Chapter 2 Not for sale!

"By the time Wyatt snapped out of it, Fiona had already departed.

He looked at Darwin in astonishment. “That lady just now, the elegant Ms. Fiona, was your sweetheart?”

Darwin's face darkened. There was a hint of panic and confusion in his eyes that he himself had never noticed before. Of course, he remembered the agreement he made with Fiona. However, he didn't really believe that Fiona would actually leave just because he was getting married.

Over the years, she had been obedient to him no matter how terrible his demands were. Darwin was in disbelief that Fiona dared to defy him.

Darwin stood up, ignoring the chattering Wyatt. He chased after her in big strides, with an aura that seemed ready to devour someone.

Fiona didn't like to drag things out. After submitting her resignation letter, she was immediately ready to start the handover process. As soon as she returned to the secretary's office, Darwin, with an icy presence, followed in.

“Is there anything else you want to discuss?” Fiona looked at him, her expression devoid of obedience but still gentle.

Darwin’s expression became even more unpleasant.

“Fiona, am I not good enough to you? What are you fussing about?” Darwin walked step by step toward Fiona, emanating strong pressure.

Fiona’s face turned pale.

Instinctively, she wanted to create distance between herself and Darwin. He seized her wrist and pulled her closer to him.

“Mr. Darwin, it was agreed from the beginning that if you’re getting married, I will leave,” Fiona said in a low voice.

Darwin sneered mockingly. “So, is 20 million and that villa not enough?”

Fiona’s body stiffened.

She recalled Darwin's words just now.

“When she's provided with sufficient financial incentives, she becomes agreeable to practically anything.”

Her stomach started churning again.

She forcefully restrained herself, struggling desperately to free herself from this man who was humiliating and trampling her.

“Darwin, let go!”

“Fiona, my patience is limited. I don't have time to play games with you. How much do you want? Just name your price.” Darwin's tone was icy cold, and he squeezed Fiona's wrist tighter and tighter as if he wanted to snap that delicate wrist of hers.

Up till now, Darwin still believed that Fiona wanted to leave because he hadn't given enough money. Just like at the beginning when Fiona didn't want to sell herself. Later, when there was a good amount of money, she obediently climbed onto his bed, letting him toy with her. So he thought it was just a matter of not giving enough money. She wouldn't really want to leave him.

Fiona frowned, looking at Darwin. Thank goodness she had always remembered clearly that she was just a substitute all these years. All of Darwin's tenderness and affection were meant for someone else. If she had sunk into it even a little bit at this moment, she would have been left with countless wounds and in unbearable pain.

“Darwin, I'm not for sale!” Fiona looked at him. “My mother was driven to death by a mistress. I will never be a mistress myself.”

Inside the secretary's office, they fell into a brief silence. Only the sound of their breathing remained. No matter how incomprehensible Darwin was, he realized that Fiona truly intended to break things off with him.

“It's been a long time since you visited your grandmother. I'll give you a month's vacation; think it over before deciding.” He suppressed his anger and softened his tone.

Fiona instantly felt like she had fallen into an icy cave, but then she became even more determined and resolute.

“There's no need to think; I have already decided.”

“Fiona!”

Darwin couldn't contain his anger any longer. He had swallowed his pride by descending from his lofty position yet she still didn't know how to appreciate it.

“You're just a substitute for Lilian. I've used you for five years and gotten used to it. Do you really think I can't live without you?” He did just get used to it, and there were indeed other substitutes, but he couldn't be bothered to adapt.

“Mr. Darwin, I am aware of my place and won't dare overstep it,” Fiona said firmly.

“Very well!” Darwin's anger could no longer be contained. He had lowered himself by giving her enough leeway, yet she still couldn’t appreciate it. He nodded and released Fiona's wrist.

“Fiona, you may not look the most like Lilian, but you are the most well-behaved among everyone, and that is your only advantage.” Darwin looked at Fiona, returning to his usual cold and frosty demeanor.

“Now, you have lost even this one advantage. Since you have made up your mind, so be it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Darwin.” Fiona suppressed the various emotions surging in her heart and calmly replied, “I will handle the transition of all the work and not cause you any trouble.”

“There is no need to transition the secretary's work to someone else. A new secretary will come, and before you leave, you should teach her well.”

“Okay.”

Darwin stormed out, anger radiating from him like heat from a furnace. He was a proud person to the core, after all. He wouldn't allow a flicker of regret to show. Her flawless imitation of Lilian, once a balm to his wounded heart, now only fueled his fury. Her disobedience stripped away the comfort, leaving him cold and empty. Naturally, he wouldn't waste another moment on her.

Fiona glanced at her reddened wrist. Finally, she was free. Fiona left the company and went to Darwin's house. Most of the time, Darwin had his demands, and she would be either at the accommodation he arranged for her or in the secretary's rest area. She rarely came over and didn't have many things. A carry-on suitcase was enough. Fiona packed meticulously, making sure nothing was left behind before she could leave at ease.

Back at her residence, she started organizing her work notes and some work to be handed over. The handover of secretarial work was not a big problem for her since she had two work notebooks that the other person could fully comprehend. The trouble was the large-scale infrastructure project she was responsible for following up on last year. It was her first time taking charge of such a big project, and she had put in a lot of effort. Now, leaving midway, she worried that it would affect the progress of the project.

While thinking about it, Fiona's phone rang. It was a call from the medical center. Recently, her best friend Ashton Williams, who returned from studying abroad, insisted that she looked too frail, so she dragged her for a medical check-up. She figured it might be the report from the check-up. She answered the call.

“Ms. Fiona, this is CBS Health Center.”

“I know, just send the electronic version of the medical report to my email,” Fiona replied.

After speaking, she was about to hang up. But the other person spoke first, “Ms. Fiona, you’re pregnant.”

Fiona froze. “What?!”

“I said congratulations, you're 8 weeks pregnant!”

The voice on the other side was as jubilant as if celebrating the New Year.

Fiona was stunned at the news and found it difficult to believe. Fiona and Darwin had always been strict about contraception.

“Ms. Fiona, here's the thing. We have the best private maternity hospital in the country as well as a luxurious postpartum center...” the person enthusiastically advertised.

Fiona was already in a daze and didn’t hear a single word.

“I understand; if there's a need, I will... contact them.”

After regaining her composure, Fiona mumbled a few words and quickly hung up the phone.

Then, she gazed at the steady autumn rain outside the window, lost in thought for a while. As her rationality slowly returned, she quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

She glanced at her flat stomach and thought to herself, 'This child cannot be kept.'"