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He Chose His Assistant, So She Married Another Man
Novelix
Completed
For three years, Emma was the one who apologized first, forgave first, and came back first. Daniel called it love; behind her back, he called it weakness. When she overhears him betting that she will never leave, Emma finally stops fighting for a man who has already made another woman his priority. One week later, Daniel returns from a business trip expecting another easy reconciliation, only to find her room empty—and a wedding video on his phone. Emma has married someone else. Now Daniel wants forgiveness, but the woman he took for granted has learned how to walk away.
Chapters (3)
第1章
Before Daniel and I even got together, he told me he wasn't the type to coax anyone back after a fight.
So when our ninth argument stretched into its third day of silence, I did what I always did—I went to his apartment.
Every time we fought, Daniel would move out for a few days. And every time, I was the one who showed up first, the one who caved, the one who dragged our relationship back from the edge.
But that day, I'd barely reached the door when I heard laughter from inside.
"Daniel, you're really not going to make the first move with Emma?"
"Seriously. If Emma found out you spent last night coaxing Chloe—flowers, a designer bag, a personal apology—she'd probably dump you on the spot."
Daniel let out a quiet laugh.
"No, she wouldn't." His tone was utterly certain. "Emma loves me too much. Three days of silence and she panics more than anyone. She'd never bring up breaking up."
He paused, then added, "Chloe's different. If I don't smooth things over with her, she can actually ignore me for a month."
My hand froze in midair.
So it wasn't that he didn't know how to make up with someone.
He just didn't want to make up with me.
Fine. Then I had no reason to keep making up with him either.
Inside, Chloe laughed. "Oh, stop exaggerating. I wouldn't ignore you for a whole month. Two weeks, tops."
Daniel's response came easy and natural. "Two weeks is long enough. It's more worth it to keep you happy."
I stood outside the door, my feet nailed to the ground, unable to move.
Someone inside egged him on.
"Daniel, you really are something else. But aren't you worried Emma will cause a scene?"
Daniel didn't answer right away.
Two seconds later, he laughed.
"Worst case, we break up."
He paused briefly, his voice even more careless than before.
"But do you guys really think she'd have the nerve?"
The room erupted into laughter.
"True. Every time you two fight, no matter whose fault it is, isn't Emma always the one who gives in first?"
"She really does love you."
Daniel didn't deny it.
He'd always known exactly how to make me surrender.
Chloe laughed too, her voice full of certainty. "Relax, Emma will definitely show up tonight. You guys don't know this, but last time before she came over, she sent Daniel this huge apology message. I replied with 'Stop texting him'—and when she showed up, her face was completely white."
She laughed even harder after that.
I laughed too. Except there was nothing warm about it. Just something cold and bitter.
So that message last time—it was Chloe who replied.
That day when I came to the apartment looking for Daniel, Chloe was there too. She didn't look the least bit flustered. Instead, she casually told me to change my shoes, as if she were the woman of the house, as if she were Daniel's girlfriend.
Inside, Chloe collected herself and spoke again. "Though I have to say, those apology messages Emma writes are pretty sincere. After reading them, even I wanted to forgive her on your behalf. Right, Daniel?"
Daniel's voice carried a hint of helplessness, but also indulgence.
"Right. Whatever you say."
"Then let's make a bet," Chloe said. "On when Emma shows up."
Daniel stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Sure. I'll bet tonight."
"Hasn't your cold war never lasted more than three days?" someone asked.
Daniel made a sound of agreement.
"Then isn't today day three? Daniel, you've already won."
Standing outside, I realized belatedly that they were right.
In three years, Daniel and I rarely fought. And even when we did, it never lasted more than three days—because before three days were up, I always went to find him.
This was the ninth time.
And today was exactly the third day.
The voices inside grew louder, everyone saying Daniel had it in the bag. Daniel didn't argue.
When they'd finally laughed themselves out, he spoke slowly.
"That's just how Emma is. She can't stand being ignored."
"I give her the cold shoulder, she panics, and she comes back on her own. She has no boundaries when it comes to love. She can't help it."
