Ch. 21..30

Chapter 21 The Best Drama

Noticing that Rayna was in a daze, Roxanne gently called her, “Rayna, are you all right?”

“Roxanne, am I indebted to you from our past lives?” Rayna trained her eyes on Roxanne and continued, “That’s why I have to suffer so much because of you. Will you be happy if I die?”

Roxanne dared not reply her.

Right then, Kristie had already changed into her clothes. She circled her hands around Curtis’ and headed outside in a triumphant manner. It was as if she was proclaiming that Curtis was her man.

“Huh, I’m so jealous of Kristie’s luck,” Roxanne lamented. At the sight of Curtis making his way over to the two of them, she grew apprehensive.

She thought that he was going to find fault with her and scurried off to hide behind Rayna.

Rayna was rendered speechless.

She thought that Curtis was there to find fault with Roxanne as well. However, just when she stood up, Curtis glanced at her arm that was wrapped in a bandage, and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m all right. It’s just a minor wound,” Rayna replied.

“Curt, let’s go!” Kristie said as she shook Curtis’ hand. “I’m famished.”

Curtis’ face sank as he dragged Kristie in front of Rayna.

Kristie was befuddled.

In a cold tone, Curtis ordered, “Apologize to her.”

“No!” The set was full of people, and some of them turned their heads to check out what happened. Kristie was used to getting her way and would not relent. “It was her sister who asked me to hit her. I didn’t intend to hit her! I’m not at fault here.”

“Kristie, I’ve been spoiling you too much, so much so that you’re acting like a brat.” Curtis pinched her arm, and the pain made Kristie wince as she called out in pain.

The man was unfazed and said, “You’re backed by Faymon Group. If the news of you hitting her gets out, Faymon Group is going to be dragged down along with you. I do not wish to see that happen.”

Kristie pursed her lips. Curtis did not budge as he wore a cold, hard look on his face. Kristie knew that he was mad, and he would ignore her if she continued to do as she pleased.

Hence, she begrudgingly mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Kristie!” Curtis snapped.

Kristie groaned and took a step forward to take Rayna’s hand and said in a coy manner, “I’m sorry, miss. I shouldn’t have hit you just now. Please forgive me.”

Rayna did not expect Kristie to apologize and was dumbfounded.

However, Rayna reeled herself in and said, “You’re tired from working on the set, and so is my sister. The schedule has been hard on everyone,” Rayna said as she retracted her hand. “I only hope that you will try to be more forgiving of my sister’s mistakes on the set in the future.”

Kristie nodded.

Then, she turned to take Curtis’ hand and said coquettishly, “Curt, I’ve already apologized. Is that okay?”

“Mmm.”

Curtis then wanted to leave with Kristie. However, he was stopped by Rayna as she called out, “Please wait, Mr. Faymon.”

“I would like to apologize to you on behalf of my sister,” Rayna said with a deep bow. She did not wish to owe Curtis a favor, lest he forced her to do something against her wish.

“My sister did not know any better and simply struck a deal with you. I don’t know any Uronian. I will come up with the five hundred thousand and return it to you in three days’ time. I hope that you could return the contract to me.”

Curtis’ thin lips curled up. “Five hundred thousand is nothing. I’m going to ask Mr. Tylinski to send you the contract later on. You could reconsider what you just said after you’ve gone through the contract.”

Then, he left with Kristie.

Kristie turned around with a dark look in her eyes and shot a daggered look at Rayna.

I’ve been reprimanded by Curt because of this woman. Darn it. This is my first time apologizing to someone. I bet she’s up to something. How dare she talk so much to Curt? Just you wait!

After Curtis left, Rayna dragged her sister from behind her and demanded, “Have you read the contract properly? What did he mean?”

“I-I can’t remember,” Roxanne said in a small voice. “I just flipped to the last page, and it mentioned something about being a tag-along translator. I don’t remember the rest.”

“You’re going to be the death of me!” Rayna hissed.

She knew that it was not that simple.

Otherwise, a bigshot and a busy man like him would not deign to attend an event like that.

Rayna slapped Roxanne on her head and warned that if she got herself into trouble again, Rayna would disown her. Then, she stormed off in a huff.

As expected, Rayna received an email from Gabriel.

After so many days, Rayna finally found out that the contract that Roxanne had signed on her behalf would entail her tagging along for Curtis’ trip overseas as a translator. The five hundred thousand would be her pay.

However, there was a clause in the contract stating that it was mandatory for Rayna to go on the trip and that she was to tell no one. However, the exact date and time of the trip had yet to be decided. Nevertheless, Rayna was mandated to cooperate until the deal was closed.

In other words, the contract had come into effect from the day the contract was signed. Her effort to raise the money and pay Curtis back would be futile. It was imperative that she had to accompany Curtis on the trip, and only Curtis had the right to end the agreement as he saw fit.

Rayna wanted to strangle her dumb sister to death after looking through the contract.

She knew that things were not as simple as they appeared to be.

Just when Rayna was getting exasperated over the contract, she noticed a few of her colleagues going in and out of the office and chatting along the way. They were not that far from Rayna, and she could hear their conversation clearly.

“I told you there is something going on with Mr. Faymon and his boss. You guys didn’t believe me back then. Look, even Mr. Faymon’s mother is here now. My goodness, did you see how happy she was? She looked as if she couldn’t wait for Ms. Jones to be her daughter-in-law.”

“I heard that Mr. Faymon was already married. Doesn’t his wife know that he’s having an affair at the office?”

“I bet that his wife is a dud. Why would he cheat on her?”

“Huh, her husband does not love her, and her mother-in-law favors another woman too. I quite pity Mr. Faymon’s wife.”

The colleagues had only stopped gossiping when they had to resume working. Silence ensued in the office. Rayna did not budge as she sat in her place. She appeared to be calm and composed. However, her knuckles had gone white from gripping her phone.

Even if Julian was unfaithful to her, Rayna had been accommodating him and Rolanda as she did not wish for their relationship to turn sour. However, Rolanda shamed her by coming to the office and favoring the homewrecker in front of everyone else.

Julian, do you really think I don’t dare to expose our relationship at the office?

Rayna glanced at her phone. An idea popped into her head as her red lips quirked into a smile.

No matter what kind of deal Curtis was trying to close, it was surely a risky one. Since she did not have the right to end her contract with him, Rayna reckoned she should just go along with it.

After all, Meredith was already planning to ruin her reputation during the supervisor’s birthday party and chase her out of Faymon Group. Rayna wanted to take on an active stance for a change, especially since she was on Curtis’ side. Therefore, Curtis would surely help her out.

Rayna felt much better after sorting out her plans.

She did not have Curtis’ number. Hence, she replied to Gabriel’s email, stating her agreement of accompanying Curtis on his trip as a translator. Before she closed her mailbox, however, she received a text from the bank.

It was a text reminding her to top up one of her cards that was running out of balance. Otherwise, her usage would be interrupted.

Rayna recalled that she had been saving in that card for her children’s future use. Moreover, she would transfer money to that card every month. By now, she should have saved about a hundred thousand. How was it possible that the card was running out of money?

She used the computer to check the transaction records and noticed that a lump sum of over tens of thousands had been withdrawn in a normal transaction. Rayna was certain that she had not been hacked either.

Only Julian knew the card’s pin aside from her.

Rayna was infuriated.

Julian earned an annual income of more than a million. However, she seldom used his money. Rayna would use her own pay to cover the household expenses, even for the children’s education fund.

She had treated Julian and Rolanda well. However, they took her as nothing more than an ATM.

Then, Rayna checked the transaction records for her own personal card and realized that she had transferred over three hundred thousand to Rolanda this year alone. It was certainly not a small amount.

Roxanne was right. Rolanda was an ingrate.

She stared at the computer screen for quite some time. Then, she took out her phone and sent Astrid a text.

It’s all right that Rolanda is a stingy woman. I shall have ways to deal with her. Since I’m divorcing Julian, I’m going to make sure Rolanda pays back what I’ve given her and not a single cent less.

Soon, Gabriel came over to pass Rayna the visa.

“Ms. Garland, since this is going to be a long trip, Mr. Faymon has asked you to deal with your personal matters before you go on the trip. Do let me know if you need any assistance,” Gabriel said with a stern look. It was as if someone owed him an astronomical amount of debt.

Rayna nodded and said, “Thank you.”

It was apparent that the agreement that Curtis had set his sights on was important to him. Otherwise, he would not have asked her to see to her matters first before leaving.

In the afternoon, a colleague came into the office and invited all to attend the supervisor’s birthday party at a hotel. He highlighted that there would be a few top management in attendance as well. Hence, everyone was to take note of their etiquette at the event later.

After waiting for so many days, the perfectly orchestrated drama was about to play.

 

Chapter 22 Somebody Saves Her

Rayna sent Julian a text, telling him that the head of her department was celebrating his birthday, and she wanted Julian to come and pick her up afterward.

As expected, Julian declined to do so, claiming that he had something to do at night, and asked her to hail a cab back instead.

Of course, the drama that he and Meredith orchestrated would not go as planned if he were there to pick Rayna up.

Rayna did not make a fuss about it. After work, she shared a cab with her other colleagues to the hotel. Many of her colleagues had arrived early, and they were chatting in the lounge.

The supervisor arrived not long after.

There were a few people accompanying the supervisor. Other than the vice CEO, there was a couple of other top management of the company as well, including Meredith. Incidentally, Rayna met her gaze.

“Rayna, come take a seat at this table,” Meredith said, rather loudly. She was all smiles as she beckoned at Rayna. “I heard that you speak fluent Ferropenian. I’m actually learning Ferropenian lately, and I’d like you to give me a few pointers.”

