Chapter 3
I stared hard at Caleb, trying to figure out what he was up to.
“I announce that the first-place winner of this design competition is – Alexa Monroe!”
Alexa Monroe’s design was identical to mine!
My rage completely consumed me.
I pushed through the crowd, intending to confront that conniving couple.
I hadn’t walked two steps before Sarah Jenkins, a colleague I knew well, stopped me.
She pulled me aside.
“Riley, I just asked for you.”
“The organizers said that when they received two identical design entries, they already questioned Alexa.”
“But Alexa provided all her design sketches to prove her originality.”
Her expression towards me was sympathetic.
“And… Thompson Industries had pulled strings. They promised the organizers unconditional funding for the next ten years if they acknowledged Alexa as the original designer.”
Every word was a dagger to my heart. My mind went blank.
I couldn’t understand why Alexa would steal my work.
Watching Alexa and Caleb mingle and work the room, I charged forward.
Before I could even speak, Caleb clapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me outside the hall.
“Why?” I demanded, my eyes red.
His gaze flickered nervously, and he stammered,
“Alexa has nothing. I just wanted to make her happy.”
“And you think you have the right to use my hard work to make her happy?!”
He frowned, looking agitated as he loosened his tie.
“I’ll divorce her later and marry you. It’s just… it’s not easy for her, raising a child alone…”
I felt a surge of nausea. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore.
I quickly walked back into the hall, where my boss was standing on stage, making an announcement.
“Alexa Monroe is our company’s newly appointed Design Director!”
“And in the future, she will also serve as the General Manager of our French branch!”
“How could this be?!” I cried out, my voice hoarse.
Alexa walked towards me with a triumphant smirk, leaning close and whispering in my ear:
“Now, both your husband and your job are mine.”
“Oh, and by the way, while you were in the hospital yesterday, I had your parents’ ashes relocated. A little rearrangement, you know?”
I trembled with fury, unable to stop myself from slapping her across the face.
As I raised my hand for a second slap, Caleb shoved me hard to the ground.
“Security!” he bellowed.
At his command, several burly men immediately pinned me to the floor.
A man’s large hand pressed painfully against my face.
Alexa ran over, feigning distress, and said to everyone,
“It’s all a misunderstanding! It’s my fault! Please, don’t hit her!”
Caleb tenderly stroked her cheek.
When he looked at me, his expression had shifted from gentle affection to pure disgust.
“Look at Alexa, so sensible, so composed, unlike you! You’re always causing a scene!”
“Get on your knees and beg her forgiveness, and we can put this whole thing behind us.”
I scoffed, staring at them with intense hatred.
The man I had loved for ten years… now I finally saw his true colors.
I closed my eyes, unable to look at them anymore.
Caleb grew angry. He gestured to his bodyguards.
“Take her home. Starve her for a few days. Let’s see if she still dares to disobey!”
My hands were bound, and the bodyguards forcibly dragged me into a car.
Inside the car was an unexpected passenger – Caleb’s son.
I was trapped in the car by the bodyguards, and the child was like a savage.
“You hurt my mom! I’ll kill you!”
A knife plunged into my abdomen. Blood stained the car seats.
Outside the car, Caleb simply waved a hand, telling someone to send me to the hospital, while he rushed to comfort Alexa.
When he had finally calmed Alexa down, he remembered me.
He searched frantically throughout the hospital, but couldn’t find my room.
“Hello, can you tell me which room Riley Hayes is in?”
The nurse looked up, confused.
“Riley Hayes? We don’t have a patient by that name here.”
She spoke while flipping through records.
“Who are you to her?”
“I’m her husband.”
“My condolences, sir. Ms. Hayes was brought in very late, and due to severe blood loss, she has already passed away.”