Chapter 4

Sasha had promised Aidan to handle the shipment for the company, so despite the lingering effects of the abortion, she pushed herself to visit Brian in the hospital early the next morning.

As soon as she reached the door of his ward, a cup of water came flying toward her before she could step inside.

"Get out, you bitch! I'm telling you. Even if you beg me on your knees today, I won't give Ridgeco Corporation any more business!"

Sasha rubbed her forehead where the cup had struck.

Noticing there was no hope of reconciliation, she turned around and left.

When she arrived at the office, Heidi approached her. "Sasha, did you meet Mr. Conley? Did he hit you on the forehead?"

Sasha didn't respond to Heidi's question. Instead, she calmly instructed, "Bring me the shipment list from the factory and contact all the business teams for a meeting at 10:00 am. We probably can't smooth things over with Mr. Conley for now, so let's focus on finding other distributors for the factory's goods."

As she spoke, she walked toward her office.

As soon as she entered the office and shut the door, Natalie walked in without even knocking.

She shot Sasha a disdainful look before placing a fine in front of her.

"Please sign this penalty notice, Ms. Barlow. Aidan said you abandoned your post yesterday, which caused the company huge losses. You'll be docked a quarter of your bonus as punishment."

Before Sasha could respond, Heidi, standing beside her, snapped.

"Why should Sasha take the blame for your mess? If you'd kept your mouth shut last night, Mr. Conley wouldn't have been angry!"

Natalie sneered at Heidi's words and mocked, "You think I'm as shameless as you? You still smiled at Mr. Conley when he touched your leg. Let me tell you. I'm a respectable person, not like you, who will do anything to land a deal.

"Also, I'm Aidan's girlfriend. I'm basically the boss. You work for Aidan, so you better do whatever I tell you."

Heidi turned red with anger.

Meanwhile, Sasha's lips curved into a faint smile.

When Natalie had first come to the company, Sasha had no idea she was Aidan's girlfriend. Back then, she'd thought Natalie was just an ordinary intern.

Once, Natalie accidentally sent everyone's salary details to the company group, so Sasha called her into her office.

She'd just planned to lecture her a little, but before she could get a word in, Natalie had snapped back, "Who are you to lecture me? Don't think I don't know. You only got to where you are by seducing Aidan.

"Listen carefully. Aidan's mine. He's been in love with me for ten years. All this time, he's only been with you because he wasn't good enough to marry me yet. If you had any sense, you'd leave the company now."

It was then that she learned Natalie was Aidan's first love, the one he had been harboring feelings for all these years. He was working hard to make enough money to eventually marry her.

At that time, Sasha still had expectations for Aidan. Filled with an overwhelming sense of jealousy, she immediately went to HR, wanting to get Natalie fired.

But just as she had spoken to HR, Aidan came in right after.

"Are you bullying Natalie because she's my girlfriend? Sasha, this is not a place for your jealousy. If you intentionally make things difficult for Natalie again, I'll have you kicked out of the company.

"And remember your place. All these years, I've only seen you as a bed partner, an employee, and a subordinate. I've never liked you, and I never thought of having any feelings for you. The only person I've ever loved is Natalie."

Sasha finally realized how naive she was.

She remembered overhearing Aidan and his friends speaking about her with disgust, but she hadn't given up on her feelings for him.

She remembered the countless times Aidan had hinted that she needed to please their clients, but she still had done as he wished.

She'd always known Aidan loved someone else and couldn't give her the love she wanted, but he shouldn't have broken the one principle she had clung to.

Because long ago, she had told Aidan that he didn't have to love her, but if he found another girlfriend, he had to let her leave with dignity.

This was because Sasha had grown up as the daughter of a mistress.

The one thing she loathed more than anything else in the world was being called a mistress.

This insistence might seem laughable for someone like her, who had been through countless experiences with men. It was just like how she had once refused to sleep with anyone at the club.

In the seven years she fought alongside Aidan, she had been flirtatious and touched the line with clients, but she had never crossed that line.

Yet now, Aidan had forgotten her principle.

The day Aidan declared Natalie his first love, Sasha had steeled herself, still hoping against hope, and looked into his eyes.

"What if I told you I'm pregnant with your child?"

Aidan paused for two seconds and replied, "If you're pregnant, keep it. I'll give you money, even raise it, but I won't marry you."

After receiving the answer she had expected, Sasha accepted it calmly.

That day, without even taking a leave, she grabbed her handbag and walked out of the company.

Her heart ached terribly, but she endured the pain and went straight to the hospital to terminate the pregnancy.

As she thought about the lost child, her hand instinctively rested on her abdomen, and a sharp pain echoed in her heart.

Standing up, Sasha took a pen and signed the penalty notice.

Heidi was immediately frantic. "Why are you signing this, Sasha? Why should you?"

Why? Because her place had never been rightful.

Because after seven years, she hadn't been able to make Aidan forget Natalie.