"Back when you were in eighth grade and about to start high school, I refused to let your father's mistress into the family. I did everything to protect your position as the rightful heir and kept that woman's illegitimate child from ever being acknowledged as a Fowler," Yosef said.He went on, "But look at you. You grew up to be just like your father. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"There wasn't a single curse word in the scolding, but to Edward, it was the harshest thing he'd ever heard. Every word cut deep and left him feeling wounded and exposed."I'm sorry, Grandpa… Paparazzi swarmed Sharon's hotel, and her bag was stolen. She lost her ID and couldn't check into a hotel," Edward explained in a low voice."And that's why you let her stay at your place? If you're so charitable, why don't you start taking in stray cats and dogs?" Yosef shot back.Edward was left speechless and unable to come up with a response."How long has she been staying there?" Yosef pr
After breakfast, Nathan brought the lawyer to the Fowler residence. But the moment they arrived, Edward tried to send them away."Heh, feeling nervous? With all three parties here, you won't be able to accuse May of forging documents again." Yosef scoffed.Edward gritted his teeth as he shot a warning glare at the lawyer to stop him from speaking out of turn. He even secretly texted the lawyer to claim that the signature was forged.But Yosef saw right through it and ordered Nolan to confiscate all the communication devices from the lawyers representing both parties. The original documents were brought out for comparison. Yosef even had the attendants block Edward from getting close.In the end, the lawyers reached a unanimous conclusion. One of them stood up and reported, "Mr. Fowler Senior, this is indeed Mr. Edward's signature."The words hit Edward like a sudden blow. He stood frozen, and his eyes reddened as he shouted, "I didn't sign it. I swear I didn't."He continued,
"May, Ed knows that he was wrong. He's been looking for you these past few days," Yosef said.He continued, "I'll get someone to deal with Sharon. Can you please forgive him just this once? Give him another chance."Ed has fallen for you, though he didn't realize it until now. He just told me that he didn't want the divorce, and he even cried. I promise that he'll be a good husband to you from here on out."On the other end of the line, Macie's expression remained cold and unaffected by his words. She should've known better than to think that Yosef could resolve the divorce issue. She shouldn't have even picked up the call. Now, it seemed that Yosef was even pleading on Edward's behalf.Pigs flying, the world ending, or the sun rising in the west—any of those seemed more believable than Edward suddenly turning over a new leaf."Mr. Fowler Senior, you're asking me to give him another chance. But can I ask you to give me a chance to live?" Macie asked.On the other end of the lin
"So… it's true?" Yosef asked.On the other end of the line, he still couldn't believe it even after hearing the answers."It's not just true. There's more," Nathan replied. "I'll put everything in a message and send it to you."After hanging up, he quickly typed out everything he knew about Macie's sufferings and the incident with Edward bringing Sharon into their home. Although Edward and Macie were already divorced, Nathan felt that Yosef still cared for Macie and might be able to help her get some justice.The ride was eerily silent.Edward sat in the backseat, lost in thought. He still couldn't believe that he and Macie were divorced.At the same time, he was grappling with the truth from two years ago—that his grandfather had forced her to marry him. She had been innocent all along, yet he had resented her for two years.Edward raised his hand to cover his face. His throat tightened, and his eyes burned with unshed tears as sorrow washed over him.He couldn't stop thinki
In the passenger seat, Nathan heard Edward sobbing and shouting. Frowning, Nathan sighed inwardly. If Edward knew that it would come to this, why had he been so sure of himself before?Just days ago, Nathan had warned him to be honest with himself, but Edward had insisted he'd never regret his choices.No matter how much Edward begged or cried at the Fowler residence, Yosef refused to waver. Any thoughts of reconciling Edward and Macie had been completely snuffed out. The call was ruthlessly ended. Before hanging up, Yosef left him with only one cold remark. "You're not good enough for May."In the backseat, Edward redialed the number, but his grandfather refused to answer the call. It was only then that Edward's heart truly shattered, and regret crashed over him in waves.The man who was always so stoic and composed now broke down in anguish. His cries were raw and desperate, like a lost puppy abandoned on the side of the road. He clutched his head and was unable to hold back
Julian turned to look at Macie. She had applied light makeup with soft red lips that weren't too bold. Her overall look was simple and fresh, giving her an understated elegance."Not at all. You look beautiful." Julian didn't hold back his praise at all.He smiled and added, "Back in college, you were our department's top beauty and one of the most outstanding students. The number of guys chasing after you could probably circle the whole city of Williamford.""Stop teasing me." Macie blushed slightly.Julian chuckled. Seeing how easily she got flustered, he felt like he was back in their college days.He was tempted to ask if she had a boyfriend but figured that it was too soon since they'd only just reconnected. So, he decided to hold off for now.As they chatted, the elevator reached the 12th floor. Julian led the way as he introduced the place. "Look, this is our company logo—Brightech Studios. It's a bit tacky, but we hope it brings us good luck."Macie looked at the compa
