Chapter 138: Smashed on James' Face
She held evidence of his affair during their marriage. She should have been the one with the winning hand, so she shouldn't feel uneasy.
But James's expression was too certain, as if everything was under his control.
A voice in her brain was warning her, telling her to leave.
But her legs felt like they were filled with lead, impossible to move.
She let the silence spread through the room.
Time ticked by, second by second.
For Mia, each second felt like a year.
When it came to composure, she could never match James.
In the end, she couldn't stand the suffocating silence and broke it first. "James, what is this?"
"Look at it and you'll know."
James spoke lightly, his handsome face hidden in the smoke, making him seem even more unfathomable.
Her hands hanging at her sides clenched tightly, nails digging deep into her flesh, using the pain to calm herself down.
She stepped forward, walked to the bed, reached out to pick it up, opened the envelope, and pulled out a stack of papers—transfer records and IOUs.
She saw two names on them.
James, Zaid Wilson.
This was the first time the two most important men in her life, the one she cared about most and the one who hurt her deepest, appeared together.
Her pupils trembled.
She realized what this was.
Mia laughed softly.
With bitterness and self-mockery.
She had been so naive.
Since getting together with James, Zaid hadn't come to bother her anymore.
She thought that after meeting someone wonderful, everything had started to become wonderful too.
Turns out, Zaid hadn't quit gambling, nor was he afraid of James's status and didn't dare ask her for money—he had been going to James instead.
Mia looked through them one by one. The transfer records started with a few thousand dollars, then ten or twenty thousand dollars, then tens of thousands of dollars...
Each amount wasn't very large, but added together it was a significant sum.
What shocked her most was the last one—an IOU for three million dollars!
This amount meant nothing to James, but for her now, it was a number she couldn't bear.
These few dozen thin sheets of paper should have been light, but holding them in her hand felt so heavy she could barely grip them.
Mia slowly raised her head, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes. "James, so this is what you've been waiting for?"
James understood but didn't explain.
His silence was an admission of her accusation.
He really did it on purpose.
She laughed coldly.
Mia remembered herself at the coffee shop downstairs from his building, slapping the evidence of his affair in front of him, her face full of confidence.
Seeing him sign, she thought she had won for sure.
But it turned out that was just another way for him to torment her.
'Mia, I haven't let you experience what a living hell of a marriage feels like yet. How could I bear to let you go?'
James's words surfaced in her mind again.
He was so cruel!
He let her feel hope, let her think she could really get away from him.
He lifted her up high, maxed out her hopes, then yanked her down hard, making her taste the feeling of falling from heaven to hell, taste what despair felt like.
Truly worthy of James.
Mia gripped those IOUs tightly, suddenly walked toward James, stopped in front of him, and looked down at him.
Smoke swirled around. She couldn't see the true emotion in his eyes, but she could see the certainty on his face.
He tilted his head slightly, lifting his eyes to look at her.
Even sitting down, he still had that superior air, facing her with the attitude of someone who controlled everything.
So... blindingly arrogant.
He had gone too far!
Mia's eyes reddened as she said harshly, "James, the person who owes you money is Zaid, not me. What does it have to do with me? If you think you can use this to threaten me and make me give in, dream on!"
With a wave of her hand, she threw the copies hard at James's hateful face.
The IOUs scattered and fell. Mia turned and rushed out the door.
She rushed out so quickly she almost crashed into a food cart being pushed toward them.
"Miss, are you okay?"
Mia quickly shook her head and hurried away.
Just as she entered the elevator, the cart stopped at the door. The server looked at the open door and knocked. "Sir, you ordered breakfast. Should I bring it in now?"
"No need."
James spoke lightly. He sat in the chair, looking at the IOUs scattered on the floor.
After a long while, he picked up his phone and made a call.
After last night, he understood one thing even more clearly.
He couldn't accept it, couldn't tolerate her belonging to someone else.
That would kill him!
He had to keep her by his side.
As long as he could keep Mia, he would find every possible way.
...
Mia had just left the hotel and gotten on the bus when her phone rang. It was a WhatsApp message from Benjamin. [Are you awake?]
[Yes, just got on the bus, heading back to the dorm. Benjamin, thank you for last night. By the way, how much was the room? I'll transfer it to you.]