I used to think that being the one to end our cold wars meant I valued what we had.
But in Daniel's eyes, it was just proof that I'd never leave.
I looked down and let out a quiet laugh.
Too bad.
This time, he was going to lose his bet.
I wasn't going to coax him back. Not anymore.
第2章
Daniel came home the next evening.
His expression was sour. The moment he walked in, he frowned at me. "Why didn't you come find me last night?"
Late last night, Chloe had posted a video on social media, teasing Daniel about losing his bet.
In the video, Daniel's face was blank, but you could tell his mood was terrible. He'd just barely managed to suppress the irritation before it showed.
Facing Chloe's camera, he pretended not to care.
"Whatever. If she doesn't come today, tomorrow's the same."
But today, I still hadn't made a single move.
I didn't go to him. I didn't send him a message.
He must have finally been confused about why this time I hadn't come crawling back—which is why he came home.
"Why would I come find you?" I set down my phone and looked up at him.
Daniel froze, as if he hadn't expected me to turn the question around.
Then something seemed to click. He let out a short laugh.
"Trying a new approach this time?"
"No," I said. "I just figured things out."
He stared at me.
I said calmly, "If it's not my fault, why am I always the one who has to give in?"
This fight started because I found lipstick on Daniel's collar.
It was Chloe's.
Shortly after Daniel came home, Chloe sent me a message—a hollow apology. She said she'd accidentally smudged her lipstick on Daniel's clothes, told me not to take it to heart, and not to fight with Daniel over it.
I only asked Daniel a couple of questions.
After that, it escalated into a full-blown argument.
My ninth fight with Daniel—and once again, it was about Chloe.
A year ago, Chloe became his assistant. That was when Daniel and I had our first real fight.
After the first came the second, the third.
Now we were at nine.
I'd once asked Daniel to transfer Chloe somewhere else.
What did he say?
He said my mind was in the gutter. He said without a legitimate reason, he couldn't punish an employee just because of my paranoia.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Daniel asked, frowning.
I didn't answer. I just looked into his eyes and asked, "Daniel, in your eyes—when I'm good to you, is it because I have no self-respect in this relationship?"
He didn't say anything.
Silence was confirmation enough.
Even though I'd already known the answer, in that moment, something inside my chest hollowed out.
I loved him.
But in his eyes, that love was cheap and laughable.
The long messages I wrote to him—he could casually show them to Chloe, even let her reply on his behalf.
Every time I gave in first—he could turn it into a bet with his friends.
"You came by yesterday?" Daniel finally caught on.
He'd guessed that I'd heard everything.
I didn't deny it.
"Yes. I went. And I heard all of it."
"So that's what this is about." Daniel's expression barely changed. "No wonder you've been acting different today."
Then he laughed lightly.
"It was just a joke."
In Daniel's world, everything was just a joke.
Being flirty with Chloe at dinner parties—a joke.
Posting Chloe's photos on social media—a joke.
Losing a game and letting Chloe kiss him—a joke.
Even betting on me, mocking me for never being able to leave him—also a joke.
Then what wasn't a joke?
He'd never once tried to make things right with his own girlfriend, but he'd go out of his way for his assistant.
Was that a joke too?
When I didn't respond, Daniel's expression finally softened slightly.
"Don't take it so seriously. Everyone was just running their mouths. It's over and done with—no one's even going to remember."
"You bought Chloe flowers. And a bag. To make her happy. Right?"
Three years together. Daniel had never once tried to make me happy.
To say it didn't hurt would be a lie.
After all, it was three years of my life.
"That's what this is about?" Daniel said. "Chloe is my assistant—she has to go out with me to meet clients, attend events. Buying her a bag is just so she looks presentable. As for the flowers..."
He paused.
"I bought them on a whim. She made a mistake at work, I said a few things, she was in a bad mood—so I smoothed it over."
"Smoothed it over." Those words cut like glass.
On our very first day together, he told me he wasn't the type to coax anyone.
So I bent to his every mood, never pushing back, never picking fights.
But it wasn't that he didn't know how.
He just didn't do it for me.
