The White Knight's Regret，You Can't Love a Ghost

Everyone in the office thought my boyfriend was way too harsh on the new intern. It got so bad that even our CEO came directly to me about it. "Mandy, I really don't approve of Lucas's behavior," Mr. Vance had sighed. "I only kept him around out of respect for you, but if he keeps acting this way..." I rushed to make excuses for Lucas, but soon realized things weren't at all what the boss had thought. Sure, Lucas chewed her out in front of the whole team. But right after, he would stay late and mentor her one-on-one until midnight. He even went through her simplest reports word by word, leaving detailed notes and corrections. I tried to convince myself it was just work. That was until he put a sleazy client in the hospital for trying to force a drink down her throat. When I posted his bail at the police station, he frowned and glared at me. "What's with that look?" That was the exact moment I finally accepted the truth: our relationship was beyond saving. Early that morning, my boss called me into his office. Massaging his temples, he said with clear frustration, "Mandy, Lucas is being far too aggressive with the new intern. It’s ruining team morale. I don’t like his attitude at all. I’ve kept him on because of how much I value you, but if he refuses to get it together..." I froze for a second before scrambling to defend him. "He just holds people to high standards, that's all. Don't worry, I'll talk to him." Leaving the executive suite, I let out a heavy sigh. Lucas had changed. He didn't listen to a single word I said anymore. We had dated through all four years of college, completely in love. At graduation, he had even declared in front of everyone, "Mandy, I'm going to make a name for myself and give you the dream wedding you deserve!" Yet three years into our careers, I had been promoted twice to department manager, while he was still stuck at an entry-level position. He grew hyper-sensitive, convinced I was always pulling rank on him. He stopped confiding in me, and he no longer had the patience for my vulnerability. Bitterly, he would scoff, "How could a nobody like me ever help out an important department head?" Swallowing my hurt, I had assigned the new intern to him, hoping that managing someone and getting a win under his belt would restore his confidence. I never imagined he would take all his pent-up frustration out on her. Walking back to my desk, I watched Lucas slam a stack of folders onto Chloe’s desk. "How many times do I have to teach you this? Redo it!" His bark drew every eye in the open-plan office. Chloe’s face burned bright red. I rushed over and reached for the documents, but Lucas snatched them back before I could open them. "I can handle my own work, thanks." Before I could say anything, he barked at Chloe, "Get over here and watch me do it!" Startled, Chloe blinked back tears and scurried to sit beside him. With so many eyes on us, I couldn't say more. During lunch, I went to the breakroom to check on Chloe. She was making tea. When she saw me walk in, she nervously hid the mug behind her back. "Is that for Lucas?" She nodded, the tips of her ears turning pink. "Am I pathetic? He treats me like dirt, and here I am bringing him hot tea. But..." She looked up, her gaze surprisingly fierce. "The harsher he is, the more I want his approval. I want to prove to everyone that I can do this!" I stared at her, stunned. For a fleeting second, I saw myself right out of college. I used to be just like that—overflowing with drive, gritting my teeth and pushing through every failure. And back then, Lucas had stood by my side through it all. He would listen patiently to every rough day I had, pull me into his arms, and whisper softly, "It's okay, babe. I'm right here." I gave her shoulder a gentle pat and turned to leave, only to bump into Lucas standing right around the corner. Eavesdropping. "How long have you been standing there?" I asked. Looking caught off-guard, he blurted out words that made my stomach drop: "I wasn't eavesdropping... Don't you think she acts a lot like you used to?" That night, Lucas didn't come home. I sent him three texts. He replied with three blunt words: [Working late tonight.] I stared at my phone in silence. In the past, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But now, his words kept replaying in my mind. I ended up searing a steak the way he liked it and drove down to the office. The corporate tower was dead silent at night, lit only by dim emergency lights. It triggered memories of getting locked inside the college field house years ago. My palms broke into a cold sweat. Trembling, I hurried toward his floor while dialing his number. Lucas never picked up. As the phone kept ringing, I peered through the glass conference door. He and Chloe were crowded around a single desk. "Lucas, thank you so much for staying late to teach me," Chloe said softly, sounding hesitant. "But... Mandy has been calling you nonstop. Shouldn't you answer?" Lucas paused, ignored the phone, and went back to flipping through the pages. Then, he reached over and gently ruffled Chloe’s hair. "You did great this time." My hand went limp, the phone dropping to my side. My heart hammered against my ribs. I desperately tried to convince myself they were just working, but I knew Lucas too well. Back in senior year, he had roasted my thesis draft for being hot garbage, only to spend days meticulously editing it and pulling research for me. On the day I passed, I had gone to celebrate with him, only to get trapped in a dark gym after hours. I had cried hysterically on the phone while he guided me through unlocking the exit, teasing me for being a dummy. I swore I’d kill him once I got out. But the moment the door pushed open, he pulled me into a fierce embrace, his eyes rimmed with red as he stroked my hair. "It's over now. You did great."Hoping there was still something left to save, I sat on the living room sofa, waiting for him. He didn't walk through the door until past one in the morning. Seeing me awake, he paused and asked quietly, "Why aren't you in bed?" I didn't answer. I just looked him straight in the eye. "Why didn't you answer my calls?" "My phone was on silent." He looked down to kick off his sneakers, avoiding my gaze. A sharp ache pierced my chest. "The CEO pulled me aside today. He said you're being way too hard on the intern. But from what I saw, you two seem..." "Mandy," he interrupted, his tone