Chapter 8

Luke glanced at the metal barrel, thick black smoke curling into the air. He wondered if Vespera was insane. "Why not just throw the trash away?" Vespera replied, "It's cleaner to burn it." His brows furrowed. Neither of them spoke as they stood in the courtyard, watching the last traces of daylight fade into the encroaching darkness. … On Friday morning, Vespera received a call from the car workshop, Forlese, informing her that her car was ready for pickup. After retrieving the car, Vespera wanted to call Raymond. However, she was reminded of the suit. She had promised to have it cleaned and returned. After a brief pause, Vespera dialed his number. She first informed Raymond that the car was repaired, then sent over the repair report and invoice. At the end of the message, she added, "Pardon me for asking, but what is your boss' height, weight, and measurements?" Vespera wanted the details as suits were sold in sets. If Vespera had only replaced the jacket, it wouldn't have matched the pants. Since he had lent her his suit jacket out of goodwill, it was only right that she return it properly. Raymond stayed silent. Vespera waited for a while, but there was still no reply. Maybe he didn't know either and had to ask? She didn't think too much of it. At the next intersection, her phone rang. It was the finance manager, calling to confirm some figures. The wound on her forehead had mostly healed, so she turned the car around and headed for the office. Having been on leave for days, Vespera barely stepped into the project department before her subordinates swarmed her, all expressing their concern. She had yet to tell them about her resignation. To be honest, she felt a little guilty. Once she left, they'd have to adjust to a new boss all over again. After making a trip to the finance department, Vespera buried herself in her backlog of work. It wasn't until late afternoon that she finally had time to draft her resignation letter. She planned to hand it to Luke before ending work. Before that could happen, a trip to the break room led her to overhear a conversation that made her stomach turn. "The secretaries shared that Ms. Tina Sowle of the Vortex Group started working here today. Mr. Munoz gave her the office next to his." "Are the Sowle and Munoz families planning a marriage alliance?" "Have you forgotten that Ms. Gildon is Mr. Munoz's girlfriend? If they're getting engaged, what happens to her?" Everyone fell silent. After exchanging glances, the group sighed and went back to their coffee, whispering about how shameless Tina was, how pitiful Vespera was, and how heartless Luke was. Vespera stood outside and listened quietly. Then, without a word, she turned and walked back to her office. She placed the empty cup on her desk, stared blankly for a moment, then picked up the printed resignation letter. The sooner she resigned, the sooner she could be free. Vespera made her way upstairs. She had just reached Luke's office when Osbert rushed over to block her way, looking flustered. "Mr. Munoz is in a meeting. It's not a good time." Vespera nodded in understanding before turning to leave. Just as Osbert let his guard down, she suddenly pivoted, her movements swift and fluid. Before he could react, she had already gripped the door handle, twisted it open, and pushed it forcefully. Sometimes, Vespera found herself insufferable. Why was she still picking a fight with a man she had already decided to part ways with? Why was she deliberately making herself miserable? But people were slaves to their emotions—sometimes, they simply couldn't help themselves. A loud scream pierced the air. Tina, wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, was sprawled on Luke's back. The sudden noise startled her so much that she nearly slipped. The smile on Luke's face froze. Osbert nervously clamped a hand over his eyes and stammered, "M-Ms. Gildon, Ms. Sowle was just moving some files and broke a sweat, so she… she took a shower. I didn't want you to misunderstand, that's why I—" Vespera glanced at him with a touch of sympathy, or maybe just detached amusement. "Mr. Madron, you were a top graduate from a prestigious university, and now you're one step away from being a pimp." With that, she turned and walked toward the desk. Tina straightened up and bellowed, "What do you mean by that, Vespera? Who do you think you are? How dare a manager barge into the president's office like that? You're fired! Don't bother coming to work tomorrow!" Vespera walked to the desk and set the resignation letter down with practiced calm. "I already told you I was resigning. I'll be traveling soon, and there's a lot to prepare. Starting tomorrow, I won't be coming in. Of course, I'll return to complete the necessary handovers." Luke avoided her gaze. After a brief silence, he said, "Do as you wish." Vespera nodded. "Alright." Then, she lifted her gaze to Tina before shifting it back to Luke. "Well, you can carry on with your meeting." With that, she withdrew her gaze and turned to leave. Vespera had barely taken a few steps when Tina's shrill voice pierced the air. "You've no say whether we continue or not. Who do you think you are? Luke doesn't love you anymore—he loves me! Do you know how many nights we've—" "Enough!" Luke snapped. Vespera inhaled deeply, her fingers curling slightly at her sides. Then, stiffening her spine, she turned back around and said, "Let her finish. I'd love to see just how thick-skinned the Sowle family's precious daughter can be." She glared at Tina with a cold expression and continued, "Love or not, it doesn't change the fact that you're a mistress. The moment I pushed open this door, I made sure of one thing—you two will never wash off the stain of being a pair of cheating assholes and having a shameless affair. Get that?" "How dare you dare say I'm shameless!" Tina shrieked and lunged at her. Vespera didn't even flinch. With a crisp smack, she sent a stinging slap across Tina's face. The moment Tina tried to retaliate, Vespera grabbed the edge of her bath towel and yanked it off before shoving her down and pressing her head against the cold floor. Before Vespera could hold for long, a sudden force grabbed her and yanked her away. She was thrown off balance and stumbled backward. Her lower back slammed hard against the sharp edge of the desk. A wave of piercing pain shot up Vespera's spine. For a moment, she couldn't even make a sound.