Love Starts With A Mistake

"Zoe, I love you,"

Benjamin Jiang said as he hugged Zoe Cao from behind. The cold breeze made the hem of her dress fly, and she began to tremble from the cold.

As his familiar scent surrounded her, Zoe Cao felt a strange sense of fear in her heart.

"Benjamin, I am parched. Could you bring me a glass of red wine, please?" she asked as she turned around and faked a smile.

Benjamin Jiang let go of her hand and walked towards the control room located on the first floor. Once he was out of sight, Zoe Cao took one look at the vast, endless sea and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to carry out her plan.

Minutes later, she jumped into the ocean while looking at him.

"Benjamin! Help me! Please!" she screamed, attracting his attention. Her voice was heard loud and clear as she fell into the ocean.

Benjamin Jiang immediately rushed out of the control room with a frown. When he looked down at the sea, all he could see was boundless water. There was no sign of Zoe Cao.

"Zoe! Zoe!" he shouted, while holding the railing tightly with both his hands.

His anxious cries resonated across the surface of the deep blue ocean. Finally, he spotted Zoe Cao, who was about to drown. However, he couldn't jump in and save her because he didn't know how to swim. All he could do was stand on the deck and shout as she sank deeper and deeper into the water.

"Zoe! I can't let you die. How could you do this to me? Why would you even do such a thing?" Benjamin Jiang roared when he couldn't see Zoe Cao anywhere on the surface.

He was overwhelmed by the agony of losing the one he loved. He waited on the deck, completely mortified, for the lifeguards to arrive. But by the time they arrived, she was already gone.

Three years ago, in the Jiang Group offices

"Mr. Jiang, this is the first half of this year's profit report. 8.9 billion dollars is our profits as mentioned in our financial statement. And here's a report on our stock prices. The last year, each of our shares was worth 4.99 dollars. And now, they are priced at 10.97 dollars per share," his secretary said. He would come by Benjamin Jiang's office every day with documents and reports, and update him about their current situation.

Benjamin Jiang ignored him and walked up to the large French window. He was dressed in a black suit, and his hair was neatly slicked back with just a touch of pomade. He always managed to smell like the best Prada perfume. He would look down from the window every day and frown upon the people who walked on the street.

Benjamin Jiang was the new CEO of the Jiang Group. He came from a family which had provided the corporate world with successful financial tycoons for generations. People were shocked to see how efficiently he managed the business only days after becoming the CEO.

Benjamin Jiang thought for a moment and then said to his secretary, "Hanley, I want you to do two things, and I want you to listen carefully. Firstly, the financial genius from the United States, James, is coming to our office for an interview at 10:30 in the morning. I am putting you in charge of receiving him. And secondly, I want you to find me a good maid. Don't let that kind of woman into my house ever again. I am not desperate enough to court a filthy maid."

"What? Another maid? Didn't we hire a new maid for your house just three days ago? Why do you want a replacement?" Hanley Hao asked, his eyes wide with shock.

He couldn't believe his ears. Was the CEO looking for maids or for wives?

How particular did he have to be to change fifteen maids in just one month?

"That was your fault. Look at what you've done! I want someone who does the work, not someone who walks around the house wearing a transparent lace dress and does nothing. What do those women think of themselves?" Benjamin Jiang said, rubbing his temples with his hand. The very thought of those maids made his head hurt.

"Oh, so you want someone who can cook, clean and do household chores, not someone who is sexy and tries to seduce you. Many young women want to find a rich husband. I'm afraid it's hard to find..." Hanley Hao trailed off when he saw Benjamin Jiang's sour look.

His words made Benjamin Jiang furious.

"How can you be so sure that they are hard to find?" he asked with a sneer.

"But, sir, it's hard to find one who would meet your standards," Hanley Hao replied and smiled awkwardly.

'Has he really forgotten how many maids he has replaced in just the past month? How many more maids is it going to take before he is finally satisfied?' he thought to himself. However, he was too scared to say it out loud.

Benjamin Jiang took a deep breath and said in a calm voice, "Find me a good maid who will cook and clean the house. And I don't want her to show up in front of me."

"What? She's even not allowed to show up before you?" Hanley Hao cried out. He couldn't believe his ears.

"Hanley, I hope you haven't forgotten that you work for me. How dare you speak to me in such a tone?!" Benjamin Jiang asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

Hanley Hao almost felt as if his boss were going to eat him alive. He swallowed and stood up with a nervous smile on his face.

"Please don't be angry. I will find you a good maid," he said. But then, he immediately realized that he had said something wrong, so he slapped himself and corrected it. "After I receive James for the interview, I will find you a good maid who will do all the work you mentioned. Is that okay?"

"Get to work," Benjamin said and closed his eyes.

Hanley rushed out of his office, leaving him with silence. In his mind, Benjamin saw a person whom he deeply hated for causing him unforgettable heartache and suffering.

Meanwhile, two women were talking to each other. "Zoe, I want you to come to Dice Hotel after work for dinner tonight. Ava's boyfriend's parents are coming, so be careful about what you say," Carolina warned her daughter. She didn't want her youngest daughter to offend Ava Cao's fiance's family at dinner, for if she did, Ava Cao's wedding would be ruined again.

