She let out a cold laugh, a trace of derision in her eyes."You think you can bargain with me? In my presence, you will do as I say. Otherwise, I will go straight to your parents!"

A surge of anger coursed through me, yet what consumed me more was an overwhelming sense of helplessness."You... but I truly cannot do it."

Her gaze was laced with mockery and disdain."Weren't you always boasting about being a genius? Didn't you take pleasure in belittling me before?"

I shut my eyes in pain, memories of the past flooding my mind, my heart heavy with regret."Let's not revisit the past. Can't we just leave it behind?"

She scoffed, her voice tinged with a harsh edge."No, the humiliation you put me through cannot be forgotten so easily. If you don't want to hear it, then I'll tell you every day. I'm sure even ten or eight years wouldn't suffice to recount everything you've done to me."

I had no words, only bowed my head silently, my heart drowning in bitterness and helplessness.

Noticing my silence, her tone softened slightly."If you listen to me, I'll stop."

I lifted my head, my eyes filled with a sense of melancholy and helplessness."Sophie, how different are you now from the person I once knew?"

She sneered, a glimmer of triumph and satisfaction flashing in her eyes."You've realized, haven't you? I want to make you feel guilty."

I lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply, my heart engulfed in endless sorrow and regret."Weren't you angry that I burned you? I'm returning it to you." With that, I rolled up my sleeve and pressed the cigarette butt firmly against my arm. The scent of burning flesh wafted into the air."One's not enough, I'll give you another." I took another two puffs, a look of resolve in my eyes, about to burn myself again.

Suddenly, she rushed toward me, swatting the cigarette out of my hand, her eyes blazing with fury and pain."You're a fool."

I managed a bitter smile, a hint of self-mockery and helplessness in my gaze."Yes, I'm a fool. What more do you want? I'll repay everything today."

Her eyes welled up with tears, her voice choked."You can never repay me for a lifetime of debts. How do you plan to make it right?"

I fell silent, when suddenly there was a knock at the door."Sophie." It was the voice of that pretty boy.

Sophie frowned slightly, then replied,"Wait a moment, I'll come find you."

"Okay, Sophie," came the reply.

"Have you made up your mind?" she asked, turning to me.

"You have him as your assistant, why do you need me?" I asked, confused.

"Do you think he's my assistant? Ha!" She laughed loudly."He's here to accompany me on a business trip. You really thought he's my assistant?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Your boyfriend is your boyfriend, there's no need to hide it. If he were just a friend, I'd chew this table to pieces, I thought to myself. But it's none of my business. I'm truly afraid of this woman. I'm tempted to gamble whether she will tell my parents, but I have no confidence. If she does, my parents might even throw me out of the house. That wouldn't be the worst, though. What terrifies me most is if they lose hope in me.

"How will my salary be calculated?" I asked. Even brothers settle accounts clearly—you're the boss, you can't expect to not pay me. If you don't, threaten all you like, but I won't work.

"You're really fixated on money, aren't you?" she mocked.

"Yes, I am. I still need to eat," I replied.

"I'll take care of your food and lodging," she said, her words carrying an ambiguous undertone.

I stared at her."No money?"

"When I offered you money, you refused. Now there's none," she said smugly, her brows slightly raised, her lips curling into a cold smile, as if watching a play unfold.

"No money? Then I quit." I turned on my heel and walked away, my steps resolute and final, though a tinge of unease lingered in my heart."If you want to say it, just say it. Worst case, I'll be disowned," I thought, feigning nonchalance, but inwardly plotting my next course of action.

"Come back, I was only joking." Her voice held a note of urgency, tinged with anxiety."The offer still stands at ten thousand, do you want it or not?" Her tone softened slightly, as if attempting to salvage the situation.

"Just do it. If you can't do it well, don't complain." I made up my mind. I just wanted to go for it. After saying that, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Go to the administrative department, they will assign you a position," she said, her attention already elsewhere as she turned to her work.

I headed to the administrative department and found Vivienne, the HR manager, a woman in her thirties. She was busy at her desk, but when she saw me, she paused and looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity and mild confusion.

"Vivienne, Sophie asked you to assign me a position," I said, trying to sound calm, though my heart fluttered with unease.

"You? A position? What did Sophie assign you to do?" Vivienne set aside her work, a look of surprise and confusion flashing across her face. The last few days had stirred up quite a commotion, and aside from Vincent from the production department, no one knew why Sophie would take an interest in someone so insignificant as me.

"She said I'm to be her assistant," I said carelessly, attempting to mask the nervousness within.

"You? Her assistant?" Vivienne gasped, her tone filled with disbelief.

"Yes, you heard me correctly. If you don't believe me, feel free to ask her," I replied, secretly hoping she wouldn't actually inquire.

Vivienne stood up."I'll go ask Sophie about your assignment, and then I'll find you a position." She walked out, her footsteps echoing in the hall, leaving me alone in the office.

After what seemed like an eternity, she returned, her gaze studying me curiously, as if I were some kind of alien."What is it about you that would make Sophie assign you a position?" Her voice was thick with doubt and bewilderment.

I couldn't help but smirk inwardly, thinking to myself: Do I look like I have three heads and six arms? However, I maintained an air of calm on the outside."I suppose I'm just lucky," I shrugged nonchalantly.

She nodded, then said,"Come on, let's go. You'll sit in the general office for now."

The executives each had their own private offices, while everyone else worked in a large open-plan space. As we entered, a group of people who had been chatting fell silent, all eyes fixed on us. I inwardly cursed, thinking,"A bunch of parasites. We're out there working our butts off to earn money for the boss, and here they are, feeding off his resources."

Vivienne spoke,"From today, Ryan will be Sophie's assistant. He'll be working in this office. You all know each other, so I won't bother with introductions."

"Is this seat taken?" Vivienne asked one of the nearby workers.

"No."

"Then you can sit here."

"Alright," I nodded, though inside, I thought to myself: This seat is quite spacious, certainly better than the one I had in the workshop.