Neil and Olivia had been in an office relationship for the past two years—it was a little secret of their own. While Olivia held the VP position in the company, Neil was an associate. Their first meeting had been when Neil started as an intern at the company.

His intern days started rough, as any intern’s would—doing minor chores for others, running around the department, getting scolded for every mistake even when it wasn’t his fault, and staying late to make up for missed deadlines. However, despite all this, he always wore his brightest smile.

One day, while on her way home, Olivia noticed the lights in the department X were still on. It was 11 in the evening. She thought the lights had been left on by mistake, but was shocked to see Neil working diligently at his PC. With headphones on, he didn’t notice her approaching. Only when she tapped on the desk did he realize she was there. He panicked, stood up straight, removed his headphones, and greeted her.

“What are you doing here this late?” she asked.

“Umm… some pending work. Deadline is tomorrow.”

“Are deadlines this strict? It's 11.”

“Huh?” He checked his phone and realized the time. “Oh.”

She chuckled. “Work is tough, right?”

“It is, but that motivates me to strive harder. I’ll do my best for the company.”

She laughed. “An intern.”

“Yes.”

“Keep up the good work.” And she left.

After that day, she began noticing him—his politeness, hard work, and determination. They would meet after late hours of work, the only time they shared in common. After work, they became drinking buddies, then lovers.

No one in the office knew about their relationship until a few days ago.

“You all going for dinner?” the senior executive asked.

“Yes, sir,” the department head replied.

“Join us.”

It was the first time they were together with other company colleagues; it was rare for an associate to interact with a VP. Neil looked at her; she looked calm, her aura unmatchable, making his heart smile.

However, during dinner, he noticed Chris—the young executive, son of one of the board members, both handsome and rich—flirting with her. A pang of jealousy shot through him. After a few more drinks, he came to the edge of his senses. He suddenly rose from his seat, with wobbly feet, and said,

“Who are you touching, huh?” pointing directly at the young executive.

The room fell silent.

“And why are you smiling at him? I don’t like that,” he said to his girlfriend while sulking. “I…I want you to only smile at me.”

A few gasped, others were in disbelief.

“Hey, what are you doing? Sit,” his team head said.

He walked in a zig-zag and plopped beside Olivia. She had never seen him like this before. He was usually calm, quiet, and smiley—never jealous, at least not that she knew.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked.

“Hmph!” Neil turned his back to him and looked at his girlfriend.

Olivia smiled subtly. Then he said, “Hmm… my girlfriend is beautiful.”

Everyone was taken aback, no one more than Olivia. He smiled at her as he always did, but this time it was more genuine, just for her.

The team head approached Neil while apologizing to the other executives. He bent low and whispered to him,

“Hey, Neil! Trying to get fired. Don’t make a scene. Stand up.”

Neil shook his head and clung to Olivia’s arm. “I won’t go.” He looked slowly at her face. “Don’t abandon me.”

His puppy eyes and soft voice made her heart flutter. He was really cute like that.

The dinner ended with commotion while she dragged Neil to her apartment.

“Argh! My head hurts.”

“Mine too. You made quite a scene yesterday.”

“I…” After remembering everything, he sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“What?”

“I know you wanted this to be a secret, and I just…”

“Sigh… just know it’s going to be a pain from now on.”

Neil lowered his head. She came up to him. “But we’ll be okay.”

He looked up at her, and she smiled. With a huge grin, he scooped her up in his arms, spinning her around. Their laughter echoed the pure joy of the moment they shared.

“Are you seriously dating him?” Chris inquired.

“Uh huh.”

“Why? I mean, how did you guys even meet?”

“Coincidence.”

“Hah… so you’ve been in a relationship all this time?”

“It’s been two years now.” Chris sighed.

Like everyone, he had always admired Olivia; she was beautiful and confident—that was what drew him in.

“You never told me.”

"You never asked. Can we stop this? I already have a lot on my plate."

However, he wasn’t the only one paying attention to their relationship. Everyone’s eyes were now on them. Office work is boring, so everyone had something interesting to talk about. The news spread fast, along with the rumors.

Someone said Neil got in through connections.
But he had gotten in fair and square.

Someone said he seduced her to climb to the top.
However, it was Olivia who had proposed to him, although he had loved her all along, but never confessed.

A shortcut is always better than hard work.
Not in his case.
Since his intern days, he had put all his effort into his work—pulling all-nighters, skipping meals—he had done it all.

The rumors spread like fire. People smiled in front of him but talked behind his back. He was soon alienated, eating meals alone, no one joined him for talks, even left out during team dinners. It wasn’t easy, but Olivia’s smile always gave him the strength to keep going after a long day.

Neil suffered, but so did Olivia.

Dating someone younger—a seven-year age difference—wasn’t new, but for those who had always envied her, it now became a source of gossip.

People talked behind her back. She tried her best to appear unfazed, but it affected her.

She received reminders from seniors. Board members began to lose trust in her.

Her decisions were questioned and challenged. Neil’s placement was seen as favoritism from her end.
She offered explanations, but no one really listened.

“How are you going to deal with it?” Chris asked.

“People talk. What am I supposed to do? It will die down soon,” she replied, though she didn’t fully mean it.

When her resolution wavered, she would see Neil holding on, smiling even when everyone neglected him—his help, his work. He would still smile—for her. It hurt her, but it also made her refuse to give up, not until he did.