One of the interviewers smiled and said, "Ms. Smith, your professional expertise is outstanding. Your leadership in several team competitions during college makes you an excellent fit for the director position."Macie pursed her lips at the remark and glanced at Julian. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm qualified for that. I'd be happy to join the design department as a staff member."The interviewers were momentarily surprised by her rejection.Macie continued, "Thank you for your confidence in me. The competitions during college were team events, and the leader back then was Mr. Atkins, not me. I was just the assistant, so I can't really take credit for that."I'm well aware of my weaknesses. This is my first job, and I have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to leading a team. If I get promoted, I'd like to start from the ground up."After hearing her response, the interviewers appreciated her honesty and sincerity. Then, they turned their attention to their boss sitting
In fact, Nathan was completely helpless.The only one who could reach Macie was Yosef. Unfortunately, Edward had no way of contacting her.That morning, a manager came by with the product planning proposal for Edward. But after a brief discussion, it became clear that Edward wasn't in the right headspace. His eyes were red and swollen, so the manager had no choice but to leave."Mr. Levy, do you know what's wrong with Mr. Fowler?" the manager asked Nathan in the Assistants Department's office."Oh, he's going through a breakup," Nathan replied absentmindedly as he looked up from his computer.But then he realized that it wasn't entirely accurate. Macie and Edward were married. They weren't dating, so it wasn't a breakup. It was more like…Right, a divorce.Alas… A newly divorced man was bound to be a mess, especially since Edward had brought this on himself. Nathan could only shake his head and sigh.The other assistants who overheard that were stunned and the manager was equ
It looked like Macie hadn't just been flustered—she'd fully entered rage monster mode. Sean could imagine her fists flew, as if they could actually do damage, even though they barely stung. He genuinely found it endearing.When Sean finished reading the last screenshot, he closed the chat and saw a new message from Alice. Her text read, "So, are you going to explain why you were flirting with my friend? "And what about the things you said to Edward last night? It sounds like you meant what you said. You weren't just playing along with me."Did you put your arm around Macie's waist? Hold her hand? You had better come clean!" Sean just typed a simple response. He typed, "Go ask her if I did that." Alice, on the other end, was speechless.Sometimes, Alice really wondered if Sean was just a brooding, black-bellied guy with an obsession with keeping things mysterious. She didn't respond right away. Instead, she stormed over to his office, yanked a chair out, and took a seat rig
Alice immediately called Macie, venting all her frustration about Sean. She cursed him as much as she could, even bringing up stories from their childhood to illustrate just how terrible he had been.Macie listened to how Alice described her miserable childhood, living under the shadow of Sean, enduring various "torments".As Alice spoke, Macie couldn't help but picture that insufferable face, and she felt that it wasn't surprising he could do such things. If he treated his own sister that way, what would he do to her? Indeed, some people's bad habits formed when they were young. Macie felt sympathy for Alice, and what started as one person venting turned into a united front, two people joining in on the complaints."Ugh, my brother's the worst. When we were kids, he ripped the ears off my plush bunny, and then claimed it was the turtle pillow that did it." Alice continued, venting, "I love cake, but I got cavities. He'd eat it right in front of me and mock me for not being able
Not far from Macie's workstation, Lily had been listening to their conversation, especially when Macie, with a hint of pride, casually mentioned her good relationship with Sean. Lily's fists tightened, and a flash of hatred and jealousy crossed her eyes. There was also a sense of helplessness and resentment. Julian hadn't fired her, but had only made her apologize publicly in the company's group chat, and now this happened.Macie was not only Alice's friend, but she also had a close relationship with Sean. Moreover, Julian clearly favored Macie, openly confessing his admiration for her.Macie's relationships within the department would only be stronger. Her promotion to team leader would only be a matter of time. Lily had crossed her, and sooner or later, she'd be the one getting sidelined. Lily was already worried about her future and deeply regretted causing trouble for Macie on her first day. She shouldn't have tried to embarrass her last night either. At her desk, with ju