“You’re too humble,” Rayna said with a smile as she took a seat at the table.

A man was sitting by Rayna’s side. She stole a few glances at the man and noticed that he was not among the top management. Instead, he was Dylan, someone working in the same department as her. His uncle was in top management in some other department.

Rayna understood what Meredith was playing at right away.

Dylan must be part of Meredith’s plan.

He greeted Rayna in a friendly manner, and there was nothing suspicious about him. Rayna nodded at the man in return, as she did not wish to arouse Meredith’s suspicion.

After a few courses, some colleagues at other tables started drinking.

Meredith played the part of a gentle and considerate boss. With the vice CEO present at the table, she toed the line and engaged everyone in small talk, and managed to make Rayna drink as well.

Rayna did not decline her offer and would drink every single glass that Meredith toasted her. She was prepared for this. With a sponge hidden between her sleeves, she would spit the alcohol into the sponges when nobody was looking.

Otherwise, she would have drunk herself silly at Meredith’s table as they alternated between red and white wines.

“Mr. Faymon!”

Someone suddenly called out and everyone else stood up right away.

Rayna turned around to have a look and saw Curtis in an even more formal attire than at the last event. Kristie, who was circling his arms, was wearing a red dress. The two appeared to have come directly after some sort of cocktail reception.

“Please, be at ease. I have an appointment nearby, and I heard that Mr. Lawson is celebrating his birthday at this hotel. So, I’m just here to join in on the fun,” Curtis said with a smile.

Then, he raised a glass of red wine and clinked glasses with Jonathan.

Everyone toasted Curtis, and Rayna felt compelled to do the same.

When she was close enough to him, Curtis then whispered so that only the two of them could listen, “It’s such a pity that you’re only getting five hundred thousand to accompany me on this business trip. Allow me to present you with something else.”

Then, Rayna felt a slap on her buttock. She was so taken aback that she lost her grip on her wine glass. She instinctively reached behind her and felt a card on her buttock. Rayna hurriedly gripped the card in her hand.

Curtis had already left the lounge with Kristie when she lifted her head.

There were people all around, and so many pairs of eyes that could be watching her every move right then. Rayna’s heart beat frantically as she hid the card in her hand from plain sight. She had only noticed that the card that Curtis gave her was a keycard to a hotel room.

Julian and Meredith frequented the hotel, and they had the tendency to book the same room.

Rayna’s phone pinged, and she noticed that it was a text from a stranger that read: Meredith will receive news from Julian thirty minutes later.

Huh?

Even though Rayna was a translator, and she knew that Curtis must have sent the text, it was so short that Rayna was scratching her head trying to figure out what it meant.

Rayna looked at the keycard in her hand and thought hard and long. After some time, she finally figured out what Curtis was trying to tell her. He would lure Meredith to the hotel, and Rayna would only have thirty minutes to devise her plan.

Noticing that she did not have much time, Rayna took the initiative to pour Meredith more wine and watched her drink. Rayna only drank a few sips to make her face appear red. She spat the rest to the

sponge beneath her sleeves.

After a few drinks, she fell into Dylan’s arms.

“Rayna, are you all right?” Dylan took the chance and felt her waist while acting like a gentleman. “Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not,” Rayna mumbled as she pretended to remove herself from Dylan’s embrace but to no avail.

Meredith had one too many drinks, and her cheeks looked red. However, she was still quite sober. Upon noticing that Rayna was slumped against Dylan’s chest, she shot a glance at Dylan.

Dylan steadied Rayna and left the lounge when nobody was watching.

After they left, the party almost came to an end, and everyone left one by one, including Meredith. Jonathan asked someone to send her back. Incidentally, she received a text from Julian.

Honey, I’m waiting for you to come and celebrate. Metropolitan Hotel, Room 8082.

They would always meet in Room 8082. In the morning, Julian had mentioned that he would wait for her at the hotel. Hence, Meredith did not doubt the text and declined Jonathan’s offer for a ride and hailed a taxi to head to Metropolitan Hotel instead.

Meanwhile, Dylan started to get handsy and caressed Rayna all over after getting into the taxi.

Rayna resisted his touch and acted coyly. Then, she whispered into his ear and said, “Let’s go to Metropolitan Hotel. I’ve booked a room there.”

“You’re such a slut.” Dylan grinned and pinched her on her buttock.

A wave of nausea washed over Rayna.

Smile while you still can. I bet you’re going to lose that smile the next morning.

Rayna had been to Metropolitan Hotel once. She was disgusted to set her foot at the hotel once again. However, she went along with Dylan and took the elevator, and checked into the room.

Dylan pounced on her as soon as she was on the bed. Rayna cleverly dodged him. Then, she drugged the bottle of wine when she opened it.

After Dylan drank a glass of wine, she pushed him into the bathroom.

Rayna went around the room and tried to check if there was a recording pen anywhere. After some searching, she noticed that there was a pinhole camera installed in an inconspicuous place near the headboard. Rayna was impressed.

Uncle Curtis is a detailed man indeed.

After some time, there were sounds of knocking on the door. It was Meredith. Her words were slurred. It was apparent that she was quite tipsy.

Rayna switched off all the lights in the room.

Then, she opened the door slightly and hid in a corner.

Meredith stumbled into the room. It was too dark, and she could not figure out where the switch was. However, she bumped right into Dylan who just barged out of the bathroom.

Dylan’s body was burning with desire, and Meredith had only served to stoke the flames of his fiery lust. Naturally, he pounced on her.

The sounds of the bed creaking and fervid moaning filled the air.

Rayna felt her ears going hot from listening to them. She could not bear to stay any longer. Since the deed was done, she stealthily scurried out of the room.

Her lips quirked into a triumphant smile.

She was still racking her brain trying to figure out a way to lure Meredith to the hotel back at the lounge. However, Curtis’ keycard came in just in time to solve all her problems.

Rayna had to admit that Curtis was a shrewd man.

“You could have just handed the keycard to me though. Did you have to do that?” Rayna mumbled. She could still feel the burning sensation on her buttock where Curtis slapped her. Her body was all sweaty from executing her plans.

She wanted nothing more than to get home and take a long, sweet bath.

However, her arms were gripped by someone when she came out of the elevator.

The person had exerted so much force that she felt her arms almost breaking.

“Belle,” the man said in a baritone voice. However, it made Rayna’s hair stand on its ends as she stiffened.

She dared not move a single muscle.

His leather shoes brushed against the marble flooring and made a pleasing sound. Then, his slender figure towered over her and blocked her vision, making her see nothing but his grey coat and his pocket watch.

“I apologize. It’s been such a pleasure to see you here that I’ve gripped onto you too strongly. Did I hurt you?” the man said in an apologetic manner as he loosened his grip and took a step back and bowed

slightly to Rayna.

She could finally discern his face.

The man’s delicate features had an oriental look to them. He had a tall nose, and his gold-rimmed glasses rested snugly on the bridge of his nose. Underneath those glasses were a pair of ocean-blue eyes.

There was a hint of a friendly smile in his eyes. However, Rayna could not help but feel a chill run down her spine as she recalled the wretched look on the man’s face when he strangled her a few years ago.

Her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

The man trained his eyes on Rayna like she was prey, and he, the predator. However, it was only for a fleeting moment.

He took a step forward and caressed Rayna’s cheeks. “Belle, I know that I’ve done you wrong in the past, and I’ve hurt you. But I am a changed man now, especially after having spent so long behind bars. I’ve been missing you, and I’ve been wanting to apologize to you after getting out of prison. But I just could not locate you. Did you change your name? Why didn’t you tell me? Hmm?”

Rayna clutched on tightly to her dress as beads of cold sweat broke on her back.

The nightmare of an incident that happened a few years back still haunted her to this day. She was terrified of Jefferson, so much so that she did not even have the strength to shove his hand away as she cowered in fear.

Anybody, please, come save me!

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Send Him To Jail

“Belle, why don’t you say anything? Hmm?” Jefferson smiled as an inexplicable glint fleeted across his eyes. He reached out and tried to grab Rayna’s arm once again.

However, this time, he could not do as he pleased.

A strong arm rested on Rayna’s shoulder as Curtis appeared beside her like a knight in shining armor to rescue her. In an impassive tone, he asked, “She’s my friend. What’s the matter?”

Curtis spared her a glance through the corner of his eyes. He could feel the woman trembling in fear.

Is she afraid of this man?

“Ah, Mr. Faymon,” Jefferson said. He recognized Curtis and adjusted his glasses in a graceful manner. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Jefferson Hamilton.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Curtis replied. Since the man recognized him, Curtis shook his hand out of courtesy.

Jefferson looked at Rayna, who was staring blankly ahead, and said apologetically, “It’s been two or three years since I last saw Belle. I didn’t expect to bump into her here and wanted to greet her. It seems like I’ve startled her instead.”

Then, Jefferson asked how was Rayna related to Curtis.

Curtis knew that things must be complicated between the two. Just when he wanted to say something, Rayna clutched onto his sleeve tightly and looked at him in an almost pleading manner, and said in a shaky voice, “P-Please take me away…”

“I’m sorry. My friend is not feeling well.” At the thought that he needed Rayna’s help for the business negotiation and her fearful manner right then, Curtis took her right away.

Rayna felt as if her body had been drained of all energy. She was almost dragged away by Curtis. It was apparent that she was utterly terrified. Curtis saw that and carried her out of the revolving door of the hotel.

Jefferson stood grounded on the same spot in a genteel manner. There was still a hint of a smile on his face.

After two long years, he finally found her.

He was pleased to see the familiar fear, helplessness, and despair in her eyes. He enjoyed seeing her all weak and defenseless, so weak that she couldn’t even run away if she wanted to.

