Chapter 3

Abigail had just found out that her boss, Xander Zane, was married. As she watched him speak with a gentle smile about his wife, she guessed that they must have a very loving relationship. Abigail thought to herself, "Mr. Zane is wealthy, fit, and handsome, and he clearly loves his wife." Her admiration for her new boss grew stronger and more genuine. Thinking from the perspective of an ordinary girl, Abigail carefully considered her response, "Mr. Zane, girls love jewelry and precious stones, but I think the most valuable thing is to show your love for your wife. For example, give her a bouquet of flowers, take her out for a meal, or take her to see a movie." Xander had no love experience, but he believed that if he were to marry a girl, he should treat her well. He replied, "Hmm, you go ahead and prepare." Upon receiving the instructions, Abigail immediately contacted the flower shop that Zane Corporation frequently worked with and personally selected a bunch of bright red roses that represented love. As for the perfect date spot, restaurant, and movie theater, nothing was too difficult for Abigail, even though she had no experience in love. Her hard work and dedication allowed her to work her way up to the boss's side. The extent of her efforts was beyond what most people could imagine. She remembered all the unique features of Florivera's fancy restaurants, and knew which ones were perfect for dates and which ones were best for entertaining clients. She even remembered the preferences of all Zane Corporation's clients. After delivering the roses and date location to Mr. Zane's office, Abigail's work for the day was done. Although her day seemed easy and went smoothly, only Abigail knew how tense her nerves had been. When she got home, her strained nerves finally relaxed. She lazily flopped onto the couch and dozed off. Meanwhile, Xander arrived at Abigail's neighborhood and prepared to call her, only to realize that he hadn't even saved her number in his contacts. He felt a deep sense of regret for neglecting his newlywed wife for an entire year, not even bothering to save her number. Xander made a silent vow to treat her better in the future. Going through his grandmother's chat history, Xander found a phone number and decided to call it. A soft, slightly sleepy voice answered, "Hello, may I know who is calling?" Xander wondered, 'My own wife didn't even save my number?' He smirked and replied, "This is Nathan Hart." "Hi, Mr. Hart. Is there anything I can assist you with?" The woman's voice was polite and courteous, but distant, as if she didn't recognize him at all. Before Xander could say anything else, a man's voice interrupted, "Sweetie, wake up and come have breakfast..." Xander suddenly realized something, and his gaze under the silver wireframe glasses darkened. He hung up the phone and looked at the gift box and bright red roses by his side, feeling they were painfully conspicuous. He looked away and lit a cigarette, taking a few drags before instructing his driver, "Southcrest Residence." Abigail was half asleep. She had worked tirelessly without rest and completely forgotten about she was someone's legal wife, so the name "Nathan Hart" didn't ring any bells for her. Since it was her personal phone number, and not a client, she didn't pay much attention to it. She tossed her phone aside and walked into the kitchen, sandwiched between Melody Mane and Felix Thompson, playfully saying, "You guys came back and didn't even wake me up?" Melody playfully poked Abigail's nose and said, "You slept like a dead dog, so we didn't want to disturb you." Felix, while serving food, said, "Hurry up and wash your hands, it's time to eat." The three of them had grown up together and attended Florivera University together. They had planned to start their own business back in their hometown after graduating from college. However, during the summer break of their sophomore year, Abigail suffered a traumatic event that nearly derailed her studies. In a show of solidarity and support, they made the decision to stay in Florivera and build their careers together. Upon graduating, the trio realized their dream of starting a comic studio together. They found a cozy three-bedroom apartment and converted it into a workspace that doubled as their living quarters. Living and working together solidified their already strong friendship. Abigail looked at the table filled with extravagant dishes and asked, "What a feast! Did our studio make a fortune?" Felix poured each of them a glass of red wine and replied, "We specially prepared this for you, as you just got promoted as the special assistant to the CEO." Melody came over to Abigail, gossiping, "The CEO of Zane Corporation has never appeared in public, and loads of wealthy heiresses are lining up to marry him. I wonder, could he be so good-looking that he drives girls crazy?" Being a man, Felix thought women shallow and said sarcastically, "Does having money make someone handsome? He never appears in public, so maybe it's because he's ugly?" Abigail chuckled, making a playful comment, "He's definitely handsome, but I don't know if he's handsome enough to drive girls crazy. You'll have to ask his wife that question." Melody gasped, "Wait, he's married?" Abigail nodded and added, "Yep, he's taken. He looks like he really loves his wife too. But for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that I've seen him before." Melody teased, "Oh, Abigail, you always think you recognize attractive men. You might have some potential to be a heartless two timer." Abigail giggled, "Being heartless is great. No responsibilities, no obligations." Felix rolled his eyes and scolded Abigail, "Abigail Renee, you're already married!" Melody immediately retorted, "Does being married mean you can't have a crush? Do you really want Caterpie to be stuck with that man who knows where he went off to after their marriage registration?" "Caterpie" was the nickname Felix and Melody gave Abigail, because when she was younger, she mistakenly drank alcohol thinking it was water and ended up wriggling on the floor like a boneless caterpillar. Abigail shrugged, looking calm, "With you two by my side, who needs a man anyways?" When she first got married, Abigail had thought about building a life with that man, but then he vanished without a trace. Margaret, who she had only met a few times before getting registered, didn't contact her again either. Abigail lost all interest after that. However, her grandmother still talked about her grandson-in-law regularly and was planning on visiting Florivera during the New Year. Melody and Felix chimed in unison, "Yeah, who needs a lousy man when we have each other." They finished their meal amidst chatter and laughter, and then cleaned up the table together. Afterward, they sat down and drew comics together. Their days were filled with happiness and fulfillment. The next day, Abigail arrived at the office bright and early. Her new boss had a crazy work schedule, but she was getting paid double to work alongside him, so she knew she had to put in more time and effort than before. As she exited the taxi, Abigail saw a luxurious black Bentley slowly pull up in front of the building. She rushed over to open the door for her boss, Xander, and greeted him with a cheerful "Good morning, Mr. Zane!" Xander nodded in acknowledgment, though he didn't look particularly happy. Abigail didn't want to assume anything and simply followed him into the private elevator, where she dutifully reported on their schedule for the day. In the morning, Xander had planned to golf with Peter Ruddy, the CEO of EdgeTech. He seemed to have fully recovered his good mood by then, engaging in friendly conversation and carrying himself gracefully. However, Keith and Abigail, who were waiting on the sidelines, still felt an underlying tension. Keith had been working alongside Xander for many years, yet this was the first time he had seen his boss emotional. He turned to Abigail and asked, "Do you have any idea what's wrong with Mr. Zane?" Abigail shook her head. "How would I know? You're the one who's been with him for longer." Keith pondered it for a while, then suddenly had a thought. "Could it be...that Mr. Zane was sexually frustrated with his wife last night?"