Now that Macie knew who Sean was, she was sure she wouldn't just sit there and take it like she did that day if he ever visited again."It's my fault. I didn't know that Mr. Hart and Macie had a history," Palmer said, breaking the silence."I didn't know either," Macie replied, her voice tight. "And even if I had known, I still wouldn't have recognized Sean. I would've gone to the meeting, and I'd have still been bullied."She clenched her fists, anger rising inside her. She didn't owe Sean anything. Indeed, the two companies were collaborating, but she couldn't understand why he should make her his personal target.Still, she couldn't care less now. She would let him think whatever he wanted. He was the one who crossed the line first. Back in the design department, only Macie and Palmer remained. Palmer, still curious, asked, "Macie, did you offend Mr. Hart?" That seemed to be the only explanation for Sean's strange behavior that day. Although there had been some "tension" bet
Macie managed to hold back her anger, reminding herself that Sean was a client and that her supervisor had emphasized how important this collaboration was.Sean smiled at her. He was still watching Macie, who was silently glaring at him. He then casually pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.Macie glanced down at the card. Despite not wanting to take it, she accepted it out of politeness and flipped it over to read it.In bold, gold letters, it read, "Chief Executive Officer, Hart Group."Macie froze for a moment when she read "Hart Group". She was familiar with the name because it was Alice's family's company. And then, her eyes landed on Sean's printed name. She began to wonder if he was related to Alice.Suddenly, she looked up, her gaze shifting toward the elevator. No wonder he had seemed familiar—she now realized his features resembled Alice's.The answer was almost painfully obvious.Inside the elevator, Sean stood in front of his employees, smili
Macie clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she took two steps forward and said, "You say five minutes, then five minutes it is. There's no need to bother the technician." She tried to remain calm, though inside she felt a little flustered. The idea that Sean would actually want to check the security footage over something so trivial seemed ridiculous. However, the fact that Sean was so insistent, almost as if he were out to get her, left her feeling uneasy. Sean, sensing her discomfort, stepped to the side and casually said, "Ms. Smith, you were so adamant in denying it earlier. Let's just check the footage anyway. I said I'd apologize if I were wrong. You have my word as a man." He was so precise with the timing, down to the second, and had even given her his solemn word. Macie couldn't help but snap. She looked up at him and, unable to hold back her anger anymore, said, "Then shouldn't you be apologizing to me for what happened that night?"I already explained everythin
Julian continued his explanation, but as he turned his head, he noticed that Sean was still staring at Macie. His words slowed, and his expression darkened.Brightech Studios wasn't a large company. It occupied just one full floor. And since they didn't actually tour any of the departments in detail, they only gave a quick walk-through of the hallways, the whole visit wrapped up in no time.After the tour, the Hart Group employees were ready to head to the elevator. Since Macie couldn't leave midway, she followed along as part of the group. Finally, Sean got the chance to speak. During the tour, Julian had been explaining everything in great detail, doing his job well, but Sean had barely been listening. "Why were you staring at me earlier?" His deep voice cut through the quiet. Since the room was still, everyone clearly heard him speak, and they all turned to look, wondering who Sean was talking to. When they saw his gaze fixed on Macie, it became clear, but no one spoke up.
Sean raised an eyebrow and said, "It's fine. I don't need a detailed explanation. I've already learned everything I need to know about the collaboration during the meeting." Macie was at a loss for words."I don't really visit other departments, and I don't even know the layout of the office," Macie said. "Ah, I see," Sean said, as if pondering something. "Well, you could have one of the more experienced employees show you around. You'll definitely have a better experience," Macie quickly added. Nearby, employees from Hart Group noticed that Sean was once again giving a female employee from another company a hard time. While they wanted to step in and speak up, they weren't sure how to intervene. From Brightech Studios' side, Palmer and a few others saw what was happening and spoke up. "Mr. Hart, Macie is still new and doesn't know much. Anyone else here can show you around our company." Even Julian spoke up, saying, "Mr. Hart, I'm not busy at the moment. Let me show you a
For the rest of the meeting, Macie kept her eyes firmly on the screen, not daring to glance sideways. Even though she didn't understand the technical content, her focus was as serious as someone swearing an oath of allegiance.Meanwhile, on her left, Sean glanced over and noticed that she wasn't looking at him anymore. He returned his gaze to the slide presentation, silently thinking to himself that Macie couldn't even understand it, yet she appeared solemn. He was rather impressed.The entire meeting lasted for 50 minutes. The team from Brightech Studios had come well-prepared, but Hart Group didn't immediately give their final decision. They were likely still planning to evaluate other companies before making a decision.Once the meeting concluded, both sides stood up, exchanging handshakes and pleasantries. Macie began packing up her laptop, preparing to leave with the other two team leads. But just as she was about to step out of the conference room, she heard that infuriating