Chapter 3
"Ophelia, you're back!" Jeffrey was the first to notice her. He hurried over with a smile plastered on his face, reaching out to take her bag.
"You must be tired, right? Freya specially cooked today and made lots of your favorite dishes. We've been waiting for you."
Freya also stepped forward, looking apologetic. "Ophelia, I was wrong this afternoon. Consider this meal my way of apologizing. Can we get along well from now on?"
As she spoke, she gently pushed Kaida, who was hiding behind her. "Kaida, come on, tell mommy not to be mad anymore."
Kaida pouted and reluctantly mumbled, "Mommy..."
Jeffrey softened his tone even more, trying to take Ophelia's hand. "Ophelia, today was all my fault. I shouldn't have kept things from you... But we've been together for so many years. Can't you forgive me just this once?"
"I promise I'll treat you twice as well from now on. We can be just like before."
Ophelia pulled her hand away and let out a low laugh, full of mockery. "Just like before? Jeffrey, do you really think I'm an idiot?"
She looked at him, her eyes sharp. "Like a fool who's been deceived by you all these years, raising your and Freya's illegitimate daughter for you, and feeling grateful to you for it?"
Jeffrey's expression changed. "What are you talking about? Kaida..."
There's no way Ophelia could know Kaida was his and Freya's child!
Freya's face also went pale, her teeth biting down hard on her lower lip.
If it weren't for Kaida, she wouldn't have humbled herself to apologize to Ophelia like this! She was supposed to be Jeffrey's legitimate wife.
If she hadn't divorced and returned to the country pregnant all those years ago, and if Jeffrey's parents hadn't rejected her, she wouldn't have had to use this scheme with Jeffrey, using Ophelia as a cover to secretly get married.
Ophelia watched their expressions and sneered. "Whether she's your biological child or not, you know it in your hearts."
With that, she pulled out a document from her bag and slammed it on the table in front of Jeffrey.
"I won't waste words. Sign it."
Jeffrey looked down, and his eyes fell on the cover—Equity Transfer Agreement.
His pupils shrank sharply. He quickly picked it up and flipped through it, his expression growing darker with each page.
"Fifty percent? Ophelia, are you crazy? You want half of Jeffrey Technologies' shares!"
He practically roared, his face filled with disbelief and anger.
Ophelia scoffed. "Don't forget, when Jeffrey Technologies was just starting, and you ran out of money, I took out all my savings and swallowed my pride to borrow two million dollars from everyone I could. Without that money, your 'Jeffrey Technologies' would have gone bankrupt long ago!"
"In those first two years when Jeffrey Technologies was just getting off the ground, I worked day and night helping you with business, entertaining clients. I brought in half of the early clients!"
She stepped closer, staring at him intently. "Jeffrey, I was never some clinging vine dependent on you. Jeffrey Technologies is what it is today—dare you say I didn't contribute? Now I'm just taking back what belongs to me! Fifty percent of the shares seems very reasonable to me."
Jeffrey was momentarily speechless, his face flushing red and white—partly from guilt, partly from humiliated anger.
He gripped the agreement tightly, his knuckles turning white. "That's all in the past! Jeffrey Technologies is what it is now because I built it up! Don't even think about getting fifty percent of the shares. I won't sign!"
Freya also chimed in tearfully, "Ophelia, how can you pressure Jeffrey like this? Even if we wronged you, Jeffrey has feelings for you after all these years, right? Can't you show some consideration for old times' sake?"
Ophelia looked like she'd heard the funniest joke. "When you were deceiving me, and you were stealing my man, why didn't you think about old times'sake? Now you want to talk to me about old times? Freya, you really have no shame."
She was done wasting time with them and turned to head upstairs to the bedroom. "The agreement stays here. You have three days to think about it. Sign it, and we'll process the paperwork quickly. If you don't sign..."
She laughed lightly, her tone shifting. "What do you think would happen if I told your parents about how you committed marriage fraud, bigamy, and made me raise your illegitimate daughter?"
Jeffrey's face changed dramatically. She was afraid Ophelia would tell his parents, which was why she'd swallowed her pride to appease her.
Ophelia enjoyed watching his expression and continued, "Or, I could take you to court. If this lawsuit goes public, don't you think the media would swarm like sharks smelling blood?"
Jeffrey stood frozen, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He knew all too well what such a scandal would mean for a company on the rise in this internet age.
Freya panicked too, instinctively grabbing Jeffrey's arm.
Ophelia didn't stop walking, only turning back at the stairway landing to glance at him coldly. "By the way, although this house is registered under your name, I also contributed financially. Please leave immediately."
"Looking at you makes me sick."
With that, she ignored the furious Jeffrey behind her and went straight upstairs, locking the bedroom door.
Leaning against the cold door, Ophelia slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Her heart still hurt, but more than that, she felt a cold, hard sense of liberation.
She walked to the window and watched Jeffrey leave with Freya and Kaida, her eyes completely indifferent.
Ophelia's earlier words were just meant to disgust Jeffrey. She had no intention of continuing to live here. Just thinking about Jeffrey being intimate with Freya in this house behind her back made her sick.
Ophelia packed up her clothes and documents. Without any attachment, she left the villa where she'd lived for three years.
It was already dark outside. She stood by the roadside, about to call a car with her phone app, when a black stretch Lincoln slowly stopped in front of her.
The rear window slowly lowered, revealing a strikingly handsome profile.
The man wore a black custom-tailored suit, with refined features and an air of nobility.
He looked at Ophelia, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. "Long time no see."
"Ophelia."
William Brown!
Ophelia was stunned for a moment, not expecting to see him here and now.
A year ago, William and Ophelia had met at a crucial bidding event. It was the bid she'd been least confident about, mainly because the competition was too strong.
She hadn't known William's background at the time, only vaguely hearing he was the heir to some top-tier family.
That time, they'd battled it out all day before she barely won the bid.
Afterward, William had asked her to dinner, but she'd refused. At the time, she'd only wanted to share the good news with Jeffrey as soon as possible...
"Ms. Blake?"
Ophelia snapped back to reality and immediately greeted him politely. "Mr. Brown, long time no see."
"Where are you headed, Ms. Blake? I'll give you a ride. I happen to have something I'd like to discuss with you." William glanced at the suitcase in her hand and said casually.
Ophelia hesitated for a moment, but out of politeness, she agreed.
She handed her suitcase to the driver and opened the car door to get in.
The car slowly started moving. William turned his head to look at her and suddenly asked without warning, "Ms. Blake, I heard you don't want to marry me?"
Ophelia's hand froze on the seatbelt. She looked up at him in disbelief.
She almost thought she'd misheard. Marriage? What marriage?
Her mind suddenly flashed back to the family-arranged marriage Mireille had mentioned that afternoon.
The Brown family? So the person she was supposed to marry was William!