Chapter 3

As soon as the message went out, all my relatives in the family group immediately started asking if I was alright.

My Aunt Vivienne, ever sharp, sensed something was off.

[Bella, has that bastard of a man been bothering you? Tell your Aunt Vivienne, and I'll make him pay!]

I hesitated for a moment, then sent another message:

[Aunt Vivienne, can you help me investigate someone?]

Soon, I had all of Tiffany's information.

"She's a student Marcus sponsored in Upstate New York. After graduating, she started an internship at Davies Industries."

"The industry is buzzing with rumors that Tiffany is Marcus's little mistress. No one at company dinners dares to push drinks on her, and any company that tries to make things difficult for her ends up being forced into bankruptcy by Marcus."

Aunt Vivienne was furious on the phone, but I remained silent.

A year ago, Marcus religiously traveled to our branch office in Upstate New York every month, without fail.

Each time he returned, he'd bring me little trinkets that young women liked.

Back then, I thought he was finally becoming romantic.

Now, I realized the affair probably had a long trail of breadcrumbs, but I had simply trusted him too much.

A dull ache settled in my chest.

I suddenly wanted to know what kind of person Marcus was so captivated by.

I arrived at the company. He was still in a meeting.

Pushing open his office door, I saw a young woman sitting in his executive chair, focused intently on decorating her workstation.

She was quite ordinary, with a high ponytail.

If there was anything striking about her, it was perhaps her youthful, vibrant aura.

The high-end executive chair and desk were covered in pink stickers.

Everywhere I looked, there were plush toys, and nestled among them was a mischievously handwritten card:

[No zoning out at work, I'm watching you~]

Marcus was a man who was extremely particular about his personal space, almost a control freak about his environment.

The last time an employee touched his belongings without permission, they were fired on the spot.

But these stickers were already yellowing and peeling at the edges, clearly having been there for a long time.

My expression hardened. Tiffany saw me, and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes as she stood up.

"Everyone outside is working diligently. Who told you to do all this during work hours? Are you getting paid to do nothing?"

The moment I finished speaking, a crowd had gathered at the door, drawn by the commotion.

Tiffany's eyes immediately welled up.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Davies, I'll change it..."

Her voice was tinged with a sob. Marcus, hearing the commotion, suddenly appeared, stepping between us and blocking my view of her.

"She's just a young girl, a bit immature. She’s not worth your anger, Bella."

Then, he turned and said coldly,

"What are you still doing here? Can't you see you've upset my wife?"

At his words, Tiffany's tears instantly spilled over, and she spun around and rushed out.

Marcus's expression, however, didn't change. He gently touched my head, placating me.

"Don't worry, Bella. She's just a young girl, a bit immature. I'll talk to her later."

I subtly avoided his touch, then spoke slowly, deliberately, as if trying to provoke him.

"Marcus, dereliction of duty, according to company policy, is grounds for termination."

His face stiffened, and his eyes darkened.

"She's just an intern, trying to make her way here alone. Should we fire her for just this? That's not right."

"An intern who joined three months ago getting promoted three levels to the President's Secretary position? Is that 'right'? What about our employees who've been here for five years?"

I scoffed, speaking directly.

"I am the General Manager of this company. I have the right to fire an employee who makes mistakes."

Seeing my resolve, Marcus suddenly interrupted me.

"Arabella Davies, are you quite done making a scene!?"

His tone was harsh, and I froze for a moment.

Marcus rarely used my full name.

This was the first time in seven years of marriage.

And it was all because of another woman.