Chapter 119 Revisiting Old Places
But Alison wasn't angry. She wanted to understand why, even if it meant facing the truth. So she smiled and asked, "Why are you telling me to go home? Shouldn't Aidan be the one to inform me about my resignation, not you, Claire?"
Claire flicked her nails nonchalantly. "Go ask the management department yourself. This has nothing to do with me."
"Really nothing to do with you?"
"Really nothing to do with me," Claire insisted, trying to distance herself from the situation. Deep down, she didn't want Aidan to know she was behind this.
"Fine, I'll go ask the management department," Alison said, standing up. If it was her fault, she would leave.
Seeing Alison actually get up to leave made Claire a bit nervous, but she hid it well.
Alison quickly reached the management department. The manager saw her and greeted her, "Alison, just the person I was looking for. Come in for a moment."
"Is this about my resignation?" Alison asked with a smile, realizing it was all true.
The manager looked a bit embarrassed. "It's from higher up. I reviewed the footage of your work, and you did violate company policies. So, I can't keep you."
"What footage?" Alison asked, puzzled.
The manager looked at her disdainfully. "You were dozing off at work yesterday, staring blankly at your computer. The company can't keep someone with such a work attitude. We need people who can get things done, not someone who's just a pretty face." He had heard that the CEO personally made Alison his secretary, but men often have fleeting interests. Now that Claire was handling the CEO's affairs, it was clear Alison had lost her standing.
Everyone in the company knew this.
Alison understood. This time, it was indeed her fault, not Claire's. Although being called a "pretty face" was a bit humiliating, perhaps everyone in the company saw her as Aidan's woman.
With a calm smile, she said, "I understand. I'll leave now."
The manager watched her turn to leave and added, "Your salary for this month has been calculated. You can collect it from the finance department before you go."
"Thank you, I will," Alison paused, then continued packing her things.
Seeing Alison so calm, the manager was taken aback, then shook his head. Alison had indeed violated company policies.
Alison returned to her office. Claire expected her to make a scene, but Alison quietly sat down and started packing. There wasn't much to pack; the office supplies belonged to the company, so she was done in a few minutes.
When she saw a stack of documents on her desk, she scratched her head. She still needed to hand these over to Claire.
She picked up the documents and walked over to Claire. "Claire, some of these documents are finished, and some are halfway done. I've marked the progress on sticky notes. You can check my computer for details. Is that okay?"
Alison's calm tone made Claire uncomfortable. "Alison, do you have a problem with me?" Claire thought Alison's calmness was unsettling. She would have preferred a big argument.
"No, do you have any questions about the handover?" Alison replied. Fortunately, she always kept records, making the handover smooth without needing extra organization.
"No... no questions," Claire stammered. She wanted to find fault, but Alison's calmness made her uneasy. She had a strong feeling that even though Alison was forced to resign while the CEO was away, she might come back.
This feeling was so strong it made Claire nervous. "Alison, you're leaving because you weren't serious about your work."
"Yeah, I get it. If there's nothing else, I'll go."
"Suit yourself," Claire said, pouting. She hadn't expected Alison to be so calm and indifferent. The position of the CEO's secretary was highly coveted, allowing close contact with the CEO, a dream for many women in the company.
Alison left YD, her departure feeling like a sudden farce. But as she walked out of the YD building, she felt a sense of relief.
Maybe she shouldn't have joined YD in the first place.
She wandered aimlessly through the streets, the sudden change making her forget about sending Jack her bank account number and the $120,000.
She walked slowly, the streets bustling with people, the sun shining brightly, making her sweat slightly, but she didn't bother with an umbrella. She never liked walking with an umbrella, and her naturally fair skin looked healthier with a bit of a tan.
Just then, Jack called. She answered, suddenly remembering she had forgotten something important.
"Jack, I forgot to give you my bank account number."
"No need," he said in a deep voice on the other end.
"Ah..." She panicked. "Did you change your mind?"
"Remember the agreement. Once it's signed, I'll give you the money," he reminded her.
His reminder brought back memories of last night when he had been drinking and they had been together... so they hadn't signed the agreement yet.
"Okay, whenever you're free, I'll sign it," she said. At this point, she had no reason to back out.
"I'm outside your office now. Why aren't you there?" he asked, surprised.
She paused, then laughed lightly. "Nothing much, I resigned."
"When did this happen? Why didn't I know?" he asked, surprised.
"This morning," she said, looking around and realizing it was almost noon. She had been wandering for the entire morning.
Time can sometimes fly by, catching you off guard, and other times crawl like a snail, making you restless.
"Where are you now? I'll bring the villa project documents and meet you. We can sign the agreement," he said, wanting to see her.
She described the landmarks around her and then sat on a stone bench by the road, waiting for him. Today, she needed to transfer the money to the loan sharks to ensure Jackson's safety.
The weather was scorching, and her short hair was damp with sweat. She sat there, watching the cars pass by, becoming part of the scenery for others.
Jack quietly approached her from behind, catching a whiff of her fresh, slightly sweaty scent. He suddenly covered her eyes with his hands, making her vision go dark. She tried to pry his hands away, knowing it was him, and playfully shouted, "Help! The big bad wolf is here!"