Carolina had almost lost count of the number of times Ava Cao's wedding had been ruined because of Zoe's carelessness. She was determined not to let that happen again.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll show up at the hotel after work looking gorgeous, I promise," Zoe assured her mother. "But right now, I need to get back to work." She then picked up her bag and left for work.

It was the day their company was welcoming a new CEO, so she couldn't be late. If she was, she would lose her job.

"What a stupid girl! I hope God shows mercy on us and saves us from any embarrassment at tonight's dinner." Carolina kept praying in the hopes that it would ensure a smooth dinner.

Ava Cao stepped out of her room, wearing a neat white skirt. She had natural makeup on, and was ready to go out. She looked at her mother and asked, "Mom, is my idiot sister gone? Have you told her? Today is my big day!"

"I already told her and she has promised me that she will show up like a good, beautiful woman. You don't have to worry," Carolina answered with a bright smile.

She then walked up to her daughter and gently touched her flushed face. She could barely conceal her joy when she thought of the fact that her daughter was finally getting married. She was glad that Ava Cao would finally be able to start a new life of her own.

"Mom, I know that you are concerned about me, but don't worry, I'll be just fine," Ava Cao said with a smile and kissed her mother on the cheek.

She then walked to the foyer and put on a pair of high heels before she left the house. Zoe and Ava Cao looked like polar opposites.

Ava Cao was not sure about how she felt about her sister, Zoe. Although Zoe was family, she had shattered Ava Cao's dreams too many times, like a child popping bubbles.

"Zoe, you stupid woman! Go upstairs right now! Our new CEO will arrive in just fifteen minutes," the receptionist said. When she saw Zoe treading lazily, she couldn't help but urge her to rush to the elevator.

Zoe looked at her watch and rushed to the elevator. She quickly closed the elevator doors behind her and wiped off the sweat from her forehead.

Who could possibly be as stupid as her and screw up on the very first day that the new CEO was coming for an inspection? She tried to calm down by telling herself that she wasn't in a hurry.

As the elevator doors closed shut, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't be late again!" she told herself.

At this moment, her phone rang. Zoe took out her phone from her bag and saw that it was a call from her manager, Farley Feng. He was known for his "reminder calls." Weren't there five more minutes left?

Zoe broke out in a cold sweat as she gripped the phone tightly and answered the call.

"Hey, Mr. Feng, what's the matter?" she asked in a soft voice, trying to get on his good side.

"Zoe Cao, you are late for work every day. If you don't show up right now, I will do something extreme and you will regret it!" His furious roar came through the phone.

Farley's angry roar came from the phone, causing Zoe to move the phone away from her ear while narrowing her eyes.

"Sir, please don't worry. I'm already in the elevator. I'll be in the office in just five seconds," Zoe begged and disconnected the call.

The moment she cut the call, the elevator doors opened. Zoe jumped out of the elevator, panting, and immediately rushed to Farley's office. She then pushed his door open and walked in.

With anger written all over his face, Farley glared at her and roared, "Zoe! Are you trying to undermine my work? I clearly told you last night that we have an inspection today and that our new CEO is visiting. Couldn't you have come sooner today?"

"I'm so sorry, sir. I did start early today, but I got stuck in traffic," Zoe explained in a rush. However, the more she tried to make him understand, the colder he became.

"Zoe, don't keep giving me silly excuses. Regardless of how many times I warn you, you never change. If I keep letting you go, others will question my authority. Do you want me to lose my job because of your stupid mistakes?" he yelled and banged the table with his fists. He looked so terrifying that Zoe took a step back and didn't dare to look him in the eye.

Was he being serious this time? 'His face is as dark as ink. I can tell he's fuming mad, ' Zoe thought to herself, feeling cranky.

"Zoe! What's on your mind? Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Farley roared. Looking at the absent-minded Zoe, he became so furious that he wanted to fire her at that very moment.

Suddenly, something occurred to Zoe, so she lifted her head and cautiously said to Farley, "Sir, our CEO will be here any minute now. Should I start preparing for the inspection? If not, he will be heavily disappointed in us."

Although he wanted to say many things, Farley had no choice but to keep quiet for the moment. He reluctantly signaled to her to leave.

"Thank you, sir. This won't happen again, I promise," Zoe said quickly and rushed out of his office.

She was finally relieved, so she heaved a sigh. She then walked to her desk and began sorting the huge pile of documents on her desk.

"You're late every day, Zoe. I don't even know why Farley wastes his time on people like you. You should be fired," Lily Zhang said with a sneer. She then mocked her by flaunting her 36D breasts, making Zoe feel sick.

Zoe smiled and retorted, "Lily, technically, I'm not late. If you still want me to get fired, good luck with that."

With that, she started working. Her birthday was only six days away and she would turn 24. She couldn't lose her job now.

"Are you sure, Zoe? I don't think there's much hope for you this time. I heard that our new CEO is keen on cutting costs, so you'd better start being careful if you don't want to lose your job," Lily Zhang blurted out. As soon as Zoe heard those words, the pen in her hand fell to the floor and her face turned as pale as a corpse's.

"All right, everyone! Go downstairs and welcome our new CEO," Farley ordered all of a sudden, walking out of his office.

Everyone immediately stood up and followed Farley downstairs. Zoe stood in the back with a horrified expression. Lily Zhang's words had pierced deep into her heart.

Lily Zhang had told her that the new CEO was keen on cutting costs, which meant Zoe could lose her job, because she was late to work every day. Would he really fire her?