I Chose Me Over My Marriage novel Chapter 163

"The preliminaries haven't even started, and you're already self-sabotaging? What are you going to do when you actually make it to the finals?"

Hearing Lyra's words, Courtney opened her mouth, seemingly unable to find a comeback.

"Alright, stop overthinking it. Let's just take it one step at a time. We'll cross those bridges when we get to them."

With that, Lyra opened her desk drawer, pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and popped it straight into Courtney's mouth.

"Have something sweet to calm your nerves."

Courtney chewed the candy, her cheeks puffing out adorably. She tried to say something, but the sticky candy glued her teeth together. It took a good moment of struggling before she finally swallowed it.

"Ah... the candy is pretty good, just a bit sticky," she said with a grin.

Seeing her smile, Lyra said softly, "Exactly. The process is always going to be a struggle, but as long as the end result is perfect, none of the stickiness matters."

Courtney froze, suddenly realizing the deeper meaning behind Lyra's words.

"Now that you understand, just go out there and give it your all. Win or lose, just participating in something this massive is an achievement in itself. Plus, this competition is held every four years. We'll build up our experience this time and come back even stronger for the next one."

With Lyra's encouragement, Courtney finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Alright, I'll head back and keep working on it then."

"Hold on. Didn't you say you were out of inspiration? I'm giving you the day off to go out and scout for ideas. You don't need to ask the department head—I'll clear it with HR directly. Go pack your things and look up some scenic spots online."

Hearing this, Courtney's eyes practically lit up.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Lyra cut her off.

"Paid time off."

Courtney nodded emphatically.

For a split second, she genuinely wanted to kiss Lyra.

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