Next morning, the shrill ring of my phone startled me from a deep sleep. My eyes were heavy, and I fumbled blindly through the blankets, searching for the annoying device. Finally grabbing it, I answered dazedly, "Hello..."
A cheerful voice greeted me, it was Fu Qian. "Hello, Su Yan! Are you still sleeping?"
"Yes..." I mumbled, half-conscious. "You're not?"
The voice laughed. "Hey, today is your first day of work. Aren't you getting ready?"
That snapped me awake. "Company? First day? Oh my God!" I shot up, suddenly wide awake. Panic hit me like a wave as I hung up the call, rushing to the bathroom. "I can't believe this!"
I bathed, threw on my work clothes, and dashed downstairs. Wu Ma had prepared breakfast, and I managed a quick, "Thank you!" before grabbing a bite and rushing to my car.
On the way, the morning traffic was unbearable. I glanced at the clock—ten a.m. already. My heart sank. I was late on my first day! Frustrated, I cursed under my breath. "It's all Han Sheng's fault!" I grumbled. "If he'd divorced me like we agreed yesterday, I wouldn't have stayed up half the night planning how to make him do it. Because of that, I overslept and now I'm late for work!"
Despite my frantic driving, I arrived half an hour late. I walked into the company with dread, expecting a scolding or judgmental stares. But to my relief, no one said anything.
Instead, HR escorted me to the main office, calling for everyone's attention. "Guys, meet our new senior designer, Su Yan!"
I bowed nervously. "Hi, everyone. I'm Su Yan. I'll be your senior designer from now on. Please take care of me!"
Everyone greeted me with enthusiastic claps, their smiles wide and warm. They showed me to my desk, and as I settled in, I couldn't help but feel a wave of happiness. Despite the chaotic morning, my first day was off to a promising start.
Seeing me settling into my new desk, Han Sheng's assistant strode over to him with a sly grin. "Mrs. Han has settled down in her seat", he reported. Then, he added, "Won't you tell her you bought this company just for her?"
Han Sheng smirked, brushing off the comment. "I will," he said calmly, "but not yet. I want it to be a surprise." Then he asked his assistant to call me to his office, without mentioning he is the CEO.
"So, you don't want me to tell her you are the CEO? Just tell her the CEO called for her?", the assistant asked.
"Exactly!", Han Sheng said, his tone firm.
The assistant tilted his head. "Alright, but won't she recognize me if I go to call her? What if she figures out everything?"
Han Sheng gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "She won't recognize you. She's barely seen you once or twice. She won't even remember," he replied confidently. "Just tell her the CEO wants to see her and send her up. Don't overthink it."
The assistant hesitated briefly before nodding. "Alright, if you're sure."
As the assistant left, Han Sheng leaned back, his smirk growing. "Let's see how she handles this little surprise."
The assistant approached me with a polite smile and said, "The CEO wants to see you."
Hearing that, my heart sank. Oh my God, what? Is he calling me because I was late on my first day? Panic set in. "Oh no, oh no, what should I do?" I nervously followed the assistant to the CEO's office, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
As I entered, the CEO stood by the window, his back turned to me. Before he could even say a word, I blurted out, "I'm so sorry, sir! I'm really sorry for being late on my first day! It's just... it's because of my husband."
At this, the assistant froze, his expression shifting to surprise.
"My husband had a heart attack," I continued dramatically, my voice trembling with fake emotion. "I had to rush him to the hospital. Even though he's... well, a scumbag who has a mistress, I still love him. I wanted to make sure he was okay before coming here." I wiped at imaginary tears, trying to sell my act. "I'm so sorry, sir. Please forgive me!"
Behind me, I heard the assistant choke on his own breath, clearly startled.
Meanwhile, Han Sheng—my husband, the CEO—was fuming silently. Heart attack? What heart attack?! When did I even have time to have one?! His jaw clenched as he fought the urge to break the charade.
The assistant, however, was staring wide-eyed between the two of us, his face a mix of disbelief and suppressed laughter. "Oh no... this is going to be interesting", he thought to himself, trying to keep a straight face.
Han Sheng, still facing the window, spoke with an oddly calm voice. "Oh, a heart attack? Is he dead?"
Startled by his bluntness, I stammered, "W-what? Oh…, No!" I tried to recover with a pitiful tone, wiping at my imaginary tears again.
But then, as I stared at his back, something felt oddly familiar. This back... this voice... where have I seen and heard this before? I thought, my heart skipping a beat.
Just as the realization began to creep in, Han Sheng turned to face me. The moment our eyes met, I froze, my mouth falling open in shock. "You! Han Sheng! What are you doing here?" I shouted, unable to control myself.