Beneath the Perfect Disguise, I Quietly Slipped Away Chapter 5

There's an old saying: Better a short pain than a long one.

But that doesn't work for everyone.

For people with weak will, the best method is—

Boiling the frog in warm water.

Put the person back in their original position.

But slowly, stop having any expectations.

The process isn't too painful.

The ending won't be fatal.

At first, when I pretended to be magnanimous, my heart would still ache dully.

Connor must have been very satisfied.

Otherwise, the corners of his mouth wouldn't turn up as he patted my head, like petting a dog.

"Rory. You've finally grown up."

Six months after reconciling, my self-rescue began to work.

I truly, slowly became the way Connor wanted me to be.

He stayed out all night? I stopped asking.

He didn't text back? I stopped calling.

What was happening with Madison? I stopped caring.

By the time I realized it—

That piece of rotten flesh had fallen off my heart on its own, like overripe fruit.

I paused for a moment.

Then I smiled.

And sent my resume to that company in France.

They had offered me an olive branch before, but I had rejected it to stay by Connor's side.

I was lucky.

I got the job offer.

My flight was booked for two weeks later.

I didn't plan on telling Connor.

After all, our relationship was dispensable to him anyway.

I became more forgiving, more sensible.

But Connor started getting unhappy.

I thought I was overthinking it, so I worked overtime as usual.

When I got home and prepared to shower, he stopped me.

Connor slowly lifted his eyelids.

"Is there anything you want to tell me lately?"

I yawned and shook my head blankly. "Like what?"

"Nothing." His tone held no emotion. "Go ahead."

But soon, I knew he was genuinely angry.

In bed.

My toes curled as I was forced to endure his increasingly aggressive assault.

Connor hugged me from behind, his hot breath spraying against my neck.

His voice was as gentle as a feather, but his movements were as heavy as an interrogation.

"Did Madison give you extra work? Is that why you're working late?"

"Why didn't you tell me, hmm?"

My stomach cramped. I had no idea what he was mad about.

I could only beg the instigator for mercy.

"I... I kept it professional. Just like you said..."

In the past, my former boss Marcus always made things difficult for me.

At worst, he made me take the fall for a huge mistake.

Connor scolded me mercilessly in front of hundreds of people:

"A goddamn pig wouldn't make such a stupid mistake."

When we got home, I swallowed my tears.

"The email logs prove it wasn't me. Why didn't you let me explain?"

Connor was expressionless, exactly the same as he was at the office.

"Business is business, personal is personal."

"Aurora, I only care about results."

"In the office, I am your boss. Not your boyfriend. I can't show favoritism to anyone."

But two days later, Marcus was fired.

The reason?

Bad attitude toward Madison.

I had the top sales performance and worked diligently.

Once Marcus left, everyone thought I would be promoted.

Instead, Madison, who hadn't even passed her probation, was exceptionally promoted by Connor.

She became my boss.

Taking over Marcus's position.

The Pierce Group is a family business.

Connor promotes whoever he wants.

...

Now that I knew my place—no drama, strictly professional—Connor suddenly froze and flipped me over.

The lights were too bright.

I reached out to cover my eyes, physiological tears slipping from the corners.

Connor insisted on prying my hands away.

I struggled, but my heart wasn't in it. "What are you doing?"

He stared into my eyes, his tone stubborn.

"You used to look at me."

I didn't know what kind of madness possessed him.

I could only stare back at him impatiently.

In that instant, anxiety spilled out of Connor’s eyes.

He frantically covered my eyes.

He lowered his head to kiss me, repeatedly calling my name.

"Rory. Rory."