Chapter 4

The doctor insisted that I stay in the hospital so they could monitor my condition closely, but I went ahead and discharged myself. The smell of disinfectant in the hospital made me uncomfortable. I would rather return to Smith Group and lose myself in work than sit in this lifeless place, waiting for time to pass. After all, passing out from blood loss wasn't anything new to me. I was used to it by now. With only a month left until I could finally leave, I planned to sort out the company's affairs so that Racquelle would have an easier time taking over. Beyond that, I wasn't responsible for anything else. But a week later, a phone call threw all my plans off course. It was from Jack Mitchell, one of our long-time suppliers. We had always worked well together, so I was stunned when he called, furious, demanding to know why we terminated our partnership without notice. I tried to keep my tone light and explained, "Mr. Mitchell, there must be some misunderstanding. Why would we terminate our partnership with you? You're one of our longest collaborators." His tone was furious as he roared, "How would I know what's going on with you people? Somebody at your company decided to start giving me trouble this morning!" Before I could say anything else, he hung up. The dial tone beeped in my ear as I helplessly put down the phone. Then, I called Racquelle's assistant, Lily Hewitt, to ask about it. "I heard our company terminated a contract with Jack. Do you know what happened?" "Mr. Smith, Ms. Smith ordered it," she replied immediately. "Racquelle?" I was taken aback and couldn't help but ask. "Why would she do that?" "Mr. Smith, I'm not sure about that. After all, she's the boss; I'm just an employee." Her response left me at a loss for words. Everyone in the company knew Racquelle's character, and no one could question her decisions. "Alright, I understand." I hung up and continued sorting through documents until 7:00 pm. Finally, I finished organizing everything and stretched my aching shoulders. As I was ready to grab a late dinner and head home for some rest, Racquelle suddenly called me. "Come pick me up at the Bengen Hotel. I've been drinking and can't drive!" "Beep..." Before I could respond, she hung up on me. Every conversation with her lasted no more than three sentences. She would always order me to do this or that as though she were my boss and I was her assistant. Until Julianna's treatment was over, I would have to continue following orders. Sighing, I hailed a cab and headed to the Bengen Hotel. This was the most luxurious hotel in Jutra, where Racquelle had paid for Vernon's month-long stay after he returned from abroad. I was already familiar with the place since I constantly ran errands for them—picking up food or other needed items. When I arrived at the entrance, I saw her in an expensive designer outfit, slightly flushed from the alcohol and holding onto Vernon's arm. The moment she spotted me, she slapped me hard across the face. "What took you so long? Vernon just recovered. Do you want him to catch a cold?"