How interesting.

“Mr. Hamilton.” Jefferson’s female companion, who had been waiting for quite some time aside, approached him and circled her arms around Jefferson’s. At the sight of him still looking at the revolving door, she pouted her lips in displeasure.

In a jealous tone, she grumbled, “She’s just another pretty face. Why are you so hung up on her, Mr. Hamilton? Not only do I have a pretty face, but I also know how to make you happy in bed.”

“What did you say?” Jefferson turned around to glance at her and asked in a mild tone.

He appeared to have excellent conduct of himself. However, the fleeting viciousness in his eyes made the woman shudder as she instinctively retracted a few steps back. However, Jefferson reached out to forcefully pinch her chin.

She almost let out a scream.

“Who do you think you are? How dare you compare yourself to her?” Jefferson pressed down harder, almost crushing the woman’s chin. “Not only is she pretty, but she’s also a smart woman who is worth billions. You? You’re nothing but a dumb slut!”

The woman ran out of breath as her legs shook uncontrollably. “M-Mr. H-Hamilton…”

“Get the hell back to Spaunia. Do not show your face in front of me again,” Jefferson snapped as he pushed the woman away without sparing her another glance. He left the hotel, leaving the woman sprawled on the floor as she regretted her reckless remarks.

Oh, shit. I’m done for!

Meanwhile, Curtis carried Rayna to his car. However, she still appeared to be deep in shock—her shoulders were still trembling. He rubbed between his brows as he thought of what happened earlier.

One look at the man and Curtis knew that the man was either loaded, noble, or both.

Why would Rayna know someone like that?

“Rayna, get yourself together.” Seeing that she was still in a daze, Curtis tapped her on her shoulders rather forcefully and said in a low voice, “We’re not at the hotel, and he’s not here. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Rayna lifted her head and her eyes started to come into focus.

She noticed that she was in a car with only Curtis beside her. The suffocating feeling that overpowered her started to dissipate.

Rayna took over the water that Curtis handed her and lifted her head to gulp down two mouthfuls. She felt much better after that. Meanwhile, Curtis sat beside her with crossed legs as he replied to important text messages on his phone.

“That was my… ex-boyfriend,” Rayna muttered after much hesitation. “I knew him when I studied abroad a few years ago. Of course, he’s already introduced himself to you.”

“Go on,” Curtis said. Though he appeared impassive, his tone implied that he was willing to listen to her.

Rayna bit down on her lower lip and continued, “We were really in love. Then, one day, he suddenly became a whole different person and tried to rape, and even kill me. I-I managed to run away and reported him to the police.”

She knew that Jefferson came from a wealthy family and that members of his family were close to the upper echelons of Yartran. Rayna reckoned he could have freed himself if any of his family members tried to. Hence, she did not harbor much hope when she made the police report.

However, she did not expect that Jefferson would gladly accept the one-year imprisonment. When the police arrested him and walked past her, his tone was genteel as ever, telling her to wait for him.

Ever since Jefferson was jailed, Rayna was plagued by nightmares for one whole week. She was terrified that Jefferson might seek vengeance. Hence, she hurried back home and changed her name, and hastily accepted Julian’s pursuit, all in hopes to put this unbecoming past behind her.

She did not expect that Jefferson would find her here after three years.

When Jefferson called out her name, her body went still as a statue. Her breathing turned erratic as the ghost of her past came back haunting her. If not for Curtis helping her, she would have had a breakdown right then and there.

“Do you think he’s here to look for you?” Curtis asked as he looked at her. He knew that she had a sexual disorder from his investigation of her. Nonetheless, he did not know of the tragic incident that led to her disorder. Curtis felt a pang of sympathy for the woman before her then.

What a pitiful woman.

“His family’s business is mainly in Epea. As far as I know, they don’t have much business here in Aploth,” Curtis commented. Rayna nodded in hesitation and said, “I don’t know why he’s here, but I don’t feel comfortable seeing him.”

“That Jefferson seems like a very controlling man,” Curtis analyzed. “You feel uncomfortable with his presence because you don’t know if he’ll just take you away.”

After a brief pause, Curtis’ lips curled into a smirk. “Ms. Garland, you’re just accompanying me on a business trip as a translator, and yet you’re asking me to help get rid of your ex-boyfriend. I don’t think I’ve struck a good deal here.”

“Well, I believe Uncle Curtis—I mean, Mr. Faymon, should know better.” Rayna instinctively blurted out and called him uncle. She stole a glance at him as her heart skipped a beat.

Curtis stroke his chin and did not scold her.

Rayna finally felt more at ease and said, “Mr. Faymon, I know that the business deal that you’re trying to bargain is no easy feat. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have spared so much effort to lure me into this. I will help you seal the deal, but you have to ensure my safety for a month.”

“Just for a month?”

“Yes, just a month.” Before she could find the next safe place to go, she had to stay in Faymon Group. Hence, she did not wish to sour her relationship with Curtis. “We will go on separate ways after you’ve got your business deal. What say you, Mr. Faymon?”

“You’re certain that Jefferson doesn’t dare to simply offend Faymon Group,” Curtis commented. He was intrigued, as the woman was smarter than he thought she was. “You could get a lot of things done in

one month’s time.”

Rayna did not answer as she consented to his surmise.

Of course, he was right. Faymon Group was a renowned company worldwide, and they had multitudes of businesses across the world. Jefferson was a businessman himself. If he knew that she was working for Curtis, Jefferson would think twice before coming after her.

Nonetheless, it was a gamble, albeit one in which Rayna thought the odds were very much in her favor.

Curtis needed her help, and in exchange, she would leverage Faymon Group’s name to protect her for some time.

Curtis did not say a thing and continued to toy with his phone. Rayna reckoned that he was analyzing the pros and cons of striking a deal with her. She grew anxious seeing that and tightened her fists.

“I agree to your terms. But Ms. Garland, you owe me a favor,” Curtis said nonchalantly. “I thought we already had a deal when you accepted the keycard.”

 

Chapter 24 Reclaim What Is Mine

“Mr. Faymon, you’ve crossed the line.” Rayna could barely breathe as whatever Curtis pulled off came like a bolt from the blue. “Didn’t you ask me to deal with my matters as quickly as possible so that we could talk about our cooperation?”

“Pardon me, Ms. Garland. Since when did I say that this is for free?”

Rayna was left speechless at how cunning and sly these capitalists were.

With a deep breath, Rayna tried her best to calm herself down while Curtis kept the same indifferent look on his face. He asked, “Ms. Garland, shall I send you to a hotel, or should I drop you somewhere else?”

“I might have to trouble you to send me home, Mr. Faymon.” Rayna forced a smile. She squeezed the words out of her teeth. However, there was something more important that she had to attend to. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rayna did not tell the driver about her address, but about ten minutes later, the car came to a stop at the Faymon residence.

When she returned to her senses and tried to ask about it, all that remained of the car in her sight were its rear lights. The chilly wind in the night had her trembling in the cold. As she looked at the brightly lit house, her gaze turned cold.

“Huh? Mom, you’re still awake?” Rayna was surprised to see Rolanda watching television in the living room. With another look around, she confirmed that Curtis had Julian occupied when she didn’t see Julian’s shoes at the doorstep.

At that point, Rayna felt grateful to Curtis for what he had done.

When she returned home, she was afraid of Julian, fearing that his presence would hinder what she was about to do. Yet, Curtis had already arranged everything for her as if he knew what she was about to do in her next step.

“I can’t sleep.” Perhaps, it was because of Rayna’s pregnancy Rolanda’s attitude toward her was considerably better. She did not put up her usual stern expression. “When you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t run around. What if something happens to the child?”

“I know. I’m being careful all the while so that I won’t hurt the child.” Rayna smiled and sat down beside Rolanda.

“Mom, I would like to borrow some money from you.”

Upon the mention of money, Rolanda’s expression darkened. “I’ve no money! Julian and you have been in charge of your own money ever since your marriage. Since when did I take any money from you?”

Hearing that, Rayna could not fathom what gave Rolanda the right to say that.

When she married Julian, Rolanda had always been trying to fish for information and hint to Rayna that she was poor and that she dared not go out with her friends because she had no money. As a result, Rayna would always give her money.

Since then, Rolanda would always pull the same trick on Rayna a couple of times every month. She would even throw tantrums at her unsuccessful attempts, and Julian never batted an eye. That put Raina in a situation where she would give Rolanda half of her salary.

Rayna concealed the intense hatred she harbored toward Rolanda and said faintly, “Mom, I had no choice. My mother is terribly ill now, and the hospital will chase her out if I can’t pay the fees.”

“I don’t have any money with me!” No matter how hard Rayna tried, Rolanda insisted that she had no money. Instead, she said, “You should transfer your mother to a smaller hospital. Small sickness won’t cost much!”

At this point, Rayna couldn’t help but question herself. Back then, when Rolanda went to the hospital because of the pain in her back, she indirectly mocked and complained about Rayna to the nurses because Rayna was too occupied by her work to visit Rolanda.

Besides, despite her minor problem, Rolanda insisted that she needed to stay in the hospital for half a month and have a complete body check-up. She even had Rayna pay for everything; in return, she spouted cold and harsh comments after what Rayna did for her.

“Even a smaller hospital would cost a great deal!” Seeing how Rolanda responded, Rayna hurled everything aside and went all in. “The money I gave you all these years amounted to more than one hundred thousand, and you dare tell me you have no money?”

As if there was a fire burning beneath her, Rolanda sprang up from the couch and reprimanded, “Oh? Are you going to start this right now? You married my son, which makes me your mother-in-law, so is it not right for you to give me some allowance?”

