Chapter 4

I had been with Wynnie for eight years. Of course, I knew what to say just to piss her off the most. A prideful woman like her wouldn't be able to withstand my demeanor. The pain flaring from my chin became even more intense. I had no idea how Wynnie possessed such tremendous physical strength. I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her. Naturally, Wynnie was enraged upon noticing my demeanor. She let out a cold chuckle before spitting out a barrage of icy, poisonous words. "Sebastian, don't forget that I'm still investing in the orphanage that had sponsored your education in the past. Aren't you worried that I might cut off my investment out of anger? "Heh! What should the kids do once the orphanage runs out of money, I wonder?" I couldn't stop trembling upon hearing Wynnie's words. I became an orphan after my father passed away. Before I got to know Wynnie, I was able to survive in this world thanks to the orphanage. Without it, I would've died of an illness on that rainy day when I was only seven years old. I had lived in the orphanage for so long. Of course, I knew very well what the orphanage's current situation was like. If Wynnie were to cut off her investment from the orphanage, the kids living there would be doomed. Even though Wynnie noticed the way I trembled, her words came out harsher and crueler than ever. "Sebastian, you care so much about the orphanage, yet why is it that you don't care about me at all? Back then, I was hopelessly in love with you. And yet, you left me without hesitation. "All I did was bring up the possibility of me cutting off my investment into the orphanage. Why are you this frightened?" Wynnie's phone suddenly rang loudly from the coffee table. She took a deep breath before pushing me away forcibly. After picking up the phone, Richard's choked-up tone could be heard coming from the other end of the line. "Wynnie, I know I'm a bad boy for doing this, but… but I'm too scared! Are you going to abandon me for real this time?" Richard, a young man who had just turned 20 years old, let out stifled cries that made him seem very frail and vulnerable. One could easily imagine the way he tried his best to remain strong. I opened my eyes, only to look into Wynnie's dark eyes. Richard was still crying from the other end of the line. Still, Wynnie continued gazing at me. "Did you regret your decision to abandon me back then?" "No," I replied instantly. I didn't hesitate at all. Wynnie chortled out of anger. "Sebastian York, you really are a cocky one, aren't you?" After that, she left the manor, making sure to slam the door behind her. She never came home after that. The next morning, the news of Jakeman Group's CEO checking into a hotel with a famous celebrity went viral. It even became the most trending topic on the Internet. As an uprising star in the business world, Wynnie was a beautiful and capable woman. Many paparazzi loved reporting on her personal life. Even though everyone already knew that Wynnie was cheating on me, she still did a good job of concealing her infidelity. Hence, the paparazzi could only hint at her infidelity by writing ambiguous articles. It was their first time kicking up a huge fuss over Wynnie's love life. I didn't have to read the news to know that the day would be extremely chaotic. At first, I intended to stay in the manor for a few days. Unfortunately, God wouldn't let me live the next few days in peace. The director of the orphanage, Katie Foster, called me on the phone. She told me that my adopted daughter, Eve York, had just been diagnosed with acute leukemia. I could tell that Mdm. Foster was about to burst into tears, so I comforted her calmly. Then, I transferred her 600 thousand dollars, which was everything I had under my name. Alas, 600 thousand dollars wasn't enough to pay for Eve's surgery. I could only ask Wynnie for money. The sum Eve needed was far too vast for me to make everything clear to Wynnie over the phone. I needed to meet Wynnie in person so that I could explain everything to her. The moment I exited the manor, the reporters, who had been lurking around the compound, didn't hesitate to swarm around me as though I was a dangling piece of meat. "Hello, Mr. York! What is your opinion about this morning's trendiest topic?" "Do you know about the fact that your own wife is cheating on you with a celebrity?" "Everyone thinks the celebrity and Ms. Jakeman make a better couple. Are you willing to give your position to the said celebrity?" The moment I heard the last question, I couldn't help but smile mockingly. I accepted one of the microphones handed to me by the reporters. Then, I asked, "What makes you think I'll give my position away to a third-wheeler?" Obviously, the reporter who asked that question was a newbie in this field. He seemed to be stunned by my question. The woman who was in charge of him quickly continued the topic. "Everyone knows that the one who's not loved by the other is the actual third-wheeler in the relationship. What do you think about that saying?" I stared at the woman who asked that question. After that, I flipped over her work badge which dangled before her chest. The words "Rachel Leigh" were printed on the badge. As expected of blood-related siblings. Even the questions they asked me were incredibly foolish. The woman just looked at me quizzically. But when she heard me uttering her full name out loud, her expression finally changed. Flustered, she quickly snatched the work badge from me. The sharp plastic edge of the badge sliced my finger. I wiped away the beading blood from the small cut while chuckling lightly. "Rachel, huh? You must be Richard's older sister. If your younger brother does end up marrying into the Jakeman family, you should really thank him for being blessed with his looks. After all, he looks like me when I was still in my university years. "As for the question you just asked me, here's my answer to you. No matter how much you criticize me from any angle, you will never be able to change the fact that your brother is the third-wheeler in this relationship." Rachel's complexion went pale. Still, she couldn't come up with anything to refute me. By the time the other reporters finally snapped out of their stupor and wanted to hound me for more answers, I had already driven out of the underground parking lot. I had to admit that word traveled fast on the Internet. My interview had already gone viral on the Internet before I even reached the company. Topics related to Wynnie had the tendency to go viral nowadays. She was as famous as any other A-ranked celebrities these days. Wynnie must've used what little time there was for a short break during her meeting just to make a statement. "Thanks, but I'm not divorcing my husband. Don't bring this up ever again." All the netizens in the comment section praised her for being such a loving wife. "I have no idea just how on earth that guy managed to attract Ms. Jakeman from the start! To think that she's willing to go this far just to defend him!" "I know, right? Not only is he ugly, but the way he speaks is also despicable! Ms. Jakeman could've dumped his ass right now, and everyone would've celebrated her for doing so!" I read the post and the comments while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Amusement was all I felt. If the netizens were to find out about how Wynnie had been treating me all this time, would they still leave such comments? Once I reached the company, I found out that Wynnie was still stuck in her meeting. Richard was the only one hanging out in her office. He waved his phone at me while grinning smugly. "Sebastian, everyone thinks Wynnie and I make a great couple. I'm so happy." I just stared at Richard silently, not wanting to argue with him. Eve was still waiting for her life-saving surgery in the hospital. I needed to get my hands on the sum of money as soon as possible. I moved to stand in front of the meeting room's door just so I could meet Wynnie as soon as possible. Soon, Richard approached me smilingly while balancing a fruit platter on his hands. He turned his back on the meeting room's door and hunched over slightly in order to block everyone else's vision in the office. Then, he hurled the platter onto the floor. As expected, the sounds of the plate shattering attracted everyone's attention immediately. Richard quickly slapped on an aggrieved look before he began cleaning up the shards. Meanwhile, Wynnie rushed out of the meeting room without caring about what other people might think about her.