Chapter 2

It was already late at night when Noah arrived. As the assistant who had helped him build his business from the ground up, Calista handled everything for him, from trivial day-to-day matters to important work documents. They were practically inseparable. For the sake of convenience, Calista had even moved into his apartment. At the moment, Calista was sitting on the couch, browsing wedding dress styles on her tablet for her wedding in seven days. While doing so, she was talking on the phone to coordinate the details. Noah had just returned from his business dinner. Upon seeing Calista sitting on the couch and talking on the phone instead of getting up to greet him or take his coat, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. Still, he vaguely caught words like "wedding dress" and "wedding". Standing by the entryway, Noah rubbed his temples slightly. "What are you doing? Didn't you see me?" he asked, seemingly impatient. Calista put down her phone and glanced up at Noah. "Nothing, and yes, I saw you." His expression darkened at her response. As if it were natural, he took off his coat and handed it to Calista. He had grown used to Calista's care. In the past, whenever he came home, Calista would take his clothes and wash them without being asked. But now, she looked indifferent as she refused plainly, "The washing machine's right there. If you want it washed, you can do it yourself." Calista had always listened to him, never refusing any of his requests. Hence, her sudden refusal made Noah narrow his eyes, studying her closely. He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong, but something definitely felt different. Yet, Calista's expression was calm, showing no sign of emotion. Noah clicked his tongue in frustration. "This one's custom-made. It has to be hand-washed." "Then send it to the dry cleaner." Noah's anger spiked at Calista's repeated refusal. He tugged at his tie irritably, his tone turning cold. "What the hell is wrong with you today?" Calista opened her mouth, but she quickly felt that arguing was meaningless. There was nothing left to say, so she simply turned and went back to her room. After she closed the door, Calista heard Noah talking on the phone outside. Though she didn't mean to eavesdrop, the poor soundproofing in the room and the crack in the door let Noah's voice come through loud and clear. Noah's usually gentle voice was laced with arrogance. "I just got home and saw Calista picking out wedding dresses. Did she watch that interview and think I'm actually going to marry her? I only said that to deal with the reporter. But I did promise Tricia I'd marry her in seven days." The person on the other end seemed to ask why he hadn't told Calista the truth. Noah let out a cold laugh and sneered. "Would you throw away a free maid you've had for over ten years just like that? If I'm going to let her go, I'll do it after I marry Tricia." "What if Calista finds out?" Noah scoffed. "She won't. I've covered everything up. And even if she does, so what? She's so into me. All I have to do is snap my fingers and she'll come crawling back. There's no way she'll make a scene." "Well, don't let it slip…" Calista didn't want to hear the rest as she walked away from the door, feeling as though her heart had been ripped apart. So, in Noah's eyes, she was a mere maid, someone he could summon at the snap of his fingers. She only had herself to blame for not realizing it sooner. She chased after him for 12 years, even though she knew deep down he would never marry her. Over those years, she had repeatedly confessed her love to him. Every time, he'd given her an excuse to turn her down. She should've known that he didn't love her and never would. Fortunately, she had wised up. In seven days, she would leave him for good and marry someone else.