“What?” Julian’s voice instantly rose, filled with shock and disbelief: “She resigned? When did she resign? Why didn’t I know?”
Under Julian’s relentless questioning, the Deputy CEO had no choice but to slowly explain: “Three days ago, Miss July suddenly
submitted her resignation, saying she was returning home. I thought it was your instruction, Mr. Winthorpe.”
Everyone at the company thought I was Julian’s girlfriend, soon to be Mrs. Winthorpe, so they were all very polite to me and didn’t
obstruct anything I wanted to do. Julian hadn’t had a chance to say anything more when someone else spoke from the side.
“Going home? Humph, she certainly ran fast!” Olivia Reed’s voice suddenly cut in, laced with a hint of triumph and disdain.
“Why are you here?” Julian frowned, seemingly not wanting Olivia to know too much.
“What? Afraid I’ll interrupt your reunion with your darling?” Olivia’s tone was sharp, thick with jealousy.
“Stop talking nonsense. Do you need something? If not, leave now. Don’t interrupt my important business!*
Hearing Julian’s words, Olivia was about to flare up, but then the assistant’s phone rang, bringing an even more shocking piece of
news.
હોમ સા
“Mr. Winthorpe, we’ve found… news of Miss July’s mother.”
“Oh? Where is she?” Julian asked eagerly, a sense of unease bubbling within him.
Oh? Where is she? Julian asked eagerly, a sense of unease bubbling within him.
“She… she passed away a short while ago,” the assistant said with difficulty, his voice low. “Please accept our condolences.”
“What?” Julian felt a sudden wave of dizziness, as if he’d been struck over the head, leaving him disoriented. He couldn’t believe
his ears, and carefully confirmed again: “What did you say? Say it again.”
“I checked thoroughly. Miss July’s mother has indeed passed away. Her ashes are enshrined in the monastery outside the city.”
“Impossible! How can this be?” Julian roared, his voice filled with unconcealed shock and grief. He couldn’t accept this reality, nor
could he accept that the once kind and gentle woman had simply left this world.
“What exactly happened?” Julian asked, trembling, tears welling in his eyes.
“It was suicide…” The assistant’s voice was low, laced with sympathy: “Miss July’s mother was gravely ill. She didn’t want to spend
money on treatment, didn’t want to burden her daughter, so she…”
“So what?!” Julian’s emotions completely shattered. He couldn’t imagine a mother’s pain and despair in choosing suicide so as not to burden her daughter. Even more, he couldn’t accept that he was the culprit behind it all. He remembered the thirty thousand
dollars I had gathered for him earlier, and he didn’t dare think about what state of mind I must have been in when I gave him that
money. If only there hadn’t been deceit, if only there hadn’t been tests.
Julian vaguely felt that he and I, perhaps, could never be again. He collapsed onto the floor in agony, unable to muster any strength:
“How could she be so foolish? How could she be so foolish?!”
Olivia stood by, watching Julian’s torment, her heart filled with jealousy and resentment. She didn’t know about my mother’s death,
nor did she know what had happened between Julian and me. All she knew was that Julian’s heart still held me, and I had become
a thorn in her side, an obstacle that had to be removed.
Julian Winthorpe, is she worth all this? Crying like this for an old woman who’s already dead?”
“Lila July took your money and ran. Can’t you see that?”
