Chapter 1.REALISED A LITTLE TOO LATE.

Realised a little too late.

Ivy raised her head to find her boyfriend Leon standing in front of the door with a white towel around his waist, one hand on the towel so it doesn't fall off and expose his nakedness, while her cousin sister laid on the bed butt naked as she clutched tightly on the package she had in her hands, her heart wrenching in pain at the sight of them.

A minute ago, she had looked at the numbers inscribed on the door of the Santaro hotel before knocking.

Ivy stood at the doorway, a neatly wrapped package in her hand when the man opened the door, only for her to see it was Leon. To her dismay, she saw him with another woman, but not just any woman - her own cousin! She felt as if she were in a nightmare. Could Leon truly be cheating on her?

She held her breath, refusing to believe the unfolding scene before her. "Hailey," she called out, shock evident in her voice.

In the hotel room was Ivy's boyfriend-Leon and her supposed cousin, Hailey, engaged in an intimate act. Ivy stood there, her whole world crashing down on her. It felt like she was daydreaming. There on the bed was her cousin, lying half-naked and grunting, until she noticed Ivy and quickly covered herself in the sheets.

Ivy didn't know when the package she was holding fell to the floor and ripped open, revealing packs of condoms and pills. Leon's eyes trailed down to the fallen items. "You can leave it right there on the floor and take your leave!" he said dismissively.

He showed no remorse that his girlfriend, whom he would be getting married to in the next few months, had caught him cheating. Their plans for the near-future marriage now seemed like a sham.

"Leon," Ivy called out, her voice cracking with sadness. "You are cheating on me?"

"Cheating?" Leon sighed. "Babe, I wasn't cheating on you. I was making the best choice for myself. Look around you, you have nothing to offer if I make you my wife, but your cousin has a lot to offer. I can partner with her in her father's company."

Ivy wanted to hold back her tears, but hearing his words, she couldn't help but burst into silent sobs. The thought of her boyfriend about to exhaust the packaged condoms on someone who wasn't her made her chest ache with pain.

Without another word, she turned and left, leaving the door open. She quickly took the elevator, not wanting anyone to see her wet eyes.

Ivy's life had already been a living hell since her parents' passing, and she had thought getting married to Leon, despite his abusive behavior, would be her gateway to leaving this cruel place. Hailey, her cousin and friend, had been the only one Ivy had confided in about Leon's abusive nature, always telling her to be patient and that he would eventually come back to apologize.

Now, Hailey was the one betraying her trust, having sex with her cousin's boyfriend in Santaro Hotel.

Rushing out of the elevator, Ivy bumped into someone - a man slightly taller than her. "I'm sorry, sir!" she quickly apologized without looking at him and then ran back into the elevator just as it was closing.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Ivy could no longer control her tears, and she let them roll down her cheeks. She continued to sob, feeling a deep sense of regret and betrayal wash over her. She had given herself to Leon as his sex toy and punching bag for three years, and he had chosen her cousin out of all the women in the world to cheat on her with.

A few minutes later, Ivy reached a small, cozy lobby in the hotel. She yanked the door open and locked it. Once inside, she slid slowly to the floor, her back against the door. She glanced at her wrist and saw the identical best friend necklace she had made with Hailey. She yanked it off and threw it out the window, not wanting to see anything that would remind her of Hailey or Leon.

Meanwhile, after Ivy left, Leon continued with Hailey, who didn't feel bad that Ivy had just caught them. He kept pounding into her until they reached climax.

Leon, grasping and out of breath, giggled. "Oh, you are so good with it, not like Ivy, who would fret out of my bed after one round. She would always say she didn't want her boss to scold her."

He stood up and shrugged back into his underwear. "Such a naive bitch!"

Hailey, blushing and pulling the sheets to cover herself, remarked, "She has always been naive since her parents passed away."

About two hours later, Ivy reached her workplace and quickly parked her bike in the parking lot. It was 6:12 PM, and she was already late. She rushed into the editorial office to drop off her keys, but to her dismay, they wouldn't work.

Ivy tried several times, but the door remained locked. Feeling overwhelmed with confusion, she began to knock, and after a few minutes, the door swung open to reveal her furious manager, Mr. Roberto.

"Good evening, sir. My keys aren't working," Ivy said in a frustrated tone.

"Well, they're not meant to, Ivy," he replied coldly. "As of three hours ago, your services were no longer needed."

Ivy's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry, sir? Are you firing me?" she asked, clearly confused. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I received a report that you didn't deliver your last package on time and that you even shouted at one of our VIP customers. The report also claims that you assaulted his fiancée and used profanity against him," Mr. Roberto explained slowly.

Ivy pleaded, "Please, sir, I'm sorry. That's not what happened, I promise." She paused, realising she couldn't tell her manager the truth – that it was her boyfriend, or rather, her ex-boyfriend and her cousin she had caught having sex in the hotel room she had visited for the delivery.

"Sir, I promise it was a misunderstanding. I delivered the package to the couple, but I was in a hurry and forgot to ask them to sign for it. Sir, I can go back and find them if you want me to. You can't fire me, sir," Ivy continued.

"Ivy, I don't want to hear any more of your excuses. You've been given too many chances. Please leave the company premises now!" Mr. Roberto sneered.

"Can I at least take my belongings from the locker room? My house keys are in there, sir," Ivy pleaded, hoping he would grant her this one request.

"One step inside, and I'll call the police!" Mr. Roberto simply said, bringing out his phone from his pocket. "Ivy, I'm dialling already..."

Ivy sharply retreated. "No, sir, it's fine. I will leave."

With that, she left the company. For the second time in just six hours, she found her world crashing down around her. What hurt the most about losing a job was not being given a chance to tell her side of the story. She heaved a deep sigh of relief as she waved down a cab. "I know Leon is responsible for this!" she muttered. She didn't believe it was because of such a slight mistake that would make her boss want to fire her. He clearly wanted to punish her, but for what exactly?

A rush of fury filled her body, and she just wished she could punish him for all he was doing to her. Even sitting in the cab, she wished he was home so she could confront him, but she didn't have much money left on her, not after she had secretly become his highest shareholder just to prevent his company from going bankrupt.