Chapter 3

“Never mind. Since she didn’t mention it, you don’t have to either.”

“Are you really resigning in a month? Mr. Fanon, you’re the head of marketing. What are we going to do without you?”

“I’m sure the company will be fine without me, and besides, you don’t have to worry since the CEO will take care of things.”

Upon hanging up, Jules gathered the divorce papers so he could submit them to the city hall. At the same time, the office door was suddenly thrown open, and Layla stormed in.

She cried out furiously, “Jules, what did you do to Roland? Why did he resign?”

Jules frowned. “What are you talking about? I haven't even seen him. How am I supposed to know why he resigned?”

“I saw his resignation letter this morning, and he hasn't shown up at the office all day! You’re his superior. How am I expected to believe that you didn’t know anything about this?”

Then, she grabbed his wrist and continued lashing out at him. “I thought you’d finally come to your senses last night, but you were just lying to me the entire time! How could you be so heartless?

“Roland’s father has passed away, and he doesn’t even have a home anymore! What do you expect him to do after losing his job?”

Though Jules’ wrist hurt, what hurt him even more was seeing the seething fury inside his once-lover’s eyes.

It would seem like both he and Roland had submitted their resignations at the same time. Though Layla had accepted his resignation without a comment, Roland’s resignation had a strong effect on her.

It took some effort for him to clench his teeth through the pain and explain, “I don't know anything about it! I’d never admit to something I didn't do!”

“You sure are stubborn, aren’t you?” Layla flung his hand away, then barked an order, “Lock him away in the utility room!”

Jules looked at her in disbelief and cried out, “What? Layla, have you forgotten that I’m claustrophobic?”

One time, when Jules was accidentally locked inside a hotel dressing room, it was Layla who tried to barge into the room by smashing a chair against the door. When that failed to work, she shattered the glass of a nearby fire cabinet to grab the fire extinguisher, which she used to slam into the door and get to him.

Though her arms ended up getting riddled all over with tiny shards of glass and were bleeding, she continued to hold onto him tightly.

“Jules, I’m sorry for being so careless. I promise you I won’t let anyone lock you away again!”

Fast forward to the present, Layla was the one who ordered him to be locked in the utility room just so she could find out Roland’s whereabouts.

She did so even though she, of all people, knew about Jules’ trauma. Being locked in the utility room was his greatest fear!

“I have to punish you for you to learn a lesson! You! What are you doing standing there? Hurry up and get him!”

Layla enforced her will on one of the poor employees who ended up seizing Jules and forcing him into the utility room.

The other employees looked on, horrified.

“Oh my god, what’s gotten into the CEO? She has always cared for him and doted on him more than anything else in the world. What had gotten into her to make her so upset?”

“Isn't it obvious? It all started because of Roland. Rumors were going around that they were involved. I guess it’s true after all!”

“That makes sense… Poor Mr. Fanon!”

“Has Miss Turner had a change of mind about him? Isn’t he a wonderful man? What changed?”

“These ladies of rich families are all the same. Anyone who’s that rich isn’t going to be loyal, regardless of gender! As the saying goes, people always want what they can’t have, especially when you consider that Roland is still young...”

...

Jules had a hard time breathing inside the utility room.

He pounded desperately against the door while crying for help, “Open the door! Layla, let me out!”

His severe claustrophobia stemmed from a childhood trauma; his stepmother used to lock him in a storage room.

It was only after they got married that he told Layla about his traumatic past, to which she responded by ordering the storage room in the house to be taken apart.