Forsaking the Years of Longing
Forsaking Billionaire 121

Chapter 2 After that, while I was still in a daze, he dragged me straight into the meeting room.

The board members sat in a circle, and right in the center, with a face as cold as ice, was Jason, his resentful gaze fixed squarely on me. Only then did I notice the smugly smiling Emily standing beside him.

In the eerie silence, Emily was the first to speak. She tossed a stack of documents right at my face, the edges scraping my cheeks, leaving several painful cuts.

"Caroline! How dare you leak our company's confidential plans?"

Emily shouted.

"I didn't."

The next second, Emily raised her hand and slapped me hard.

The room fell completely silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

"I. into tears.

I'm sorry..." I started to say, but Emily beat me to it, bursting "T'm sorry, Caroline. I lost control. This project is so important to the company. The team has worked for three months, and now I just." Her voice wavered with exaggerated emotion, but the words only made the hot sting on my face throb more painfully, even making my teeth feel loose.

Instinctively, I looked at Jason, who sat at the head of the table.

His gaze was cold, and while he frowned slightly, he said nothing to defend me. After all these years with him, how could I not understand whatthatmeant?

It was true- a major project had been snatched by a competitor recently, and Jason, in his fury, had ordered a thorough investigation to find the mole. Emily and her group were quick to suspect me since I was the project lead.

My heart sank as though it were falling into a frozen abyss.

Fighting to stay composed, I turned to Emily, my voice sharp, "Emily, think before you act. Do you really believe I would be foolish enough to destroy myself?"

"...Are you calling me brainless, saying I'm stupid?" she snapped, suddenly enraged and reaching out to hit me again.

This time, I didn't hold back. I sidestepped, causing her to miss and nearly hit the corner of the table. The assistant who had pulled me in earlier quickly stepped in to prevent her from falling. "Unbelievable! A mere secretary dares to act so arrogantly.

You're the mole!" Emily pointed at me confidently, her hair disheveled and her makeup smudged from the assistant's attempt to stop her.

I let out a sneer. I had thought that Emily, this wealthy heiress, would have some real substance, but she was nothing more than a pretty face.

"Enough!" Jason stood up, his commanding voice silencing everyone, even the board members.

Thinking Jason was taking her side, Emily continued, "Caroline was the sole person handling this project. Besides her, only Jason and I knew about it. She added proudly, "I am Jason's fiancée, and my family, the Woods, is one of the project investors. The Parker and Wood families would never leak this, which leaves only you!"

With her words, the accusing glares all turned toward me, and I truly had no way to defend myself.

I looked toward Jason, hoping he'd speak up, "Mr. Parker, is that what you believe too?"

But Jason met my gaze with a frosty look, saying, "We lack concrete evidence, but do you have proof it wasn't you?"

It felt like punishment for my morning indiscretion.

"You will temporarily hand over your responsibilities and cooperate fully with the company's investigation. If it turns out to be you, I won't show any mercy!" No mercy.

In a few simple words, he had disregarded our five years together.

The blood grained from my body as though it had turned to ice, leaving me paralyzed and breathless, staring in disbelief at the man I'd shared my life with for so long.

There wasn't even the most basic trust between us.

His betrayal left me shattered.

My heart, at long last, died.

Jason exited the conference room, brushing past me, but I grabbed his wrist, my nails digging into his skin, intending for him to feel every bit of that small, sharp pain.

When he yanked his hand free, I threw my employee badge at him. "Since it wasn't me, you're not firing me-I'm quitting. I'm done with this!"