Chapter 94
Nicole's POV
Hodgson finally glanced up at me, his eyes cold, as if I were an unreasonable stranger.
"This is Gianna, my new secretary."
He introduced her casually, then turned to Gianna and said, "Gianna, this is Nicole, Shier's fiancée."
Shier's fiancée?
Those words were like a slap across my face.
He knew I didn't love Shier. He knew how much I hated that title. Yet he still chose to humiliate me this way in front of this woman.
Gianna's gaze swept over me, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"So this is Young Master Shier's fiancée. She really is beautiful." She deliberately drew out her words, her tone dripping with contempt.
I took a deep breath, forcing down the rage rising in my chest, and stared directly at Hodgson.
"New secretary? Hodgson, are you joking? I never submitted a resignation letter. I'm your secretary!"
Hodgson scoffed, casually picking up the documents Gianna had brought and flipping through them.
"Nicole, you've been missing for several days. Gianna filled in during your absence. I need a secretary who can be on call at all times."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" I couldn't help raising my voice. "Before you brought me into the company, you never had a female secretary! What secretary do you need? Hasn't Eric been doing just fine?"
"That was before."
Hodgson closed the file and looked up, his eyes ice cold.
"Now, I think having a female secretary is quite nice. At least she won't disappear without reason like certain people, or get tangled up with other men behind my back."
His words carried obvious implications, each one stabbing at my nerves.
I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms.
"Since I'm back now, shouldn't Gianna leave? This position was mine to begin with!"
Hodgson raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by my reaction.
"Leave? Why should she leave?" He reached out and wrapped his arm around Gianna's waist. She leaned into his embrace with a coquettish laugh.
"Gianna is an excellent secretary. She's capable and..." he glanced at Gianna meaningfully, "very obedient. I plan to keep her."
Watching their intimate display made my stomach churn.
"So? Are you firing me then?"
I stared hard at Hodgson, my voice trembling with anger.
"I didn't miss work without reason! I took sick leave! We both know why I needed that leave! You should take some responsibility for it too!"
If it weren't for Matthew's situation breaking me down, how would I have fallen ill?
Hodgson looked at me, a fleeting emotion crossing his eyes before being masked by indifference.
"Fire you? No, I won't fire you."
He released Gianna and picked up his pen again.
"Whether you stay or not is your decision. If you feel wronged, you're free to leave right now. No one's stopping you."
With that, he ignored me completely, lowering his head to continue working as if I were truly insignificant.
I stood there, looking at his cold profile, my heart a jumble of emotions.
"Fine. I'm not leaving."
Swallowing my humiliation, I returned to my desk.
But nothing could go back to how it was.
Over the following days, Hodgson deliberately marginalized me.
All important documents, meetings, and schedule arrangements went through Gianna.
I was like an invisible person, watching Gianna use work as an excuse to get close to Hodgson repeatedly, making all sorts of suggestive gestures toward him.
Every time I saw them together, my heart felt like it was being pierced by needles.
At noon one day, everyone had gone to lunch, leaving only Hodgson resting in the office.
After organizing my files, I wanted to have him sign off on the past few days' reports.
As I approached to knock, I noticed the door was ajar, left slightly open.
Through the gap, I saw Hodgson leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, apparently asleep.
And Gianna was carefully draping a suit jacket over him.
Then she bent down, about to kiss his lips.
"What are you doing?!"
I slammed the door open and shouted.
Gianna jumped, startled by the sudden voice, nearly falling. She glanced at the still-sleeping Hodgson, seemingly afraid of waking him. She put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, then quickly left the office, closing the door behind her.
I followed her to a corner in the hallway.
"What were you trying to do?" My chest heaved violently. "Were you trying to steal a kiss while he's asleep? Have you no shame?!"
"So what if I was?"
Gianna shrugged, completely indifferent.
"Hodgson is so charming. What woman could resist him? It's perfectly normal that I want to kiss him. Besides, he doesn't have a girlfriend right now. Why can't I pursue him?"
"I'm telling Hodgson what you just did!"
Gianna smiled dismissively. "Please, tattling is quite disgraceful. And do you think Hodgson would believe you? In his eyes, you're just a woman who betrayed him, while I'm his most capable assistant right now."
She leaned in close, lowering her voice provocatively. "Instead of acting like a bitter wife accusing me, why don't we compete fairly to see who wins his heart?"
With that, she shot me a triumphant look and strutted away on her high heels.
I stood there, trembling with rage yet utterly helpless.
Gianna was right. Hodgson didn't trust me at all now.
If I complained to him, he'd only think I was being unreasonable and hate me even more.
But where did this woman even come from?
After Gianna left, I stood in the empty corridor as cold wind blew through the windows, cooling my heated mind slightly.
I began carefully reviewing every detail since Gianna's appearance.
Her arrival was too sudden, too strange.
Right during those days when Hodgson and I had fallen out, she quickly rose to become his personal secretary.
A thought flashed through my mind.
I remembered the phone call Shier made that day, asking me to lure Hodgson to that restaurant.
Hodgson met Gianna that very day!
Everything connected!
How could I have been so stupid? Only now realizing this!
I immediately pulled out my phone and called Shier.
The phone rang several times before being answered. Shier's lazy voice came through.
"Well, well, if it isn't my dear fiancée. What made you think of calling me?"
"Shier!" I gritted my teeth, my voice icy. "You'd better tell me honestly, why did you have me lure Hodgson to that restaurant?!"