Chapter 3

The next morning, Ethan stood in front of the shoe cabinet.

"Come to the office with me this afternoon. We'll talk about the shoes later."

"Didn't you spend six months designing that dance therapy curriculum for disabled kids? We are finalizing the launch process today."

Chloe walked out of the guest room, wearing my white sneakers.

"Olivia, look. Ethan really cares about you."

Ethan didn't respond to her. He pushed a shoe box to my feet.

"These are similar to the ones from last night. Wear them."

I looked at the shoes in the box.

They were expensive, and very soft.

But they weren't mine.

Seeing that I didn't move, Ethan's tone cooled.

"Olivia, I've already replaced them."

Replaced.

It turned out that to him, some things only required a new package.

I put the shoes on. My heel still hurt, but at least I could walk.

The launch event was on the first floor of the company's exhibition hall.

My curriculum display board was pushed to the very back. The main screen at the front, however, showed Chloe's face.

She was labeled as the "Charity Ambassador."

Chloe walked up from behind and warmly took my arm.

"Olivia, you don't mind, right?"

"I used to take dance lessons too. Although I'm not as professional as you, my family is in a tough spot now. Ethan wanted to give me some exposure to help me start over."

I pulled my hand back.

"This is a rehabilitation project, not your comeback stage."

Chloe's eyes welled with tears instantly.

"I just wanted to help."

"Olivia, do you think I don't deserve to be here?"

Ethan walked over right at that moment.

He looked at Chloe first.

"What's wrong?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Nothing. Olivia probably thinks I don't understand rehabilitation. She's afraid I'll embarrass her."

Ethan looked at me.

"Olivia, Chloe is just reading the script on stage. You're still in charge of the professional execution."

I asked him, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

Ethan's brow furrowed.

"I was afraid you'd overthink it."

"Besides, this isn't a big deal. The successful launch of the project is more important than who stands on stage."

In the past, Ethan knew exactly why I created this project.

After my ankle injury, my biggest fear wasn't that I could no longer dance. It was being pinned down by a casual, "Well, you're broken anyway."

That was why I wanted to give those injured kids a path where they could walk slowly.

But now, he hid my name in a corner and gave all the spotlight to Chloe.

The event coordinator whispered, "Ms. Olivia, are you still going on stage to present the curriculum later?"

Ethan answered for me first.

"Her foot is bothering her. She won't be presenting. Let her manage the backstage flow."

When the launch event started, I sat in the corner of the backstage.

When the slide for the curriculum credits came up, the screen flickered.

The original line: Curriculum Designer: Olivia had been changed to Charity Founder: Chloe.

When Ethan returned backstage, I handed him the run sheet.

"Where is my name?"

He glanced at it.

"The PR department changed it on their own. I'll have them add it back later."

"You have me. Isn't that enough?"

I flipped to the sign-off page.

In the Project Consultant column, Chloe's name was already stamped with the company seal.

My name had been moved to the appendix.