As I woke up early in the morning and did not have a good night’s sleep last night, I fell asleep in a daze the moment I lay on the bed.
I could vaguely feel that someone was beside my bed. As I was in a deep sleep, I thought that it was an illusion. However, even though some time had passed, I kept sensing that the shadow was still lurking nearby. It felt the same as sleep paralysis, which I had when I was younger.
Although I was so exhausted that I could barely open my eyes, I could still vaguely feel that someone was sitting beside the bed. Anxious and flustered, I was at a loss for what to do.
It was a huge struggle for me to finally wake up. By then, my forehead was already dripping with sweat. Yet, when I glanced around, there was no one sitting beside my bed. The entire room was empty.
It was probably because I was in a deep sleep. My body became very frail after my pregnancy, which was most likely the reason for this hallucination.
Still feeling light-headed, I went downstairs. The sky had already darkened by then. When the maid saw me walking down the stairs, she said, “Ma’am, your phone has been ringing a few times. I’m afraid that it’s about something urgent. Please take a look.”
When I returned earlier, I had casually left my bag downstairs. I quickly went to grab my phone after hearing that.
It was a call from Marcus. As I did not pick up his calls, he messaged me with the address of the restaurant for dinner.
By the time I arrived at the second floor of the Pavilion Restaurant, everyone was already present. Some teased when they saw me rushing in, “Our busy Ms. Stovall has finally arrived. Since you’re late, take three shots as a punishment!”
I laughed as I sat down beside Marcus and downed three shots.
After that, we chatted casually for the entire duration of the meal. I was sitting beside Marcus, and he kept placing food on my plate.
I was already used to his actions. Glancing over a few times, Richard smiled and commented, “Both of you really have the chemistry. If you aren’t married, Ms. Stovall, we’d think that you two are a couple.”
Although this was meant as a casual remark, Marcus and I were both stunned. I raised my head and said jokingly, “It’s because we’ve been working with each other for a long time. Please don’t misunderstand. My husband gets jealous very easily.”
A few people laughed out loud at this light-hearted remark.
However, Marcus’s expression was grim.
When I subconsciously grabbed my wine glass, he grabbed my hand and said in a deep voice, “You’ve drunk too much!”
Everyone at the table glanced over at both of us. Withdrawing my hand, I replied calmly, “Yeah, I’ve drunk too much.”
It felt uncomfortable to have everyone looking at me like I was a monkey in the circus. Furthermore, as Marcus was deliberately trying to make things difficult for me, I became even more uneasy.
As usual, he still placed food on my plate and stopped me from drinking. He even thoughtfully ordered a glass of warm water for me.
As the intentions of his actions were too obvious, everyone present there instantly understood.
I felt really uneasy. Yet, if I tried to clarify this situation, it would make things seem even more suspicious.
Suddenly, a message from Ashton popped up on my phone screen. What are you doing now?
Me: We’ve finished signing the contract, so I’m dining with them now.
Ashton: Did you drink?
Me: Yeah, but not a lot.
After a while, he instructed: Send me the address.
I pursed my lips. He was at K City, so it was impossible for him to fly over to pick me up. Hence, I answered: I’m at the Pavilion Restaurant. I’ll be going back soon.
My phone finally stopped vibrating. I placed it down, god up, and headed to the washroom. Since I had three shots earlier, I felt a bit dizzy.
Trying to sober up, I splashed some cold water on my face in the washroom. When I came out, I accidentally bumped into a waitress who was carrying some liquor.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” apologized the waitress profusely.
Slightly dizzy, I waved my hands and said dismissively, “It’s okay. Just be more careful.”
“Ms. Stovall!” A surprised voice sounded. Shocked, I raised my head and glanced at her.
It was none other than Stacey, who was wearing a wig and had heavy makeup applied on her face. Wearing an extremely short mini-skirt, she looked like a hostess in a nightclub.
I could not help but frown. It was a coincidence to meet her twice a day, but wasn’t this a bit odd? Hence, I asked, “What happened to you?”
She’s being abused in the morning and had to serve alcohol at night. How did she come to this?
Her head drooped as she whispered softly, “Mr. Fuller blacklisted me in J City’s human resources field. None of the real estate or technology companies is willing to recruit me. As I have to earn a living, I have no choice but to be a server here.”
I was confused. “Why would Ashton do that?” Although he was by no means a kind person, he would not target someone just like that.
She glanced at me before quickly lowering her head. “It’s because of my involvement with the AC Credit and HiTech scandal. I played a significant role in getting you fired by Fuller Corporation. I forged your signature for a lot of AC Credit’s documents.”
I actually knew about this. Back then, I was indeed extremely furious. However, as she had worked for me for two years, I merely gave her a harsh warning. She left Fuller Corporation afterward.
Never in a million years would I expect this to happen!
So, does Ashton know about it too?
After a short pause, I looked at her and reassured her, “It’s already in the past. I’ll go back and talk to Ashton. You’re a capable person, anyway. He might’ve done it out of fury, so I’ll clarify this matter with him quickly. Don’t work here anymore. Also, since Felix isn’t a good person, you should think of a way to leave him!”
