The First Time

Early morning sunlight poured through the office window and onto Selina's desk. She sat in her chair, absentmindedly flipping through the documents, her eyes stealing glances at Adam's office from time to time. Ever since she rejected Adam's confession, every time she saw him, her heart was filled with embarrassment and mixed emotions.

Adam, however, didn't seem to be affected in any way; he still handled his work calmly and methodically, and even made a point of praising Selina's business skills during the morning meeting. His demeanour did not show a trace of embarrassment or unhappiness at being rejected, as if the confession had never happened.

Selina's mind was full of doubts, she didn't understand how Adam could be so calm. Her emotions were like a jumble of relief and loss at the same time.

In the evening, Selina returned to her own place, she was about to make a cup of tea to relax her tense nerves.

The ringing of the phone cut through the quiet of the night, Selina picked up the phone, a gentle and familiar voice came from the other end, it was Dr Kim, her mother's attending doctor.

'Selina, this is Dr Kim. I have good news to tell you about your mother's condition.' Dr Jin's voice carried a hint of excitement that was hard to hide.

A glimmer of hope surged in Selina's heart as she eagerly asked, 'Dr Jin, what's the good news?'

'Our hospital has recently introduced a special medicine that is very effective in treating your mother's illness. I believe this will be a turnaround.' Dr Jin's words were full of confidence.

Selina's heart felt both elated and heavy. She knew that the price of this special effect medicine was not expensive, needing ten million US dollars, which was an astronomical figure for her at the moment.

'Dr Jin, I ...' Selina's voice carried a hint of choking, her heart filled with hesitation and heartache.

Dr Jin seemed to sense Selina's difficulty, he softly comforted, 'Selina, I understand your situation. But as a doctor, I sincerely hope that you will consider this treatment plan. Your mother's condition cannot be delayed any longer.'

Hanging up the phone, Selina sat on the edge of the bed, her heart filled with struggles. Dr Kim's words were like a boulder pressing on her heart, making her breathless. She thought of Adam's confession, if she had accepted it then, if she could have become Adam's wife, she would have been able to pay the medical bill now.

The image of Dr Kim came to her mind, a senior medical student, elegant and handsome, always with a gentle smile. He took great care of both Selina and her mother, and his concern and professionalism gave Selina a small sense of comfort.

However, Selina also has a hint of persistence in her heart. She doesn't want to accept Adam's advances because of money; she longs for a genuine relationship, not a transaction.

It was late at night and Selina lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with uncertainty about the future and worry about her mother.

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Inside Adam's office, the atmosphere remained professional and calm.Selina stood in front of his desk, a file in her hand, waiting for Adam's instructions.Adam's gaze lifted from the computer screen, there was not a trace of unwanted emotion in his eyes, it was as if the rejection of his confession had never happened.

'Silvia, this document needs to be double checked by you for tomorrow's meeting.' Adam's voice was calm, his tone revealing a hint of unquestionable authority.

'Okay.' Selina replied crisply, trying her best to make her voice sound as unruffled as possible.

Adam nodded and turned his attention back to the computer screen.Selina turned away and gently closed the office door. She leaned against the wall outside the door and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She knew that Adam and Anne were getting more and more press that she didn't want to see, but had to deal with.

The female colleagues in the office were sitting around, gossiping in whispers about the latest Adam and Anne news.Selina walked past them, their voices reaching her ears from time to time.

'I heard that the CEO and Anne went to the wedding of India's richest man together, the two of them look so good together!'

'Yes, Anne is so elegant and CEO is so handsome, it's like a match made in heaven!'

A sourness welled up in Selina's heart and she quickened her pace, wanting to escape from the voices. She sat down at her workstation and switched on her computer, but she couldn't concentrate on her work. Her mind kept echoing with the conversations of her colleagues, and her heart was filled with loss and helplessness.

The news about Adam and Anne kept appearing in all the major media, and their photos together were enlarged and became the talk of the town. selina didn't want to pay attention to it, but she realised that she couldn't completely stay away from it.

One afternoon, Selina was making coffee in the pantry when she happened to overhear a conversation between two female colleagues.

'Look guys, CEO and Anne went on holiday to France together this time, it seems like the relationship is really extraordinary.'

'Yeah, I heard that the CEO even bought a villa in Paris for Anne, what a big deal!'

Selina's hand shook and coffee spilled out, burning her hand. She felt a stinging pain, not only in her hand, but also in her heart. She turned away from the pantry, not wanting her colleagues to see the tears in her eyes.

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