It wasn’t until every employee greeted me respectfully as “Mr. Brooks” that she was satisfied.
I worried she was making too many enemies, hurting her authority.
But she didn’t care at all.
“I want everyone in the company to know,” she said, “that if I stand where I am today, it’s because of you, Ethan—you’re the greatest contributor of all.”
Back then, as long as Claire Miller understood me, I felt everything was worth it.
But now, her words—“Without the Miller family, you’re nothing”—stabbed into my heart like a blade.
Ever since Ryan Carter returned from the United States, the Claire who once had eyes only for me seemed to have become a different person.
Later, I learned the truth from a trusted business partner.
Years ago, when the Miller and Carter families were close, Ryan went abroad early with his father.
Later, the Carter family suffered an accident overseas, leaving only Ryan alive.
When he returned to the U.S., he was said to have developed severe depression and needed long-term hospitalization.
From then on, whenever Ryan had an episode, Claire would bring him home to care for him.
I voiced my discontent, but she brushed it off as me making a fuss.