Olivia came back late at night. Neil was waiting for her at the apartment.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a very drunk Olivia, struggling to keep her balance. She looked up at him and grinned,

“Hey! You look like my boyfriend.”

“I am your boyfriend,” he said, steadying her by the shoulders.

She gasped dramatically, as if it were her first time hearing that.

Once they were inside, he guided her to the bedroom and helped her sit on the edge of the bed.

“Why did you drink so much?” he asked gently.

“I was sad,” she murmured.

“Who made you sad?”

“They… they all did,” she said, drunk and slow. “They don’t understand us.”

Neil sighed and patted her head. “Sleep. Tomorrow will be better.”

He got her some water from the kitchen and handed it to her. She drank it all in one go.

“Will it?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

He wrapped his arms around her and gently laid her down, taking off her heels and pulling the blanket over her.

His exhaustion faded while watching her sleep peacefully. He sat there for a moment and then quietly left the room.

The next morning, Neil met Chris alone at a café.

“Why did you call me here?” Chris asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“She came home drunk last night,” Neil said quietly. “What exactly happened yesterday?”

“Shouldn’t you ask her that?”

“She’d never tell me. That’s why I’m asking you.”

Chris didn’t reply. Neil sighed and continued, “I know you’re not obliged to answer, but I really want to help her—”

Chris scoffed. “Help her? Do you really think you can help her? How?”

“I just want to understand what she’s going through. Maybe we can face it together. I don’t want her to struggle alone.”

“And why is she struggling, Neil?” Chris leaned forward. “It’s because of you. How can you be so ignorant about everything?”

“What are you talking about?”

Chris loosened his tie in disbelief. “Do you really think your project catching the CEO’s attention was some miracle?”

Neil frowned. “Are you saying… she did that?”

“She’s always been careful about her work, her words, her attitude. I don’t know what made her take such a reckless step this time.”

Neil froze at his remark. He could sense there was something more behind it.

Chris sighed. “I should congratulate you on your first big project—but do you even know what it cost her? Olivia not only lost her promotion and the nomination for this year's mega award, she’s also facing serious criticism from the board. They’re threatening her to either clean up the mess or step down.”

“What?!” Neil’s voice cracked. “How could they? She’s worked so hard for this company for years.”

“True. But were you really unaware of all this?” Chris asked, his tone was sharp. “She’s been dealing with it alone. You didn’t even notice.”

“I didn’t know. She never told me,” Neil said, lowering his gaze.

“Or maybe you didn’t want to know. She knows everything about you—your likes, your fears, your habits. She’s willing to give up everything for you. But you? You think you’re the only one suffering.”

“No, I don’t—”

Chris stood up suddenly, leaning over the table until their eyes met.

“You’re selfish, Neil. You think you can help her, but you can’t. You think she’s fine when she’s clearly not. You think you deserve her… but you don’t.”

He left.

Neil sat there for a while, his thoughts returning to their conversation.

Maybe he’s right… I really didn’t know what she was facing. I left her alone all this time. I came to her for solace, but she had to bear everything alone.

He clenched his fist as a tear fell from his eye.

In the office, Olivia was constantly picking up calls, always smiling calmly. Neil stood outside her glass cabin, watching her. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she said, her head resting in her hand.

“Having a headache?”

She looked up to see Neil smiling faintly at her.

“How come you are here?” she asked, surprised.

“Thought you might need this.” He placed a cup of hangover soup on her desk.

“Woah… you made it?”

“No, but I bought it.” He gave her a sheepish smile.

“Thanks. I’ve had this headache since morning.”

“Then why drink so much?”

“Not like I wanted to,” she said lightly. “It just happened.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” she waved it off. “How’s your project going? Any problems?”

“No, I don’t…” he hesitated. “Did you get me the project?”

“Huh?! Why are you asking that?”

““Lia, can’t you just be honest with me? Everyone seems to know more about you than I do.”

She sighed. “What did I even do? Fine—I admit I helped in some way, but it’s not something shady.”

“So you did.” His voice trembled. “Why? And why didn’t I know about it?”

“Listen, Neil,” she said calmly, “I just proposed your project. The final decision wasn’t mine. It was your hard work that got it accepted.”

“Why did you have to do it? I was trying on my own.”

She exhaled heavily. “How could you? No one was interested in your proposal. It’s like they never wanted you to be recognized. You’ve been an intern for almost a year—that’s the longest anyone’s stayed an intern here, even though you work the hardest. Sigh… that’s so unfair to you.”

Neil looked at her; he felt her sincerity, but he was determined.

“I was trying,” he said quietly. “I even proposed it to the team leader.”

“The same one who claimed it was his work?” Her voice held an edge. “Are you going to keep living like this?”

“What am I like?”

“You just smile through every situation, even when it hurts you…” She clenched her fists in frustration. “You’re kind to others, never take a stand for yourself. Always okay with everything. Super attentive to everyone, but no one ever returns it... Don’t you feel wronged? Don’t you—”

“What? Have self-respect?” he interrupted bitterly. “I don’t. That’s how I’ve survived. Self-respect doesn’t pay bills. How do you think I’ve managed to hold on this long? A year of internship, insults, gossip—it’s because I have no pride left.”

Olivia watched him quietly until he continued, his voice breaking.

“I even made my girlfriend vouch for me. Do you think a person like me has any dignity left?”

“Neil…” she said softly. “Please. This isn’t going anywhere. You’re saying things you don’t mean.”

“You think I’m being unreasonable?”

She raised her voice. “I THINK YOU ARE BEING DOUBTFUL!” Calming herself down, she continued. “Why can’t you just have a little faith in yourself? You don’t owe me anything. I already told you—it was your hard work that got noticed.”

“It’s not just about that.” His voice trembled, eyes wet, though he didn’t let the tears fall.

“Then what is it about?! At least tell me!”

“I just feel… we never really understood each other.”

“WHAT?!” She turned around in disbelief.

“After all this, I finally understand why you wanted to keep our relationship secret. But it also made me realize—we never really knew each other.”

“Get out,” she said, in a low, shaky voice.

She didn’t mean it, not really—but Neil said nothing. He turned and walked out, leaving her staring after him.