Chapter 29: I treated you as a friend, but you betrayed me.

Words : 1234 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 29: I treated you as a friend, but you betrayed me. For the first time that day, a bright smile broke across Anne’s face, chasing away the storm of distress clouding her mind. "Thank you, doctor," she beamed. "Please start administering the medicine to my father immediately. I’ll wire the money to you." "Miss Clair, wait a moment," the doctor cautioned. "This medicine is quite costly. Are you absolutely sure—" "It doesn’t matter," Anne interrupted without hesitation. "I just want to see him wake up." There was a brief pause before the doctor responded. "Alright, then. I’ll send the bill shortly." The call ended, and within seconds, a message notification appeared on her screen. Anne tapped it open, her heartbeat slowing as she read the amount. It was only for a month’s supply, but the cost was far more than she had anticipated. Her fingers tightened around the phone as she hesitated for a fraction of a second. But then, she shook the doubt away. "He did so much for me—raised me, protected me, and showered me with unconditional love. This... this is nothing compared to what he gave me." Her vision blurred with unshed tears. "As long as he wakes up..." she murmured, determination hardening her resolve. Without another thought, she authorized the payment. A moment later, a notification buzzed—money deducted from her account. Anne exhaled, a mix of relief and quiet anxiety washing over her. Wiping away the moisture gathering in her eyes, she straightened her posture and stepped back inside the building, her mind now set on what she had to do next. As Anne made her way to the security room, she nearly collided with Haris. He was just stepping out, and for a brief moment, they both froze, surprise flashing across their faces. Anne’s heart leaped. ’Is he here to check the footage? Did Denis send him to investigate?’ Hope ignited in her chest like a small flame. "You..." "Miss Clair..." Both of them spoke at the same time. Anne quickly smiled. "Haris, help me check the surveillance footage. I need to see who tampered with my laptop." But the moment she looked at him properly, her excitement wavered. Haris lowered his head, avoiding her eyes. A flicker of hesitation passed across his face, his posture stiff, almost guilty. "You should stop looking for it. There is no use." Anne’s smile faltered. Confusion replaced the hope in her eyes. "What do you mean?" Haris hesitated. He was torn. What Denis was doing was wrong, but he couldn’t go against his boss. He also couldn’t stand by and watch injustice unfold right in front of him. Finally, he exhaled and spoke carefully. "The boss... has already checked the footage." Anne’s eyes widened, anticipation flaring in her chest. "He did? What did he find? Who deleted the file?" Haris shifted from foot to foot, clearly nervous. "The boss doesn’t want to take any action. He said it would create conflict in the workplace." Anne went still. For a second, all she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. Then, fury exploded inside her. "What the hell?" she spat. "He refused to take action, even after knowing someone deliberately sabotaged me?" Denis. This was the man she had once loved, the man she had trusted with everything. Now, he was protecting the very people who had wronged her. The betrayal stung deep, but more than that—her anger burned hotter than ever. "It’s not like that," Haris tried to explain, but Anne didn’t give him the chance. "Don’t bother covering it up, Haris," she cut in sharply. "I know he won’t help me. He wants me to be humiliated. He wants to prove that I’m not serious about my work." She let out a bitter chuckle. "It doesn’t matter." Her tone turned cold, laced with indifference. "I have no intention of working for him anymore, anyway. But this isn’t just about me—it’s about the project, about the company. And yet, he chose to ignore the fact that someone sabotaged a crucial report just before an important meeting with the investors." Anne inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. She had already made up her mind. She wouldn’t give him the report she had stored in Google Drive. "Since he doesn’t care about it, why should I?" She turned and walked away. "Miss Clair, it’s not that he doesn’t care about you," Haris called after her. Anne halted mid-step, but she didn’t face him, her shoulders tensing. "Sometimes, his actions are confusing... doubtful," Haris continued. "But he does care about you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have punished Billy for what he did to you." Anne’s expression froze. She whirled around, her eyes wide in shock. "What did you just say?" she demanded. She had tried to tell Denis about Billy’s attack. But he had refused to listen to her—had dismissed her claims as nonsense. And yet, he had punished Billy. The realization struck her. ’He knew all along?’ "We found out later what really happened that night," Haris explained. "He regretted leaving you alone that night." Anne’s stomach twisted disdainfully. "To make it up to you, he punished Billy. That bastard will never bother you again." A chill ran down Anne’s spine as she remembered Augustine’s words earlier that morning. Billy was already dead. When she first heard about the news, she had immediately suspected Augustine. She had confronted him, accused him, thrown harsh words his way—words she now regretted. But Augustine had been innocent. It was Denis who had orchestrated it all. Regret gnawed at her, twisting deep in her chest. "I’m sure he won’t let the culprit go unpunished," Haris continued, still speaking, but his words barely reached her ears. She was too lost in her thoughts. Without another word, she turned and walked away, her steps slow, her mind in a haze. ’I need to apologize to him...’ she murmured to herself. "Miss Clair..." Haris called her from behind, but she didn’t hear him. He sighed. "I hope she understands the situation..." Anne returned to her desk. The moment she settled into her chair, her gaze automatically flickered toward the opposite side of the room—toward Becca. Their eyes met, and Anne’s expression turned ice-cold. Becca, on the other hand, quickly masked any sign of contentment with her usual concerned demeanor. She approached her, feigning worry. "Where have you been?" she asked with the same sweet tone as always. "The meeting is about to start, and the report is still missing. What are you going to do now?" Anne studied Becca. If this incident hadn’t happened, she never would have seen how phony Becca was. Disgust coiled in her stomach. "I’m not afraid of the consequences," Anne stated firmly. "Because I don’t want to work here any longer. If anything, this incident will only make it easier for me to leave." She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "But what about you? Can you face the consequences?" Becca visibly stiffened, her face turning pale in an instant. "W-What are you talking about?" she stammered. Anne pushed away the last shred of patience she had left. "Don’t play dumb with me," she hissed. "I treated you as a friend, but you betrayed me." She rose to her feet and leaned over to her. "I know it was you," she whispered coldly. "You deleted the file."

Chapter 29: I treated you as a friend, but you betrayed me.

Comments (0)