Back then, Jenna's eyes were full of me. She often held my hand and brought me here, her eyes sparkling.
Later, when she joined the company, ready to prove herself, she got assigned to clean offices and file paperwork. Her eyes held more disappointment then.
But she still told me every day, "Don't worry. I'm going to give you a better life someday."

She was ambitious, but she couldn't deny that reality was sometimes cruel. She worked overtime chasing deals. She didn't like drinking, but she forced herself to learn.
Maybe someone noticed her efforts, because she landed that deal. A big one, worth millions.
But in the end, she only got a thousand-dollar bonus. The deal got credited to her supervisor's performance record.
It rained hard that day. She came home soaked through, running a fever. In her delirium, she murmured, "Why... Why isn't the credit mine?"
At that moment, my heart clenched and my eyes stung. That was when I mentioned Jenna to Mom.
Mom didn't promise to help, but she clearly took notice. She publicly praised Jenna's work. The workplace veterans understood immediately.

After that, Jenna's path became smooth. But the path between us grew more distant.
Jenna's expression turned serious, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "How did we end up like this?"
I let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe when you were enjoying your time with Felix. Or maybe when you changed your wallpaper to his photo."
"Hunter, we're even now. I lied to you, and you lied to me."

Jenna tried to reason with me, but I wasn't interested in wasting my breath.
"Your idea of 'even' is pure delusion. I'm busy. I don't have time for this."
As I stood to leave, she spoke up quickly. "Can't we at least be friends?"
I laughed quietly. "We're just classmates, remember? Not even close to friends. Never will be. Your words, not mine."
Her hand tightened suddenly. The calm composure on her face cracked.
"Even classmates can have coffee together. Won't you try it? It's your favorite."
"No need. People change. I don't drink coffee anymore."
I'd barely taken a few steps when I heard glass shatter behind me. But people and things that had nothing to do with me didn't deserve a second glance.
We never saw each other again after that, though when I had dinner with Mom once, she mentioned Felix in passing. She said he was an idiot who got scammed and landed in prison. He wouldn't be out for years.
She also said he and Jenna had broken up. Whether they did or didn't, I didn't care.
Later, I saw Jenna at a networking event. More accurately, I saw her outside after it ended. She was waiting for company executives to come out, bowing and nodding as she pitched for partnerships.
I figured she'd joined another company and started over from scratch.
And me? I'd become the CEO of our company.
When I passed by her, her face froze. Her eyes seemed to redden. But none of that concerned me.
After all, I wasn't the type to settle for scraps. The future was still bright. Staying clearheaded and working hard was the only way forward.