2.Have We Ever Met Bifore?

"What other plan are you scheming now? Are you not satisfied with ruining my life, Lily?"

Lily, who was in the middle of choosing a drink from the refrigerator in a convenience store, immediately straightened up upon hearing the deep baritone voice behind her.

As she turned around, Lily quickly masked her expression, keeping it neutral, and continued searching for the drink she intended to buy.

"That question doesn't even deserve an answer. Such a ridiculous accusation. You're not even that close to me. Just because I work as a secretary doesn't mean you can say things like that, Al."

"You're really good at trapping my parents, aren't you? Turns out you haven't changed. Besides hurting people, you really enjoy draining rich men's wealth. How many victims have you deceived? And now, after finding out about my family, you're coming after me again? Haven't you done enough damage to me already?"

Lily clenched her fists tightly. A fresh insult had just escaped Alger's lips. The beautiful young woman squeezed the canned drink in her hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled sharply before turning to face Alger once more.

"I've kept quiet out of respect for your parents! Do you even know what they asked of me? Do you know that none of this is my choice? If I had a say in this, all I'd want is to work in peace without getting dragged into a ridiculous drama like this," Lily said firmly, her gaze sharp. "But clearly, your mouth never stops belittling me. Fine. If you have some grudge against me from the past, I'll apologize. But let me make one thing clear—I am not the cheap woman you just made me out to be."

"That's the reality, and you're still denying it? Am I wrong? You use men, take what you want from them, and disappear. And now you're back, pretending not to know me? As if you never inflicted deep wounds on me, as if you never took advantage of the situation back then."

Lily had to hold onto her last shred of sanity. The stunning young woman let out a small smirk before stepping closer to Alger.

"I never expected that the heir of SM Century would hold such a grudge like this. Whatever mistakes I made in the past, from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize. And about the arranged marriage, I hope you reject it. I don't want to live with a man who can't even respect other people's feelings," Lily stated firmly.

"Do you think an apology is enough to make me forget what you've done? If a simple 'sorry' could make me accept everything, I would have forgiven you a long time ago. But the truth is, I can't."

It had only been a day since Lily met Alger, yet she already felt drained, almost forgetting the promise she had made to his parents. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and looked at Alger once again.

"If you still hold a grudge against me, then the only solution is to call off this engagement. I refuse to be looked down on like this. You don't know anything about my life, so stop judging me as if you do."

"It's not that simple," Alger replied firmly.

He took a step closer, forcing Lily to step back.

"Do you really think you can toy with me again, Lilyana? You're wrong. This time, I'll be the one making you regret everything. You will feel exactly what I went through back then. No matter how much you act, no matter what drama you put on, I won't sympathize with you or forget what happened."

"Suit yourself," Lily scoffed, roughly pushing Alger's hand away.

Without another word, she walked straight out of the convenience store after paying for her items. Her mood was completely ruined—all because of Alger's cruel words that never failed to demean her, as if she were nothing more than a cheap woman.

"I am not a cheap woman… If it weren't for your parents and my father's medical expenses depending on their money, Al, I would never want to see you or have anything to do with you," Lily whispered bitterly.

She quickened her pace toward her car, parked just outside the store.

Alger watched her retreating figure before glancing down at his wrist, where she had just slapped his hand away.

"Why has she become like this? The Lily I knew was gentle and sweet… Is this her true nature—harsh and filled with sharp words? Or… is there something else going on?"

For a moment, Alger shook his head.

"No. Don't think about her anymore. She already left scars on you, Al. Now, it's time for you to pay her back. The pain is still so real… You nearly lost your mind and even your life because of her."

His hand instinctively reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Hello. Find me all the details about the secretary who will be working under me. I want the report on my desk first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir."

Alger spun his phone in his hand, his gaze fixed outside the minimarket, where Lily had already gotten into her car and driven away.

"Don't even think about running away from me again, Lily."

