I Was Never the One

My name is Charlotte Klein. I've been Ryan Larsen's secretary for five years and secretly dating him all that time. In these five years, I've been his most reliable assistant at work and his closest companion behind closed doors. No one at the company knows about our relationship. He said that at work we need to keep things low-key. Once the time's right, he'll make our relationship public and marry me. I believed him. That night, it was almost eleven. My phone suddenly rang, the screen flashing "Ryan Larsen." When I picked up, his slurred voice came through, thick with the smell of alcohol. "Charlotte, come pick me up." "Where are you?" I immediately stood up from the sofa and grabbed my coat. "The usual place, drinking with my friends." He paused for a moment, then named a clubhouse. I responded with a yes, hung up the phone, and ran downstairs. I knew that clubhouse — it was where he often hung out with his friends. He sometimes got drunk there, and every time, I was the one who came to pick him up. Driving, I kept thinking about how I'd make him a cup of sobering tea once we got home. When I got to the clubhouse and just parked, I saw the private room door was slightly open. Loud bursts of laughter came from inside, along with Ryan Larsen's voice. I meant to just push the door open and walk in, but the moment I heard what he said, my feet froze. "Ryan, you really have it all, keeping Charlotte Klein so under control." A stranger's voice rang out. "She's nothing but a compliant plaything." Ryan Larsen's voice was laced with disdain, completely void of the usual tenderness he showed me. My heart dropped suddenly, like something was squeezing it painfully tight, making it hard to breathe. "Plaything? That's kind of harsh." Another voice replied. "I think she's really into you, always running around every day as both secretary and girlfriend. Five years, and I've never heard her complain once." Ryan Larsen chuckled lightly, his tone full of indifference, "If she wasn't reliable at work and obedient, I would've dumped her ages ago." "Just playing around with her, with no background, there's no way I'm marrying her." "True, your family definitely wouldn't approve." "Of course." Ryan's voice carried a hint of pride. "My mom already set it up for me. Soon, I'll be going on a blind date with Victoria Fitzpatrick, the Fitzpatrick Group heiress. Marrying her will definitely boost my company's growth." "Nice, Ryan. Killing it with both career and love. So what about Charlotte Klein?" Ryan Larsen's tone grew cold, "Once things with Victoria Fitzpatrick are settled, I'll naturally come clean with her. I'll just give her some money and be done with it." I couldn't clearly hear what they said after that. My ears buzzed, and all the blood in my body seemed to freeze instantly. Five years. The five years I poured my heart and soul into turned out to be nothing but a joke. What I thought was deep affection was just one of his casual games. The future I dreamed of never had a place for me in his eyes. In the end, I was just an "obedient plaything" in his words from beginning to end. A chill ran from the soles of my feet up through my whole body, making me shiver. I didn't push the door open; instead, I quietly turned around and got back in the car. My hands trembled the whole time I started the engine. Tears fell uncontrollably, hitting the steering wheel and spreading into a small patch of moisture. I thought I'd break down, run in crying and confront him. But when the moment actually came, I felt strangely calm. Back in the house we shared, I didn't turn on the lights and just sat on the living room couch until dawn. Outside, the sky gradually faded to pale gray, and my heart slowly sank to rock bottom. I thought a lot, about all the little moments over these five years, about the promises he made, and about the opportunities I gave up for him. In the end, all the beautiful memories were just my one-sided wishful thinking.