Chapter 2

Gideon chuckled and said, "I've made myself quite clear, Janice. You're a language teacher—this shouldn't be beyond your understanding. "Let's not talk about your family background for now, just look at you—you're a mere teacher. You don't even understand the rules of the business world, so how could you stand by my side?" His words were laughable, and I raised my hand to give him another slap. Caught off guard, Gideon shoved me into the car. "Are you crazy?" I grabbed his wrist and bit down hard. He let me be, and I only released him when I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. "You're so shameless, Gideon. You were the one who said you liked my simplicity and innocence, yet you're also the one who said I'm not thoughtful enough to stand by your side. You really get to say whatever you want, don't you?" I spat. Gideon said nothing and returned to the driver's seat. Tired of arguing, I let him drive me around. The car stopped right outside of my building half an hour later. Before I got out of the car, Gideon passed me two invitations. "Which one looks better—the gold-embossed one or the plain?" His words pierced through my heart, and it hurt so bad I couldn't breathe. I snatched the invitations and threw them at his face. The stiff cardstock grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood. My chest grew stuffier, as if something heavy was crushing it. I went upstairs without looking back. Gideon always knew how to hurt me best. When we were still in love, I never imagined that the person I loved the most would be the one who hurt me the most. … Miriam Hoffman came to the school the next day. She was beautiful and just as charming as her voice had been. "Leave this place and stay away from Gideon." She made her intentions clear with her words. "Do you like him?" I asked. Miriam scoffed. "It's just a marriage of convenience. Love is never the goal. Any scion would work just fine as long as it maximizes the family interests. "I've always known of your existence, but it doesn't matter. Gideon will only marry me. What I'm eyeing is the position of Mrs. Miller, but I've always been the center of attention since I was young. She continued, "Since he wants to marry me, he'll have to cut ties with unbecoming people. That's why you have to leave." I found myself laughing out of amusement—for my foolishness, and for Gideon getting what he deserved. "I won't leave, Ms. Hoffman, but I won't have anything to do with Gideon anymore. I have basic decency—knowingly becoming a homewrecker is simply beneath me," I replied. "You—" Miriam was aware that I was insulting her, but it was also the truth. Her raised hand hovered in mid-air before falling back to her side. She cursed, "Gideon, that bastard!" … When Miriam didn't get what she wanted, she resorted to a different approach to force me to leave. If I knew how underhanded her tactics were, I would've left without hesitation back then. "Female Teacher From Windleton Private High School Seduces Rich Businessman" started trending on social media. A photo of Gideon and me being intimate on the couch was shared online. His face was perfectly blocked, yet mine was exposed to the public. Harvey Morty summoned me into his office. He said, "I know that person is Gideon, but this incident has caused too much of an impact, so the school has decided to dismiss you." Just like that, I was burdened with unfounded accusations, rejected by my students, and complained about by the parents. I had also lost my job.