"Why? Why did it have to turn out this way?" Nora cried, wiping away the endless stream of tears rolling down her cheeks.
She sat curled up in the small corner of the bathroom, unable to stop the tears from falling. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed—the two people she trusted the most had walked into a hotel together, hand in hand. Elias, the man she thought would always stand by her side, was cheating behind her back. And Anna, the one who always acted gentle and innocent, had secretly stabbed her in the back!
The scene from earlier felt like a bad dream! Even in her worst nightmares, she never imagined something like this could happen.
She had always believed their love was eternal, that Elias was the only man in the world who genuinely loved her. But now, it all shattered like a fragile bubble.
"Why? Why did it have to be like this!" Nora choked out, sobbing uncontrollably.
It felt like something was crushing her heart, making it impossible to breathe. Nora clutched her chest and collapsed onto the floor. The strength she had displayed earlier was just an act for them. Three years of youth and love—Elias was her first love. How could she not feel pain?
Just as Nora was drowning in her sorrow and despair, a knock on the door was followed by the voice of her manager. "Nora, are you in there? Come out right now!"
Startled, Nora quickly wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself. She opened the door and stepped out, her face still wet with tears.
Her manager, Mr. James, stood there with a stern expression.
"What have you been doing in there for so long? The hotel is busy. We don't have time for staff to hide away and avoid work," Mr. James pointed at Nora and shouted. "Do you know what your job is? It's to serve the customers, not to cry in the bathroom!"
"I don't know what's going on with you, Nora, but this is work! We're not paying you to do personal things on the job. Remember, this is a high-class hotel! Every action and gesture you make must comply with the rules!"
Ignoring Nora's swollen, tear-streaked eyes, Mr. James continued to berate her without any sympathy.
Nora lowered her head, struggling to suppress the sobs threatening to escape her throat.
"I'm sorry, Mr. James," she murmured, her voice trembling.
"Sorry? What good is being sorry? Do you think saying 'sorry' will solve anything? Right now, get yourself together, wipe those tears off your face, and get back to work!"
Mr. James was an unrelenting man with no empathy and not a shred of compassion.
Nora, still fighting for composure, wiped away the remaining tears on her face. She took off her name tag and placed it in Mr. James's hand.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do this job anymore."
"What… what did you say!" Mr. James raised his hand, ready to slap her, but then paused, realizing something was different. Nora wasn't bluffing. The timid employee who used to obey his every word had changed. The weak Nora was gone!
"Yes, you heard me. I said I quit! You can hire whoever you want!" Without waiting for Mr. James to react, Nora pushed open the door and walked out.
Tears blurred her vision as she walked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Nora leaned against the hotel wall, searching blindly for the exit.
As she approached the entrance, she suddenly bumped into someone. The impact sent her sprawling onto the floor. The pain and heartbreak were too overwhelming—she stayed where she was, crying.
"Are you alright?" a warm voice sounded above her, and the man extended his hand to help her up.
Nora didn't respond. Her sobs were stuck in her throat, her vocal cords aching, and she couldn't speak.
"Miss, are you okay?" the man repeated.
"Do you need me to call for medical help?"
"No, no need." Nora waved her hand dismissively, slowly looking up to see who she had run into.
Standing before her was a man around thirty years old. He was dressed in an elegant suit, and the watch on his wrist was a limited-edition piece that money couldn't easily buy.
"You don't look fine at all," the man commented gently as he helped Nora to her feet.
"I'm okay, it's none of your concern!" Nora stammered, trying to regain her composure. She deliberately turned her face away so the man wouldn't see her tear-stained expression.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm fine!"
"If the lady says she's fine, then we should go. We have an important meeting to attend," the man's assistant reminded him.
"Mr. Anderson, we should be on our way," he urged.
Nora froze when she heard the name "Anderson." She looked at the man in front of her with a suspicious gaze.
Anderson was Elias's last name. Could it be…?
Could the man standing before her be the CEO of the Anderson Corporation? In other words, was he Elias's stepfather?
Nora's head buzzed, and she kept her eyes fixed on the man.
"If the young lady is alright, I'll take my leave," the man said before turning and heading toward the reception desk.
"We're looking for Elias Anderson," the assistant told the receptionist. "Is he here?"
"Um, I'm sorry, but…"
"We're family. This is his stepfather, Mr. Anderson."
The man called Anderson handed over his business card for verification.
The receptionist's eyes widened in shock. The man standing before them was none other than the CEO of Anderson Corporation!
"Yes, sir, he's in room 1314," the receptionist stammered.
"Thank you."
Nora silently watched the exchange from behind. When the man turned to leave, she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. She approached the receptionist and asked, "Excuse me, who was that man just now?"
The receptionist looked at her in surprise but answered, "That was Mr. Anderson, Elias Anderson's stepfather. He's also the CEO of Anderson Corporation."
The receptionist sighed and added, "He's even more handsome than I imagined! Too bad he has such peculiar taste…"
Everyone in town knew about the love story between Mr. Anderson and Elias's mother, Mrs. Watts. Mrs. Watts was twelve years older than Mr. Anderson and had a child, yet she still managed to win his heart. Many speculated that she had used some kind of spell on him because their love story seemed too far-fetched.
"Nora, are you interested in this gossip too? The man you just met is only thirty years old!"
But Nora didn't hear a word of what the receptionist said. She kept mumbling, "Elias's stepfather…"
Watching Mr. Anderson's retreating figure, an idea suddenly formed in Nora's mind. If Elias betrayed her, then she would make him understand the true meaning of "an eye for an eye."
Nora dried her tears and took a deep breath. She had always been fond of risky games!
"Elias, our game has only just begun!"