freezing over. "Are you talking to me as my girlfriend right now? Or as my manager?" His coldness left me speechless. The question "How do you really feel about her?" died in my throat. The next morning, the alarm woke me up to an empty bed. Lucas had already left. He hadn't even waited for me. The moment I sat at my desk, my phone buzzed with an email from Chloe: [Hi Mandy, I finished organizing the project files Lucas requested for this afternoon. Would you mind looking over them first?] I took a deep breath, telling myself Chloe was a sweet girl who was probably just trying to keep healthy boundaries. Then I opened the attachments. Every document had two versions: Chloe's initial draft, and the one Lucas had revised. My stomach churned with every page I scrolled through. Lucas hadn't just corrected typos; he had left detailed, encouraging side-notes explaining the logic behind every change—exactly like he used to do with my college papers. I knew better than anyone that Lucas was never a patient man. At a client dinner that evening, I watched from across the room as our key client, Greg Miller, shoved a glass of whiskey toward Chloe for the third time. "Come on, sweetheart, don't be rude," Miller drawled, his sweaty palm dangerously close to resting on her bare thigh. "Just take a sip." Out of nowhere, Lucas appeared behind them, snatching the tumbler right out of Chloe's grip. "Mr. Miller, she can't handle liquor. I'll drink it for her." He downed the scotch in one gulp. The table fell silent for a heartbeat before someone laughed awkwardly to smooth things over. "Look at that! Mr. Miller, only you could get him to drink. He normally never touches alcohol at these events!" Miller’s face darkened before he slapped Lucas on the back with a dry chuckle. "Quite the white knight, aren't you?" "She's an intern who barely knows how to format a spreadsheet. Dragging her out here is embarrassing enough," Lucas said bluntly, slamming the empty glass onto the table. He turned toward Chloe. "Why are you still sitting here? Did you finish the slide deck I asked for?" Chloe caught on quickly and nodded frantically. "I'll go finish it right now!" Lucas waved a dismissive hand, acting exasperated. "You don't need to attend these dinners anymore. Learn the basic workflows first." Miller was right. Lucas truly was acting like a white knight. Only he had abandoned me to go play hero for someone else. "Mandy! Let's do a non-alcoholic toast over here!"The colleague beside me raised her glass, waiting. Forcing a polite smile, I clinked my glass against hers and drained it. The iced soda burned down my throat, feeling just as scorching and painful as cheap whiskey. Before the dinner wrapped up, our clients wanted a tour around the downtown entertainment district, and Mr. Vance asked me to lead the group. Before heading out, my eyes met Lucas's across the room. He didn't say a single word to me. I couldn't help wondering: if Chloe were the one leading the tour, would he have hovered over her with warnings? Would he have insisted on coming along to keep her safe? Less than an hour later, my phone rang. It was an associate, his voice breathless with panic: "Mandy! Lucas got into a fistfight with Miller! He's at the police precinct!" By the time I posted his bail and walked him out of the station, a light drizzle had begun to fall. He furrowed his brows and asked, "What's with that look?" My fingers curled tightly into the hem of my coat. The coworker had told me everything. After Lucas sent Chloe away, she had stayed outside waiting for the dinner to wrap up. An intoxicated Miller spotted her on his way out and insisted on dragging her to an afterparty lounge, completely ignoring everyone's attempts to stop him. The second Miller grabbed Chloe's shoulder, Lucas laid him out with a single punch. I glanced down at Lucas’s bruised, raw knuckles. My mind flashed back to our freshman year, when an older frat guy gave me a hard time during rush week. Lucas had climbed the dorm fence in the middle of the night to beat the guy senseless. Back then, he had told me fiercely, "Nobody gets to mess with you except me." Seeing I wasn't answering, Lucas pulled open the car door and slid into the passenger seat. I walked toward the driver's side, but a soft, breathless voice stopped me. "Mandy!" Chloe jogged toward me through the rain. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault..." She held out a small pharmacy bag. "Could you please give this to Lucas?" I opened the bag. Antiseptic spray and bandages. I looked up at her. Under the streetlights, her eyes were luminous and rimmed with tears, her cheeks flushed, droplets of rain clinging to the ends of her dark hair. Even as a woman, I had to admit she was breathtakingly pretty. A painful voice whispered inside my head: "Is there really anything left to save?" Getting into the car, I tossed the bag into Lucas's lap. "From Chloe." He frowned, inspecting the boxes. "Is she an idiot?" "This ointment is for acute muscle sprains. I only have surface cuts..." His voice sounded annoyed, but I caught the faint, undeniable tug at the corner of his lips. I took a steadying breath, keeping my voice as flat as possible. "Why did you hit him? There were other ways to handle that." "He put his hands on her! What other way was there?" I stayed silent. But with the alcohol running through his veins, Lucas became unusually chatty. He began venting relentlessly, and every word was about Chloe. "Chloe is useless except for her pretty face. She makes three errors in a simple report, and she freezes up every time she talks to a client..." "She's even more clueless than you were back then... Honestly, Chloe..." The rain picked up, blurring the windshield. As we stopped at a red light, Lucas suddenly rolled down his window and leaned out. I followed his gaze. Across the street, Chloe was running with her briefcase clutched to her chest, her white shirt soaked through and clinging to her back. "Stupid girl!" Lucas muttered a curse, grabbed the umbrella from the footwell, and bolted into the downpour. I watched him sprint through traffic toward Chloe, tilting the umbrella so it shielded her completely from the rain. Chloe tilted her head up, said something, and Lucas smiled. When was the last time he had smiled at me like that? Back at our apartment, Lucas took a quick shower and collapsed onto the bed. In the dark, my voice trembled as I asked, "Lucas... are you falling for someone else?"