Mia knew that Benjamin hadn't taken her back to the dorm last night to save her face.
He didn't want her two roommate colleagues to see her making a drunken scene.
Benjamin was silent for several seconds before slowly sending a message: [I didn't pay.]
Knowing she was particular about money matters with him, he had only booked the room for her last night.
His name didn't require a deposit, and he hadn't paid the room fee either.
Mia sent back an OK emoji.
Benjamin didn't reply again.
The hotel was only three stops from the dorm. Mia quickly returned to the dorm. It was already past nine, and her two roommate colleagues had already gone to the office.
Last night James had tormented her for too long, plus the aftereffects of the alcohol—she felt terrible.
She entered the room and was about to change clothes to get some good sleep when the doorbell rang. A delivery person's voice came from outside: "Hello, your breakfast is here."
Mia was only briefly surprised before realizing who had ordered it for her.
"Thank you."
She opened the door, took it, thanked them, and closed the door.
Sitting at the dining table, looking at the breakfast and milk, her eyes reddened slightly.
She picked up her phone and had just opened Benjamin's WhatsApp chat when his message came first.
[Milk works well for hangovers, remember to drink it.]
Mia immediately replied: [Thanks for caring.]
After sending it, she looked at the receipt and transferred the money to him.
Benjamin didn't accept it.
[If you really want to thank me, buy me a meal.]
With Mia's current financial situation, she couldn't afford to treat him to a meal.
The places he went to, she currently couldn't afford.
Just as she was about to answer honestly, Benjamin sent another WhatsApp: [Are you thinking I'm an evil capitalist, wanting to trade a few dozen dollars of breakfast for a meal from you?]
Even though Benjamin couldn't see her, she still gently shook her head and replied: [No, you've helped me so much, treating you to a meal is what I should do. But my current financial situation means I can't afford anything too expensive.]
[What's your maximum?]
Mia slowly typed out a number: [Two hundred dollars?]
[Okay, it's settled then.]
[Okay.] Mia quickly replied and didn't remind him again to accept the transfer.
[Rest well and recharge. Remember to report on time the day after tomorrow morning.]
[Okay.]
Benjamin didn't continue replying. Mia lowered her head to eat breakfast.
After eating, she returned to her room. The phone rang. She thought it was Benjamin, but when she picked it up, it was actually her father Zaid.
Calling her at this time, she didn't need to answer to know what he wanted to say.
She hung up directly.
As soon as she hung up, it rang again.
She blocked him directly, put the phone on silent, tossed it aside, changed into pajamas, and lay down on the bed to catch up on sleep.
...
The next morning, Mia put on professional attire and stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself.
She tried to force a smile but ultimately failed. She stopped forcing herself, put on high heels, left, and arrived at the company half an hour early.
Today was her first day at work.
Following Benjamin's instructions, Jasper brought her to her direct supervisor Kaia.
He simply said this was the new secretary and asked Kaia to show her around, then left.
Even though Jasper hadn't specifically mentioned anything, Mia's sudden arrival at the secretarial department still caused people to gossip behind her back.
Average education, no work experience, outstanding looks.
These things together inevitably made people think too much.
The looks they gave her carried some deeper meaning.
If it were before, her pride would have acted up, unable to accept people looking at her this way.
But now, after experiencing James's humiliation, facing these looks, she could actually laugh it off.
This was probably what others meant when they said hurt makes you grow.
Mia spent the morning in busyness.
When she didn't understand something, she asked. When she got an answer, she carefully noted it down, not allowing herself to bother others a second time with the same question.
At noon, she didn't go downstairs to eat. She took out a piece of bread from her drawer, got up to go to the break room to make coffee.
Outside the door, she heard colleagues discussing how the Smith Group was suddenly targeting the company.
Everyone was guessing why.
Mia stood outside, her blood running cold.
She knew in her heart that Benjamin's company wasn't like Mabel's—it wasn't something James could target just by saying so.
But if James deliberately targeted it, it would still impact the company.
And all of this was because she got drunk the night before last, and to get revenge, she had dragged Benjamin into it.
He was innocent!
He had helped her when she was most helpless, and she had implicated him.
Without going inside, Mia turned back to her desk, grabbed her bag, and headed out.
After leaving the company, just as she was about to take a cab to the Smith Group, someone suddenly rushed over and grabbed her.