My throat felt like something was lodged in it. It took a long time before I could speak, my voice barely above a whisper. "Okay. I understand."
第3章
Daniel clearly didn't understand what that meant.
He was about to say something when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, then at me, and walked to the side to take the call.
After hanging up, he came back, his expression as casual as if nothing had happened.
"Let's just move past this one."
It sounded like charity.
He finished speaking and turned off his phone.
"Something came up at the office. I need to head over."
A well-practiced excuse.
My expression didn't change.
"Go ahead."
Daniel turned and left without hesitation.
I followed him.
His car pulled up in front of a private club.
After he went inside, I followed.
Daniel took the elevator to the sixth floor and entered a private room that had clearly been booked in advance.
I'd barely reached the door when I heard Chloe's laugh from inside.
"Did you manage to smooth things over with Emma? You actually went home to find her this time—she must have been thrilled."
Chloe's laugh was sickly sweet.
"She really is so easy to handle. The second you make the first move, she loses all her fight."
Someone chimed in. "Honestly, I've never seen a girlfriend as easy to deal with as Emma. It's always been her going to Daniel, and yesterday she didn't show, so today Daniel goes home once—and just like that, the whole cold war never happened."
"Daniel, teach us how to train a girlfriend like that."
The others burst out laughing.
Daniel swore at them playfully. "Get lost."
He paused, then his voice came through slowly.
"Emma's always been easy to handle. Even after hearing what we said yesterday, she didn't fight with me. A couple of words, and it was over."
Chloe sounded surprised. "Emma actually came by yesterday?"
Daniel made a sound of confirmation.
Another round of laughter.
Someone said I must be crazy about Daniel if I could hear all that and still not make a scene.
Someone else said I just couldn't bear to leave, that I'd forgiven him too easily.
They laughed about how Daniel had me completely under his thumb.
I stood at the door and heard every single word.
So that's why Daniel suddenly came home. That's why his attitude shifted.
It was only so he could prove he still had me under control.
I couldn't help but smile. There was nothing in it but contempt.
Just then, the door to the private room swung open from inside.
The person who opened it saw me and went rigid.
"Emma?"
The room fell silent.
Daniel walked over. Something flickered in his eyes—a flash of unease—and his brows pulled tight.
"You followed me?"
I looked him in the eye. "I thought something came up at the office?"
I tilted my head slightly, glancing past him into the room.
My gaze landed on Chloe's face. Then I pulled it back to Daniel.
"This is your something at the office?"
Daniel couldn't find a single word to say.
Chloe walked over to smooth things out.
"Emma, don't blame Daniel. Today's my birthday—he just came to celebrate with me. He was afraid you'd be upset, so he said it was work."
The words coming out of her mouth were explanations, but the provocation in her eyes was barely concealed.
I didn't blow up the way they expected.
I simply nodded.
"Is that so? Happy birthday, then."
Chloe's smile froze on her face.
Daniel snapped back to himself and pulled me aside, lowering his voice.
"Emma, what exactly are you trying to do?"
I looked at his anxious face and almost wanted to laugh.
"Nothing." My voice was soft. "I just wanted to confirm something."
Daniel frowned. "Confirm what?"
Confirm whether my heart had truly died.
I didn't answer.
Daniel opened his mouth, about to say something else, but Chloe was already at his side, hooking her arm through his with practiced ease.
The movement was so natural—like she'd done it a thousand times.
And Daniel didn't push her away.
"Daniel, the game's about to start. Everyone's waiting for you."
Then she looked at me, her lips curving into a faint smile.
"Emma, why don't you join us?"
"No thanks," I said.
Chloe stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Alright then. But you're not upset, are you?"
"No."
Daniel glanced at me, surprised—as if he couldn't figure out why I was suddenly being so agreeable.
But he didn't think too hard about it.
"Then head home. Get some rest. Don't wait up for me."
The door to the private room closed, and I was alone in the hallway.
I blinked, forcing the sting back down.
My phone screen lit up. A friend request.
"Emma, hello. I'm Ethan. If it's convenient, we could meet in person first."
I lowered my eyes and typed a single word.
"Okay."
