Chapter 40
Caroline glanced at her watch and then at Edith's aggressive demeanor, suddenly finding it amusing.
She picked up her bag and said calmly, "Ms. Cox, everyone knows these tasks can't be done in a day. Since it's impossible, there's no point in wasting my time here."
"You—!" Edith was so flustered she couldn't speak, her finger trembling as she pointed at Caroline. "What kind of attitude is that? Do you think I won't report this to Mr. Windsor?"
"Go ahead." Caroline gave her a nonchalant glance.
With that, she turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
The sound of her high heels tapping on the floor gradually faded, leaving Edith standing there, shaking with anger as she stared at the empty doorway.
"What a piece of work! Just a woman who climbed up by relying on a man, and she thinks she's something special!"
She cursed through gritted teeth, but inside, she was burning with unspoken rage.
She couldn't believe Arthur would let Caroline act so brazenly. She was determined to report this and have Arthur teach Caroline a lesson.
Taking a deep breath, Edith hurried towards the elevator.
She was heading to the top floor, to the CEO's office, to show Arthur what kind of undisciplined behavior his wife was displaying at the company.
In the CEO's office, Arthur was reviewing a document, his brow slightly furrowed.
It was already past quitting time, but Heidi hadn't left. She stood beside Arthur, calmly sipping her coffee while admiring her latest artwork.
Edith entered with a sycophantic smile plastered on her face. "Mr. Windsor, do you have a moment? I have something to report."
Arthur lifted his eyes slightly, signaling her to continue.
"It's about the new receptionist, your wife."
As soon as Edith mentioned Caroline, Arthur's brow furrowed slightly.
"She..."
Edith was about to embellish Caroline's refusal to follow orders and work overtime when Arthur raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Hold on." Arthur leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "From now on, you don't need to report Caroline's matters to me."
Edith was stunned, doubting her ears. "Mr. Windsor, I..."
Arthur's voice turned colder, carrying an undeniable authority, "Caroline is just a regular employee here. Treat her like you would any other employee. No special treatment, no special reports."
He assumed Edith had come to him because of Caroline's unique status, wondering if she needed extra care.
In his view, Caroline was stubborn but shouldn't cause any trouble at the company.
He didn't want her to receive special treatment because of their relationship.
Edith opened her mouth to say something but was silenced by Arthur's icy gaze.
"Anything else?"
"No... nothing else."
Edith's anger was instantly extinguished, leaving her feeling full of resentment and frustration.
She hadn't expected that after being by Arthur's side for so long, she still couldn't compare to the newly arrived Caroline.
She had thought she held some weight in Arthur's heart, but now it seemed she was nothing.
"I'll be going then." Edith lowered her head, her voice carrying a hint of a sob.
Arthur didn't look at her again, instead gently asking Heidi, "How about we check out that new sushi place tonight? You'll love it."
Meanwhile, Caroline was starting her car to pick up the kids when the Bluetooth system indicated an incoming call from Libbie.
Caroline pressed the answer button, and her friend's urgent voice immediately filled the car. "Caroline, I need your help! My housekeeper had an emergency back home and can't make it today. I'm stuck at my parents' place and can't leave, and Rena is still at school..."
Caroline merged into traffic, her voice softening instinctively. "Calm down. I'm on my way to pick up Logan and Layla. I'll grab Rena too. Gavin's coming home tonight, right?"
"That's perfect!"
"Don't mention it, we're friends."
Caroline hung up and headed towards the school.
The school entrance was crowded with parents picking up their kids. Caroline parked by the curb and walked to the school building, spotting Logan with his backpack, followed by Layla.
"Mommy!" Layla ran over, looking up at Caroline. "Mommy, let's go. I'm starving."
Caroline paused, glancing at Logan. "Sweetie, we need to wait a bit. We're picking up Rena today too."
Logan's face immediately darkened, his mouth twisting. "Why do we have to pick her up? I don't want to ride with her!"
"Rena's housekeeper had an emergency, so I'm giving her a ride." Caroline stood up, her tone calm.
"You know we don't like her, but you still want to bring her!" Layla let go of Caroline's hand, standing with her hands on her hips like a little adult. "We don't want to detour to her house!"
"Sweetie, you're classmates. You should help each other." Caroline patiently comforted them while scanning for Rena.
Logan suddenly yelled, "Mommy, you never care about us! But Ms. White never forces us to do things we don't want to! That's why people like her!"
Caroline turned to him, suprised by his sudden outburst, her expression a mix of anger and sorrow.
Layla nudged him and whispered, "Stop talking! If Mommy gets upset, she won't let us see Ms. White anymore."
Caroline opened her mouth but couldn't find any words. With a sigh, she looked back in the direction of the buildings.
Soon, she spotted Rena in a pink dress, carrying her backpack.
Rena's eyes lit up when she saw Caroline, and she shyly greeted, "Hi, Ms. Hamilton."
"Rena, come here. Your mom had something come up, so I'm picking you up." Caroline waved her over, ignoring the obvious displeasure from her two kids.
When they got to the car, Caroline, aware of Logan and Layla's dislike for Rena, opened the front passenger door. "Rena, sit up front. The view is better."
She wanted to protect Rena from potential bullying by keeping her close.
Unexpectedly, Layla quickly ran over, hugging Caroline's arm and pouting. "Mommy! I haven't sat in the front seat for so long. I want to sit here today!"
She shook Caroline's arm, her voice sickly sweet. "Mommy, you're the best, right?"
Caroline's heart tightened.
Seeing her daughter's expectant eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. She turned to Rena and said, "Rena, could you sit in the back with Logan? Is that okay?"
Rena, sensing Logan and Layla's dislike, didn't get upset. She didn't want to make things difficult for Caroline and nodded obediently, whispering, "It's okay, Ms. Hamilton."