Chapter 4

Liam straightened, his expression twisting into something that was not quite a smile.

"Marissa Parker, stop this nonsense! You've been with me for nine years, a fact that everyone is well aware of. Besides, who would want an old woman who's already in her 30s? You know well that you're nothing if you leave me and the company!"

So, that was what he truly thought of me.

Even though I had already given up on him, my heart still felt like it had been stabbed. It took some effort to push down the bitterness that welled in me.

"I'm not throwing a tantrum! I've already canceled the appointment, back when—"

Before I could finish, Liam's phone rang.

He answered it, his tone immediately turning gentle. "What is it, Mel? How did things go with Cloud Corporation?"

The sound of Melissa crying came over the line.

His expression fell before he hung up and strode toward the door with large steps.

"Registering our marriage can wait. Something's gone wrong on Melissa's end."

He didn't even wait for an answer as he hastily departed.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Anything to do with Melissa always had a way of shattering Liam's calm.

A long while later, I pulled out my suitcase and packed my belongings, then headed for the company to deal with my resignation paperwork.

However, the instant I stepped into the company, I sensed a dark cloud hanging over everyone's heads.

Lennie Boltman approached me and whispered, "Marissa, something's gone wrong with the Cloud Corporation project. There was a critical data error, and the client is pissed."

I was momentarily stunned, but then Melissa came over to me.

"Marissa, Mr. Yarrow is asking for you."

The smirk quirking her lips caused my heart to sink, and a bad feeling rose in me.

Upon entering Liam's office, I saw that his brows were tightly furrowed.

"Marissa, did you do it on purpose?"

I instinctively responded, "Did what on purpose?"

Melissa's eyes reddened as she piped up, "Liam, I forwarded the documents Marissa sent me to the client without editing anything. I honestly don't know why she would do this! Even if she doesn't like me, she still shouldn't have done anything to harm the company's interests!"

Her breezy words had all the blood rushing to my head. I turned to shoot Liam a disbelieving look.

"You think I gave her the wrong data?"

Liam's expression darkened, but he didn't refute my words.

Fury surged through me, my fingers starting to tremble slightly at the force of it.

"Liam Yarrow, when have I ever made such a mistake?"

Of all the projects that I've handled all these years, not a single one has ever had a mistake. He should know better than anyone just how meticulous and careful I was.

Yet, Liam remained unfazed at my words.

"Besides you, nobody else has a reason to ruin the project. You've been arguing with me constantly recently, and you were resentful that I decided to hand the project over to Melissa. That's why you deliberately set her up—so that I would regret my decision. Am I right?"

I felt as though he had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, chilling me straight to the bones.

No longer holding any hope for his trust, I merely let out a cold laugh.

"The records showing exactly what I sent to her are still there. You can look into it yourself."

A hint of hesitation flickered in his eyes.

Melissa chose that moment to step forward and grab my hand, sobbing piteously. "Marissa, it doesn't matter that you don't like me, but why would you harm the company?"

Disgusted by her acting, I ripped my arm from her grasp, my fingers accidentally grazing her face.

Though I hadn't exerted much force, she collapsed to the ground while clutching her face.

Immediately, Liam lunged forward to seize my wrist, his face twisted into a repulsed expression.

"You're still so unrepentant, huh!" Turning to Melissa, he said sternly, "Mel, stand up and hit her back!"

A suffocating feeling crushed my chest, making me feel like I was about to explode with the pressure. Nonetheless, despite my furious struggles, I wasn't able to escape his grip.

Smug delight flashed in Melissa's eyes.

Locking my gaze with Liam's, I spat out, "Liam Yarrow, the thing I regret most in my life was joining your company back then…"

Following a loud smack, my face whipped to the side with the force of the slap.

Silence descended upon the room.

Liam subconsciously released me, but his tone remained as arrogant and full of superiority as ever.

"I can't just stand by and watch you continue to make mistakes."

I shot him one last glance before spinning on my heel and leaving.

However, just as I arrived back home, I saw that the company had released an official statement.

"Employee Marissa Parker has committed serious misconduct by neglecting her duties and intentionally leaking critical company data. The company has decided to terminate her employment effective immediately!"

There was a loud ringing in my ears as my mind went blank.

For Melissa's sake, he had no qualms about thoroughly ruining my reputation in the industry and cutting off any future paths I could take.

At the same time, I received a message from him.

"As long as you apologize to Melissa, I'll let you return to the company once the project is over."

I curled my fingers into tight fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. The pain only served to clear my mind further.

Not bothering to respond to his message, I took my suitcase and left this home without any hesitation.