Stuart made bold claims and then got to work methodically. He poured all his energy into his job, finishing more than half of the Haustia Group's three-year plan ahead of schedule. Projects that had been shelved due to shareholder opposition were aggressively restarted under his relentless drive.
If any shareholder had complaints, Stuart would personally meet them in his office. Seeing his stern look and tightly pressed lips, shareholders who went in came out stumbling, fleeing in panic.
Everyone at the Haustia Group knew Stuart was in an unprecedentedly foul mood. No one dared to speak up. Five or six people in the secretarial office had already been fired for minor mistakes.
A few days ago, Stuart could still hold it in, but lately, his temper had become so volatile that he would get angry over trivial matters. He didn't even need a reason to erupt.
His special assistant, Ronald, gently reminded him, "Mr. Haustia, you've been working for almost twenty hours straight. How about taking a break?"
Stuart's eyes were bloodshot; he looked possessed. He stared at Ronald. "I don't need it. Where's that proposal from yesterday? Is it revised? Bring it to me."
Ronald replied, "You rejected that proposal last night and said it should be submitted within three days."
It had only been one day.
Stuart snapped, "You can't be this inefficient. Can you do the job or not? If not, get out!"
Ronald thought, 'No one works as relentlessly as you do. People have families; they can't keep up.' He had no choice but to say, "I'll go push them. Mr. Haustia, please rest for twenty minutes; the bloodshot in your eyes is quite scary."
Before Stuart could explode, Ronald quickly left. As soon as he left the office, he called Andrew.
Soon, Stuart's phone rang. Andrew scolded him, "Are you planning to drop dead? If you had such thoughts, I should have strangled you twenty years ago! So I wouldn't have to worry about you dropping dead at my age!"
Stuart was silent for a moment before speaking, "Grandpa, I'll come back right away."
He stood up, and the sunset's glow shone through the window, casting tiny specks of light. But even so, Stuart looked lifeless. He seemed shrouded in darkness, his face cold and distant.
As he walked out of the office, Ronald stood respectfully to the side. "Mr. Haustia."
Stuart said coldly, "You don't want your year-end bonus this year, do you?"
He kept walking, and Ronald didn't move. Not until the executive elevator closed slowly in front of him did Ronald sigh in relief.
Since Stuart took over the Haustia Group, Ronald had been with him. He was Stuart's most valued subordinate and the one who understood him the best. Stuart had always been a workaholic, but back then, he wasn't so extreme. Now, he was truly working around the clock, without rest. If this continued, Ronald was genuinely worried he might drop dead.
As for why Stuart had become like this, Ronald had some guesses. As Stuart's special assistant, Ronald handled many of his personal schedules. Stuart's current state, seemingly strong but actually miserable, was all thanks to Josephine. When Doris was at her most favored, many in the company flattered her, but Ronald never spoke a word to her.
Many advised Ronald to be smarter since Doris was Stuart's partner, and a few bad words from her could ruin him. But Ronald knew that, to Stuart, Doris was just decoration, like a potted plant or a wooden sculpture in his office.
Call Stuart cold-blooded or heartless, but he never truly cared about Doris. Even Angela didn't get any special treatment. At least he bought luxury gifts for Doris, but Angela got nothing.
In Ronald's view, after Stuart got married, though he acted cold, he genuinely cared about Josephine. Every time Stuart returned from a business trip, Ronald could see the satisfaction and joy on his face the next day from seeing his loved one. He thought Stuart would spend his life with Josephine. He believed Stuart was very content with that life.
However, he never expected Stuart to turn a good family into this. Of course, Stuart's countless assets and status weren't affected by the divorce. But Ronald knew him too well. He knew the strong emotions surging beneath his calm exterior. Or rather, he couldn't even maintain that calm anymore, only using work as an excuse to vent his emotions.
Now, being called back by Andrew, at least Ronald could sigh in relief.
Stuart returned to Haustia Manor; as soon as he entered, a coffee cup flew at him. He dodged, and the cup shattered against the wall behind him.
"So you remember to come back?" Andrew roared. "You might as well die outside! I'll call the funeral home right now!"
Andrew's words were harsh, but his face was full of anger and concern for Stuart's disregard for his health. Ronald had said that Stuart had barely slept recently, working over twenty hours a day for the past few days. In other words, he was resting less than four hours a day.
Stuart tiredly took off his coat, rubbed his temples, and said, "Grandpa, I'm fine."
"You call this fine?" Andrew pointed his cane at him. "Go look in the mirror! Your eyes are as red as a demon's, and your dark circles are as big as eggs! If you didn't speak, I wouldn't even recognize you as my grandson!"
Stuart thought, 'If you don't recognize me, why make such a big fuss with the coffee cup?'
Stuart could only say, "I know my own body."
"Bullshit!" Andrew was furious. "Your parents gave you life, and I raised you, not for you to destroy yourself! Now, go upstairs, take a shower, and sleep!"
"Grandpa, I'll do as you say." Stuart walked over and supported him. "Don't worry. I know my limits."
Andrew sighed deeply. "Josephine is gone. I know you're hurting. But no matter how much it hurts, you have to take care of your body, so you have a chance in the future."
"Grandpa." Stuart's face was cold and stern. "Her leaving has nothing to do with me. I've just been too busy with work lately. Once this busy period is over, I'll be fine."
Andrew asked, "Have you really let go?"
Stuart replied, "You once said that a real man should be able to take responsibility and let go of his pride and stubbornness. Maybe we just weren't meant to be."
Andrew uttered, "It's good if you can think that way. Josephine is a good girl, and I don't want you two to be enemies after the divorce."
After comforting Andrew for a bit, Stuart finally went upstairs. After taking a shower, he still couldn't sleep. An inexplicable irritability enveloped him, and he picked up the cigarettes he hadn't touched in a long time. Soon, the balcony of his bedroom was littered with cigarette butts.