Cheated by My Perfect CEO

‘As he got closer, her heartbeat was in chaos, and thousands of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He was about to propose; she could feel it. No, she could see it. The large diamond ring appeared in her sight as he went down on one knee. This was it. It was really happening—’

“Ave!”

A loud voice jolted Avery out of her fantasy, making her drop the book in her hand. She lifted her head to find Joey staring down at her with both hands on her waist and a helpless look on her face.

“Gosh! I won’t be surprised if a burglar comes in and swipes off all your stuff while you have your head buried in that book.” Joey shook her head and sat beside her on the bed. “Get a life, Ave.” She snatched the book and closed it.

Avery pursed her lips and grabbed the book from her hand. “Why are you here so early?” She grumbled.

Just when she had reached the most exciting moment. The moment she had been anticipating right from the first page of the book. The male lead was about to propose to the female lead. Urgh! And her friend here just had to barge in and burst her bubble.

“Well, guess what?” Joey didn’t make an attempt to grab the book back. It would be futile. And they’d spend all day fighting for the book. As if she knew better not to. “I just landed a job at one of the biggest companies in town.” She pulled out a stack of documents from her bag and waved it in front of Avery with a grin.

“What!?” Avery exclaimed and stared wide-eyed at the documents. Her book was long forgotten. She couldn’t find the delight in it anyway. If she wanted to get the best out of the chapter, she had to read when she was alone. “This is great.” She held Joe’s hand and laughed.

It had been a year since they graduated college. This felt like a dream come true, not only to her friend but also to her.

Joey had been searching for a job like crazy. The strenuous quest was finally going to come to an end.

“I know, right.” Joey laughed also. “From now on, you’re going to see me less. Gotta get something out of my life.”

Avery didn’t mind her sarcastic words. She stared down at the documents in wonder. And as she read through it, her mouth only got wider.

“These are nice offers, Joey.” She jerked up her head and said, “This– you’re going to be rich in no time.”

Joey smiled and nodded. “The company’s a genuine one. There’s a lot of spots left, you know.” She gave her a knowing look.

“Don’t even think about it.” Avery knew where this topic was straying. She picked up the book and held it to her chest. “There’s no way I’m taking up whatsoever offer it is.”

“Come on, Ave.” Joey rolled her eyes and stashed the documents back into her bag. “Unlike me, you have a lot of opportunities. You can grab any job you want in the blink of an eye. You’ve got the connections. Why can’t you...” She trailed off as if completing her words was a heinous task. And she blew out an exasperated sigh.

Avery hugged her book tighter and shook her head, giving her a pointed look. When will everyone get tired of pestering her to find a job? Why couldn’t anyone understand that her heart lay in her books? It was the most blissful feeling anyone could think of.

“You can’t keep on with this forever.” Joey sighed. “You better find yourself something to do before it becomes too late. You can’t expect your father to keep taking care of you when you find someone and settle down—”

“Argh!” Avery rolled on the bed and used a pillow to cover her ears, muffling the girl’s words. Who said she wanted to settle down? And why wouldn’t her father take care of her forever? Wasn’t that his responsibility?

She would never settle down. Not when every relationship out there led to damnation. And not when every void in her heart was filled with the love of her ideal male lead.

At that thought, her lips crept into a smile, and she looked up from the pillow to admire the huge poster plastered just above the bed’s headboard.

His eyes, his nose, everything was perfect. He was the true definition of perfection. No hair was out of place. No blemish or a slight wrinkle. Those broad shoulders. And the kissable lips...

Avery giggled and held her cheeks, her legs dancing in the air. She could spend the whole day staring at him without batting an eye. He was so perfect. And he was only for her.

“Avery!”

Joey broke her out of her trance and shook her shoulders. “Are you even listening to my words?” She asked in agitation.

Avery shut her eyes and groaned. Whatever the girl had said, she hadn’t been listening. She was too caught up in her blissful fantasy. And she wished more than anything not to be interrupted while she admired her male god.

“You’re truly helpless, Ave,” Joey said tiredly and stood up from the bed. “You should get rid of these posters, for goodness sake.” She waved her hand across the posters plastered on every wall in the room. “Instead of wasting your time drawing them, you can use your talent for something beneficial. Something that will bring you money.”

Avery opened her mouth, but Joey went on.

“I know, you’re so in love with those characters that you can’t help but draw them.” She voiced out her thoughts. “Get a man, Avery.” She picked up her bag. “And get your logic back together. I better get going and celebrate somewhere else.”

She gave Avery one last sympathetic look and left.

Avery’s gaze lingered on the door for a few seconds. She drew in a deep breath and went back to admiring the portrait.

True to her friend’s words, she had designed it herself. Every portrait inside the posters was designed by her. Those images were so vivid in her head that she couldn’t help but sketch them out. Every male lead CEO in the books she read existed in those posters.

And her one and only favorite was the one in front of her. She turned around to look above the headboard once more. Her hands traced his fine features, and she giggled. His out-of-the-world beauty was beyond measure. He was her Aaron. Her ideal male lead.