Chapter 6

Vincent snapped, "Giselle, was this your doing? Didn't I make it clear how critical today's conference was? This determines whether Gallagher Group survives or collapses! You swore you had everything under control and that the investments were guaranteed. Tell me, what the hell is this proposal?"

Giselle stepped back, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to explain herself. "Mr. Gallagher, I really cared about this conference. That's why I used the stickers I normally put on your car to decorate the proposal. Didn't you say my cartoon stickers were cute and that everyone would like them? If the investors and project owners won't invest in us, it must be Rebecca's fault. After Gallagher Group fired her, she's probably been talking badly about us."

Vincent looked at Giselle's pitiful expression, and the scolding he had prepared never left his mouth.

He turned toward me and snapped, "Rebecca, was this your doing? Did you go around telling the investors and project owners lies about Gallagher Group and cost me every investment?"

I looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Vincent, are you serious? Do you really believe that? The only reason you didn't get a single investment is that Giselle's proposal was a mess. You still have the nerve to blame me?"

Vincent's anger flared. "I've always been responsible for the company's proposals. Giselle just took over, so it's normal that she's inexperienced. If you hadn't thrown a tantrum and run off, leaving her to handle it at the last minute, how could she have messed it up like that?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Ignoring Vincent's nonsense, I turned to the others. "If no one here intends to cooperate with Vincent and Gallagher Group, then let's ask him to leave. This conference isn't for people who are just here to stir up trouble."

The investors and project leads, who had long lost patience with Vincent's company, immediately jumped in with scorn.

"Have some shame. You were the one who let Giselle take over the proposal, and now you're blaming Rebecca?"

"I've never had any respect for you. You strut around like a nouveau riche, never bother to show up, and leave Rebecca to handle everything. Without her, your company wouldn't even be worth looking at."

"Rebecca's already joined Ms. Clarke's company. Vincent, you might as well call it quits and start dumping your shares. You're only making a fool of yourself."

As the investors fired barb after barb, Vincent's face darkened with fury.

He glared at me fiercely. "Rebecca, remember—you're my girlfriend! How could you join another company and embarrass mine? Was this your way of getting back at me because you're jealous of Giselle?

"I'm giving you one last chance. Apologize right now, come back, and bring every investment and project to Gallagher Group. Crush Leona's company, and I'll forgive you. If not, don't think we can stay together!"

I laughed, and Leona rolled her eyes at him. "Rebecca broke up with you a long time ago. You think you're special, but you're worthless. Your ability is nothing, and so is everything else!"

Leona was right. When I worked alongside Vincent building the company, he knew nothing. I had done all the work to bring it to this scale. Even if the company eventually ended up in his name, without me, he was nothing.