Chapter 7
When I received the call from Levi's assistant, I was just about to head home to check on my daughter.
I'd been thinking it over these past few days and still felt uneasy. After all, Celestia was so young - I didn't want her getting dragged into unnecessary drama.
The adult world shouldn't involve children. Celestia couldn't become Jessa's ticket to online fame or a tool to win over Levi.
Levi still hadn't responded to the rumors, which meant they probably weren't all made up. At least the part about him and Jessa dating was clearly true.
The elevator doors had just opened when I ran into Levi's assistant, James Smith. It looked like they'd just finished a meeting - he was holding several files.
"Mr. Morgan is back. You should talk to him directly about your resignation." James felt it wasn't his place to decide, so he'd been putting it off.
I understood his position. Everyone at the company thought I'd gotten in through connections with the Morgan family, but what puzzled them was why I'd been given such a meaningless position.
"Okay."
I didn't want to drag this out either. If I wanted to divorce Levi, quitting was just the first step. I had to take it decisively.
I steadied myself and adjusted my mindset - after all, I hadn't seen Levi in almost a month.
As I approached his office door, I could faintly hear him talking to someone. I knocked gently.
After a few seconds, I heard that familiar voice: "Come in!"
I slowly pushed open the door. Jessa was standing next to Levi with one hand on her waist, staring straight at me.
"Oh, if it isn't your wife. Levi, maybe I should go - I don't want to interrupt you two." Jessa's fake concern made me sick.
I'd thought she might pretend to be the innocent girl she used to be, but it seemed her tactics had gotten more sophisticated over the years.
"No need."
Levi didn't look up, efficiently marking and signing documents.
"I already gave the paperwork to James. Just need your approval." I didn't want to stay in the same room with them. Seeing them together made my chest feel tight.
"Two coffees."
Levi was ordering me to make coffee for them?
Had I heard that right? I was resigning, and I still had to serve him?
"I..."
"Hurry up!"
Levi's sharp tone left me speechless. I could see Jessa looking smug. I felt like a complete fool.
So much had happened these past few days, and Levi hadn't said a word about any of it. Now he was openly bringing Jessa to the company. The Morgan Group didn't need gossip to advertise itself.
Clearly, Levi was planning to rekindle things with her.
And me? His wife in name only - I was worthless to him.
He wasn't even giving me a shred of dignity anymore.
"Did you see? Mr. Morgan brought that actress to the company. I bet they'll be announcing something soon."
"You've been here the longest - have you ever seen Mr. Morgan bring anyone else here?"
"Never. Miss Greer is the first."
My coworkers were gossiping in the break room, their excitement running high. I stared at the coffee machine, thinking about how to bring up my resignation with Levi.
With Jessa in the way, we couldn't talk openly.
"Maybe now that the kid's older, Mr. Morgan wants to find her a mother."
"Maybe she IS the kid's real mom."
"You believe that gossip? Mr. Morgan's daughter doesn't look anything like Miss Greer."
How could Celestia look like Jessa? They say daughters take after their fathers, but Celestia looked just like me. Compared to my childhood photos, we were eighty percent identical.
Accompanied by this idle chatter, I steeled myself and returned to Levi's office.
I don't know what he and Jessa had been talking about, but I saw him smiling. He smiled like that with Celestia, but with me? Always cold.
"Coffee's ready."
Levi glanced at me. "Put it on the desk."
Jessa made a show of moving away from him slightly. "Levi, Celestia photographs so well. Have you thought about letting her go into entertainment?"
"No."
"No."
Levi and I said it at the same time. Jessa's face showed clear displeasure, but she quickly smiled again.
"Celestia has real potential with the violin. These past few days I've noticed..."
Jessa suddenly covered her mouth, as if she'd accidentally revealed that Celestia had been taking lessons from her.
"I know Celestia's been learning from you recently. Thank you for your time." I laid it out directly - no need for them to hide it.
Levi seemed a bit surprised by my words. He frowned, then relaxed.
"Oh, it's nothing really. After all, Levi and I are good friends, and Celestia is so adorable - I'm happy to teach her." Jessa was just making polite conversation, every sentence designed to please Levi.
I looked at Levi, about to bring up my resignation, but Jessa interrupted.
"Don't take those rumors from the past few days to heart. Levi and Celestia only came to the show to support me. It was my first performance since returning to the country, and they gave me so much encouragement."
"Right, we invited you too, but you were on that business trip, so..."
Jessa looked at Levi meekly. This act always worked on him.
I smiled. "It's fine. You're good friends - it's normal."
Since Jessa was pretending to acknowledge me as Mrs. Morgan, I'd play along.
"Oh, I brought cherries - freshly picked this morning. Levi, I picked out the best ones for you. Let me go wash them."
"You wash them." Levi stared at me, ordering.
A wave of bitterness washed over my heart. My position as his wife was meaningless - I was no different from his servant.
Usually at the company, I understood keeping up appearances, but now, in front of Jessa, he was treating me like hired help again.
Jessa must be thrilled inside.
I was literally swallowing my pride. To get Levi to agree to my resignation smoothly, I had to comply.
When my coworkers saw me washing fruit for them, they'd be even more certain of Levi's feelings for Jessa - after all, they were eating together at the office.
"Levi, your wife is so thoughtful, and she does whatever you say. Actually, I could do these things too, but your grandfather doesn't like me."
I heard Jessa complaining at the door. She was blaming Aiden for why they hadn't ended up together back then. Her pitiful act must have made Levi feel sorry for her.
I really didn't want to stay any longer, so I just opened the door.
"Let me, let me."
Jessa grabbed the fruit bowl, picked out a plump cherry, and in a few quick steps fed it to Levi, treating me like I was invisible.
"Thanks."
Levi naturally accepted her feeding him. I'd never had that opportunity - I wouldn't even dare try. I was afraid Levi would think I didn't know boundaries.
How ridiculous - a married couple living together for six years, and we still needed boundaries.
"Want to try one?"
Jessa picked up another cherry, like she was showing off. That deep red cherry was like a bomb going off in my stomach.