said gently, "Kiss someone of the opposite sex for two minutes." The woman lowered her head shyly and shot Bruce a pleading look, looking pitiful. Bruce eyed the crowd and said quietly, "Stop messing with her. She's shy." Naturally, no one dared push the dare further, but Bruce still downed his drink out of respect for the rules of the game. It was clear he was protective of the woman. As the table erupted in hoots and cries, no one noticed I was there in the corner. I clutched my wrist, feeling the scars there, before turning around. "Have you just arrived too, Nance?" Douglas Irvin, our class representative, asked me. All eyes swiftly landed on me. Nance. I used to be proud of that nickname—the one everyone referred to me by when I was Bruce's girlfriend. But now it just seemed stupid. As everyone looked at me, I said calmly, "It's been a long time." No one responded as the room fell to pin-drop silence. Who would care about someone who'd spent six years pining for Bruce, especially now that he had already found the love of his life? My appearance was truly quite inappropriate. Just then, the woman beside Bruce broke the silence. "I know you, Nancy Fisher. You were the most hardworking student in our previous graduating year!" The woman's voice was sweet, and her features tender. It was really hard not to like her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nance. My name's Cindy Lane, from the accounting department." The woman introduced herself before turning to Bruce and asking softly, "Why didn't you tell me Nance was coming here tonight, Bruce?" Bruce glanced at me and said in a flat tone, "Why would I mention someone irrelevant?" Irrelevant. So that was what Bruce thought of me. But he wasn't wrong, really. Why else wouldn't I have had the chance to be by his side after our six years together? Bruce never made our relationship official nor came to my aid as he did with Cindy. Most amusing was that I always thought he'd never drink. Everyone left the place after the gathering ended. Bruce and Cindy were at the centre of the crowd, flanked by everyone else. I could hear Cindy's sweet voice saying, "I told you not to drink so much. You feel terrible now, don't you?" Bruce's response was impressive. "And who did I drink so much for?" Cindy said with tears in her eyes, "You don't need to see me off, Bruce. I feel bad." I watched as Bruce said something to her, to which she giggled immediately. The two lovebirds chattered about with one another as if it were just the two of them and no one else. Several people shot me sympathetic looks again and again. I felt horrible. I'd wanted to use this school reunion to gain investor connections. Not only did my plan fail, but I also ended up as a laughing stock tonight. Douglas couldn't stand it anymore and offered to accompany me to the subway station. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Bruce would be here," Douglas said regretfully. "He never joins gatherings like this." Douglas was telling the truth. Bruce hadn't even signed his name on the reunion attendance list earlier. I said gently, "It's alright. It's in the past now. I hope you'll be able to help me from now on, Douglas." Douglas nodded. "I'll review the proposal and let you know if there are any updates." See? Business was a far easier topic than relationships. I returned to my apartment an hour later with some hangover pills. When the elevator door opened, a familiar figure stood before me. Who else could it be but Bruce himself? Bruce was lighting a cigarette, his blue-striped tie slack around his neck, making him look quite relaxed. His eyes went into a daze when he saw me. I pretended not to notice and stepped into the elevator. Looking away, I pressed the button for my floor. Neither of us spoke a word. All of a sudden, a strong figure enveloped me, followed by the sharp smell of alcohol. Bruce pulled me into his chest. He rasped, "You still care about me, don't you, Cece?" Bruce nuzzled my neck. Something in his tone made him sound like he was trying to appease me. He had never done this even once in the six years we were together. I felt incredulous when I recalled how Bruce had spoken so gently to Cindy earlier at the gathering. Cece, huh? My name and Cindy's had a similar 'c' syllable. That fact did not escape me. The acrid scent of alcohol coming off of Bruce told me he'd had too much to drink. I looked up tiredly and said, "Apologies, but I'm not Ms. Lane." Bruce's arms tensed around me. When his eyes met mine, I stepped aside. His expression was still incredibly stiff in my periphery. The atmosphere grew awkward. When the elevator door opened on my floor, I walked out with a neutral expression, sensing Bruce's eyes on me. I quickly entered my apartment. Right when I was about to shut the door, Bruce rushed in and caged me in the entrance hallway. I was quickly trapped right between his legs. "You live here, Nancy Fisher?" Bruce asked coldly. I was still living in the apartment he and I shared two years ago. I replied truthfully, "The landlord said he'd give his regular tenants a 300 dollar discount." 300 dollars was still money. People like me had to save where we could. Bruce was clearly displeased with my response. He snorted and asked, "Are you doing this on purpose?" I switched on the lights and showed him the inside of the house, which had long been rearranged to my liking. I retorted with, "Does it look like it?" Bruce's favorite cool-tone interior decor had already been changed to a Memphis-style one. Bruce appeared thoughtful for a moment before declaring, "You need to move out. I'll pay you what you're owed." I looked at him in disbelief. I had no idea why Bruce minded me staying here so much. The spaces we slept and fucked in were no longer in sight. It wasn't like Bruce would visit again, right? Bruce answered my unspoken question a moment later. "Cindy lives upstairs." So that was why. What a coincidence. No wonder Bruce and I bumped into each other. If I guessed correctly, he must've just dropped Cindy back home. Bruce really was trying his best to prevent Cindy from misunderstanding. "That can be solved easily." I glanced at the old facilities inside my room and suggested, "You could provide a better residence for Ms. Lane." There were several luxurious skyscraper suites on Luigi Ave. Bruce surely had the money to afford one for Cindy. He was never lacking money. Bruce seemingly didn't agree with my suggestion. He said firmly, "I don't want people to misunderstand Cindy's intentions." If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I would never have guessed Bruce, who was usually so high and mighty, would be so considerate of someone else. My heart stung with pain. I paused for a moment before replying calmly, "Apologies, but I'm not moving." This location was close to a university, so the shops around it had decent prices. It was convenient too, given the subway line nearby had a route straight to my office. But to prevent an unnecessary argument, I reasoned, "Don't worry. I won't have any interactions with Ms. Lane whatsoever." Nor will I with you. Those last words remained unsaid. "You best keep your word." Bruce shot me a warning look before slamming the door shut and leaving. I stood where I was, feeling upset. My phone's ringtone broke me out of my thoughts. It was from my boss and good friend, Caroline Whittaker. "Get ready for tomorrow. We'll be meeting our newest investors," a firm voice rang from my phone, pulling me out of my overwhelming emotions. I swiftly grounded myself by recalling my monthly bills. With that, I was determined to make tomorrow's meeting a success. But when Caroline's Bentley G500 came to a stop beneath Roeval Investments' office building the next day, I grew anxious. Roeval Investments was the latest player in the world of investing. Its boss was none other than Bruce Harold.