Chapter 161: If the Woman Doesn't Get Drunk, the Man Has No Chance
Company
After leaving the marriage registration office, Mia took the subway back to the company and ran into her supervisor Kaia at the elevator.
Seeing her, Kaia asked, "Didn't you take the morning off? Why are you here?"
"I finished what I needed to do."
Mia didn't elaborate.
Kaia didn't press further about what she had been doing that morning.
As she walked toward the elevator, Kaia reminded her, "It's just normal gossip, don't take it too personally. Soon there'll be new gossip and their attention will shift."
"Okay, thanks."
Mia nodded, her attitude very open. She knew what Kaia was referring to.
With James showing up so publicly downstairs at the company last night, many colleagues must have seen it.
After digging up James's identity, the colleagues would definitely gossip about the relationship between her and James.
There was bound to be plenty of talk.
"Go on, get to work."
Kaia patted her shoulder. She really liked Mia.
Mia left Kaia's workstation and returned to her own.
She picked up her coffee cup and went into the break room to make herself some coffee.
As soon as she walked in, the colleagues who were making coffee immediately stopped talking.
Though they stopped, Mia had still heard them from outside—they were just guessing about her relationship with James.
All kinds of theories.
Mia acted as if she hadn't heard anything and made her coffee.
The colleagues didn't mean any harm. Since joining the company, Mia had gotten along well with everyone because of her easy-going personality, though she wasn't particularly close to anyone.
Everyone was too curious and couldn't hold back anymore. They gathered around her directly and asked, "Mia, what's your relationship with Mr. Smith from the Smith Group?"
"Ex-husband."
Mia had just finished making her coffee. Hearing the question, she revealed the answer she had prepared long ago.
She had avoided it last night because they were still married, and she didn't want others to link her with James.
Now that they were divorced, she had nothing to hide.
From now on, he would be the high-and-mighty CEO, and she would be an ordinary office worker striving to prove herself in the workplace.
They would each return to their own worlds, with no more connection.
The word "ex-husband" was like dropping a bomb.
It stunned all the colleagues in the break room.
"Ex-husband?"
They had guessed many relationships, but never that Mia was the legendary Mrs. Smith.
Mia just smiled at their shocked expressions.
Before, when people thought they didn't match, even though James protected her, she still felt hurt and inferior deep down.
But now, she could truly face it calmly and genuinely not care.
"Yes, we just divorced this morning."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard her colleagues call out in unison: "Mr. White."
After calling out, they all hunched their shoulders and quickly left to get back to work.
In the blink of an eye, only Mia inside the break room and Benjamin outside the door remained.
He stood at the doorway and glanced at her.
Seeing him, she greeted him respectfully: "Mr. White."
After greeting him, she looked away and leaned to one side, drinking her coffee.
Benjamin responded and didn't linger. He stepped forward and walked toward his office.
It wasn't until the office door closed, blocking out the outside view, that Benjamin turned his head.
Mia was walking out of the break room with her coffee. Benjamin's gaze fell on her face.
She looked calm, with no sign of reluctance or sadness on her face.
She said, ex-husband.
She said, just divorced this morning.
So, Mia really divorced James?
She's single now?
……
Five minutes before lunch break ended, Mia @everyone in the department group chat and sent a message: [I've been in the department for so long and haven't treated you all to a meal yet. Are you free tonight? My treat!]
It wasn't that she didn't know workplace etiquette.
It was just that she had really been short on money before, so she hadn't treated everyone to a meal.
As soon as she mentioned treating everyone, they all replied instantly.
[If you're not eager about a free meal, there's something wrong with your thinking!]
This line was repeated more than twenty times.
Mia's lips curved up, and she continued to reply: [Then I'll go book a private room.]
She booked the regular place the department used for group dinners.
The price level was something everyone in their department could afford.
After booking, it was exactly time to start the afternoon work.
Her desk phone rang—it was Benjamin.
"Mia, come in for a moment."
"Yes, Mr. White."
Mia hung up the phone, got up, and walked into the office.
She thought it was something work-related, but unexpectedly, as soon as she reached his desk, she heard Benjamin say, "You're treating the department colleagues to dinner tonight?"
"Yes."
Mia nodded.
She couldn't help but glance at Benjamin. "Mr. White, are you going too?"
Her face clearly said: Please don't!
She had already promised her colleagues she wouldn't invite Benjamin!
With Benjamin there, they wouldn't feel comfortable!
Benjamin was speechless.
"I can't go?"
She heard a hint of displeasure in Benjamin's tone.
"It's not that, but you never participate in these department gatherings, do you?"
Why join in this time!
"Fine, treat me separately next time."
Benjamin wasn't really planning to join tonight's gathering anyway. He didn't like crowding together with subordinates either.
"Okay."
Mia agreed readily.
"Mr. White, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."
Mia was about to leave when Benjamin called her back.
"Can you afford it?"
The question was somewhat abrupt.
Mia was stunned for a few seconds before understanding what he meant.
The impression she had left on Benjamin during this time was that she was very short on money!
"Absolutely! James is pretty rich. When I divorced him, I got a big alimony payment!"
Mia was being self-deprecating.
She actually didn't plan to keep what James gave her.
She wanted to rely on herself.
Benjamin said nothing more and gestured for her to leave.
……
In the evening, James returned to Luxe Haven.
Wilhelmina had helped pack his things during the day, and Robert had already arranged for people to take them to his new place.
He deliberately had Robert leave behind some small items for him to pick up in the evening.
He was thinking that this way, he could see Mia one more time.
He quickly packed up, just a small suitcase.
After packing, he placed the suitcase aside and sat on the sofa waiting for Mia.
Time passed minute by minute, and soon it was past ten o'clock.
Mia still hadn't come back.
He waited another half hour, but still no one.
At this hour, even if she had class, she should be back by now.
Worried, James took out his phone and called Mia.
At this moment, he clearly chose to forget that they had divorced this morning.
He no longer had the right to control Mia's whereabouts.
The first call went unanswered, making him even more worried, so he called again.
Fortunately, the second time, she finally answered.
"Mia, why didn't you answer? Where are you? I'll come pick you up!"
Mia had just finished up on her end. Her alcohol tolerance wasn't very good, and her colleagues didn't know her limits. Now leaning on the sofa, she felt dizzy.
Hearing James's string of questions, she raised her hand to press her forehead and declined quietly, "No need."
They were already divorced!
The colleagues were all pretty drunk.
A colleague sitting next to Mia saw that the caller ID showed James, and hearing him ask where they were and that he'd come pick her up, called out teasingly before Mia could hang up, "Midnight Oasis!"
James said, "Wait for me, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
He hung up, grabbed his coat from the entrance, and strode out.