Chapter 1

I was dating my boss online.Meeting in person? That was never going to happen.He didn't even know his online girlfriend was one of his employees...Lately, my boss had been in a bad mood. Everyone could feel it, so everyone had been extra careful. Even the usual breaks had been cut short.The boss had been working crazy hours, and no one dared leave before him. So, our workdays had stretched to 11 PM or 12 AM, and I was starting to get dark circles under my eyes. My skin had been looking worse, too.To be honest, I felt like I was probably the only one who knew the real reason behind his bad mood, but I couldn't tell anyone.The boss had had his heart broken. And unfortunately, the one who broke his heart... was me.He didn't know that, though.It all started when my online boyfriend of two years wanted to meet up in person.We met on social media. He had posted something asking for advice. [Why can't I find a girlfriend?]I clicked on it, and the post said, [I'm a man, 6'2

Chapter 2

By the time I saw the message, it was already too late to unsend it. It was only natural for people to like looking at pretty things, but for some reason, I felt a bit guilty.Just then, a message popped up, [Is this your cup of tea?]Then, a video arrived.It looked like it was filmed in a gym. The muscles weren't overly bulky, but rather beautifully defined, with smooth lines and a pale skin tone. The perfect V line curved downward, disappearing into the grey workout pants below. As for the top… Well, it was very... pink!The man in the video seemed embarrassed, and by the end, his face was bright red.I asked, [Got more? Send me some more!]The response came, more shy videos.I had to admit, this was working for me.I hadn't expected my usually composed boss to be so... well, you know.How should I put it? I found it unexpectedly thrilling.Just as I was enjoying the view, another message came through.[If you agree to be my girlfriend, I'll send you these every day from

Chapter 3

In a burst of nervousness, I slapped the table, startling the person across from me. Benedict's expression was a bit dazed, and the way he looked so confused somehow made him seem... kind of cute.It was only at this moment that I realized the person I saw online and the person sitting in front of me were the same. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Sorry, Mr. Thompson. I, uh, suddenly have a stomach ache. I need to go to the bathroom. You go ahead and take a look at the proposal." With that, I snatched the phone from the table and hurried to the bathroom.Benedict blinked, still a bit dazed. "Uh, sure."I quickly used my phone to log out of Facebook on all devices before letting out a quiet sigh of relief. The thing was, Benedict had a habit of texting me about everything. If I didn't log out, the notification in the corner of the screen would flash, and even if I didn't open it, it was so easy to accidentally hover the cursor over it and get caught.I replied to his messages o

Chapter 4

"What?" I froze for a moment. "I don't drink.""You can't not drink! When you enter society, you have to learn how to drink." Leah casually pushed a small glass into my hand, filling it to the brim, all the while wearing a look of an older sister who knew better. "If you don't know how to drink, well, after you take a sip, you'll know how, won't you?"Before me, there was another girl who had been introduced to all the higher-ups in the same way, almost as if she were being cherished, and then forced to drink round after round. She was allergic to alcohol, and she'd made it very clear beforehand, yet she was still pressured to drink, and in the end, she had to be rushed to the hospital. Sure enough, not long after, she quit her job. That happened two years ago. I never imagined I'd be next in line so soon.I felt miserable inside, but with everyone staring at me, and Leah smiling expectantly, I had no choice but to play along."Loren, there are so many big shots watching you. You

Chapter 5

Hearing that, my acting skills were back in action. I lowered my head, my face full of guilt and shame. "This is embarrassing, but yesterday, I accidentally tripped and fell, right into Mr. Thompson. Thankfully, he's a nice guy and caught me, but it was pretty awkward for me." I waved my hand dismissively. "Please don't bring it up again. Just thinking about it makes me want to dig a hole and crawl in." "I see," Leah replied. The colleagues who had been eavesdropping on the gossip all turned away, uninterested. Leah blinked, her expression hard to read, as if unsure whether to believe me or not. "Well, that's good. Office romances can be... tricky." She paused before continuing, "By the way, I have a project with an unreasonable unit price. I need to meet with the contractor, but I'm tied up, so I'm leaving it to you." The team was already waiting in the conference room when I walked in, and the moment I entered, I spotted a familiar, annoying face. Oh, great. It was

Chapter 6

We seemed to be heading to a project site. New projects were usually set in the more remote suburbs, and with it being late at night, there were hardly any people on the road. My heart skipped a beat, and I forced myself to stay alert, calling out to Vincent, "Mr. Campbell, please pull over. I'm feeling a bit dizzy."Vincent didn't stop. I repeated myself, and suddenly he laughed. "I was wondering why you turned me down last time. Turns out you hooked up with someone else, and then you had the nerve to badmouth me on your social media? Loren, you're something else."I kept my face expressionless. "I'm going to say this one last time. Pull over, or I can't promise what I'll do."Vincent smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, the effects of the drug are kicking in now. There's not a soul around here, and soon, you'll be begging me." As he spoke, he actually pulled the car over and turned to look at me. "Or do you prefer the outdoors over the car?"Then, he suddenly seemed to remember somethin