“Yes. I took you as my mother-in-law, but have you done the same to me? Did you even take me as your daughter-in-law?” Rayna sneered. “My mother needs money to get her sickness treated, and here you are, talking in a manner as if you wanted something bad to happen to my mother!”

Rolanda never saw that coming. She never expected the gentle and obedient Rayna, who never refuted her, would talk back to her. She was so shocked by Rayna’s reaction that she forgot to talk back.

Is this a dream?

In the meantime, Rayna stood up and asked calmly, “Are you going to give me some money or not?”

“No!” Perhaps it was because of Rayna talking back to her, Rolanda’s expression was awful. “Rayna, you might as well say that you no longer want to be with my son! Get a divorce!”

“And that’s where you’re wrong. I love Julian so much that I even have his child in me. Do you think I’ll accept a divorce?” Rayna smiled in response. She knew that Rolanda wouldn’t give her the money she wanted if she remained soft and gentle.

She whipped her phone out from her purse, and as she played a video, she held her phone up high so that Rolanda could see what was being played.

Initially clueless about what Rayna was up to, Rolanda quickly snapped out of it after seeing herself in the video. Without a second thought, she lunged at Rayna, who agilely evaded her.

“You know. I have quite a handful of similar video recordings like this one,” Rayna revealed, “Tell me. What would your friends do when they learn that you would cheat in the card game and even steal their belongings?”

“Y-You! What are you talking about? This video is a video you edited!” Rolanda cursed angrily. Despite how she looked, she was secretly panicking. As a result, she lunged at Rayna again. “You b*tch!”

When Rolanda came charging at her, Rayna showed no mercy. With a swing of her leg, she precisely landed a kick on Rolanda’s knee, breaking her balance and toppling her onto the ground. As Rolanda fell to the ground, her forehead collided with the coffee table, and blood started seeping out from her wound.

“Oh, my, I am bleeding!” Upon finding herself bleeding, Rolanda shrieked, “Take me to the hospital now!”

At the same time, a couple of housekeepers rushed to the scene after capturing the odd movements. They, however, shuddered and walked away as if nothing had happened when Rayna shot them a glare for trying to help.

After chasing the housekeepers away, Rayna squatted in front of Rolanda and said gently, “Mom, I have your friends’ contacts in my WhatsApp. If you think the video is fake, why don’t I send them a copy of it so that they can prove it?”

“Rayna, you evil wretch!” Rolanda pressed her hands against her wound, her body shaking in anger. “My son had been good to you, and this is how you repay his kindness? By bullying his mother?”

“Mom, you should know who is the evil wretch here better than me.” Rayna picked up Rolanda’s phone and delivered it to her. “Wire me the money, or I’ll send these videos to everyone.”

There was another grand show waiting for her in the hotel tomorrow, so she didn’t want to waste another second with Rolanda.

She was tired, and she needed to sleep.

At first, Rolanda thought Rayna was just trying to intimidate her. However, just as she thought Rayna was putting up an act, Rayna had already sent one of the videos to one of her friends right before her face. In that split second, Rolanda panicked.

“Okay. I will do it!” Rolanda gave in. After struggling so much to get into her current circle that allowed her to brag to her other relatives, she would become a laughing stock if everyone learned that she was a cheater.

Through three separate transactions, Rolanda wired the amount Rayna demanded to her before glowering at Rayna. “I’ve transferred you the money. Can you delete the videos now?”

“The transactions would need time to be processed at this hour. We’ll talk about it once I receive the cash.” Rayna kept her phone away.

Realizing that Rayna fooled her, the anger in Rolanda burned even stronger. She started hurling curses at Rayna but could not get back on her feet after spraining her ankles.

With the money received, Rayna left instead of staying in the Faymon residence. That house was no longer where she would call home. The thought of merely staying in that place disgusted her. With that, she returned to Metropolitan Hotel and checked in.

“Ms. Garland, right?” The receptionist delivered a keycard to Rayna swiftly. “This is the room your friend had booked for you. He told us to pass you the keycard upon your arrival.”

The room was room 8084, located directly opposite room 8082.

Upon seeing the keycard, Rayna instantly realized that was also part of Curtis’ arrangements, though she was a little surprised. She wondered why Curtis arranged a room for her as she didn’t mention anything about returning to the hotel.

However, after recalling how shrewd Curtis was, Rayna quickly found herself drenched in her cold sweat, for Curtis had predicted all her moves.

 

Chapter 25 A Good Show

Thank god I’ve never offended Uncle Curtis in any way.

Laying down on the soft bed that was extremely comfortable for sleeping, Rayna slept soundly for the night. When she woke up, she heard vague footsteps and noises outside her room.

The show’s about to begin?

With a face full of smiles, Rayna took her time to freshen up, change into a fresh set of clothes, put on her makeup, and put on the ring Julian gifted her before opening the door.

Julian looked anguished as he stood amongst the swarm of reporters. He did not realize Rayna was coming out of the room as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I understand that one should not wash one’s dirty linens in public, but my wife has crossed the line. I’ve been struggling to make ends meet, but there she was. Cheating on me behind my back. I suspect the child in her is not even of my bloodline!”

Julian pretended to be a pitiful man and a husband whose wife cheated on him. Meanwhile, the reporters took their stand as they sided with Julian. Rayna just waited and watched, looking smug.

With that acting skill, it was a shame that Julian did not receive an Oscar.

The reporters then started convincing Julian to breach the door. Julian pretentiously turned them down for a moment before he satisfied their needs. He started kicking the door, and with the help of the reporters, the door was quickly kicked open, allowing them to swarm into the room.

After getting into the room, Julian couldn’t conceal the excitement flickering in his eyes at the sight of the figures under the blanket.

Rayna, you’re done for!

“What do you think you’re doing, Rayna?” Julian roared as he removed the blanket, revealing two naked people underneath the blanket. He, however, quickly found himself dumbstruck, for instead of Rayna, the lady on the bed was Meredith!

In the meantime, the reporters tapped their fingers quickly on the shutter-release button, and the noises slapped some senses back into Julian. Thinking that Meredith betrayed him, Julian grabbed the woman by her hair in a manner lacking politeness or grace and slapped her.

Slap!

The heavy slap immediately woke Meredith from her sleep.

The slap stupefied Meredith. She, however, quickly snapped out of it after realizing the crowd surrounding her and the angry Julian standing beside the bed. What mattered the most was that both Meredith and Dylan were in bed naked.

“Ah!” Meredith shrieked and hurriedly wrapped the blanket around herself. “What is this? Why am I with him in bed? That shouldn’t have been me!”

“If not you, then who? Do you think we’re blind?” Julian viciously said, “You’ve done well, Meredith Jones. You told me there were some family matters you had to deal with and asked me to wait in the hotel last night, but here you are, cheating on me with another man?”

With a horrified look, Meredith exclaimed, “Since when did I say something like that? Also, aren’t you the one who sent me a message? I thought—”

“I’ve never sent you a message like that!”

While an argument ensued, Meredith felt something was off. She pinched Dylan and woke him from his sleep. “Weren’t you the one who brought her to the hotel yesterday? What happened?”

“I-I don’t know!” Though Dylan knew the reporters would take photos of him upon waking up, that was not part of the plan. Besides, he was sure he had entered the room with Rayna, not Meredith.

In the meantime, the reporters became even more excited after seeing the plot twists.

One of them even asked a question sharply, “Mr. Faymon, who is the person you’re referring to? Also, it appears that you’re very upset with the presence of this lady. Are you, perhaps, related to her in any way?”

Hearing that, Meredith’s expression darkened even more. She was too preoccupied with arguing with Julian that she forgot about the reporters’ existence, which allowed them to witness the argument between Julian and her. At the thought of that, her expression twisted even more.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Faymon and I are nothing more than just good friends.” Meredith gritted her teeth and used Dylan as a decoy. “He thought this colleague of mine assaulted me, so he came to my rescue.”

The way the reporters looked at the woman had changed.

What they heard was that Julian reprimanded Meredith for cheating on him. For that, they even had an argument.

This lady is so good at twisting the truth!

Yet, as they accepted Julian’s money, they dared not say anything recklessly and waited for Julian’s reply.

Meredith gestured to Julian with a glance. Upon capturing the signal, Julian, too, came to the realization that they had been set up by someone else. He played along with Meredith’s plan and said, “Yes. I’m here to help Ms. Jones.”

In the meantime, Dylan’s expression changed drastically.

Pointing at Meredith, Dylan stuttered badly, “Ms. Jones, you set me up?”

“You’re the one who took me here and sexually assaulted me. Why act like you haven’t done it now?” Meredith slapped Dylan and continued, “If you’re unhappy with me in the company, you can always tell me. Why resort to such a pathetic and despicable method?”

With that said, Meredith covered her face with her hands and started weeping. At that moment, she looked very pitiful.

“You b*tch! You’re the one that asked me to help!” Dylan grabbed Meredith by her hair and scolded, “How dare you accuse me now? What are you up to?”

Just as Dylan started shoving Meredith around, Julian couldn’t stand back anymore. He lunged at Dylan and hurled punches at him.

No matter what, it was more important to protect Meredith at that moment.

“Julian, forget it.” Meredith held Julian by his hand and pretended to be a magnanimous person. “He’s my employee, after all. There’s no need to make a police report. Let’s not make a scene out of this.”

“How could you forgive him after what he had done to you?”

Rayna, who stood behind the reporters, was speechless at their interaction. She reckoned that the acting where Meredith pretended to be a forgiving person and smiled at the reporters, asking them not

to make a scene out of it, deserved an award.

Well, well, well!

There was no way she would let them off that easily.

Then, amongst the reporters, a young man switched on the mini-recorder dangling on his clothes and gave Rayna a signal.

