Chapter 3 Stand-In

Colleague Fanny, who got along well with Elaine, sighed with her chin in her hand, "The president came to the rescue on the first day of office. Is this the legendary sweet romance?" With that, she nudged Elaine with her elbow, "You think so, right?" Elaine forced a smile, "Uh... yeah, it's really enviable." Another colleague, Trina, also came over, looking mysterious, "But this is more than just a sweet romance!" "What? Do you know more insider information?" Fanny excitedly pulled Trina, "Tell us, tell us!" Trina, with a triumphant tilt of her head, said, "Didn't you always claim to know everything? You don't even know about this wealthy family's affairs!" "Come on, sis!" Fanny tugged on Trina's sleeve, coquettishly. Trina then whispered, "The president and our new CEO aren't just childhood sweethearts. They used to be rivals in school. Only someone as outstanding as her could deeply root love in the president!" "My God!" Fanny gasped, covering her mouth, "But how could they be apart for so many years? The president doesn't seem like someone who would let her go easily!" "That's another secret," Trina said mysteriously, "Miss Hannah, as a heiress, is also exceptionally talented. She received offers from top foreign universities even before graduating from college. Unexpectedly, when the president proposed, Hannah hesitated and chose to abandon him for the path of her career!" "No wonder she's a young lady. The president is such an outstanding man, yet she decided to leave him!" Fanny widened her eyes, expressing her disbelief. Elaine listened to the past of Wesley and Hannah, her face growing paler and her heart aching, nearly fainting. She wanted to find an excuse to escape, but her feet felt as heavy as lead. As expected, just as she suspected, Wesley terminated the contract early to clear obstacles for his White Moonlight. They were like the affectionate protagonists in novels, and she was just a laughable stand-in. Too ridiculous. Elaine pinched her fingers, trying hard to calm herself down. "I suddenly realize, Elaine, you resemble the CEO a bit," Fanny suddenly came up to examine Elaine's face, "But you're purer, while the CEO is more glamorous." Trina joined in, teasing, "You're right, it's like some kind of stand-in novel online, isn't it? The president arranges a stand-in to be by his side, just to look at that face resembling the White Moonlight's." Trina's words hit home, instantly paling Elaine's face. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. The feeling of being played with and then abandoned overwhelmed her, making her suffocate. She was so foolish. Clearly just a stand-in, yet she gradually fell into Wesley's occasional tenderness and couldn't extricate herself. "Stop talking nonsense," Elaine pushed the two away, wanting to leave this place of gossip, "I'll go to the pantry for some water." In the pantry, with the president's arrival, all departments were on alert, so it was empty now, devoid of the noisy chatter, finally allowing Elaine to breathe a sigh of relief. She took out a cup and poured water, suddenly remembering Wesley's indulgent gaze from earlier. The difference between him with her and him with Hannah was stark. He was always expressionless, cold, and distant with her. How could she think he had any feelings for her? Elaine found her self-mockery ridiculous. It wasn't until the hot water overflowed from the cup, burning her fingers, that she suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Ouch!" she cried out in pain, quickly letting go. Water spilled all over the floor. Elaine didn't have time to feel discouraged. She quickly cleaned up the mess. Just as she was about to take out the burn cream, she heard a commotion outside, followed by the pantry door being pushed open, and a tall figure hurriedly pulling someone in. It was Wesley and Hannah. The small pantry suddenly felt crowded with three people. Elaine, holding the burn cream, felt somewhat at a loss. Wesley's gaze also fell on Elaine. Elaine instinctively took a step back, her heart pounding violently because of Wesley's presence, making her whole body stiff. "Ouch, it hurts..." Hannah suddenly exclaimed, breaking the deadlock in the pantry. Only then did Elaine notice Hannah, who was now leaning weakly in Wesley's arms, looking very pitiful. Elaine suddenly felt a little inferior. She was indeed the person Wesley deeply loved, beautiful enough to make one feel ashamed. Suppressing the panic in her heart, Elaine couldn't even handle her burned fingers, lowered her head, and turned to leave. "Wait," Wesley suddenly called out to her. Elaine's heart stopped, her breathing becoming uneasy, and she stood frozen in place. Wesley reached out his hand, his voice cold, "Give it to me." Elaine was stunned, "...What?" "The burn cream." Wesley's voice was somewhat impatient. Elaine handed him the burn cream dumbly. Wesley took the cream without wasting any more time on Elaine, holding Hannah's hand, and carefully applied the cream to the burned area. In fact, it was just a small red spot, not requiring burn cream at all, but Wesley was very nervous. It was evident that he cared deeply for Hannah. Throughout the process, he didn't glance at Elaine once more, as if she was really just an ordinary employee. Elaine bit her lip, not wanting to face this cruel scene again, turned around, and staggered away. "Wesley, I'm fine. It's just a slight burn from the water cup," Hannah's sweet voice came from behind, breaking the deadlock in the pantry, "That employee seems to be hurt too..." As for Wesley's reaction after hearing that, Elaine didn't know, and didn't want to know. Right now, she just wanted to resign quickly and leave this place as soon as possible. She didn't want to see their affectionate appearance in the few days she had left. It was too painful for her. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would collapse, rush forward, and hoarsely demand answers from Wesley about why he treated her like this. Elaine quickly printed out her resignation letter and went to find the manager for approval. As Elaine, the right-hand woman of the Sales Department, was highly valued by Manager Alva, he naturally didn't want to agree to her resignation so easily. But seeing Elaine insist, Alva could only let her take a break first. After she had reconsidered, she could come back for her resignation certificate. Over the past few years, Alva had been very caring towards Elaine, who couldn't refuse him too harshly, so she could only reluctantly agree. After completing the formalities, Elaine didn't want to stay a second longer in the company. She picked up her bag and went home. As soon as she got home, she received a call from her best friend, Katrina. "Elaine, I saw the news about Wesley. Is it true?" Katrina and Elaine were both orphans who grew up together, relying on each other in the orphanage, their bond as strong as siblings. So when Katrina saw the news, she immediately called Elaine to see how she was doing. She knew how much Elaine loved that man. Hearing Katrina's voice, Elaine's eyes reddened in an instant, her voice choked, "Katrina, he and I... we're over."