Chapter 5
Everyone was stunned,
I held my face, my mind blank, feeling the sting of the slap burning on my cheek.
“How could you be so careless? You managed to misspell our company’s name! Do you know how much of a joke this made us look once the documents were published?”
Leo stepped forward, positioning himself between me and Ms. Adams, trying to calm her down. “Ms. Adams, please, calm down. We will get to the bottom of this…”
After much effort, the group was finally persuaded to leave.
I sat silently in the CEO’s office. After a while, Leo walked in and asked, “Are you alright?”
I didn’t look up, only noticing his footsteps as he approached. An ice pack appeared before me. I took it, pressing it gently to my face, feeling the burning sensation subside slightly.
Taking a deep breath, I looked up and asked, “What exactly happened?”
+
Leo handed me the project report, massaging his temples. “Take a look yourself.
Opening it, my face darkened. The partner company’s name had indeed been misspelled.
Leo’s voice was cold. “Emilia was in charge of this section. For such a major oversight, her quarterly performance will be penalized…”
Before he could finish, I interrupted urgently, “Who told you that? Melody?” “Emilia would never make such a basic mistake. I reviewed this section myself before handing it over to Melody, and there were no errors.”
Leo gave me a cool look and said, “She’s your friend. Don’t be biased toward her.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Who’s the one being biased here? Bring Melody in so we can confront her directly.”
Leo’s voice turned stern. “Laura, enough. Business is business.”
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I clenched my fists and stood, locking my gaze on him. “Leo, ask yourself honestly–are you really keeping business and personal matters separate? Can’t you see that Melody is shifting
the blame?”
Leo’s expression turned impatient. “I know what kind of person Melody is. She wouldn’t do
that.”
In that moment, I felt as if my heart had been pierced. The pain spread throughout me, like flames consuming me from within, leaving me nowhere to escape. I clenched my hands so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, the pain grounding me.
Forcing out my does, you’ll always believe
words, I asked, “Is it that no matter what sho
her?”
Leo looked inexplicable anxious. After a long silence, he pressed his fingers to his brow and replied, his voice low, “This is a minor issue. There’s no need to argue about it here.”
Seeing him defend Melody without even realizing it, I couldn’t help but laugh- a laugh filled more with bitter sorrow than amusement.
A minor issue? My cheek still burned with the imprint of the slap I took for Melody, and he didn’t even notice?
I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I was tired of arguing with him over another
woman.
Giving Leo one last look, I turned and left, slamming the door behind me.
Just outside, I ran into Melody.
Melody greeted me with a warm smile, unperturbed. “Laura.”
But I had seen through the facade beneath that smile. Ignoring her, I walked away with a cold expression.
That night, Leo returned home at 11, after finishing his work. Opening the door, he was greeted by an unusual sight–I was seated at the dining table, which was set with all his favorite dishes.
He paused in surprise. “What’s this?”
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“You’re back? Sit down,” I replied calmly.
Leo walked over, noticing the difference under the light. I was wearing makeup and dressed in new clothes–the kind of effort he hadn’t seen since our wedding night…
Frowning. Leo sat down cautiously. “What’s all this for?”
I picked up my chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”
But Leo didn’t move. “I’ve already eaten…
He was cut off by my firm tone. “No, you have to eat this.”
Leo felt an inexplicable weight settle in his heart as he looked at me, his gaze deepening.
I smiled, my eyes holding a mixture of complex emotions and a hint of resignation.
“Leo, let’s call this our last meal together. After this, let’s get divorced.”