Seeing that, Rayna knew it was time for her to make her appearance. She held her hand on the door, pretended that she had just arrived, and with a voice that was not loud but clear enough to be heard, she asked, “Darling, why are you here?”

The reporters turned around immediately. They saw Rayna standing on the doorstep, and so did Julian and Meredith. Upon the sight of Rayna, Meredith’s eyes looked like they were about to shoot out a fire that would incinerate Rayna alive.

She knew. She knew Rayna was the one who orchestrated the whole scene.

“And you must be Mrs. Faymon, right?” The young man hired by Rayna came running up to her and asked, “Mr. Faymon said you were cheating on him with another man in the hotel. However, when we arrived with Mr. Faymon, we did not see you and the so-called man. Where did you come from, Mrs. Faymon?”

“Cheating on him?” Rayna was startled and hurriedly explained, “No, no. A colleague was kind enough to send me to the hotel last night, but he was even more hung up than me. I arranged a room for him and got myself a room after that. I’m here because someone texted me, telling me that my husband is —” Rayna stopped talking abruptly as she heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Julian, whose clothes were still neat.

After that, she seemingly finally noticed Meredith, who wrapped a blanket around herself, and Dylan, who was still on the bed. She pretended to be shocked by the scene and said, “Oh? So Ms. Jones is here as well? No wonder it’s so lively right now.”

“Yes, yes.” Meredith was livid that she almost broke her nails from clenching her hands too tight. Yet, she could not further damage her reputation and image with the reporters still around, so she gave Julian another signal.

Julian immediately grasped the message and dragged Rayna away. “Dylan assaulted Ms. Jones. All right, that’s enough. Let’s go. There’s nothing to see here. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s leave.”

When Julian dragged Rayna, he dragged her in an unmanly manner that had her stumbling.

As she stumbled, Rayna raised her hands, and the young man, who Rayna hired, caught something and asked without hesitation, “This ring. It’s from the same series as the necklace on Ms. Jones’ neck, no?”

 

Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Uncle Curtis You Win

Meredith instinctively reached out to caress the necklace on her neck.

Before she could conceal it, the young man came over and tugged her necklace away. He offered it to Rayna and asked, “Ms. Garland, take a look at this. It’s part of the set, right?”

“W-What is going on?” Rayna observed the necklace as her face paled. Turning to Julian, she asked, “Darling, didn’t you say she’s your superior? Are you dating her now?”

Her action caught Julian by surprise.

A scowl crept up his face as he parted his lips to say something. Before he could utter a word, Rayna cut in, “Darling, why did you do this to me? Do you know how upset I am?”

“Upset? B*llshit!” Julian roared. “You knew about Meredith and me. Why are you putting up an act? Rayna, you got pregnant with someone else’s bast*rd. How dare you question me instead?”

Rayna lifted a trembling finger and pointed at him in dismay. “I had no idea about your affair! No woman would allow her husband to have a mistress! Yes, I did tell our relatives I was pregnant during Astrid’s baby welcoming party. That’s because we’re married for over a year but still don’t have a baby! I was afraid the relatives would mock you and your mom!”

Julian was visibly shocked by her explanation. “You’re not pregnant?”

“I have a sexual disorder. You can’t even touch me, so how could I get pregnant?” Rayna covered her face and sobbed. “I sacrificed a lot for the family, but look what you did to me!”

“You’re lying! You’re a liar!” Meredith dashed forward, knowing Rayna was trying to gain the others’ sympathy. “You hid in the restroom that day, right? You knew my plan, so you were waiting for your

chance. You pretended to get drunk and got Dylan to bring you to the hospital. After texting Dylan and I using our respective phones, you switched off the lights deliberately so Dylan couldn’t figure out who he slept with, right?”

Meredith was gritting her teeth in fury.

I went to great lengths to guard against her. Little did I know she had set up a trap for Julian and me!

Taking a deep breath, Rayna raised her arm and gave Meredith a tight slap.

It feel really good to be able to slap this bit*h.

“Ms. Jones, not everyone is capable of resorting to despicable tricks like you,” Rayna said calmly. “How did I text you both? Your phones were with you.”

“You must’ve hired a hacker to do that!”

Rayna flashed a smile. “It should cost a lot to do that, right? I can reveal my bank account statement to you so you can see where I’ve spent my money.”

“You…”

Right then, the young man Rayna hired spoke up. “Mr. Faymon, it’s obvious you were the one who cheated on your wife first. Ms. Jones then cheated on you. That has nothing to do with your wife!”

In addition to fanning the flames, the reporter didn’t forget to state his doubts. “Besides, Ms. Jones’ words seemed to imply that your wife had schemed against her instead of what you claimed—she had cheated on you.”

Julian was thoroughly humiliated.

I was the one who paid the reporters to be here. Why is this one pulling the rug from under my feet? And then Rayna… I think Meredith is right. Rayna found out about our plan and set a trap for us. I thought she was kind and doesn’t care at all, but it turns out she’s a vicious woman!

“F*ck you, Rayna!” Julian flew into a rage as his wife in name had framed him. He lifted his arm, intending to give her a slap.

Rayna’s pupils constricted, but she didn’t dodge his slap.

She wasn’t planning on dodging.

The room was full of reporters, including the one she hired. Getting slapped might cause her cheek to swell for a few days, but the person getting the short end of the stick would be Julian.

“Mr. Faymon, what are you doing? Are you going to beat her up?” Someone grabbed Julian’s arm and stood before Rayna in a protective manner. His voice sounded chilling.

“Mr. Tylinski?” Julian was taken aback to see Gabriel here.

Rayna glanced at the newcomer. Oh, it’s Curtis’ assistant, who always has a serious expression on his face. I thought he was supposed to follow Curtis everywhere. Why is he here?

Julian and Rayna weren’t the only ones who were confused. Meredith blanched in horror and gripped her blanket as she retreated silently.

The company hated it when their employees were the subjects of gossip, and she was the manager of an important department. If Gabriel discovered she was having an affair with her subordinate and reported the matter to the higher-ups, her career would be doomed.

It seemed that Gabriel wasn’t even interested if Meredith was around, for his gaze remained fixated on Rayna.

After releasing his grip on Julian’s arm, Gabriel turned to Rayna. “Ms. Garland, sorry for the short notice, but we need you to be the interpreter on a project. Are you able to leave now?”

Rayna didn’t probe further and nodded. “Wait a second.”

She removed her ring and tossed it together with the necklace to Julian. They landed by Julian’s feet. “Julian, since you dislike the fact that I have a sexual disorder and want nothing to do with me, let us get a divorce. I don’t want a used man!”

Rayna said her piece without giving him a chance to speak and strode away.

She knew Meredith was a vengeful person and wouldn’t allow the divorce to proceed smoothly. However, she wasn’t afraid as she was now working with Curtis. He was on his side, and she wasn’t in a hurry at all.

All she had to do was to wait until their reputation was torn into shreds.

When the elevator arrived, Gabriel caught up to her.

Rayna followed him into the elevator. She parted her lips to say, “Please thank Mr. Faymon on my behalf.”

Gabriel pushed his glasses up his nose and responded icily, “Mr. Faymon told me to intervene if you couldn’t solve the problem yourself. You now owe him two favors.”

“But I didn’t ask for his help this time,” Rayna protested as the corner of her lips twitched.

“You didn’t object when I stopped him from slapping you.”

As I didn’t object when Mr. Tylinski helped me to stop Julian’s slap, that means Curtis helped me again, and I owe him another favor?

Rayna nearly cursed out loud.

Uncle Curtis, you win!

Downstairs, Gabriel told her, “Ms. Garland, please take a taxi back yourself. Mr. Faymon is still waiting for me to pick him up at the golf course.”

With that said, he left.

He needs me to be his interpreter? That’s just a ruse.

Rayna dared not say another word. Ha! No one dares to cross Uncle Curtis, not even me.

She hailed a taxi to head to work.

Rayna was exhausted after enjoying a good show early in the morning. She also had to put up an act herself.

Her phone beeped with an incoming notification. Rolanda’s one hundred and fifty thousand had just been deposited in her account.

Rayna promptly transferred the money to Astrid and the reporter according to the amount they had agreed upon earlier. Then, she looked at the clips on the phone. Well, I shall decide if I want to delete these clips after my divorce from the scumbag.

She previously asked Rolanda for money because she feared the divorce would be tricky. It was customary for them to provide for their parents. Rayna wanted her money back before their divorce.

If Rolanda had the guts to expose the matter to threaten her for money, she would send the video to all their group chats. She didn’t mind losing the money as she could earn it back, but Rolanda would never get over the humiliation of her act being exposed to her friends.

“Rayna, you’re here?” When Rayna stepped into the office, her colleague whirled around in her chair and asked cheerfully, “Have you found a boyfriend? I just signed a gift for you!”

 

Chapter 27 Old Lady

“No. It might be a thank-you gift from a client.” Rayna flashed a smile and thanked her colleague.

She was back to her usual professional self as though nothing had happened.

After arriving at her desk, Rayna spotted a bouquet of pure white camellias on her desk. There was also an exquisite gift beside it. The sight of the items caused a chill to go down her spine.

Only one person knew that her favorite flower was the camellia.

Nestled in the bouquet of camellias was a floral pink card. Rayna took it out and flipped it open to see a message written in Anglandurn: My love, my life.

The handwriting was neat. Rayna could imagine the elegant but confident smile playing on Jefferson’s lips as he wrote out this message.

It didn’t take long for Jefferson to learn everything about me. He even sent a gift and flowers. Why is he here? Is he here to take revenge on me?

The following day, Rayna happened to bump into Julian at the company.

