Home / When His Company Goes Public, I'm Gone / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of When His Company Goes Public, I'm Gone: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Still awake?"At 10:00 pm, the front door suddenly swung open. Nathan Crane was back. He had a pale green suitcase with him and was still wearing the same suit he'd had on in the video.I didn't get up to greet him the way I usually would. Instead, I remained curled up on the couch, not even bothering to look up."I was waiting for you," I said coolly.He walked over, pausing midway through loosening his tie."You don't need to wait up for me. Have I ever not come home to my wife?""We're not married yet," I corrected him."It's only a matter of time," he said, but I caught the smell of perfume coming from him.It smelled like roses. That wasn't a scent I used.Smiling, I asked, "Nathan, do you still want to marry me?"I was genuinely curious to know the answer."Do you even have to ask?" Nathan replied.He'd just said how lucky he was that another woman was by his side, yet he still wanted to marry me.Regardless, I no longer wanted to marry him.Nathan took off his sui

Chapter 2

Chuckling, I walked over and called out, "Nathan."Nathan paused and turned to look at me. "What is it?""Where's my gift?" I asked."What gift?"He'd forgotten about it."The ring."He froze, but his first instinct was to glance at Zoey.I smiled again. "The elevator's here."He hummed absentmindedly before hurrying out with Zoey. Within seconds, they disappeared from my sight.Five years ago, I'd asked Nathan when he was finally going to marry me. He'd ruffled my hair and looked at me with an unwavering gaze as he promised, "I'll propose to you the day my company goes public. I want to make you the happiest woman in the world."But how could he propose without a ring?I made a phone call."Remember that event you asked me to cater with you? I'm doing it."Logan Hughes immediately exclaimed, "I've been begging you to join my catering business for three years now! You're finally agreeing to it."As if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "But aren't you supposed to b

Chapter 3

I turned off my phone and continued eating, stuffing my mouth with food and swallowing my tears right along with it. My stomach was full, but it felt like someone had punched a massive hole in my heart.Teddy let out a couple of barks before lying quietly at my feet, silently keeping me company.At 11:00 pm, Nathan came back with a container of food.Teddy circled excitedly around his feet, only to be kicked aside. He whimpered before scurrying into my arms.Cradling him protectively, I slowly shifted my gaze to the food container Nathan was holding."Is that your supper?"Nathan set it down on the dining table."The food was pretty good, so I brought some back for you.""I'm not hungry."His brows drew together, and he spoke in a firm tone that left no room for questioning."I went out of my way to bring this back for you. At least eat some of it."He was passing off his leftovers as something he'd bought specifically for me.When I didn't answer, he walked over, snatched

Chapter 4

Instantly, the atmosphere grew awkward. Nathan gave me a long, disapproving look before coming to Zoey's rescue."Something came up at the company, and I needed Zoey's help, so I went out of my way to pick her up. After all, when you're asking someone for a favor, you have to show the proper respect."All of the parents burst into laughter. Just like that, they were a happy family again—everyone except me, obviously.During dinner, the conversation turned to Nathan's entrepreneurial journey.Mabel raised her glass and said, "Mr. Jackson, I really must thank you for looking after Nathan all these years."I heard all about it from Nathan. When he was at his lowest, you were the one who looked out for him. He wouldn't have made it without your support."My hands tightened around my cutlery. Nathan had repackaged all my sacrifices and everything I'd done for him as the result of Fergus' guidance and support.Fergus looked thoroughly pleased with himself as he declared, "It was not

Chapter 5

The next morning, when I got up, Nathan was already sitting at the dining table, waiting for me. "My mother wasn't happy with how you behaved yesterday, Serena."I poured myself a glass of warm water and took a few sips. "And?""Don't you think you should reflect on your behavior?" he said."Reflect on what?""The fact that you were late, didn't bother to get along with everyone, and the way you treated Zoey."I set down my glass and looked at him."So?"Nathan met my gaze, his expression tinged with displeasure."Serena, there's a limit to how much I will tolerate. Don't wait until we've actually broken up to start crying over it. I won't be the one trying to appease you."My eyes narrowed. "I won't cry about it, and I won't need you to appease me."He let out an angry snort. "After all these years, you're still as stubborn as ever. Are you so certain I'll never break up with you?"I stared straight into his eyes, as if trying to see right through him."Well? Would you?"

