Chapter 15

Scarlett POV

The next morning at Harper Group, I tried to focus on work, but my mind kept wandering.

Suddenly, the phone on my desk rang, startling me. The caller ID showed it was Richard's private line. Taking a deep breath, I answered.

"Mr. Gray's office, Scarlett speaking."

"Scarlett." Richard's voice immediately softened. "This line is just between the two of us; you don't need to be so formal."

I swallowed hard, glancing around the open-plan office. Several colleagues were within earshot.

"How can I help you today, sir?"

"Scarlett, how are things going with the Smith family situation? Are you doing alright?"

Those debt collectors haven't come around for a while.

"Thank you for your help, you've done so much for me, but I'm still at the office right now."

"Oh?" His tone became somewhat expectant. "Then find a good moment. Go somewhere private."

I hesitated for a moment and then stood up. "Please hold for a moment, Mr. Gray."

I pressed the phone to my chest and quickly walked across the office to the small storage room in the back. Once inside, I closed the door and put the phone back to my ear.

"I'm alone now."

"Good girl. Now, say my name correctly."

"Richard," I said softly.

"Say it louder."

"Richard."

"Again!"

"Richard!" My voice turned into a mix of a cry and a moan, matching his breaths and movements.

"That's it. Call for me, Scarlett! Say my name!"

I bit my lip, feeling a complex mix of disgust and humiliation.

On the other end of the line, Richard finally let out a satisfied sigh in response to my words.

"That's my good girl," he said softly. "Listen, I'm stuck in Silverpeak City right now. Some complicated business situations have come up. I can't come back for the time being. You won't be angry, will you?"

"No, Mr. Gray. I'll wait patiently for your return." I tried to make my voice sound gentle, forcing a slight smile to my lips.

"Good. Get back to work, and when I return, I'll take good care of you." His voice grew deeper, filled with possessiveness, as if I were his personal property.

"You're still taking your medication on schedule, right?"

A chill crept down my spine, and I unconsciously clutched my skirt, my knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"Yes, I am taking the medication."

"Good. I'll check when I get back." Richard's statement hung over me like a sword that could fall at any moment. He finally hung up the phone.

I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard voices outside the door.

"Did you see those marks on Scarlett's neck this morning? Looks like someone had a good time last night." That mocking tone made my cheeks burn with heat.

"Shh! Don't you know? She's engaged to Richard Gray. If he heard you talking about his fiancée like that..."

The second voice carried a pretense of caution, but couldn't hide the excitement of gossip.

"Richard has been out of town for several weeks. Those marks look fresh."

"Maybe she has someone on the side. Who could blame her? Richard is old enough to be her father."

Each of their sentences felt like a slap across my face. I closed my eyes, a wave of shame washing over me.

Apparently, everyone knew. Just as I was planning to wait until they left before going out, the doorknob suddenly turned.

I stepped back, thinking it might be one of those gossiping colleagues. But the tall figure appearing in the doorway was George, who looked at me with an inscrutable expression.

"Scarlett?"

My heart was pounding violently in my chest, and when I made eye contact with George, a strange fear gripped my throat, making me too nervous to speak.

"Is there only you in here?"

George's figure blocked the light coming in from the hallway, his golden hair forming a soft halo in the backlight.

I wasn't sure if he had heard something that prompted this question.

"Mr. Harber, I just came in to make a phone call."

My voice was unsteady, and feelings of guilt surged like a tide, drowning all my self-respect and courage.

"What kind of phone call needs to be made in a storage room?"

Seeing the awkward atmosphere between George and me, those colleagues who had been watching the scene quietly left, afraid of getting involved.

"A private call." I widened my eyes, putting on an innocent face, while my mind was actually in complete disarray.

A deep self-loathing spread through me; this wasn't the first time I had lied to George.

George's gaze moved from my face to the half-open door, his jaw tightening, his sea-blue eyes filled with disappointment in me.

"So what's your relationship with Alexander? Were you with him last night?"

This question caught me off guard; how did he know to ask about this?

Shame and panic intertwined, making it almost impossible for me to breathe. No one could know about my disgraceful relationship with Alexander, especially George. I couldn't bear to see the contempt in his eyes.

"I don't quite understand your question. I'm engaged to his uncle Richard."

I adjusted my shirt collar, revealing the marks Alexander had left on me the night before. Yet my heart was filled with self-loathing and a twisted defiance.

I had already fallen so far, why not completely abandon all useless dignity?

"Just now, I was having an 'intimate conversation' with my fiancé over the phone." I smiled at him, the smile like a carefully crafted mask concealing the pain and despair within.

My hands trembled slightly in my sleeves, the shame nearly overwhelming me.

"You must have heard me. Did I sound good?"

George looked at me in disbelief, as if something in his eyes was collapsing. "You...!"

He couldn't finish his sentence. Did he not know what to say?

That shocked and disappointed expression was like a mirror, reflecting my inner self-loathing.

Seeing his eyes, I now truly realized that there could never be anything between us. In that moment, I had the urge to flee from this place.

"Since you've seen and heard everything, if you think I'm not suitable to stay at the company, then fire me!"

I tried to make my tone sound indifferent, as if the person who had insisted on becoming George's secretary years ago wasn't me.

George's thin lips were now pressed into a tight line, his golden eyelashes trembling slightly, seemingly struggling with whether to agree.

He had always been the kind of person who could calm any storm with his gentle voice, but now he seemed to have lost that ability, only able to stand there in silence. That silence was more painful to my heart than any words.

"Goodbye, Mr. Harber."

I left without waiting for his response. Actually, I couldn't hold on any longer. I was afraid that if I stayed one more second, tears would flow from my eyes.