Chapter 37: Replaced
“Yes, she dropped off an urgent document this morning.” His explanation was seamless. “It’s about the project. You know, things have been very busy lately.”
Evelyn sneered internally. An urgent document? Did it require physical delivery? She couldn't be bothered to expose his clumsy lie; it would only make her look like a hysterical shrew. She was here today for something more important.
She closed the door and walked toward him, relating everything that had happened the previous night, word for word. From Dennis Grady's repulsive suggestions and the tampering with her drink, to the fist that nearly landed on her face in the parking lot. Her narration was terrifyingly calm. There were no tears, no accusations, only the statement of a sordid truth.
“Dennis is a company shareholder. He used a company project as leverage to push me to a client as a prostitute. Damian, you must give me an explanation for this.” She looked at him. “I am your wife, the President of Omni’s wife. By doing this, he is not just humiliating me; he is slapping you in the face.”
She thought that even if their relationship was rotten and infested with maggots, a man’s pitiful possessiveness and self respect would be enough for him to stand up for her.
However, Damian’s reaction was like a basin of ice water poured over her head, chilling her to the core. He remained silent for a long time after listening.
“Evelyn,” he finally spoke. “I know you’ve been wronged. But have you ever thought about why this happened?”
Evelyn couldn’t believe her ears. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the business world is like this. It’s full of traps and dirty deals.” He stood up and walked toward her. His hand instinctively reached out to rest on her shoulder, but Evelyn flinched away. His hand awkwardly froze in mid air, then he casually withdrew it.
“You are too naive. You’re not suited for this environment.” He sighed. “I will deal with Dennis. But Evelyn, perhaps... you should consider resigning.”
Evelyn’s blood seemed to freeze at that moment. She stared blankly at him, as if seeing this man for the first time.
“Resigning?” She practically hissed the word through clenched teeth.
“Yes.”
“Go home. You don’t need to work hard outside or deal with these messy people. I’ll give you a credit card with no spending limit. You can buy anything you like: jewelry, fashion, artwork... anything. Isn't it better to be a carefree Mrs. Green, like before?”
“So, your solution is to make me, the victim, leave?”
Evelyn’s voice trembled, not from fear, but from profound disappointment and rage. “Damian, did you hear me clearly? Your shareholder, your business partner, he nearly raped your wife! And now you’re telling me to resign and go home, using money to silence me?”
“This is not silencing you, it’s protecting you!” Damian frowned. “If you stay at the company, you will only encounter more people like Dennis! You simply can’t handle it! Going home, staying where I can see you, is the safest place!”
What a high sounding excuse! He wasn't protecting her; he was imprisoning her. He was simply annoyed that she had caused trouble, afraid she would affect his company's interests, and fearful she would tarnish his glossy image as CEO.
Damian looked at her pale, stubborn face, and a sliver of guilt did flash through his mind. He vaguely guessed that Dennis was behind last night's incident. But he was more interested in using this opportunity to completely clip Evelyn’s newly grown wings, forcing her to revert to the golden canary who could only cling to him and look up to him. Her independence and resistance made him feel an unprecedented loss of control.
Just then, the office door was gently knocked twice.
Sienna walked in, carrying a cup of coffee. She wore a tight fitting business suit that revealed her curves, and a perfectly calibrated smile.
“Damian, your coffee.” She placed the coffee on the desk, her gaze fleetingly passing over Evelyn. “Oh, Sister Evelyn is here too. Why do you look so pale? Are you too tired from work?”
As she spoke, she seemingly carelessly adjusted her neckline, exposing an ambiguous red mark on her fair neck. Evelyn’s stomach churned.
Damian did not stop Sienna’s entrance. He merely said flatly, “Nothing. We were just discussing something.”
“Oh...” Sienna drew out the syllable. “Actually, I don’t think Evelyn is very suited for the work in the Design Department. It’s too demanding. My sister just graduated from design school recently and has always admired you, Damian. She said she’d love to intern at Omni, even if she has to start as an assistant.”
Every word she spoke was like a needle, accurately piercing Evelyn’s heart. This was the insinuation: her position could be replaced at any moment. And by one of Sienna’s people, no less. How ironic, how utterly humiliating.
Evelyn couldn’t stay there any longer. She looked at the despicable pair before her, one hypocritical and selfish, the other smug and overconfident, feeling that breathing any more of the air here was a slow torture. She said nothing more, just turned around, pulled open the door, and walked out.
She returned to her small workstation. The looks cast by her surrounding colleagues were a mix of pity and schadenfreude. They must have all heard what Sienna said just now.
Evelyn sat down expressionlessly and opened her computer. The screen still showed the design drafts she had stayed up late modifying the night before.
Just then, a courier walked over, carrying a huge blue gift box.
“Excuse me, are you Ms. Evelyn Green?”
“I am.”
“Your package. Please sign for it.”
Evelyn signed the receipt. Her heart felt numb as she looked at the box bearing the logo of a top tier jewelry brand.
The colleagues in the office crowded around, letting out exaggerated exclamations.
“Wow! It’s a Caroline box!”
“Oh my gosh, Mr. Green is so romantic!”
“Evelyn, open it and see what it is!”