Chapter 11

Meanwhile, Alexia stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the break room. When Hailey had shoved Melody earlier, she'd used enough force to knock Melody to the floor. Since this whole mess had started because of her, Alexia felt it was her responsibility to take Melody to the hospital and make sure she was okay. Just as she reached the break room door, she bumped into the manager, Elbert Marrow, who was stepping out. "Where were you?" Elbert demanded, his glare sharp and unrelenting. Alexia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, the sound of crying echoed from inside the break room. Her brows knitted together in concern. "Mr. Marrow, someone's crying in there. It sounds like Melody. Did something happen?" Elbert's tone turned cold and clipped. "Follow me to my office." Alexia hesitated, but eventually nodded and fell into step behind him. ... The moment they stepped into his office, Alexia froze. On the couch sat a man and a woman, their postures close and familiar. The woman was Hailey. The man—Calvin. Alexia's body stiffened instinctively. Hailey's eyes locked onto Alexia, narrowing into a glare before she turned to Calvin. "Mr. Reed, it's her! She framed me and then deliberately sent that video to the company's WhatsApp group to humiliate me. I can't even show my face at work now. You have to punish her for me!" "How do you want to punish her?" Calvin's tone was calm. Hailey hesitated briefly, as though testing her limits. "Anything I want?" Calvin gave a faint nod, his indifference unwavering. "Whatever punishment you think is appropriate." Alexia's eyes widened in disbelief. Hailey, unable to hide her excitement, quickly thanked him. "Thank you, Mr. Reed!" She turned back to Alexia, her expression morphing into one of venomous triumph. "Since you're my sister, I'll keep this simple. Write a letter of apology and kneel in front of the entire company to beg for my forgiveness!" Hailey's pride had been shattered by Alexia's actions, and now she was determined to exact her revenge. She wanted to restore her reputation. She wanted Alexia humiliated, crushed, and stripped of her dignity in front of everyone. Alexia's chest heaved with anger as she struggled to maintain her composure. "That's not going to happen. Keep dreaming." Hailey's eyes filled with crocodile tears as she turned back to Calvin, her tone soft and pleading. "Mr. Reed, did you hear that? Alexia rejected me… and she's being so mean to me!" Calvin's cold gaze shifted to Alexia, his voice sharp and commanding. "Didn't you hear what she said?" "I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I apologize? She's the one who started this, kicking over trash cans on purpose. The video is proof. Or is Mr. Reed too blind to see that?" Alexia met his gaze, her face calm and her words were laced with biting sarcasm. Those who were favored always had confidence—always felt untouchable. Even when they were wrong, someone would stand up for them. But Alexia? Even when she was wronged, she had to endure it alone. Why was Hailey's life so charmed? Calvin narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a cold laugh. "As a janitor, you took it upon yourself to post that video in the company group chat, disrupting order and interfering with work. Who gave you the right to do that?" Alexia froze, momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, she spoke evenly, "That was my fault. I'll accept whatever punishment the company deems appropriate. But I will not apologize to her. Taking your woman's side is one thing, but Mr. Reed, shouldn't you at least care about what's fair?" Calvin sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "And you, a scheming woman who used every dirty trick to steal your sister's marriage, think you deserve fairness?" "I didn't—" He cut her off, his voice sharp and dismissive. "Tomorrow morning at eight, bring your written apology to the conference room." "I won't apologize to her!" Alexia snapped, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger. "No matter what, I am your wife in name. And yet, you're humiliating your wife for a woman like this without even caring about right or wrong. Do you think that's appropriate?" Calvin didn't hesitate. His voice was icy and mocking. "She's the woman I truly want to marry. She is the rightful Mrs. Reed. And you? You're nothing—how could you even compare to her?" Hailey leaned sweetly against Calvin's shoulder, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. That smile pierced Alexia like a dagger, cutting deep into her heart. She couldn't believe Calvin would fall for someone like Hailey. "I quit," Alexia said, her lips curving into a bitter, mocking smile. "As of now, I'm no longer an employee of Reed Group, so you have no right to give me orders." Calvin's tone remained calm. "You can leave after you apologize. Someone will escort you to complete the resignation paperwork." Alexia's voice was resolute as she enunciated each word with unwavering clarity. "Forget it. I will never kneel and apologize to her. Never!" Calvin's expression darkened, his gaze sharp and commanding. His voice dropped, low and dangerous, leaving no room for argument. "You can try. Let's see if you manage to set one foot out of Reed Group today." Alexia's body trembled with rage. Off to the side, Hailey's smile widened, her delight practically glowing. She was absolutely thrilled. The room seemed to grow smaller, the air heavy and oppressive. The tension was suffocating. Even the sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening. Then, suddenly, the door swung open, breaking the silence. Adrian rushed in, his breathing quick and uneven. "Mr. Reed! Someone's on the roof, threatening to jump!" Calvin's brows knitted together in a frown. "Jump?" Adrian nodded urgently. "Yes, a cleaner named Graves. Apparently, she's upset about being fired and says she doesn't want to live anymore…" Alexia's heart sank the moment Adrian's words registered. Before he could finish, she bolted, sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her. Calvin narrowed his eyes and immediately rose to follow her. Adrian trailed closely behind, hurrying to keep up. Hailey, catching on, smirked and quickly followed. How could she miss the chance to watch the drama unfold? Five minutes later, the elevator doors slid open onto the rooftop. A crowd of reporters and employees had already gathered. Summoning every ounce of strength, Alexia pushed her way through the throng of gawking onlookers. At the very edge of the rooftop, Melody stood drenched in the pouring rain. Her frail body shivered in the wind, her soaked clothes clinging to her like a second skin. She looked as though a single gust could send her tumbling over. Alexia's heart leaped into her throat. "Melody! Don't stand so close to the edge—it's too dangerous! Please, come down!" Tears streamed down Melody's face as she cried out, "Lexi, I'm already here. I don't care about the danger anymore. Don't stop me. I don't want to live…" Alexia's tone softened instantly. She began to take slow, cautious steps forward. "Melody, I'm afraid of heights. Please, come down first, okay?" Melody shook her head, sobbing uncontrollably. "I've worked at Reed Group for five years—five years! I always gave my best, never complained, never made a single mistake. So, why was I suddenly fired without a reason?" Hearing this, Alexia's hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her chest burned with anger as her eyes reddened. She didn't need to guess who was behind this. It was Hailey. Hailey always held grudges. And now, with Calvin backing her every whim, she'd become utterly lawless. But it was Melody who paid the price, an innocent victim dragged into this chaos. Alexia swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm as she fought back her fear. Her legs trembled, but she climbed onto the rooftop's edge, keeping her gaze locked on Melody. "So, you lost your job—that's okay. You can find another one. But isn't it better to stay alive? Is a job really worth your life?" Melody's sobs grew louder, her voice breaking as she poured out her despair. "My son is gone, my husband has cancer, and I have a five-year-old grandson. "My whole family depends on me to make a living. But now I've lost my job. How can we survive? It's not that I don't want to live—I just can't anymore. I'm too tired…" Alexia was stunned into silence. She hadn't known that Melody's life was this hard, this unforgiving. Losing her job had been the final blow, the last straw that broke her. Life was always cruelest to those who could least bear it. "Living is hard. It's always been hard. Comfort is for the dead," she held Melody's gaze. "But if you jump, what will you leave behind? A sick husband, a five-year-old grandson, and a mess no one can clean up. If you're not afraid of dying, why be afraid of poverty? The worst that can happen is begging for food." Behind them, Calvin stood silent, watching the scene unfold. His eyes lingered on Alexia, sharp and unreadable.