“Yonder Trading won’t just last five months. It’ll last five years or more. As long as I’m alive, Yonder Trading will survive,” Zach said while he looked at me. It was as if he was making a promise.This was an office, not a wedding. I did not need such dramatic declarations.I smiled and took a sip of water. “Talk is cheap, Zach. You’ve been in business long enough to know that words don’t prove anything. But I’ll keep the contract. Once I’ve decided, I’ll let you know.”“Alright.” He placed his hands on the table but did not get up. Instead, he asked, “Want to have lunch together?”“I’m eating in the company cafeteria. If you don’t mind that, you can join me.”Most of the executives ate in the cafeteria unless they had appointments. I needed to get to know everyone better for them to accept me.“Sure,” Zach said without hesitation.When we entered the cafeteria at lunch hour, everyone stared at us.The cafeteria had two sections: one for regular employees and one for executiv
“I trust you.” He gave me another piece of pork rib. “The food in your cafeteria is delicious. I wonder if I can come here often for lunch?”“You can. Just mention my name.”Zach left after lunch, and I went back to my office to rest. There was a couch in the office, so I could take a comfortable nap.As I passed the staff lounge, I overheard several women talking about me and Zach.“Ms. Freeman is such a love-struck fool. After Zach hurt her like that, she still brought him to the office on her first day.”“Yeah. How could she be the acting chairman? I don’t know what Mr. Freeman was thinking.”“She’s lucky to be born with everything handed to her. She’s the heiress to Freeman Corporation.”“If she runs the company, it’ll probably be called Gordon Corporation in a few years.”“After the Gordon family kicked him out and Cecilia cheated on him, Zach is now clinging to Ms. Freeman.”“He’s not only clinging, but he’s also using her as a rebound.”“Hahaha. Neither of them is an
Nathan Sullivan was a bit chubby and short. He was not even as tall as my bookshelf. His hair was also messy, like a dog had licked it. Even flies would not land on it.He stood before my desk and adjusted his glasses. “What’s up, Cassia?”I noticed that he called me by my first name instead of “Ms. Freeman.” That meant he did not respect my position as acting chairman.I stared at him in silence until he started to feel uncomfortable.He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Cass…”Then, he stopped and quickly corrected himself. “Ms. Freeman.”“Is your computer broken?” I asked out of the blue, and he was confused.“Huh?”“If your computer isn’t broken, check the project application I just submitted in the system.”“Ms. Freeman, I don’t think Yonder Trading is the best choice—”“I don’t need your opinion on contracts over ten million.” I interrupted him.A department manager should not be able to question my decisions. They saw me as someone with no authority.He was sho
“I don’t discuss business after work.”“We don’t have any personal stuff to talk about.”He made it sound like I wanted to talk about personal matters with him. I could not care less about his problems.“I’m hanging up, then,” I said.“I’ll drop by Freeman Corporation tomorrow morning to see you.” Then, he hung up.‘That jerk.’ My heart was racing with anger.He treated Sophie terribly but acted as if nothing ever happened. Even if he had no feelings for her, what was wrong with talking sincerely with her?Was it so hard to thank Sophie for all the care she had given him?Cameron Hill was a big opportunity, so everyone with power wanted a piece of it.If Freeman Corporation had teamed up with Jenkins Corporation to acquire Cameron Hill, it could have become a top project. However, Gordon Corporation had acquired it, and it had been sitting idle for almost six months. If the approval for the project expired before any progress was made, the hill would be viewed as abandoned. As
She was confident and easygoing. Before I could say anything, Oliver blurted out, “Do you even know where we’re going? What if it’s not on the way?”He was being very rude to her.I smiled and said, “Sure, get in.”I did not care if it was convenient or not. I would take her wherever she needed to go.Oliver looked annoyed, but I nudged him. “Move over.”The girl got in and sat across from me. She was wearing skinny jeans that showed off her long legs. I could also smell a light fruity perfume on her.She was gorgeous and the kind of girl you would call the queen on campus. She was bold and impossible to miss.I could not tell if her double eyelids were natural or not, but they looked perfect.She smiled and said, “I’m Mabel Wilton. I’ve seen you in magazines. You’re even prettier in person.”I knew that I looked good, and she sounded genuine. “Thanks. Where are you going?” I said.“Just drop me off at the subway station ahead.”“We can take you wherever you need to go.”“O
“She likes Oliver. It’s so obvious that I could tell without looking.”“You don’t use your eyes anymore?” I shot back in annoyance. “Whatever. We’re already here.”“Girls these days are sneaky. Just look at Cecilia.”“Don’t mention her.”When we got back to the table, Mabel was trying to chat with Oliver. However, he was busy on his phone.As I approached, he immediately put his phone down and helped me into my chair. “Cassia, I ordered a carbonara and a bruschetta. Do you want anything else?”“You decide. Just ask Ms. Wilton if she wants something.”“Just call me Mabel,” she said warmly. “Can I call you Cassia?”“Sure.”While we waited for our food, Mabel’s phone kept ringing. She would glance at it and quickly decline the calls.Looking a little flustered, she said, “Sorry about that. I’ll turn it off.”She did not even have to explain. I was pretty sure it was that rich guy calling. Sophie leaned over and whispered, “That guy’s either not as good-looking as Oliver or not