Chapter 6

The moment I stepped off the plane, I felt a rush of warm air hitting me. Redhaven, with its grassy hills and undulating plains, felt like a lush oasis amid a sprawling desert.Logan was waiting for me at the arrival hall with Teddy on a leash.Teddy came barreling toward me, his mouth wide open and his tongue lolling. Even his drool flew everywhere. He barked in excitement and wouldn't stop licking me."That's enough. Stop it! Mommy's here now, okay?" I said with a laugh.Logan walked up to me and greeted me. "You made it."I nodded. "I'm here.""Welcome back," he said while giving me a hug."It's good to be back."After the short exchange, I got into the car, and we drove straight into the city. The event we were catering for was almost upon us, and I didn't have time to dwell on my sorrows.Logan tossed a chef's hat at me. "Catch!"Startled at first, I soon found myself smiling. "You even prepared this?"He nodded emphatically. "Of course. I was worried you'd change your

Chapter 7

Nathan's mind went blank. It was as if he'd been caught in a blinding explosion. He kept recalling everything that happened in the days leading up to my departure. Only now did he finally realize that it hadn't come without warning. He'd simply been too obtuse to notice the signs.At some point, he stopped hearing Teddy's barking in the house. It seemed to stop the day he'd kicked Teddy.The house had also fallen silent without my constant chatter. He also remembered the disappointment I showed in front of him and how dismissive my responses had been.As it was, he didn't even finish eating the last plate of pasta I made for him.Nathan thought of something and frantically searched through the bedroom. At last, at the very bottom of a drawer, he found the diary I'd kept. It was a record of all my disappointments.He knew I'd always been forgetful. That was why every word I'd written down represented another push that led to my decision to leave him."April 11, 2026. I'm running a

Chapter 8

After ending the call, Nathan stood motionless. He stared blankly at the home he'd lived in for five years. For the first time, he realized how unfamiliar the place felt without me.He no longer heard my chatter in the house. The stove in the kitchen remained off the whole time. Even the barking that used to get on his nerves was gone.Nathan didn't know what to do with himself. It was as if, in that moment, he'd lost every reason to come home.Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door. He whipped around and rushed over, flinging the door open."Serena, you came back—"The words died on his lips when he saw Zoey standing there.The smile on Zoey's face froze. "It's me, Nate.""What are you doing here?" he asked curtly.Zoey held up a bag of takeout. With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she said, "It's late. I was worried you hadn't eaten, so I picked up some food for you."Nathan stared at her, but his eyes no longer held the tenderness he'd once shown her. His voice w

Chapter 9

As always, the afternoon sun blazed strongly over all of Redhaven.Teddy was sprawled beneath the air-conditioning vent, soaking up the cool air. He refused to move from that spot.Sitting nearby, Logan was practically doubled over with laughter. He pointed at Teddy and teased him relentlessly."That's what you get for insisting on going out and suffering in the heat! Why aren't you pawing at the door to go out now, hm? Go on. I dare you to head outside and take another lap!"Teddy responded with a few emphatic barks.I couldn't help shaking my head.For the past two weeks, Teddy and Logan kept bickering like that, though it was clear they'd grown pretty fond of each other.This had been the most carefree period of Teddy's life so far. Logan would often take him running through the endless dunes, letting him burn off all that pent-up energy.As I listened to their squabbling, I couldn't keep the smile off my face.Just then, someone knocked on the hotel room door. Logan got up

Chapter 10

Sometime later, I came across news about Nathan on social media. It'd been such a huge scandal that it was impossible to miss.Fergus withdrew his investment in Nathan's company, sending its stock price plunging. Investors fled in droves. That being said, Fergus didn't walk away unscathed either.He didn't invest in Nathan's company because he believed in Nathan's potential. On the contrary, he'd only done it to move money around and keep his own company from being dragged down by its massive debts.He'd even intended to use Nathan's company as a front to lend credibility to Jackson Corporation.Nathan had been right about one thing—in business, no one was an enemy forever, but that meant the converse was also true. No one was an ally forever, either.Jackson Corporation collapsed even faster than anyone had expected. The authorities showed up at the office and took Fergus into custody.With nowhere else to turn, Zoey went to Nathan for help.Alas, all the privileges she'd once

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP