Chapter 29
"No way."
Camila stood up, grabbed the plate he'd finished eating from, and headed towards the kitchen.
"Why not? Didn't you say you regretted it?"
Clifford quickly followed her, leaning against the kitchen doorway, his hair still a mess, eager to know the reason.
Camila turned on the faucet to wash the dishes, stifling a yawn. "I really don't have time to argue with you. If you wanna leave, then leave. If not, crash in the guest room."
"I'm beat. Just keep it down."
Clifford's Adam's apple bobbed as he saw her tired expression, and his resolve weakened. He clenched his fists but eventually gave in, heading to the guest room.
He slammed the door shut, like a kid throwing a tantrum.
Camila sighed in relief. After a quick shower, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She didn't know how long she'd been asleep before the urgent ringing of her phone woke her up.
Coco's voice on the other end was frantic. "Camila, you need to come to the office right away. Something's happened."
Camila instantly felt more awake. She sat up, the blanket slipping to her waist. "Okay, don't panic. I'll be there soon."
She quickly changed clothes and opened her bedroom door, only to find Clifford standing in the living room, wearing a blue and red checkered apron and holding a spatula.
His face turned slightly red when he saw her. "You're up early. Go back to sleep for a bit. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Camila didn't have the energy to respond. She glanced at the steam coming from the kitchen and then left the house.
As soon as she arrived at the office, she sensed the tension in the air.
Almost all the department heads were in the conference room, looking dejected and defeated.
Coco stood up as soon as she saw Camila, holding several documents. "Camila, look at this." She handed over the papers, her voice low. "We got these first thing this morning."
Camila glanced at the documents. Almost all their partner brands had sent termination contracts.
A colleague from the video department added, "And the ad shoots we had scheduled have been canceled. The director said they're hiring new talent."
Camila took the documents, her fingers brushing over the words "termination of cooperation agreement." She frowned but didn't say anything, just looked up and asked, "What else?"
"The new talents we had selected have been poached by other companies, even if it means paying the breach of contract fees."
The talent scouting department also looked disheartened.
So many things happening in one day couldn't be a coincidence.
Camila's hand tightened at her side. She turned and walked to a corner to call Albert.
The phone rang for just a second before it was answered. Albert's voice, filled with obvious delight and a hint of excitement, came through. "Camila, you finally called me."
"Was it you?"
"Huh? What did I do?"
Albert's voice sounded genuinely confused, not like he was pretending. "What's going on? You can tell me."
"Nothing," Camila said, staring at her blurred reflection in the glass. "I just hope we can part ways amicably. Playing dirty tricks behind my back is pointless."
The person on the other end raised his voice. "Camila, how could you think that of me? I would never..."
Before he could finish, Camila hung up. She looked at her colleagues standing nearby. "Summarize how many brands have terminated their contracts and then contact the legal department to file for compensation."
Although the company still had some funds, relying solely on compensation wouldn't be enough to maintain normal operations.
As she was thinking, Coco's work phone suddenly rang. The screen displayed "Mr. Smith."
Coco answered, and after listening for a moment, her face darkened. She looked at Camila with a complicated expression.
"Give it to me."
It seemed the call was for her.
"Ms. Wilson, long time no see."
Oscar's voice was laced with contemptuous laughter, clearly enjoying her misfortune.
Camila leaned against the desk, a faint smile on her lips. "I didn't expect to get a call from Mr. Smith. I guess you're out of detention and have time to catch up with old friends."
Oscar's tone immediately changed, filled with anger. "Camila, you ruined me."
"I almost ended up in jail. My wife left with our daughter. I have nothing now, not even a place to stay."
Oscar's fury was palpable, transmitted through the phone.
Camila held the phone, listening quietly until his ranting subsided. Then she spoke slowly. "Mr. Smith, you can't blame me for your choices. You decided to team up with Michael. You have no one else to blame."
She paused, her tone carrying a warning. "Now that you're out, live a decent life. These underhanded tactics are meaningless."
There was a strange chuckle on the other end. Oscar yawned. "Who said I was planning anything underhanded?"
"I called Ms. Wilson today just to let you know that I'm starting my own entertainment company. The film, music, and modeling industries will be thriving. I hope Ms. Wilson will attend the opening party."
So it was him behind all this.
"Sure, I'll be waiting for your invitation."
With that, Camila hung up.
She didn't believe he was acting alone. But who would dare to collaborate with him?
As she pondered, a commotion erupted at the office entrance, accompanied by a sharp female voice.
Camila left the conference room to see Stella leading five or six burly men into the office.
Stella glanced at Camila, raising an eyebrow. "You're actually here. I thought you'd be hiding at home, crying."
"Crying or not, life goes on," Camila stood tall. "I'm curious why Miss Garcia is here."
She noticed the men behind Stella, all with menacing expressions. She subtly signaled to Coco, who understood and discreetly reached for her phone to call the police.
But one of Stella's men noticed and quickly snatched the phone from Coco's hand.
"Don't even think about calling the cops!" Stella stepped forward in her high heels, looking down at Camila.
"We have a lot of scores to settle, and we're going to do it right now."