Year Five: The Perfect Goodbye Plan novel Chapter 8

Silvia froze for a moment.

She took advantage of the housekeeper tidying up to rummage through the pile of clothes and pull out something to change into. Only then did she suddenly realize—there was barely anything here she actually liked.

Most of these clothes, she’d bought only because she thought Shipley would approve. The rest were gifts from him, chosen to fit his taste, not hers.

And as she looked over it all, she noticed with a jolt: so many of these outfits followed Vianne’s style, not her own.

After dressing, Silvia picked out a few more things, then gestured to the rest and told the housekeeper, “Can you list these for sale online? I don’t want them anymore.”

She was done with things chosen for someone else’s pleasure.

After quickly putting on some light makeup, she hurried out the door and made her way to the office.

No one at work knew about her relationship with Shipley. As he’d put it, he didn’t like mixing business with pleasure. So, as his assistant, Silvia had always pretended they barely knew each other at work. Only in empty corridors would Shipley sometimes pull her close and kiss her, lifting her onto a desk and whispering sweet nothings.

But she was good at her job—better than most. She’d landed him several big clients, so everyone at the office treated her well. They all called her simply “Silvia.”

When she arrived that morning, Silvia found the office buzzing with excitement.

Vianne stood in the middle of it all, elegant in her smart business attire, long wavy hair perfectly styled as she chatted and laughed with the team. Shipley was right beside her, tall and poised, the ever-present glint in his eyes now softened with a smile.

She heard his voice say, “From now on, Vianne will be working with us. Please help her settle in.”

It wasn’t often the CEO personally introduced a new hire—especially not a woman. People exchanged knowing glances.

Someone teased, “Boss, you’ve never made an exception for anyone before. What’s the story here?”

Vianne’s cheeks flushed as she shot Shipley a playful glare. “Don’t be ridiculous. Mr. Barlow and I are just friends. Besides, I’m sure I’m not the only one he’s ever gone out of his way for.” She turned to Shipley, eyes bright. “Isn’t that right, Shipley?”

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