Chapter 5

This morning, Claire received a rejection during a job interview at a large company.

Claire desperately needed a more promising job for her household expenses with Alex.

Now she went to the hospital to see her mother.

But when she arrived at the ICU room where her mother was supposed to be, Claire was surprised to see that it was empty.

"Sorry, Miss Claire. We've moved your mother to another room. Your mother will be moved back to the ICU when her hospital bill is paid."

"What does that mean? So my dad didn't come to the hospital to pay the bill?" Claire asked.

The nurse shook her head. She left Claire stunned and limping.

Shit! Obviously, her father had lied to her.

Claire felt that she was being used to marry Alex too late, while her own father didn't keep his promise.

Feeling lied to, Claire immediately went to her father's house and entered without permission.

Her arrival surprised Graham, Nancy, and Alice, who were gathered on the sofa in the living room.

"You never learned any manners. How can you enter someone else's house without permission?" Nancy asked sarcastically.

But Claire ignored her. She went straight to Graham with the hospital bill.

"I came here to collect your promise. I married Alexander Knight to replace Alice, but why didn't you keep your promise to pay my mother's medical bills?" Claire's hand put the paper down on the table with a jerk.

Graham's eyes remained glued to the paper.

"Don't expect us to give you the money, Claire. We're not spending a cent on your mother." Nancy smiled broadly with a satisfied face.

Claire's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm just collecting my rights. The money is already mine because you promised it to me," Claire insisted.

"Dad said he would give me the money if I married Alex."

"I've changed my mind. I'm not giving you the money," Graham said, making Claire's eyes widen.

Alice and Nancy both broadened their smiles.

"Your marriage to Alex is only to fulfill my promise to Alex's biological father. But what do I get after you get married? Alex is just a trashy guy who won't be of any use to me, so it's a big loss if I give 80 thousand dollars just to make up for your marriage," Graham grumbled with an innocent look on his face.

"My poor stepsister, you heard it yourself, right? Daddy's not giving you any money, so get out of this house!" Alice shoved Claire's shoulder roughly.

Claire's body took a step back.

Just then, Noah arrived and was surprised to see Claire's presence.

"Honey, what's going on?" Noah asked Alice.

"As usual. She wants to beg my family for money," Alice replied, holding up her hands.

"I'm not begging, I'm just asking for your promise!"

"I told you, you won't get a penny! Stop begging my family. You'd better go home and lament your fate after marrying that useless man," Nancy teased, to laughter from Noah and Alice.

Claire felt a burning in her chest. Her father's family had humiliated her.

How could they break the promise they had made and then call her a beggar?

"I feel so sorry for you, Claire. Your husband can't even take you on a honeymoon or buy you decent clothes. You're so unlucky." Nancy laughed dismissively.

Then Nancy stood beside Alice and hugged her daughter with a proud face.

"Look at Alice! She's going to marry Noah soon. Noah has arranged a lavish wedding for my daughter. And today, Noah has just been officially appointed CEO of the Sanders Company. Noah is the perfect future husband. He's not only handsome, he's wealthy. And Alex? What has he got?" Nancy continued with a mocking laugh.

"Your husband must be unemployed. By the way, a friend of mine needs a toilet cleaner. You can tell your husband, who knows if he can get a job there," Nancy added.

Claire was tired of Nancy's insults.

She turned her attention to Noah. "Now that your father has made you CEO?"

Noah nodded proudly. "That's right. You must be disappointed that I became CEO when we broke up?"

Claire shook her head. "Not at all. I don't regret breaking up with you. I just wanted to remind you of what you owed me. You said you would pay me back the fifty thousand dollars you owe me as soon as you became CEO."

"Take it easy, Claire. Fifty thousand dollars is very little to me. I'll pay it right now. But... when you kneel at Alice's feet," Noah said with a grin.

Suddenly Claire's eyes widened. Meanwhile, Nancy and Alice's faces were smiling with satisfaction.

"Why the silence, Claire? You really need that fifty thousand dollars, don't you? So hurry up and kneel down at Alice's feet!"

Noah gave another order.

"In your dreams!" Claire snapped back.

She turned Noah's face into a grim expression. "Why are you so arrogant? How hard is it to get down on your knees and humiliate yourself in front of my girlfriend?"

