Chapter 3

I let out a self-deprecating chuckle. What a pathetic excuse for a life.

I locked my phone and ignored Jesse's provocations. I headed home to get rid of every single piece of memorabilia from our relationship.

While I was clearing them out, I received a call from Bianca. "Jesse left in a hurry, and there's a massive oversight in one of the projects. Handle it for him."

In the past, for the sake of the company, I would've helped her out no matter how angry I was. But now, I refused her flatly. "I can't handle it."

Bianca hadn't expected me to refuse her and was very dissatisfied. "It's a simple task. What do you mean you can't handle it?"

As soon as her words fell, Jesse's arrogant voice came through. "It seems that after all these years in the business world, Mr. Wright still doesn't understand that talent means nothing if one doesn't have a background. I was nice enough to have my dad hand you guys a multi-million-dollar deal, Bia. He's the one who doesn't want it. So, don't blame me."

I was dumbfounded. He was acting this arrogantly even in front of me. Could it be that he didn't know my true identity?

Before I could dwell on it, Bianca hurriedly placated him. "He doesn't know any better. Please, for my sake, don't hold it against him, okay?"

The moment those words left her mouth, her tone flipped, and she barked at me, "Do as you're told. You ought to be grateful for the chance to help Jesse!"

Just then, my housekeeper, Maria Brown, approached me with a stuffed animal. "Do you want to throw this away as well, Mr. Wright?"

It was the stuffed toy I had won for Bianca from a claw machine on our very first date. She used to cherish it so much that she couldn't sleep without hugging it every night. However, it had long since been relegated to a dark corner to gather dust.

It was filthy now. There was no point in keeping it. Hence, I nodded.

Then, I replied to Bianca, "I'll pass. He's a man of high status. I'm not worthy of rubbing shoulders with him."

Bianca caught Maria's voice in the background and fumed, "You're home? In the middle of the workday? If you aren't back at your desk solving this immediately, I'm writing you up for being AWOL. I'll suspend you and dock your pay!"

To cover for Jesse, she didn't hesitate to weaponize company policy against me. She thought that would be enough to force me into compliance. But she was wrong.

I shrugged. "Do whatever you want."

The moment those words left my mouth, the line fell dead silent for a full minute. No one uttered a word. I could only hear her ragged breathing on the other end.

After what felt like an eternity, she couldn't hold it in any longer and broke the silence. "What the hell is wrong with you now, Kieran?" she grumbled. "I'm already exhausted from this business trip. Can you grow up for once?"

Exhausted? From what I saw, she was having the time of her life traveling and sightseeing.

"I'm not throwing a tantrum. I just realized Jesse's right. The company doesn't need people with actual capability; it only needs people with the right background. Therefore, I'm voluntarily stepping down. Best of luck with your future endeavors!"

Bianca let out a heavy sigh. "Are you serious right now? I can practically smell your jealousy through the phone, Kie. Look, you and Jesse are both my right-hand men. He handles the connections while you handle the operations; it's the perfect synergy. In other words, instead of targeting him, you should build a good relationship with him."

Having said her piece, she wired me 52 cents. Softening her tone, she comforted me. "We still need you as the manager to oversee the project and guarantee its success. I just need you to pull through this rough patch. Once the deal is finalized, I'll give you a month off to rest up, okay?"

I didn't say a word.

Jesse chimed in, "Bia, for your sake, I'm willing to step down from my pedestal and do my best to get along with Kieran."

Bianca sounded satisfied. "That's what a man of stature looks like—broadminded and magnanimous. Kieran, you could seriously learn a thing or two from him—"

Before she could finish her sentence, I hung up the phone on her. Bianca rang my phone again, but I declined it without a second thought. When she started flooding me with texts, I acted as if I hadn't seen them and put my phone on silent.

After clearing out the house, I picked up my phone. Predictably, my missed calls and unread texts were maxed out at 99+.

Instead of placating a furious Bianca, I logged into our work software and submitted my resignation. My request moved up through the approval chain, and the second it hit Bianca's desk, she approved it instantly.