Chapter 8: The Final Confrontation
Julian glanced at the iron bucket filled with black smoke, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. “Why don’t you just throw it away?” he asked, as if I were insane.
“Fire purges better,” I replied flatly.
He furrowed his brows, standing silently in the yard with me as the last rays of sunlight vanished, swallowed by the approaching darkness.
On Friday morning, the 4S shop called to tell me my car was fixed. I drove to pick it up, but then I remembered the jacket. It was supposed to be washed and returned…
I called Gary to inform him about the car, then sent him the repair list along with the cost. At the end of the message, I added a simple request: “If I may ask, what’s your boss’s exact height, weight, and measurements?”
I was planning to get a matching suit and trousers to return the jacket. I owed them one.
I didn’t receive a response for a while, which made me wonder if even Gary didn’t know the details of his boss’s measurements. I didn’t dwell on it for long.
As I approached the next corner, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Finance about audit discrepancies. My forehead had healed, so I drove to the office.
I had been absent for several days, and as I walked into the project department, my team approached to check on me. I hadn’t told them I was leaving. I felt a pang of guilt that they’d have to adjust to a new boss.
I went to the financial manager’s office, and after returning, I began to clear four weeks of accumulated work. The resignation letter sat in the printer tray, waiting.
Before leaving for the day, I overheard something in the tea room that made my stomach churn.
“Guess what? Miss Crowe from Crowe Corp is working in the CEO’s suite now…”
“Does that mean Mr. Shaw is going to marry her?”
“Have you forgotten that Ms. Frost is Mr. Shaw’s girlfriend? What’s she going to do if they get married?”
They exchanged glances, then sighed in unison, gossiping about Rita’s shamelessness, my predicament, and Julian’s heartless behavior.
I stood quietly outside, my knuckles white around the mug in my hand. After a moment, I returned to my office, sat down, and became lost in thought. After a while, I stood, the resignation letter crinkling in my grip. I pressed the elevator button. Early resignation equals early liberation.
I walked to Julian’s office. Roy quickly rushed to stop me, looking nervous. “Ms. Frost, Mr. Shaw is in a meeting.”
I nodded, pretending to turn away, but after he let down his guard, I suddenly veered back toward the door, wrenched it open, and pushed through.
Part of me was annoyed with myself. Now that I had decided to leave him, what was the point of being angry? It would only make me more miserable. Yet, I couldn’t stop the emotions boiling inside me. This was perhaps why humans were often enslaved by their feelings.
“Ah!” A scream rang out from the office.
Rita, wrapped only in a bath towel and lying across Julian’s back, startled. Julian’s smile froze, and Roy covered his eyes in desperation. “Ms. Frost, here’s the thing—Miss Crowe just showered after moving boxes. I was afraid you might misunderstand, so I stopped you…”
I tilted my head, a sardonic smile creeping across my face. “A Harvard MBA reduced to playing pimp. How tragic.”
Without waiting for a response, I walked straight toward Julian and Rita.
“Olivia, what are you doing?!” Rita shouted, her voice shrill. “How dare you break into your boss’s office?! You’re fired! Fired!”
I reached Julian’s desk, placed my resignation letter down, and said in a calm tone, “I’ve already told you about my resignation. There’s a lot to prepare for my European trip, and I won’t be coming to the office starting tomorrow. Of course, I’ll come back to wrap up the handovers.”
Julian didn’t meet my gaze. “Whatever you want.”
Good. I lifted my eyes to Rita and then back to Julian. “Do continue your… meeting?” I said, my voice dripping with irony.
I turned to leave, but before I could take more than a few steps, Rita’s shrill cry cut through the tension. “It’s none of your business, Olivia! Julian doesn’t love you anymore! He loves me! Do you know how many nights we…”
“Don’t say it again!” Julian shouted, his voice sharp with anger.
I took a deep breath and turned back stiffly. “Let her talk, so I can hear just how thick-skinned she can be.” I fixed my gaze on Rita and added, “No matter whom he loves, you’re still the mistress. The fact that I’ve opened this door proves I can nail you both to the pillory of infamy as the scumbag and tramp you are. Understand?”
Rita’s fury took over. “Don’t you dare say that!” She lunged at me.
I slapped her hard across the face without hesitation. She tried to retaliate, but I grabbed her towel, pulling it off and pushing her to the ground.
Before I could strike again, Julian’s grip yanked me backward, and my back collided with the corner of the desk. The sharp pain shot through me as cold sweat drenched my skin.
