Chapter 3

That evening, Logan came home with a bag of pastries from Summer's favorite bakery. He looked worn out.

"Summer, Vivian's been spoiled her whole life. She's used to getting whatever she wants, and she's not about to change. You need to cut her some slack."

Summer's eyes burned when she saw the hickeys on his neck. She slapped him.

"Logan, have you forgotten what she put us through? How could you do this? Don't you have any self-respect?"

Irritation flashed across Logan's face as he loosened his tie. He spoke as though his reasoning should have been obvious.

"I'm getting back at her, too. She used to look down on me for being a bastard. Now I've slept with her. What could be more humiliating for her than that?"

Summer's eyes widened, her nails digging into her palms. "Getting back at her? Logan, what the hell is wrong with you? You know how sick this makes me."

Logan grabbed her arm, his voice growing impatient. "Summer, you're making too much of this. Look how far we've come. We have the power to do whatever we want now.

"I'm doing this to get back at Vivian for what she did to you. You'll always be my wife. Can't you just look the other way?"

Summer thought of the malignant tumor in her brain, and she struggled to hold herself together.

"Enough, Logan. I want a divorce."

Logan frowned. Before he could say anything, his phone rang.

His expression changed the moment he answered. Without another word, he hurried out, not even glancing back.

Summer watched him leave. Then dizziness hit her. Her vision went black, and she collapsed to the floor.

When she came to, she was lying in a hospital bed.

Andrea looked at her worriedly. "Ms. Bennett, the doctor said the tumor in your brain is already quite large. He warned that you can't afford to keep getting so upset!"

Summer stared numbly at her medical report.

She'd had a blood clot in her brain since childhood, and she'd never even known it. All that stress and overwork had taken a toll on her health. Now she was facing a malignant brain tumor.

"How soon can we schedule the surgery?"

"The top neurosurgeon can operate as early as tomorrow, or five days from now. But you'll need one more test first."

Summer sighed. "Schedule it for five days from now. I still have some work to take care of."

Just then, Andrea's phone rang. Her expression changed as she listened.

"Ms. Bennett, there's trouble at the company. Mr. Cartwright has diluted your stake, and now he's planning to transfer some of your shares to Vivian. He's even giving her all the bonuses your team was supposed to receive this year!"

Still dizzy, Summer hurried to the office.

When she arrived, she found Logan having Vivian sign some documents, watching her with unmistakable affection.

Even the company sign had changed. S&L Group was now V&L Group.

When Summer and Logan founded the company, they'd named it after themselves. That name had stood for their love and everything they'd worked so hard to build together.

And now Logan had replaced Summer's initial with Vivian's without so much as telling her.

Summer stormed over and snatched the papers away. "Logan, what the hell are you doing? Those are my shares! You promised them to me! How could you give them away without even asking me?"

Logan pulled her aside, irritation flashing across his face.

"The Siegels are bankrupt, and their creditors are coming after them. Vivian needs those shares to help her family get back on its feet. I'm letting her run the company for now, too. Don't be so heartless."

Summer's eyes burned as she pointed at the team behind her, her voice trembling. "You think I'm heartless? Those shares came out of the bonuses our team worked our asses off to earn!

"We drank ourselves sick and pulled more than a dozen all-nighters. Some of the people who've been with us for years even got sick from the stress. And this is how you repay us?"

Vivian stood off to one side with her arms crossed, looking as smug as ever. "Forget it, Logan. I don't want the shares. People will just say I stole them from your wife."

The employees gathered at the back began speaking up for Summer.

"We've seen how hard Ms. Bennett's worked all these years! Mr. Cartwright, how could you treat her like this?"

"Who even is this woman? She's never lifted a finger for this company. Why should she get our bonuses?"

Logan's face darkened as he snapped at them, "Enough! You want to keep your jobs? Then shut up and sign the papers. I'll make it up to you later!"

Summer caught the flash of triumph in Vivian's eyes. A deep ache spread through her chest.

She remembered when she and Logan had first started the company, running the whole business out of a cheap, 540-square-foot apartment.

One day, Vivian had passed by in a top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce, rolled down the window, and hurled a bag of trash at them. She doubled over laughing.

"You two bastards think you can run a business? What are you gonna do, pick up trash? That's all you're good for!"

Logan's eyes burned with hatred, but he spoke gently to Summer. "Don't listen to her, Summer. We're going to make it. I promise I'll give you a better life."

And now he was willing to hand everything they'd worked so hard for over to the very woman who'd humiliated them.

Summer took a deep breath, fighting back tears. "Then I'm quitting, effective today. Does anyone on my team want to come with me?"

Logan scoffed, clearly convinced no one would follow her. "Summer, stop making a scene. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a job these days?"

For a moment, no one said a word. Then one of the employees who'd worked with Summer for years stepped forward.

"Ms. Bennett, I'm coming with you! I know I can count on you!"

"Me too! I'm not staying at a company that treats people like this!"

"Wherever Ms. Bennett goes, I go!"

More employees spoke up. One by one, they gathered behind Summer, determined to stand by her.

Logan and Vivian looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Summer's eyes were still red, but her voice was stronger now.

"I'll give up my shares, but you're going to pay everyone on my team the bonuses they've earned, and you're going to do it now. Otherwise, we'll see you in arbitration!"