I slumped onto the couch when I got home. I was exhausted as I gazed at the ceiling, thinking I was wrong to assume everything would go smoothly after divorcing Matthew. Despite my efforts to move forward, I felt trapped.I didn’t know what Matthew and his “allies” aimed for. Beside them, it seemed an unseen force was pushing me to move. I doubted whether my previous decisions were correct.It was good for the company to have projects, but I also felt tied down. I couldn’t turn back, even if it meant facing tremendous challenges.My mom must’ve heard me and realized I hadn’t returned to my room, so she quietly came downstairs. Her heart ached when she saw me looking so tired. She sat beside me, saying, “You look exhausted.”I smiled bitterly and nodded. "Yeah. Mom, why do we have to grow up?" I asked softly.My mom stroked my hair gently. "It’s a long journey, and you must learn to stop and smell the roses.”“Tanum is my dream and the result of my hard work. Although it’s undergo
I could only hear Atlas’s breath on the other end. Finally, he said, “You’ve been causing trouble for me for a long time now. What should we do about it?”I tensed up and tightened my grip on the phone. Atlas’s words caught me off guard, and I asked, “W-What do you mean?”"You should give yourself to me," he said playfully.I found him ridiculous. We were discussing something serious, yet he started joking with me.“Y-You’re…” I wanted to refute but switched to a more severe matter instead, “Did my contract affect your career? If that’s the case, I’d rather not take it.”"It's too late," he said, "So, you only have one option, and that is not to disappoint everyone's expectations."My body trembled as I gulped. After a while, Atlas whispered, "Are you asleep? Do you want to see me?"My mind went blank, and a longing surged within me. However, I restrained my impulses and changed the subject, “You’re going on a business trip tomorrow, and it’s too late now…”I couldn’t continue.
On the way to the office, I went through all of Tanum Corporation’s employees in my mind. I didn’t believe I had made a mistake keeping a traitor in the company. After all, those who stayed had a history with me.I wondered who among them would conspire with Matthew. Indeed, he was cunning as he played this endless game with me.When I reached my office, I called Atlas. I wanted to confirm Johnson’s information, but Atlas had already turned off his phone. It seemed he was already on the plane. It was just as Johnson said. Those suppliers were causing a commotion.Meanwhile, I stayed behind to manage the company while Ryan negotiated with those suppliers. It gave us an advantage since Matthew was observing me, not Ryan.Ryan left with the information I had provided, and only I knew his whereabouts. Not even Carol knew.There were unfinished projects when I took over Tanum Corporation besides the ones Matthew moved. These suppliers caused a commotion about those projects, demanding
"That’s fine! Let’s plan something once you’re back," I said.As I was about to end the call, she asked, “Ms. Chloe, haven’t you heard? ATL Empire is about to change ownership.”“What?” I asked, my heart racing. “Change ownership?”Stella chuckled and said, “Let’s discuss it later when I’m back. It won’t be long now! Goodbye!”She hung up, leaving me puzzled.What did she mean by that? Change of ownership? It was a serious matter. A conglomerate the size of ATL Empire, and they were changing ownership so quickly?My knowledge of ATL Empire was clearly limited. It suddenly made sense why Atlas had rushed off and told me to wait for his return before handling things.Then, I realized the meaning behind Stella’s question. She must have thought the call was an attempt to pry information from her.Just as I was about to call Ivanna, Lauren Burton called. It was a name I had nearly forgotten.I answered the call. “Hello, Ms. Burton!”“Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you a
I looked at Lauren, trying to gauge her thoughts. She had no doubt about the accuracy of this information."We might not be able to touch Echelon Group, but Matthew is another story." Lauren smirked. “Your divorce is driving him crazy. Can he bear to watch you gracefully move on? If he gains power, the first person he'll crush is you!""You're absolutely right. He's already causing chaos with suppliers, leaving me no peace," I sighed."So, are you just going to let him get away with it? Is there still hope for Tanum Corporation?" Lauren looked at me intently. "Whether or not you consider me your friend, when it comes to Matthew, I'm on your side."I lightly patted her hand. "Thank you!"However, revealing my background and details of Tanum Corporation wasn't appropriate, so I only said, "I won't let Tanum Corporation crumble under my watch!" Then I asked, "What's going on with the ATL Empire? Why all the upheaval?" She was as savvy as any businessman and had a keen understandi
I kept my cool and looked at Josh. “How has it been these past two days?”“Hey, don’t even get me started. These guys are no pushovers. They look at every detail, and I have worn out my mouth trying to explain that these are Matthew’s accounts. They kept bugging me, saying they only deal with Tanum Corporation!”“You’ve worked hard, Mr. Josh,” I said, appearing to trust him. “Any ideas on how we can make them see reason?”“Ms. Chloe, if you ask me, Matthew’s not a real man. He should accept the court’s decision. What’s the point of all this?” Josh shook his head. “We should focus on our negotiations with suppliers. You need a plan because the project is about to start!”“Yes, you’re right. In the worst-case scenario, we can subcontract the project on hand. It might mean earning less, but it’s a safer bet,” I said, looking at him helplessly. “Do you have any suitable candidates?”Upon hearing my decision, Josh feigned regret. “Are you set on this?”“What choice do I have? If Matth
The phone call was from Ava’s teacher, informing me that Ava’s father had picked her up. It threw me off. Why on earth would Matthew suddenly decide to pick up Ava?I hurriedly dialed Matthew’s number. The once familiar digits now felt strange and cold. It rang for a long time before he answered, his voice filled with tenderness. “Honey!”I was furious. “Matthew, what are you doing? Who asked you to pick Ava up?”“Honey, calm down. I just missed our little girl. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and I couldn’t wait any longer!” His words sent shivers down my spine. Although he talked sweetly, there was a hidden menace to it.Could he really miss our daughter?“I’ve told you, don’t call me that. It disgusts me. Where are you?” My eyes were red with anger, and I shouted into the phone.“It’s out of habit. You’ll always be my wife. That won’t change in this lifetime!” His tone was gentle, and I was sure it was deliberate. He said, “Relax, I’m at Snow World.”After hanging up
Ava leaned into my arms, clutching me tightly. She looked at him, forgetting to continue eating."Chlo, do not be so hostile to me! I never meant to hurt you. Isn’t it wonderful, the three of us together?" He shamelessly declared, "Have you noticed Ava's change? She’s not as chatty as she used to be."He looked as if he were questioning me, as if it were all my fault."Can't you compromise for the sake of our child? ATL Empire has changed hands. Your support is gone. Do you still want to persist?" Triumph filled his eyes.My heart churned. I clenched the small spoon in my hand and looked at him. "What then?"Ava's little hand tightened around mine. She was afraid that we’d start arguing. I let go of the spoon, embracing her tightly. I reached out to stroke her head. "Mommy's here!""Let’s go back to how things were. You can live in the house, and I won't take your money. But you must send your parents back, and I expect you to be home on time. I want to be with you and our child!