Julian’s expression was dark. He glared at her angrily as though he wanted nothing but to choke her to death.

Rayna sneered inwardly.

She stopped loving him when she heard Meredith and Julian discussing their plan to destroy her reputation so she would leave the marriage with nothing to her name.

There was nothing wrong about taking action first to protect herself.

They entered the elevator.

Rayna stood beside Julian and asked, “Mr. Faymon, you don’t look well. Are you sick?”

Julian whipped his head around and shot Rayna a vicious glare.

She planned the whole thing. She was the reason I caught Meredith sleeping with another man. How dare she say this to me? Or did she pretend to be meek previously? Is this who she really is?

Julian inched nearer to her and whispered in a voice that could only be heard by them both, “Rayna, you want a divorce, right? You won’t get it. I shall make sure you die a horrible death!”

Rayna gazed at the man’s menacing and ugly expression and couldn’t help but feel sad for herself.

After she married Julian, she sacrificed a lot for the Faymon family, save for the fact that they couldn’t consummate their marriage. He cheated on her, and she exposed his affair. However, he threatened to make her die a horrible death.

Rayna told him, “You were the one who cheated on me. If you refuse to get the divorce, we shall meet in court.”

“I cheated on you?” Julian snickered in disdain. “Did you see it with your own eyes? Do you have any evidence? I want to f*cking sue you for lying to me! You lied that you’re pregnant!”

Julian seemed confident as though Rayna couldn’t get any dirt on him.

Rayna knew that Julian had invited the reporters to be at the hotel. He only needed to pay them money to get all the photos back and stopped them from reporting the matter.

Julian, oh Julian. Didn’t you realize that I also paid a reporter to be there?

Nevertheless, it isn’t time to expose their affair yet.

Rayna was aware that Meredith was both brilliant and vengeful. The latter would definitely get rid of the evidence if she were to expose them right now. She decided to wait until Meredith took action.

With that thought in mind, Rayna said nothing. She stared ahead resolutely with her lips curled. Realizing she seemed abnormally calm, Julian felt rivulets of ice down his spine.

He could tell that something was amiss with Rayna, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Rayna paid no heed to Julian. She had given up on him after she read those WhatsApp messages on his phone.

After moving out of the Faymon residence, Rayna had been staying at a hotel. She didn’t like staying there for an extended period and was looking for a place to rent through various channels.

It just so happened that Roxanne gave her a call. Rayna told her about the divorce and that she was searching for a place to live. Roxanne got so excited that she sent the house keys to Rayna that very afternoon through the delivery service.

Rayna’s new place was in Cerulean Bay, a high-end residential area not far away from Faymon Group.

According to Roxanne, the house belonged to a friend of hers who had gone overseas. She managed to get her friend to rent the place to Rayna for thirteen thousand per month. Rayna refused to believe her explanation.

Roxanne had to assure her again and again by showing various documents and her friend’s ID card before Rayna believed her. When the weekend arrived, she packed her stuff up and moved into Cerulean Bay.

“This block. Thanks a lot!”

Rayna had many boxes of books, so she hired some movers to help her bring the boxes upstairs. She then placed a few items into a box and hauled them up alone. It was quite heavy.

The elevator doors opened, and a young lady’s coy voice was heard.

Finding the voice familiar, Rayna lifted her head hastily to see Curtis and Kristie standing inside. They looked like the perfect couple.

Curtis was the first to see Rayna standing outside. Arching a brow, he greeted in his deep voice, “Ms. Garland.”

“Mr. Faymon.”

It would take her at least three minutes before the other elevator arrived. Besides, Rayna was already halfway inside before she realized their existence. I did nothing wrong. There is no need to avoid them.

Kristie harrumphed unhappily and frowned. She’s the reason Curt embarrassed me in the movie set that day! I’ll never forget that!

Giving her a side glance, Kristie mocked, “Cerulean Bay is a high-end residential area. You’re an employee of Faymon Group but can afford to live here. It looks like you’re quite rich.”

“Is there a rule saying that employees of Faymon Group cannot stay in high-end residential areas?” Rayna responded with a grin. She wasn’t about to allow Kristie to step all over her. “I earned some money trading stocks last month and thought of moving into this residential area for some peace. It turns out that I was wrong.”

Kristie was flabbergasted by her reply.

It only occurred to her a while later that Rayna was calling her a talkative woman. She nearly jumped in anger. “Old lady, were you ridiculing me? Say that again!”

Rayna remained calm. “What did the old lady say?”

“The old lady is ridiculing you!”

Rayna grunted in acknowledgment as her lips curled into a smile. Beside them, Curtis’ lips twitched.

“Y-You…” Kristie was close to tears when she belatedly realized her insult had backfired on her. Stomping her feet, she tugged Curtis’ arm pitifully. “Curt, she bullied me!”

With his hand stuck in his pocket, Curtis replied nonchalantly, “Don’t talk so much in the elevator.”

Kristie pouted unhappily.

Soon, the elevator reached the twenty-sixth floor. Rayna lifted her heavy box and was about to step out of the elevator when Kristie stuck her foot out deliberately.

Rayna promptly stumbled and toppled aside. The elevator wasn’t huge, and Curtis was afraid that her head would bump into the elevator’s walls. His expression changed slightly as he reached out to hold her box.

Despite so, the woman still ended up falling into his arms. Curtis happened to touch her warm and smooth wrist when he helped her up. A faint orange scent wafted into his nostrils.

At once, he was reminded of that night at the hotel. His brows furrowed up as he immediately held the box so she could regain her balance and kept a distance away from her. “Ms. Garland, be careful.”

A flash of embarrassment appeared on Rayna’s face.

Before she could do anything, a pair of arms intervened and shoved her out of the way.

“What are you doing? Are you trying to seduce him in broad daylight?” Kristie glowered at her. She had no idea that Rayna would end up in Curtis’ arms.

“Ms. Winton, are your eyes working well?” Rayna asked. “If this is ‘seducing,’ I’m afraid no one will do good to avoid being accused of ‘seducing.’”

 

Chapter 28

Chapter 28 A Complete Riddle

Having said that, Rayna strode out of the elevator with her box. Curtis’ gaze remained on her. She looks meek, but she’s actually sharp-tongue.

Rayna brought her box back to her condominium.

The living room was a mess, and there were boxes everywhere. She got busy sorting out her stuff. A while later, she headed to the refrigerator to get herself a bottle of ice-cool water and went to the balcony to get some air.

“Mm?” Rayna’s hands paused midair.

There was a black car parked across the street. The window of the backseat was wounded down by half to reveal a handsome man clad in a suit.

It was Jefferson!

Shocked, she nearly dropped the bottle of water she was holding. The man seemed to be waiting for someone in his car. Soon, a young lady all bundled up came out of the condominium.

Jefferson opened the door for her like the gentleman he was. The lady got into the car, and it drove away.

Rayna stood on the balcony for a long time. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Jefferson to be this close to her. He even has a girlfriend! If that’s the case, why did he give me camellias? Did he come to Chanaea for his girlfriend?

Rayna assumed Jefferson had given up, but after her vacation ended, she went to the office and discovered camellias on her desk. According to her colleagues, she would occasionally receive

camellias when she wasn’t around.

She couldn’t understand what Jefferson was getting at.

“Rayna, have you offended Meredith recently?” Rayna’s mind had wandered with the flowers in her arms when her colleague beside her turned around and posed the question.

Rayna asked, “What happened?”

Her colleague bore a strange expression but seemed apprehensive. In the end, she told Rayna to log into the company’s system to take a look for herself.

Rayna did as told and realized it was about her.

Meredith had sent an email at nine sharp this morning, claiming that an employee had reported to her that Rayna accepted a client’s money in secret when she followed her superiors to a business meeting. Thus, she wanted to fire Rayna.

There were a few photos attached showing Rayna accepting a thick envelope from a man. Both parties were smiling as though they had struck a deal.

Most employees working in Faymon Group had viewed the email, so there were thousands of views.

Has she taken action?

Unfazed, Rayna flashed a smile. She texted the reporter before leaving her department to head to the planning department.

When she arrived, Meredith was busy gathering her subordinates to introduce the new employee, Jessica Marsh. There was a smile playing on Meredith’s luscious lips.

There were many people there, but Rayna didn’t see Julian anywhere.

She strode in, her high heels clicking against the floor. Her voice rang out before she even arrived. “Ms. Jones!”

At once, everyone in the planning department turned over their shoulders to look at her, including Meredith. A menacing glint flashed across Meredith’s eyes when she saw how composed Rayna was.

She won’t be able to smile for long!

Meredith asked, “Rayna, why are you here at my department?”

“It’s about the email,” came Rayna’s answer. “Ms. Jones, that man is a photographer. He took photos for me and Mr. Lawson. He was giving me the photos, not the money.”

Meredith snorted. “You were alone with him. You can say whatever you want. We are not blind, though. That envelope didn’t look like it was stuffed with photos.”

“I can invite him here to explain things.”

“So what if you were misunderstood?” Meredith folded her arms and sneered, “I don’t like your work attitude, so I want to fire you!”

“Ms. Jones, if you aren’t satisfied with my work performance, you can speak to my superior.” Rayna lowered her gaze. “As far as I’m concerned, no one is allowed to interfere in another department’s affairs in this company.”

“I told your supervisor about it. He’s on an outstation trip and told me I could call the shots.” Meredith couldn’t wait to kick Rayna out of the company. “You should head back to your desk and pack up your stuff now!”

Rayna let out a silent snort.

Well, well. Besides interfering in my department’s matter, Meredith even lied blatantly. I know my supervisor well. He is protective of his subordinates. He’ll definitely fall out with the planning department if Meredith dares to fire me!

Right then, the new employee at the planning department blurted out, “Ms. Jones, you are in the wrong!”

“Jessica Marsh, do you have any idea what you’re talking about?” Meredith didn’t expect that the newbie would speak up for Rayna. Glaring at Jessica, she declared, “This is none of your business. Stay out of this!”

Jessica wasn’t afraid at all. Slowly, she said, “If she works in our department, you can fire her, no problem. However, she works in the translation department. I might be new, but I know that you are not supposed to interfere in another department’s affairs. If she has a bad work attitude, you can wait until her superior returns to give her a warning or report it to the HR department. Ms. Jones, if you make the decision to fire her, it will look like you are taking revenge on her as you hold a grudge against her.”

Meredith’s smile froze. “Why would I hold a grudge against her?”

“Then why did you fire her?” Jessica lifted her glasses, sounding confused. “Besides, if you didn’t tell the vice CEO that you’re interfering in another department’s affairs, that will cause serious consequences, right?”

“That’s enough!” Meredith’s expression was as dark as thunder. She couldn’t believe that the newbie had the guts to humiliate her. “You are not welcome in the planning department. Leave with her!”

Rayna’s lips thinned. “Ms. Jones.”

She was grateful that the newbie took her side, but she didn’t want the newbie to lose her job. It was pretty hard to get into Faymon Group. Besides, this was just the beginning.

Before Rayna could say more, Jessica shot her a reassuring look as though she already had a plan. Rayna watched silently as Jessica returned to her seat and packed up her stuff.

Jessica hugged an onion plant and told Meredith earnestly, “Ms. Jones, you were the one who told me to leave. I didn’t leave on my own accord. I’ll get going now!”

Meredith’s face had contorted in anger.

As they stepped out of the planning department together, Rayna couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you leave when she told you so?”

“Why not? I hate her.” Jessica turned down the corners of her mouth. “Just look at what she did. It isn’t easy to work as her subordinate. Besides…”

She trailed off and shot Rayna a mysterious smile. “Did you forget that Faymon Group gave me the offer? Someone will call me when they discover I’m not here. Who do you think will be blamed?”

Stunned, Rayna burst into giggles.

When Rayna returned to her department to pack up her stuff, many of her colleagues came to her to ask what happened. Some even told her to apologize to Meredith to settle the matter. However, she only smiled at them and said nothing else.

She was in no hurry as things were going to get interesting soon.

Rayna and Jessica got to know each other as they took the elevator downstairs.

Jessica revealed that she had just moved to Norwal City as Faymon Group recruited her. Rayna offered to show her around the city, and Jessica agreed to her suggestion excitedly.

The elevator stopped on the twentieth floor, and two male employees walked in. They seemed to be gossiping about something.

“Oh, I pity that manager, Mr. Faymon.”

“Fortunately, his legs are still intact. He will be fine.”

As the “Mr. Faymon” they mentioned was a manager, Rayna racked her brains and discovered that the only manager with the same surname was none other than Julian. Raising her brow, she grinned and asked, “I’m sorry. What happened to Mr. Faymon?”

“Oh, it’s you, Rayna.” The translation department often worked with other departments, so many employees knew who Rayna was. One of them recognized her and explained, “I heard that Mr. Faymon was involved in a car accident this morning. His face was badly wounded, and he nearly had to amputate his legs.”

 

Chapter 29 The Audacity

Julian has gotten into a car accident?

Rayna furrowed her brows. She remembered that Julian had always been a cautious driver. Thus, the fact that Julian got into a car accident did not make sense to her.

As much as she was perplexed, she could not help the feeling of smugness rising in her chest.

After all, Julian had announced that he would kill her. Who would have thought Julian would get into such a serious accident? Rayna supposed it was karma, but she was unfazed by it. Just because Julian was admitted to the hospital did not mean that it would affect her plan to divorce him.

The two men did not notice the change in Rayna’s expression and were still chatting happily. One of them was even scrolling through his phone. As he was scrolling, he hummed quizzically all of a sudden. At the noise, the other man immediately leaned forward to see what was happening.

Soon, the two men turned around to look at Rayna behind them with a strange look in their eyes.

Rayna peered at the phone screen and immediately recognized herself on the screen. From the looks of it, the reporters had already released the news online.

Even so, she feigned a look of confusion. “Is something wrong?”

“Rayna, I didn’t know you and Julian were married!” The man holding the phone showed Rayna the screen. “The video of you going to the hotel to catch him in the act of cheating had been included in the news!”

“Huh?” Rayna quickly took the phone into her hands to look at the screen before covering her mouth in surprise. “Didn’t I ask my husband to not release the video? Who leaked it?”

“You’re too kind, Rayna! Your husband has been messing around with Ms. Jones and has scolded you so ferociously in the video. Why are you even concerned that they would be reprimanded by others?”

Jessica leaned forward to take a look at the screen and immediately understood the context.

“No wonder he got into a car crash,” Jessica mocked. “Serves him right for doing something so shameful!”

Rayna’s red lips curled upward slightly.

As Rayna and the few of them got to the lobby of the office, they noticed that the big LED screen hanging on the wall was also streaming the video they had seen on the phone, gathering a lot of curious viewers.

“I told you there’s something going on between them. I can’t believe it’s real.”

“Ms. Jones is so arrogant! Don’t miss the audacity she has as a mistress. It is really mind-boggling! What makes her think she has the right to hit someone?”

“I know Rayna. She’s that gorgeous woman in the translation department. That poor thing! She’s such an exceptional person. I can’t believe that her husband cheated on her right under her nose.”

Everyone seemed to have something to say about the situation.

Just as people were discussing, Rayna stepped out of the elevator, holding a box in front of her chest. At the sight of her, the crowd immediately gathered around her.

“Rayna, you and Mr. Faymon are husband and wife?”

“None of us knew that.”

Rayna tossed a glance at the big screen. Her complexion got paler and paler. She bit her lip lightly before explaining, “My husband said that office relationships are not allowed in the company, so we had never made our relationship public. It is true that my body could not satisfy him, but he could have just told me that he wanted a divorce. I can’t accept the fact that he cheated, so when I saw what happened in the hotel, I asked for a divorce. However, we’re still husband and wife, and we’re both working in Faymon Group. I wanted to protect his image, so I forbid the reporters to release the video. I can’t believe that the video is still leaked.”

As she spoke, her voice began to crack and the corners of her eyes began to redden. She even asked the people in charge to turn the screen off in case the higher-ups bore a bad impression on Julian.

“What does he mean by office relationships are not allowed? From the looks of it, your husband was just planning to use that as an excuse to flirt around!”

“Men like him are disgusting!”

Whether someone was single or married, everyone had immense hatred for the person who broke relationships up. From the video, Meredith was beyond arrogant. Julian even threatened to hit Rayna.

“Yeah. Ms. Jones is too arrogant” Jessica interrupted in a pitiful manner. “I’m new here, and I’ve only spoken up for Rayna, saying that no one has the right to interfere in another department’s affairs. Who would have thought that Ms. Jones would fire me over such matters?”

Jessica was not lying. Meredith did point a finger at her and asked her to get out. Jessica’s small frame made her look tiny. She was holding a small pot of plants in her hand, making her look as pitiful as she wanted to be.

The employees of Faymon Group got even more furious.

It was not the first time Meredith bullied an employee. Everyone had witnessed it happening before.

“Why are you the one who’s leaving, Rayna? It’s Meredith who should go!” someone spoke out from amidst the crowd, followed by echoes of agreement. The people’s voices grew louder and louder.

“Thank you, everyone. Really.” Rayna smiled warmly.

Rayna had arranged all that. All she had to do then was wait for Meredith to strike. Since Meredith wanted to destroy her reputation, Rayna would first let Meredith have a taste of her own medicine.

“Rayna Garland!”

Out of the blue, Meredith’s shrill scream filled the room. Within seconds, Meredith showed up and forced herself through the crowd before charging at Rayna. Her furious gaze looked as though she wanted to swallow Rayna whole.

“Julian’s accident and this video are all your doings, aren’t they?” Meredith hollered at Rayna, raising her hand to slap the latter.

But how would Rayna allow herself to be slapped?

Rayna lifted a hand and easily caught Meredith’s hand mid-air as she tried to conceal her anger. “Meredith, you’ve stolen my husband from me. I’ve had enough of you! What else do you want? Julian and I are still husband and wife. His reputation is going to be tied to mine. Do you think I would be dumb enough to release such a video, putting me in such a humiliating position?”

Meredith chuckled drily before barring her teeth. “Would you not have done so? You can’t fool me, Rayna. I know you’ve been waiting to take your revenge on Julian and me. You’re the one who planned all of these!”

Ever since she woke up with Dylan by her side, Meredith realized that Rayna was not as naïve as she seemed. She had totally underestimated Rayna, but never would she have imagined that Rayna even

had connections with the reporters.

She thought that everything would be fine as long as she could come up with an excuse to kick Rayna out of Faymon Group. To her dismay, Rayna had been one step ahead of her and had asked the reporters to release the video in the news. Everyone would have known that she was a mistress by then.

Meredith wanted nothing more than to rip Rayna to shreds.

Seeing that people around her were whispering and giving herself sideway glances, Meredith stepped forward to grab Rayna’s arm and yanked her forward. “Everyone, listen up. After Rayna married Julian, she has been lying to him, saying that she has a sexual disorder and forbidding Julian from touching her. The relationship between the both of them had ended a long time ago. I know I have been wrong. I should have waited for them to divorce each other before I make a move on Julian, no matter how much I like him. However, does that mean Rayna is a saint?”

Meredith turned to glance at Rayna before loosening her grip. From her pocket, Meredith took out a stack of photos before throwing them into the air. One by one, the photos fell onto the floor.

Rayna lowered her head to look at the photos by her feet before widening her eyes in surprise.

The photos depicted her drunk in the bar and being carried away by Curtis to a hotel in multiple scenes. Even though the photos were taken in secret, they clearly showed her face. There was no way she could deny what had happened.

Didn’t Gabriel wipe away every trace of that night? Why would photos like these get leaked?

Afraid that Curtis would be caught in the frame, Rayna felt her heart in her throat as she scanned the photos on the ground one by one. After confirming that all the photos only consisted of his silhouette, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

The crowd had begun discussing. Seeing their reaction to the photos, Meredith knew she had hit a jackpot.

Half an hour ago, her assistant handed her a mail. When she opened it, she saw the photos inside. Even though she had no idea who had sent those to her, the person had done her a huge favor.

At that moment, Meredith regained her confidence. She continued pressing on the matter. “Rayna, you said that you have a sexual disorder. How do you explain these photos? Don’t tell me the guy is your best friend and was just sending you to the hotel!”

Rayna glanced at the photos on the ground. After a moment of silence, she said, “He’s someone I met at the bar.”

Rayna had not anticipated the turn of events just as it was all going to be over.

Where did Meredith get her hands on these photos?

“Julian said that you’re a good and meek wife, yet you’ve gone to a bar?” Meredith tutted and raised her voice. “Not only so, but you were also taken to a hotel by a man you’ve met at the bar. I think your intentions are plain

Chapter 30 Uncle Curtis Lends A Helping Hand

The people around them started to hesitate as well. They no longer knew whose side to be on.

Even though Meredith was in the wrong for being with Julian, Rayna was not innocent either if she had slept around with men she met in a bar.

Just then, the screen lit up again after being dormant for a long while.

It was the scene where Rayna had gone to the hotel room to catch them in action. However, Meredith’s and Julian’s voices could be heard.

Meredith’s voice sounded from the video. “We’ll wait until her director’s birthday, and then we’ll get her drunk and find someone to send her to the hotel. She’ll have no way to escape. When that happens, she’ll be too ashamed to remain in Faymon Group.”

Julian praised, “Honey, you’re so smart to have come up with such a meticulous plan. You’re indeed my darling girl.”

“Of course. I’m just waiting for you two to get a divorce,” Meredith replied smugly.

The few sentences from the voice recording were enough to render everyone speechless.

Meredith was stunned as well. She did not expect Rayna to record what they said as well. The voice recording put her in a more difficult position than the video earlier; it had gotten Rayna off the hook.

“That’s not real! The voice recording has been edited!” Meredith explained in a panicked voice. “H-How would I say something like that? I didn’t say that!”

Someone huffed from among the crowd. “Ms. Jones, do you take us as fools? We can tell if the recording has been edited. You’re such a vile person! Not only did you steal Rayna’s husband, but you even plan to destroy her reputation!”

“Yeah! I’m guessing that the photos are the ones that are edited!”

“It’s Rayna who has set up this stage! She’s the one who wants to harm me!” No matter how much Meredith tried to explain, no one believed her anymore.

Meredith was on the brink of losing her mind.

She had thought that she was smart. Imagine her despair when she learned that she had lost to Rayna.

Meredith turned around only to see Rayna smiling at her. It was as though Rayna was amused by her incompetence. Losing all sense of control, Meredith shrieked and pounced at Rayna.

“Rayna, you b*tch!”

Meredith charged at Rayna at full speed. Just as her nails were about to scratch Rayna’s skin, the latter took a few steps backward. Unfortunately, Rayna was wearing heels. As she avoided contact with Meredith, she lost her footing and twisted her ankle slightly. Her brows immediately drew together from the pain. Next thing she knew, her back was supported by a large hand.

A chilling aura behind her made her body tense. Turning her head around, she saw Curtis. The man had appeared out of nowhere and supported her, preventing her from falling.

“U-Ah! Mr. Faymon!” Rayna managed to stop herself from calling Curtis “Uncle Curtis” just in time. Gritting her teeth out of pain, she distanced herself from him.

There were people surrounding them. If they saw any form of intimacy between the two of them, the rumors would begin to fly again.

Curtis lowered his hand naturally and acted as though he had never seen Rayna before. At the sight of the scene in front of him, he frowned as his expression darkened. An intimidating aura exuded from his presence.

“What’s with this commotion in the office?”

The moment he spoke, the crowd immediately vanished. Everyone quickly realized Curtis had shown up.

Odd. Isn’t Mr. Faymon only in charge of the affairs of the companies overseas? Even if he does return to the country, doesn’t he almost never show up to the office?

However, no one dared to ask aloud the questions in their minds. Instead, everyone bowed their heads respectfully as a greeting.

“M-Mr. Faymon.” Meredith was beginning to feel anxious as well. She had not expected that Curtis would show up. It was common knowledge that Curtis disliked employees who caused a scene. From the looks of it, Meredith had dug herself into a deep hole.

Curtis placed his hand into his pocket and scanned the crowd with an icy gaze. “What’s going on?” he inquired in a deep voice. “Why was everyone standing around in the lobby instead of working? Especially you, Ms. Jones.”

Meredith paled instantly upon hearing her name being called out.

Clenching her teeth, Meredith pointed a finger at Rayna. “Mr. Faymon, Rayna claimed that she has a sexual disorder and forbids her husband from touching her. She then proceeded to sleep around with

men she met in bars. Not only so, but she also edited a voice recording to make me look bad!”

“You’ve gone out of line, Ms. Jones!” Jessica stepped forward and defended Rayna. “You as a mistress are teaming up with Rayna’s husband to hurt her, and you claim that the opposite is true? We heard the voice recording loud and clear. We’re not deaf, Ms. Jones!”

Curtis frowned. It was as though he was trying to figure out who was telling the truth. Just then, he noticed the photos by his feet. It only took him one glance to tell that it was his silhouette in the photos.

He immediately tossed a glance at Gabriel, who was standing by his side. His gaze darkened.

“I was sure that there weren’t any reporters that night. I don’t know where these photos come from,” Gabriel explained in a low whisper. “I shall investigate this matter and report my findings to you as soon as possible, Mr. Faymon.”

Right that second, the LED screen replayed the voice recording between Meredith and Julian.

Once Curtis had heard the recording, the frown on his face grew deeper as he turned to look at Meredith. “Ms. Jones, please explain yourself.”

“M-Mr. Faymon. I-” Meredith stammered.

Just then, Henry Sullivan, the director of the HR department, squeezed through the crowd. At the sight of Curtis, he widened his eyes. “Mr. Faymon. What are you doing in the office?”

“There’s something I had to do.” When Curtis saw Henry panting heavily, he asked, “What’s wrong, Mr. Sullivan?”

Henry wiped a handful of sweat away from his forehead and swallowed before he answered, “So, the designer that Faymon Group has hired from a renowned school has left. I’m looking for her right now.”

“Are you talking about me?” Jessica appeared.

“Ms. Marsh, you’re still here!” Henry let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Jessica. “That’s great news. If you’re unsatisfied with the treatment by our company, I’m sure we can discuss it.”

“Oh, no. I’m very satisfied with how I’m treated by the company. It was Ms. Jones who fired me.” Jessica jutted out her lower lip as she still held the pot of plant in her hand. “Rayna had gone to the planning department to look for Ms. Jones and told her that she did not take any bribe for herself, but Ms. Jones did not believe her. Even though I’m new to Faymon Group, I have read the staff rules and am now well-versed in them. I told Ms. Jones that it’s against the rules for a supervisor to interfere in another department’s affairs. I never thought that it would enrage her instead.”

“That was wrong of you, Ms. Jones.” Henry tossed Meredith a displeased look. “If an issue arises with an employee from the translation department, it’s Mr. Lawson’s job to deal with it. Who gave you the right to intervene?”

Henry could hardly contain his fury.

It was a very rare occurrence that Faymon Group would take the initiative to hire someone. When they had planned to hire Jessica, the company had fought multiple competing companies. It took the HR department of Faymon Group a lot of effort to get Jessica to join the company.

Is Meredith stupid? She’s the manager of the planning department. Does she not know how hard it is to hire an excellent designer? How could she abuse her power by firing the new recruit?

“T-That’s because Mr. Lawson wasn’t around, so I…” By then, Meredith was in full-blown panic mode. She had crawled her way up to the position she was in after much grueling. She could not risk being fired.

She would have to back down.

“It’s my fault. I apologize to Ms. Marsh.” Meredith bowed curtly at Jessica as an apology. She bowed even lower when it came to Curtis. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Faymon. I have been careless. Truth be told, when I found out that Julian was married, I did reject him. However, he kept pursuing me, telling me that his wife could not satisfy him. In the end, I caved in.”

Seeing Meredith putting on an act, Rayna could not help but be impressed by her immaculate tactics.

Meredith had admitted her faults when she knew that Curtis would investigate the matter. Not only so, but she had even gotten Julian to be the black sheep. Rayna snickered secretly as she wondered what Julian would think if he had heard what Meredith had said.

“Mr. Faymon, I’ve been with Faymon Group for so many years. You should be well aware of the contribution I have made.” Meredith was sobbing so hard that her make-up had been ruined. Her voice cracked as she said, “I’m willing to accept any form of punishment.”

“Go to the HR department and complete the termination procedure,” Curtis interrupted with a sunken expression.

“M-Mr. Faymon?” Meredith could not believe that Faymon Group would fire her over such matters. “I have given my all throughout the years of my service. Please—”

Curtis retorted, “So are you implying that the other employees have not given their all for the company?”