Julian was acting crazy again. Even though Wilson Corporation was struggling, he was still out here spending money like it was nothing. He wasted so much money. I also noticed Mabel looking at him with mockery and disdain.She probably knew about the Wilson family’s situation. That was why she rejected his advances.She was not stupid. She seemed to have a good sense of what was coming.I observed Julian quietly while Sophie smiled and said to the manager, “This guy is the president of Wilson Corporation, and he’s worth a fortune. A small restaurant like yours isn’t even a challenge for him. You should get your boss here. Mr. Wilson will buy this place for double the price.”The manager was shocked. Getting a big ego boost from Sophie’s words, Julian pointed at the manager and said, “Get your boss. I’m buying this restaurant, and you can kick these people out.”“We’ll wait.” Sophie sat down to continue eating. “Once you buy it, you can ask us to leave.”“Sophie, are you trying
Her eyes shifted toward Oliver, who was looking elsewhere.It was obvious to Mabel that he was not interested in her.She was contemplating on whether to stay with Julian, who was spending a lot of money, or keep trying with the cold Oliver.Clearly, she would never catch Oliver’s attention, but it was still possible with Julian.She looked at me and tried to speak. I understood immediately and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s your choice. We’re leaving.”Julian was feeling proud of himself, and he shouted after us as we walked out, “You all saw it. This restaurant will never let the Freeman family in again. Put up a sign saying the Freeman family and dogs aren’t allowed!”I could not be bothered with what he said. It did not affect us.As we reached the door, we saw Cecilia rush out of her car in anger.She was surprised to see us, and she said, “What are you doing here, Cassia?”I did not feel like talking, and she did not have time for a conversation either.She barely gl
Sophie knocked on my door the next day around 7 a.m.I only managed to fall asleep at about 2 a.m., so I had a bad headache. I sat on the bed as she ran over excitedly and asked, “Are you busy this morning?” “Go away.” I lay down again. “Come to the city hall with me. I’m getting married!”“Why do you need me there? Am I going to breastfeed you?”“You don’t have milk right now.” I was disgusted by our conversation. Rachel sat up from the bed and asked, “Why are you going to the city hall?”“To get married.”“Shouldn’t you be going to a church for that? There’s supposed to be a priest with a bible that asks if you’re willing to marry this person next to you regardless of… something?”“That’s a religious wedding. Besides, it has to be lawful. What we’re doing today is the legal side of things.” Sophie carried Rachel up from the bed. “Do you want to be a witness to our marriage?” “Yay, sure!” Rachel immediately beamed and agreed. “I want to be the priest who holds the bibl
Cecilia had no shame at all. I would be speechless if this worked on Zach. After a while, she walked out dejectedly with her flowers. It seemed like she did not even manage to enter his office. She stood there in annoyance for a while before she suddenly looked over in my direction. I could see her, but she might not be able to see me. I was on a high floor, and the sun was blinding. Right then, Hailey gave me a call. I knew that she wanted to rant about Cecilia. Sure enough, Hailey started to complain, “Ms. Freeman, Cecilia is really shameless. I’ve never seen such a shameless woman. When Mr. Gordon was cut off from Gordon Corporation, she abandoned him immediately. Now that she knows he’s going to be Gordon Corporation’s acting CEO, she instantly starts visiting him again. I really can’t stand her.” “Hasn’t she always been like this?” I was unfazed. “Fortunately, Mr. Gordon is not willing to see her.” Hailey sounded relieved. “Do you really think he won’t see her fo
I looked at Austin’s pale face, and I was at a loss for words. His argument was reasonable, and I had no way to refute it. I was upset, but I could not cry. I felt a heavy feeling in my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. He looked at me and suddenly smiled. “Look at your face. Have I ever said that I liked Sophie? I don’t like girls like her. I prefer girls like you who are smart, beautiful, and decisive. Why don’t you marry me after you give birth to your babies?”I did not want to joke around with him. It was not funny.After that, Lucy exited the bridal shop and got into the backseat of the car. I stood in front of the bridal shop and watched as his car disappeared into the corner. “Cassia,” Sophie called out to me. I turned around. “What?”“Whose side are you on? I realize you’ve been extra nice to Austin recently. Have you forgotten that he’s a jerk?”“Watch your mouth.”I got into my car unhappily. “I’ll make a move first.”“Aren’t we having dinner together to
