I looked at Emily with a faint smile. "So, in your eyes, am I some kind of villain? Just because he gave up on you, do you think I’m going to act like I’ve won, gloat, and kick you while you’re down?"

Emily was taken aback.

I continued, "Love, at the end of the day, is just that. Don’t make it out to be something more than it is."

Emily pulled herself together a bit and said with a wry smile, "But honestly, the moment you walked in, all I could think about was what kind of snarky thing I could say to make myself feel superior to you."

I nodded. "I get it. It’s normal–everyone’s afraid of losing, and nobody wants to feel like they’re beneath someone else."

Emily’s face twisted with pain as she buried her face in her hands. "Is there really no hope for me and him in this life?"

Emily was still at that age where she thought love was everything, and I wasn’t about to make fun of her for it.

"You’ll have to fight for it yourself," I said, getting to my feet. "I just hope you can talk your dad into going easy on Nathan."

Emily stared at me, looking heartbroken. "I even got down on my knees and begged my dad. He said if I did it again, he’d cut me off, say I had no backbone, and even break my legs."

I was stunned for a moment. Emily was really hopelessly in love with Nathan.

I didn’t try to talk her out of it. Everyone had their own struggles.

"Victoria, would you actually marry him?" Emily suddenly stood up and asked. "Do you like him, or do you love him the way I do?"

I turned to look into her clear eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Is it that people who are loved always feel so secure? I can see you’re not that into him," she said.

I nodded. "Women who’ve been divorced tend to be extra careful about love."

“So both he and I lost. Love is never fair–some people give it their all, while others just wait to be loved.” Emily’s voice grew more and more sorrowful, and the next moment, she broke down, tears streaming down her face. “Why can’t he love me, and I love him back?”

Her words hit me right in the heart. That used to be exactly how things were between Jared and me.

Who was it that stole our passion and love?

It was time, human nature, and people’s tendency to always chase after something new.

“Don’t think too much. Just love yourself a little more. In the end, it all ends up the same,” I said, striding away.

Honestly, I never really thought Emily was a bad person. Anyone who can hold on to love like that can’t be all that bad.

Love just loves to mess with people–it always makes the one who falls first the one who gets hurt.

As I stepped out of the elevator, a gust of wind hit my face. I tossed my long hair back, and my mind was made up.

Honestly, making a ton of money was way sexier than begging for love.

Chapter 425

A little after four, I went to Jared’s office for a meeting. Everyone in the room was one of the company’s core members.

I’d worked my way into that inner circle too. Jared had been all about business lately, barely thinking about what we used to have.

When Amy saw me walk into the conference room, she shot me a frosty look. Lately, she’d probably been looking for a chance to talk to Jared.

But Jared hadn’t given her any opening.

So Amy was stewing with nowhere to vent, so she figured I, the ex-wife, must be stirring things up.

Jared walked in, chatting with two other team members. He shot me a quick look before settling into his seat.

The meeting ran for an hour and a half, focused on the company’s strategy for the next two years. Jared’s foresight always put him one step ahead of the rest.

He was adamant that tech and energy were the industries worth investing in for the future.

After the meeting wrapped up, he ignored the knowing looks from everyone else and walked straight up to me. “Come to my office for a cup of coffee.”