Chapter 23
When I got home, Indigo told me that Levi wanted to see me in his study.
It had been a long time since Levi and I talked about work. He hardly ever brought company matters home. I felt uneasy, wondering what he wanted.
I knocked on the door and waited.
"Come in."
Levi pushed his teacup toward me. "Sit."
I guessed he must want me to help him with something.
I'd met up with some old friends tonight and was in a pretty good mood.
"What's up?"
I knew he was used to me asking first. If it meant getting to bed earlier, I didn't mind taking the initiative.
"You work at Heartstrings Jewelry, right?"
How did he know where I worked? I mean, I'd mentioned I found a new job, but I never told him specifically where.
But with his connections, it was normal for him to find out.
"Yes."
I'm not good at hiding things. I've always been honest with him.
"Jessa's concert needs jewelry, and she wants your company to make it."
So that's what this was about. I knew Levi wouldn't care about my work.
But it wasn't that we were being given the job—she was begging to work with us.
"I'm just a secretary."
I pressed my lips together and added, "This isn't something I can decide."
"Your company is looking for investors. I'll provide the funding, and we'll say you brought it in." Levi's offer was definitely tempting.
From a business perspective, it was perfect. Funding was the company's top priority right now.
But my current position was just what Levi called a "secretary."
"I just started. I don't have any say in things. If I suddenly brought in Mr. Morgan's investment, it wouldn't be believable."
Levi probably realized it wasn't appropriate. From any angle, it wasn't realistic for me to handle this.
After two or three minutes, Levi couldn't figure out how to continue the conversation.
"It's late. I still need to put Celestia to bed. Actually, you could talk to their executives directly. There's no need to go through me."
I got up to leave, but he stopped me.
"This small matter isn't appropriate for me."
"Well, this small matter isn't appropriate for me either."
Levi narrowed his eyes. I'd blocked his words, and I saw a flash of disappointment cross his face, but I'd long stopped caring about his moods.
I, Blair, was no longer that secretary who came and went at his beck and call.
"I can't help you with this. But please, could you approve my resignation and have HR process it? My new company is pretty strict about these things."
I didn't know what I was being stubborn about. I just wanted Levi to agree to my resignation, as if his approval would give me some kind of ceremonial closure for a fresh start.
"Levi, I told you she couldn't help. Just forget it."
Jessa was actually standing at the door, eavesdropping on our conversation.
I was truly shocked by her.
"Blair, my agent said she saw you at Heartstrings Jewelry. That's why I thought of asking you. Can't you really help?"
So that's how it was. Had Jessa lost her mind? Where did she get the confidence to think she could use me?
She'd hurt me again and again, and now she wanted to use me through Levi. She really knew how to scheme.
"No."
I didn't give her a pleasant look. Every minute I spent in this house now was endured only "for the sake of the child." Once Levi agreed to the divorce, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to leave.
"Well, you're just a secretary anyway. You don't have any say."
When she couldn't use me, she started looking down on me instead.
"I won't disturb you two anymore."
I said this to Levi. This late at night, he was in my home scheming with another woman against me? I had complete authority at Heartstrings Jewelry, but Jessa would forever be on my blacklist.
"Celestia has a checkup tomorrow."
"Got it."
I felt so powerless. Levi was ridiculous, too. He said I was useless, but now he wanted me to do things for him. He said I couldn't take care of the child properly, but lately, he kept having me take care of Celestia.
I was like a puppet he could manipulate at any time.
Wouldn't I resist?
It was only because of my daughter, who loved me.
Night had fallen deep. Levi had returned to the room before me.
There was a card on the nightstand.
"What's this?"
I picked it up and asked him.
"Living expenses."
I could tell there was definitely a lot of money on this card.
"This was prepared for her matter, wasn't it?"
Levi didn't say anything, which meant I'd guessed right. This was originally meant to get me to do things for Jessa, but he just hadn't had time to take it back.
"Let's talk."
I was really about to break down in this three-person relationship. I wanted to talk to him properly. We should clear things up and part on good terms.
"Go to sleep."
"Levi, can you face me directly?"
He suddenly turned over, lying face-up.
Was this supposed to be funny?
I really couldn't understand this man anymore.
"We're both unhappy like this. Let's separate."
"There's no difference."
No difference for him? He didn't want a divorce? He didn't want me to disappear quickly between him and Jessa?
"You let her live in the house..."
"She's leaving tomorrow."
I was instantly speechless. I didn't know how to communicate with him anymore. He always just shut down the conversation.
Jessa was leaving tomorrow, not dying. As long as she existed, our relationship wouldn't be good, and our life wouldn't be peaceful.
But that was all secondary. The main thing was that he never wanted this marriage in the first place. How had things changed now? Just because he said "no difference," was I supposed to muddle through in confusion?
"Levi, I want to..."
He turned over and didn't speak to me again.
I froze at the bedside. When would days like this end?
Jessa was leaving. Starting tomorrow, I wouldn't see her wandering around my house anymore, but I didn't feel happy at all.
I wanted effective communication, but couldn't have it. The problem between Levi and me didn't seem to be entirely because of Jessa anymore. Didn't I deserve a chance for equal communication with him?
Was silence his protective shield?
My phone lit up.
A message from an unknown number.
I opened it to see intimate photos of Jessa and Levi.
I walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. Jessa was standing downstairs like a ghost, looking up at me. She waved at me smugly, then went back to the guest room.
To provoke me, she used such an old-fashioned method, sending a picture message.
She really underestimated me. In my view, if she had any guts, she'd come to my room right now and crawl into Levi's bed. Then I'd respect her courage.
Always scheming against me in the shadows, using these lowdown tactics.
She thought her mother's tricks from back then had worked, but actually, my mother had endured humiliation again and again to protect me.
I'd long made up my mind—if they bullied me again, I definitely wouldn't just sit there and take it.
I lay down gently. I didn't understand why Jessa had set her sights specifically on Heartstrings Jewelry's pieces. If she wanted something else, Levi would be just as generous in helping her get it.
There must be something wrong here. It all happened so suddenly that I couldn't figure out the reason.