I knew that he was looking at the photos of him and Sophie in her wedding gown. Perhaps this would be the only time in his entire life that he could stand next to Sophie while she was dressed in a wedding gown. I felt the waterworks coming. When I tried to look for tissue papers in my bag, Zach called me. He sounded a bit excited. “Cassia, there’s this person overseas who has the same blood type as Austin. He has ALS, which is a fatal motor neuron disease. His family has already signed an organ donation form for him, and his condition recently worsened. He may pass in a month’s time, so I got in contact with them. His family has agreed to donate his heart to Austin.” “Really?” It was good news, and I almost leaped in joy. I glanced at Austin excitedly. He was staring intently at his phone, so he did not notice me. “Does Austin have to leave immediately?”“It’s still early. We can leave when the donor’s condition worsens.” I estimated the time. Zach said that it would ta
Sophie could easily start a fight wherever she went. I immediately went over and saw that Austin’s forehead had turned red. It seemed to be getting swollen. I kicked Sophie in anger. “Is there something wrong with you? What are you doing?” “Why did you kick me? Didn’t you hear what he just said?”Austin bent down and picked up Sophie’s phone for her. “Luckily, your phone screen isn’t cracked. It’s fine if my skull is cracked; it can heal.” Sophie took her phone, and it immediately unlocked due to face ID. Her wallpaper was a photo of Kingston and her. She had just changed the wallpaper yesterday. It used to be a photo of me and her. Austin was the one who had taken that photo. Even though Austin was not directly in the photo, it felt like it was a photo of the three of us. He must have noticed it. He smiled and said, “I’ll make a move. Tell Lucy I’ll be waiting for her in the car.” Austin walked out of the bridal shop, and Sophie looked dispirited. “I was quite happy, bu
“You’re getting married too?”“I’ll be your best man or maid of honor. What? You’re too cheap to pay for the outfits?”“You, my best man?”“Look around you. Are there any single people left?”Sophie rolled her eyes. “Hah, I wasn’t planning on inviting you.”Kingston tried to shake Austin’s hand, but Austin ignored him. Sophie got mad and pulled Kingston away. “Don’t pay attention to him. He thinks he’s too good for anyone. He’s crazy.”“Sophie,” I warned.“What? He’s always acting crazy!” she yelled.I was not sure if Austin really wanted to be Sophie’s best man, or if it was just an excuse to come here.Anyway, Austin went to change too. I could not tell the difference between the best man’s and groom’s outfits. However, the difference between the bridesmaid and bride was clear.While Sophie was posing in front of the mirror in her wedding dress, Austin came out of the fitting room.Austin was very thin, and the suit hung loosely on him, but it still looked good.He had a
Sophie’s wedding preparations were progressing quickly. She limped to work in the mornings and dragged me along in the afternoons to buy wedding stuff.I felt like the wedding was just an excuse for her to go shopping.“This afternoon, Kingston and I are trying on our wedding outfits. You should come too.”“It’s your wedding. Why should I come?”“To help me choose! I look good in everything, so it’s hard to pick.”“If it’s that hard, just buy them all. Aren’t you rich?”“Why are you so grouchy?” She leaned closer and observed me. “Cassia, are your hormones off balance?”“I’m pregnant, so everything’s a mess right now.”After some thought, I called Austin and told him, “Sophie’s trying on wedding dresses this afternoon.”“Okay,” he replied in his usual lifeless tone.“Aren’t you going to say anything to her?”“Don’t eat too much. The wedding dress will be a pain to alter.”I was so angry that I hung up. He was so stubborn. I was sure that he would regret it and cry later.M
Austin was the weakest among us when we were kids. He could not climb trees, run, or do anything physically demanding. Instead, he would play board games and puzzles with us.Sophie always thought that he was smart, and she admired him.I never imagined that someone I grew up with might die so soon.“You should leave,” he said weakly. “She should be done by now.”“Austin.” I wanted to say something more, but he turned his back to me.He did not want to listen, so I had no choice but to leave.As I reached the door, I heard him say, “Actually, this is a good thing.”Was he saying that Sophie marrying Kingston was a good thing?What was good about it?I felt like grabbing Sophie over. I wanted to point at the dying man in bed and say, “This guy loves you more than you know. He helped you test Kingston’s character. He thinks about you all the time. He comes to see you every night using his half-sister as an excuse, but he’s dying. He doesn’t want you to be sad, so he plans to die
“I just went for a checkup.” Austin walked over to me. “Why are you sweating so much?”He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me. Honestly, only Austin would still carry a handkerchief in his condition.I wiped my sweat. “I came with Sophie to get her cast off, and I thought I’d stop by to see you.”“Get her cast off? I thought that wasn’t until next month?”“She insisted on getting it off today. The doctor checked, and her bone is healing well, so it’s fine for her to take it off.”“When did she start caring so much about her looks?” Austin walked back to his room, and I followed him.He sat down and seemed a little out of breath. I had already asked the doctor about him. Austin could not engage in any physical activity; he could not even walk fast.I was about to pour him some water, but he waved me off. “Don’t bother. I’m not thirsty. How could I let you take care of me? I might be a patient, but you’re pregnant.”At least, he could still joke. If I were him