Chapter 107
Violet always thought Jack was my and George's child, which is why she felt George was playing favorites and thought some people in the Smith family preferred sons over daughters. That's why she specifically reminded me to treat Milly well and not let her suffer.
She didn't know that this bowl of water was tilted from the very beginning, because the water came from different sources to start with.
She knew even less that Jack, whom she saw as being raised strong and healthy by my hard work, had long been taught by his biological mother and that blood-related father to become a knife aimed at my heart.
What I said to George last night wasn't said in anger - it was my bottom line after careful consideration.
If he and Sarah really dared to go after my mother's company for their own interests and greed, and hurt my family, I wouldn't mind flipping the table and letting everyone see the truth about this marriage, see Jack's real identity, see how Sarah climbed her way up.
It might hurt innocent people, it might anger Violet, but that was my last weapon.
I responded to Violet, keeping my voice gentle: "Don't worry, Grandma, I'll be very, very good to Milly. She's my life."
"As for Jack, he has George taking care of him, and... so many people who care about him. He'll be just fine."
Violet clearly didn't catch the other layer of meaning in my words. She just thought I was being understanding. She sighed with relief on the other end: "Jack has grown up so strong and healthy - you've worked hard all these years, Grace."
That sentence was like a tiny thorn, gently piercing the softest, most tender spot in my heart.
Yes, everyone could see how good I was to Jack.
Former neighbors, kindergarten teachers, even some of the old servants in the Smith family had all said this.
I loved and worried about Jack as if he were my own son.
What I got in return was his hostility and attacks on me to defend Sarah.
A wave of indescribable bitterness and absurdity washed over me.
Fortunately, fate gave me a second chance, letting me see the true colors of this ungrateful father and son after my heart completely died, and waking me up from that self-moved devotion.
My kindness should be saved for those who deserve it.
After finishing the call with Violet, I forced myself to push down those chaotic emotions and throw myself into work.
I organized the latest project progress and a technical analysis report that needed William's review, and submitted them to him.
Then I called my mom to ask about Flora's condition.
Mom's voice carried a rare lightness and happiness: "Grace, good news. All of Flora's test results today are normal and stable. The doctor said as long as the next two follow-up exams don't show major fluctuations, they can schedule the surgery directly. The surgical plan has been finalized, too, and the success rate is very high."
This was truly wonderful news.
Whether Flora's surgery could go smoothly was the biggest weight on our entire family's hearts.
My tense nerves finally relaxed a bit at this news, and even my voice became lighter: "That's great, Mom. Tell Flora to stay calm and cooperate with the doctors. We'll be waiting for her to come out healthy."
After hanging up, I struck while the iron was hot and immediately contacted Mr. Lucas, the lawyer handling my divorce case.
I couldn't wait to end the legal entanglement with George.
"Mr. Lucas, has there been any progress or instructions from the court? I want to move the divorce proceedings forward as soon as possible." I got straight to the point, my tone carrying barely concealed urgency.
Mr. Lucas's voice on the other end was professional and steady: "Ms. Brown, the case has been filed, and we're waiting for the defendant's side - that is, Mr. Smith's side - to submit their response and evidence materials. The court-mandated deadline hasn't arrived yet, so there are no new instructions for now. What we can do now is wait for Mr. Smith's side to submit their acknowledgment and related documents, then wait for the court to schedule a hearing."
Wait for George's acknowledgment...
My heart sank.
I knew George's attitude all too well. He simply didn't take the divorce seriously, or rather, he was deliberately dragging it out, using it as leverage, or just to make me miserable.
Who knows how long we'd have to wait for that acknowledgment?
"I understand, thank you, Mr. Lucas."
Mr. Lucas seemed to hear my anxiety and frustration, and gently reassured me: "Ms. Brown, please don't be too anxious. Divorce litigation takes time, especially when it involves property division and child custody issues. I'll keep a close eye on the case progress and notify you immediately if there's any news. You just need to stay emotionally stable and prepare the relevant materials."
"Okay, thank you." I thanked him again. Mr. Lucas's professionalism and patience gave me some comfort in the face of cold legal procedures.
In the afternoon, Ember, Daniel, and I had an emergency meeting to discuss a new technical requirement from a unit under the Aviation Administration.
We did a preliminary analysis of the technical difficulties and feasibility, preparing to create a detailed proposal to submit to William for final decision.
After the meeting, William called me to his office, his face showing barely contained excitement.
"Grace, I have good news." His eyes were shining. "The core algorithm module for satellite risk avoidance that you led the optimization on - the Aviation Administration's technical assessment team noticed it. After internal discussions, they've decided to take it first and test it for a period in one of their non-core but important test projects."
"If it performs stably during the trial period with ideal data and no major flaws, they're very likely to formally propose cooperation, even sign a long-term technical service contract. Do you understand what this means?"
Of course, I understood.
It meant Star Tech's technical capabilities had received preliminary recognition from the country's highest-level space agency.
It meant we might step into a higher-end, more core market with unlimited prospects.
This wasn't just a project - it was a milestone, a huge leap forward in Star Tech's development.
Immense joy swept away the gloom of recent days, and I smiled: "Really? That's wonderful, William. This is the result of our entire team's efforts."
"That's right, it's everyone's achievement, but your core contribution was indispensable." William praised generously. He was also very happy and immediately picked up his phone to announce the good news in the company's core team group chat, along with a substantial bonus lottery.
The group instantly erupted with cheers.
I smiled and clicked on the bonus lottery. Luck seemed to really favor those who work hard. I won the largest amount again.
Amid the good-natured teasing and congratulations, my exhausting but fulfilling day was coming to an end.
I was getting ready to pack up and pick up Milly when the TV screen on the office wall was broadcasting financial news. The host's voice came through clearly: "...Recently, Bright Light Tech, founded by emerging entrepreneur Ms. Sarah Wilson, announced it has received strategic investment of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Smith Group, and has secured technical cooperation contracts for multiple key projects under the Smith Group. Industry insiders analyze that this cooperation marks the Smith Group's further deepening layout in technological innovation, while Ms. Sarah Wilson, with her excellent technical background and business acumen, is rapidly becoming a rising star in the industry, viewed as a female business leader with great potential who could stand alongside the Smith Group's head, Mr. George Smith, in the future..."
I pulled at the corner of my mouth, my face showing no emotion. I even found it rather boring.
This news was seriously outdated.
Sarah wasn't just someone who could stand alongside George in the future.
She had long been standing beside him, even living in his heart, becoming the direction of all his favoritism and resources.
I picked up the remote and turned off the TV directly.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Just as I turned off the TV, Mom called again, her voice carrying careful worry: "Grace, did you see the news? That Sarah..."
"Mom, I saw it." I interrupted her, my tone calm. "It's fine, don't worry. She can run her company and take her investments - it has nothing to do with us."
"I really don't care that much about George anymore. Just focus on the company and Flora's situation, don't always worry about me."