"As your foolish ex-girlfriend who loved you for a while, I've decided to consider your debt paid. Consider it a donation from me." Noah's face immediately turned dark after hearing Claire's insult.

"Claire, you're saying this because you can't accept that I broke up with you, right? You're bothering Alice's family because you're angry that I broke off my marriage and married that poor guy instead?" asked Noah, grabbing Claire's right arm and holding on tight.

Not accepting the touch, Claire immediately removed her hand from the man's grip.

"You are so wrong, breaking up with you was my greatest happiness! Now my eyes are wide open to see the truth of your nature. I'm not surprised why you chose Alice. Because a loser and a slut go well together," Claire said, making everyone's eyes widen.

"What are you saying? Are you calling me a slut?!" Alice rose from her seat, her hand about to claw Claire's face.

But Noah quickly pulled her away and reassured her with a hug. "That's it, baby. Don't listen to her. She really went crazy after she broke up with me."

"I don't take offense to being called crazy by someone crazier than me," Claire retorted.

Noah's jaw dropped and his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Claire, you have tested the limits of my patience! Don't blame me if I make you pay for all your insults! Just so you know, my company is currently trying to establish a partnership with 'Golden Era Enterprise', the largest and richest company in New York. When our cooperation is established, I will make sure to bring you to your knees in front of all of us! I will turn you into a useless piece of trash," Noah threatened, then loosened his grip by hitting Claire's shoulders until she nearly fell.

Claire, who had had enough, just snorted indifferently and left. 

 "Noah, is what you just said true? Your company is going to cooperate with 'Golden Era Enterprise'?" asked Graham enthusiastically.

A confident smile spread across Noah's face as he replied. "Of course, Uncle. I wouldn't dare lie about it."

Alice and Nancy were all smiles. They looked proud of Noah.

"It is no mistake that I chose you to be Alice's partner. You are truly talented. Just yesterday you were appointed CEO, now you're going to work with Golden Era. Actually, even I don't think it's appropriate to dream of working with the richest company. Only elite and influential companies can work with Golden Era Enterprise."

"Noah is great, right, Dad? Not like Claire's lousy husband. He probably doesn't even understand business." Alice and Nancy laughed.

Graham nodded and patted Noah on the back. "Don't compare Noah with Claire's husband. They're obviously different. Noah has a brilliant career, while Claire's husband? Dad has never even heard of he having a job."

Everyone laughed. There was a proud smile on Noah's face. He felt high in the sky as his future father-in-law bragged about him.

"I heard that the CEO of Golden Era Enterprise is very mysterious. He keeps his name and face a secret from everyone. He is only called Mr. Knight. However, according to people who know Mr. Knight well, he has a very handsome face and is about 30 years old," Graham said enthusiastically. Graham said enthusiastically.

Alice's eyes widened as soon as her ears heard the word 'handsome'.

"That's right, Uncle. I heard that the owner of the Golden Era Enterprise is very handsome. But that's not important to me. The most important thing is that I will go to the company this week to discuss our cooperation. Do you know how much they are offering for the project?"

Graham shook his head. "How much is it?"

"100 million dollars!"

Noah's answer had everyone in stitches.

Especially Graham, who was so enthusiastic about Golden Era Enterprise.

Alice suddenly put her arm around Noah and said in her soft voice. "Honey, are you going to Golden Era Enterprise? Can I come with you? I just want to see how my boyfriend will work with the number one businessman in New York."

A sweet smile appeared on Alice's lips. Noah didn't know if there were other intentions behind Alice's request.

However, it seemed as if those intentions could be read by Nancy. With full support, Nancy agreed to her daughter's request.

"Let Alice come with you. When the CEO of Golden Era sees Alice later, you won't be embarrassed because your dil riend is a classy beauty. I'm sure Mr. Knight won't mind Alice being there either," Nancy said, giving her daughter a meaningful look.

 Alice hid a sly smile.

Fortunately, Noah nodded without protest. "Okay, I'll take Alice."

Immediately, the smile on Alice's face grew wider and more contented.

"If I go to the Golden Era Enterprise, I can meet Mr. Knight. I will seduce this handsome and rich Mr. Knight, and then I will make him mine. There won't be a single person who dares to look down on me if I manage to become Mrs. Knight," Alice said to herself.