“Mr. Lim, you asked to see me.” Standing by the door, Annie stared at the man who sat across his desk.
The assistant could only sigh inside. No wonder his Boss was in this state. After all, why would two intimate lovers in the past suddenly act like strangers?
Wasn’t falling in love a waste of emotions then?
The assistant shook his head and quietly excused himself from the office. He didn’t need his Boss’s approval. He’d rather escape before the volcano erupt.
“Are you going to keep standing there?” The man looked angry, his eyes narrowing.
“Mr. Lim, I see no reason why I should be summoned by the CEO.” The girl smiled. “So I’d rather keep a safe distance.”
Her words only angered him more. She still regarded him as a stranger.
Standing up, Andrew took measured steps forward, holding her gaze. However, the girl did not back down as she also stared into his eyes. And strangely, he hoped to detect some emotion in her eyes. But they looked dead. As if the smile was only a façade.
“Annie, aren’t you ashamed of the things you’ve done?” Andrew stood in front of her. As if their close proximity wasn’t enough, he placed both hands on the door, trapping her in between.
“Of all the toys in this world, you chose to play with my feelings. Do you know how much I hate you right now?” The man was seething with rage, his eyes boring through her.
Annie lifted her chin and chuckled. “Mr. Lim, remember what I said. I have no control over your like or dislike towards me.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might do something to you?”
“You didn’t do anything three years ago when we signed the divorce.” She tilted her head. “I’m quite surprised that Mr. Lim is currently holding a personal grudge.”
Three years ago, even though he had begged her to stay, he later on signed the divorce. He didn’t pester her. He didn’t look for her, remembering her last message to him.
That night, Annie had sent him a text. [Don’t bother looking for me. I’ll never come back to you even if you beg me. Reserve some self-respect, Mr. Lim.]
Those were the harsh words she texted him. And after that, she blocked his contact, because he had tried calling her.
But who would have thought that the next day, he’d find the family’s heirloom missing? The jewelry was priceless, and it just happened to disappear at the same time she did.
“What if I want to now?” Andrew asked.
Of course, he could look for her at that time when the jewelry went missing. But right now, the jewelry was the furthest thing in his mind.
Hearing his words, the girl’s smile didn’t faze. She sighed, an almost helpless sigh then said, “I will submit my resignation letter tomorrow. Then Mr. Lim’s mind will be at ease.”
“Who said I wanted to fire you?” The man glared at her. No matter how much he hated someone, Andrew believed cutting off their source of livelihood wasn’t the best revenge. In fact, he had better punishments.
“If you didn’t want to fire me, tell me what you want. This is work hours. My time is limited.”
“Marry me.” His words were like bombshells to her ears. “Be my wife or lose everything you have ever worked for, Annie. I won’t fire you, but you would wish I did.”
For once, the girl’s expression transformed into that of disbelief. It took some time before she could collect herself. And she almost believed her ears were playing tricks on her.
“Mr. Lim–“
“Will you marry me or not?” He snapped. As if he detested saying those words.
Automatically, Annie’s thoughts went back to the first time he proposed to her. The man had knelt on his knees, saying loving words with a gentle smile in his eyes. But now, he was daring her to say no. His proposal wasn’t a plea, but a command.
Annie pulled herself together. This time, she didn’t smile. “I am sure Mr. Lim has already known about my relationship life. A marriage between us is impossible.” She lifted her hand for him to see the ring on her finger.
“Mr. Lim, what else do I have for you to destroy apart from my job? Remember your reputation, and remember there are authorities. If you try anything on me, I won’t cower like a baby. I will fight back, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
Obviously, the girl wasn’t intimidated. At the sight of that ring, something snapped in his heart.
“Annie–“
“It’s Ms. Lin, please.” All this time, her hand was on his chest and she pulled away. “Mr. Lim, we don’t know each other. Please don’t address me informally.” She turned around and walked out of the door, leaving his heart fuming.
Andrew literally used his fist to punch the door. He’d expected any reply from her but this. Since when did she become so stubborn?
Was this even the girl he knew? Was this her true color?
“Mr. Lim.” His assistant entered the office and cleared his throat. Seeing his Boss’s expression, he didn’t need to be told what happened. “Seems like you should give her some time to think about it.”
“What?” The man was so angry that he failed to hear his assistant’s words probably. The assistant was also squeaking like a mouse.
“Erhm, w–what I mean is… Is Ms. Lin the only solution to your insomnia?”
“Get out!”
Assistant Jiang flailed out in all limbs. Since his Boss saw this woman again, his temper was getting worse by the day. Even Dr. Fang’s prescription didn’t relieve his insomnia.
For his Boss to be looking this mad, Ms. Lin must have rejected him harshly. Ah! Women were dangerous.
If there was anything the assistant feared the most, It should be romance. He’d seen with his eyes what a broken heart could do. Even someone as mighty as his Boss happened to fall victim.
And he contemplated going after Ms. Lin. Maybe he’d be able to convince her. Otherwise, he couldn’t handle the destruction machine his Boss was turning into.