After going through all the formalities that required signatures and completing all related procedures, I passed the documents to Joe. Jared had entered the operating room.
Joe did not look pleased when I handed him the documents. “Scarlett, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Isn’t it clear?” I looked at him, eyebrows creased. “I’ve done everything I’m required to, so I don’t think I’m needed here anymore.”
“Is that how you perform your role as a wife?” Joe sneered. “Your husband is lying in there right now, and you’re here thinking of ways to stay far away. Is this how a wife should behave?”
The whole scene was hilarious. I looked at Rebecca, who was drowning in misery on one side, then turned to face Joe. I laughed. “I must say, I don’t know what other people’s wives would do when they find out their husband and his mistress have been involved in a car accident. But, in my case, the fact that I refused to delay Ashton’s operation is the greatest kindness I can give him. To be honest, if it weren’t for the sake of my unborn child, I’d rather not sign at all.”
“Scarlett, you’re a vile woman!” Rebecca cut in before Joe could respond.
I nodded, glaring at her twisted features. “Yes, I guess I’m quite vicious, but that’s not enough. I should have prayed for the two of you to die together in that car crash, like a pair of lovers.”
“Scarlett, don’t you have a heart?” Joe berated. He could not tolerate me cursing at his sweetheart.
“Apparently not!” Anything else I said would be taken as tongue-in-cheek. I regarded the operating room, with its lights on, then turned to leave the hospital.
It was three in the afternoon by the time I returned to the company. Stacey brought in AC’s documents and reported, “Ms. Stovall, AC’s audit has been revised, but Mr. Fuller is not in the office. Can you sign it?”
I looked up at her and, for a while, but said nothing. She got a little flustered by the staring and rushed to speak, “Ms. Stovall, this document is urgently needed. I don’t want to cause any delay at work, so…”
“Is Felix your boyfriend?” I spoke in a chilly tone.
Her face instantly paled. “Ms. Stovall, I…”
“Is he working at AC?” I added, eyeing her sharply.
For a moment, her hands clutching the document began to tremble, but she remained silent and merely bit her lip.
Eventually, I took my eyes off her and sighed, “Stacey, I like to think I’ve treated you fairly. From the day you joined the company until now, no matter what happens, the first thing on my mind has always been about getting the best possible offer for you.”
I went silent after that, leaving the rest unsaid. When she did not respond, I spoke some more, eyes fixed on her, “The Fuller Corporation’s audit is a big deal for both our companies. During this period, if anything happens to AC or the Fuller Corporation, the other AC is to blame.”
“Ms. Stovall, I…”
I did not give her a chance to talk as I continued, “Take the audit data back and review it once more. Make sure there are no errors before sending it to the president’s office to be finalized. Inform AC that collaboration is a long-term deal, not something that only lasts several days. Of course, if the matter is only between you and AC, then we have a solution, and I’ll leave that to you. Don’t allow the problem to escalate to the point where the leaders of the two companies have to sit down and talk it over.”
After I was finished, I asked her to leave. I was not dumb. I knew nothing about auditing. Ashton spotted a problem.
He did not blame me directly but instead approached Joe, indicating that this matter mostly had to do with Joe. Deception and framing one another in the workplace were common occurrences.
Besides, Joe never really saw eye to eye with me. If he wanted to throw a wrench in the works and eventually cook up some problems to kick me out of the company, it would not be difficult.
Stacey was my employee. I leave most of the tasks to her. If she were to act a little selfishly and side with him, I would have to leave the company sooner or later.
I was familiar with Stacey’s character. She could be moved only by matters of the heart. Other ways would prove difficult.
It was both a surprise and a coincidence to come across Felix that day. I connected the dots, threw in Stacey’s personality to the equation, and basically had the whole story figured out.
I did not have much to do anyway, and I was feeling a little depressed as well, so there was no use staying at the company. I gathered my things and prepared to leave.
Before I could do that, Nick, who had changed into a formal suit, appeared at the door. With his arms folded, his eyes landed on me, “Let’s have dinner together!”
I frowned. “I don’t want to!”
“We can go for something grand. How about a barbeque?” He said as he walked in and grabbed the car keys on my desk. “Going in my car would attract too much attention. We need to keep a low profile, so let’s take yours.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Where?”
With a cheerful grin, he said, “Just come with me.”
I did not really want to go, but I felt a tightness in my chest just thinking about Ashton and Rebecca, so I might as well grab a bite to eat.
I did not expect Nick to take me to such a humble part of town. He drove into a small, dark lane that seemed to have become worn down over time.
The shady walls covered in poincianas looked absolutely stunning against the backdrop of the setting sun.