Elsewhere, inside her car, Lily could only let out a frustrated sigh, hitting the steering wheel a few times. It seemed that today and the days ahead would be anything but peaceful for her. Not only was she engaged to a man she despised, but starting tomorrow, she would also be the vice director of his company. And it was clear—she would be working under his control.

"I swear, I'll die young if I have to deal with that guy every day. Dear God, why did You send a man like him as my trial?"

Lily couldn't think clearly. Ever since the accident three years ago, she had completely lost her memory. The beautiful young woman ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"What kind of connection did I have with him in the past? What did I do to make him hate me this much? Could it be that we were in a relationship? But what happened that made us break up?" she wondered.

Letting out another deep breath, Lily grabbed a canned drink and finished it in one go.

"God, please bring back my memories of him. If there's an unresolved past, I want to settle it now. My life is already in ruins—I don't want it to get even worse because of a mistake I don't even remember."

Just as she was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. A video call from her father made Lily quickly pull over, fix her hair, and adjust her expression to keep him from noticing her distress.

Once she was ready, she swiped to accept the call, revealing Roger lying on a hospital bed with a faint smile.

"How are you, Papa? Your surgery yesterday went well, right? Are you feeling okay?"

Her string of questions made Roger chuckle softly. The middle-aged man nodded with a weak smile.

"Thanks to the money you sent, I can live a little longer. The surgery was successful. I'm sorry, sweetheart, for making you a bargaining chip just to pay for my treatment."

Lily wiped her tears away harshly, forcing a smile even as they continued to fall down her cheeks.

"Papa, please don't say that. I'll do whatever it takes for your recovery."

"Even if it means sacrificing your own happiness? I'm really sorry, my dear. I—"

"I'm fine, Papa. You should be fine too. I'm sorry I can't be there with you. Even during your surgery, I wasn't by your side—I had to find money for your treatment. Please, get better soon so we can be together again."

Roger's heart ached, seeing how devoted Lily was to him.

"What about your fiancé? Is he good to you, like Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Hellena? He doesn't look down on you, does he? Tell me the truth. He's a good man, right?"

Lily nodded as more tears fell. "He's good, Papa. Don't worry, he'll take care of me here."

"Then why are you crying? Don't lie to me, sweetheart. If you're unhappy and he's treating you badly, I'll talk to him myself. You're my little girl, and I raised you through so much hardship. No one should ever hurt you."

Lily's sobs grew heavier. She wanted nothing more than to hug her father and tell him that she wasn't okay. But what could she do? She simply shook her head. She didn't want to burden him with more problems that could make his health decline even further.

"I miss you, Papa. I miss eating with you. I miss coming home from work to find you cooking my favorite meals. Please get better soon so we can be together again."

"Dad can't promise, but I'll try. I want to see my daughter's happy day when she finds the right man who can take my place," Roger said with a faint smile. "Don't cry. It makes me sad to see you like that. Oh, by the way, are you in the car? Haven't you arrived home yet?" Roger asked, changing the subject.

Lily wiped her tears and nodded slightly. "I'll be home soon. I just pulled over, so don't worry, Dad."

"It's late. You should hurry home. I also need to rest. I don't want my daughter realizing the time and scolding me later," Roger joked.

Lily chuckled softly. She just realized how late it was and that she was keeping Roger up.

"Get well soon, Dad. I'll be waiting at home. Hopefully, I can pick you up when you're ready to come back."

"Alright, stop crying already. Your eyes will get swollen. You have work tomorrow, so don't lose focus," Roger reminded her.

"Got it, Dad," she replied with a playful salute.

After that, Roger ended the call, leaving Lily slumping against her seat with a deep sigh.

"I'll do anything for Dad's recovery, even if it means sacrificing my own life, as long as he can be like he used to be."

After calming herself down, Lily started the engine and slowly drove home.

From another car, Alger watched her, furrowing his brows.

"You're making me curious. What exactly are you playing at, Ly? Why do you keep denying that we once had a relationship and knew each other?"