With a bang, the door to the office was closed. Bethan and Brettley were the only two people left in the room.
Frowning slightly, he turned and sat down in his president’s chair, gazing indifferently at the folder in Bethan’s arms. “After being on leave for so long, you have a report to make the moment you return to work?”
“Yes.”
Bethan recovered herself, then looked at Brettley tauntingly. “Unlike you, I neither have the time nor the money, or the beautiful woman by my side. I’m just a poor woman with two sick children, of course I have to pour all my efforts into my work.”
With that, she walked forward and flipped open the folder in her arms, placing it in front of him. Then, she said in a cool and indifferent tone, “This is a proposal that I came up with last night. I would like to deal with you.”
Brettley raised his eyebrows, lowering his eyes and flipped through the document on his desk. Then, he opened his mouth and said coolly, “You want me to pay you 6oo,ooo in advance for your labor costs?”
Bethan nodded. “I ran the numbers; this is the least amount I need to pay for Nigel and Nellie’s medical bills. You must’ve heard, Nigel found a compatible bone marrow.”
When she mentioned the bone marrow, she paid special attention to studying his expression.
However, his face remained cool and arrogant, without a hint of emotion in his face. As if the fact that Nigel found a compatible bone marrow, that he could now be saved, to him, was not news that was worthy of celebration.
In an instant, Bethan’s heart felt as if it had dropped into a thousand -year- old frozen lake. She knew he would be so heartless. But even so , she still found it ironic when his predicted reactions truly appeared in front of her. Just a few days ago he looked like he was worried sick about Nigel, even personally going to Malcolm’s home abroad to bring him back to Banyan City. And she thought he was a loving father, someone who valued his family, and really treasured her children.
But in the end?
She lifted her lips in a taunting smile and said, “I know there’s no reason for you to continue paying for my children’s medical bills, so I plan to pay them myself. Since I am in urgent need of money, and I am currently your employee, it’s not too much to ask for you to pay me these labor costs in advance, right?”
Sucking in a deep breath, she pointed to the bottom half of the document. “But I promise to provide you with services of the same value. I promise to create business opportunities worth at least ten million dollars for the Morrison Group. If I fail, I will continue my position here, until I achieve the aforesaid goal.”
With that, she looked at him solemnly. “Paying 600,000 in advance and gaining opportunities worth ten million in return. This is a winning deal for you, Mr. Morrison.”
Brettley leaned back in his chair, glancing at her with faint eyes, and smiled. “You just said Nigel is about to undergo his operation. Are you sure you can focus your attention on work during this period of time?”
“Of course not.”
Bethan sucked in a deep breath, walked forward, and flipped open the folder, pointing to the document inside. “I have mapped out a detailed plan and consulted the doctor. One day before Nigel’s operation, I need to be by his side for the preoperative preparations. After that, I only need to accompany him for three days to ensure nothing is out of the ordinary. For the rest of the time, I will be fully focused on work. You don’t have to worry about this, Mr. Morrison.”
Brettley narrowed his eyes, then studied her with cool and indifferent eyes. “Are you sure you can divide your attention to work?”
“Of course.”
Bethan raised her head and smiled in the direction of his cold, hard face. “Nigel has been sick for a long time now. Previously I could even sleep with you when Nigel was sick. Work is nothing compared to a two-faced man.
The air in the office instantly turned deadly silent.
Brettley narrowed his eyes and looked at the woman in front of him with unfeeling eyes. “Bethan, you’re the one who needs my help now.”
He tapped the tabletop lightly with his long fingers. “
You need my help, and yet you proceed to belittle me, is this how you conduct yourself in society?”
Bethan laughed lightly, “I’m just telling the truth. Besides. “
She lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the document on the table. “I’m cooperating with you as equals. If I really requested your help, I would ask you to pay for the children’s medical bills directly, wouldn’t I?”
The corners of Brettley’s lips rose in a smile, raised his hand and picked up the document on the table, then proceeded to read through it seriously. “That’s true. Even though the children are mine too, I already gave you a villa and paid for all their medical bills up to now…”
As he spoke, he raised his deep, fathomless eyes and glanced at Bethan. “That should be enough, right?”
Bethan narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled. “Of course it is enough.”
As expected, this was all the warmth this man had for his children. To think she previously thought that he sincerely loved Neil and Nellie, and was worried about Nigel. But the truth was, he was still the same cold and heartless man, the same highly-skilled actor.
A long moment later, they finished reading the contract and proposal that Bethan burned the midnight oil to prepare. Finally, he placed the document on the table with a big, well-defined hand, then raised his eyes and glanced at Bethan. “
Three months to make ten million dollars for the company. Is it too rushed for you?”
He swept his eyes at her indifferently. “Why don’t we extend the time period to four months?”
“No.”
Bethan rejected him directly. “Three months’ time is enough.”
She did not want to stay beside him a day more than necessary.
“Alright then.”
The man curled his lips, then directly flipped to the last page of the document and signed. “
I’ll be waiting for your good news.”
“Thank you, Mr. Morrison.”
Bethan walked over and took a fountain pen from his pen holder, her eyes glazing over when she saw the pen in her hands.
This fountain pen… She remembered it.
This was the engagement present she gifted him when they just got engaged. Back then, he was all that she saw, all that filled her mind, she wanted to give him the best. That’s why she bought him this expensive fountain pen with the prize money from two design competitions that she won. Even though it was expensive to her, but to him…it was just like any other pen.
Back then, he opened the present directly in front of her and placed it in the pen holder.
Since then, every time she came to his office, her eyes would unconsciously search for the pen. And every time she saw it, happiness flooded her chest, thinking he still cherished her in his heart. Only later did she find out…
This pen was always here because he never used it, not even once.
When she questioned him about this, he said he never used things that he did not like. Back then, she almost burst into tears.
Later, on many occasions, she secretly wanted to throw the pen away, but every time she convinced herself that even though he did not use it, the continued presence of the pen showed that somehow, she was still special to him.
All of this happened years ago, but to Bethan, it felt as familiar as if it was just yesterday. All those years, all the silly things that she bent her back to do for him. She wanted to laugh at the thought of them.
However, she never expected that he would keep on his desk a pen that he did not like for so many years.
Bethan curled her lips in a sneer, feeling nothing but irony.
She sucked in a deep breath, held the fountain pen, and wordlessly signed her name on the contract. She thought to herself sadly, maybe this was the first time this pen had been used in its entire life? Just like how her utter devotion to Brettley only succeeded in moving herself and no one else.
After completing the signing, she clicked the cap back onto the pen and raised her eyes, glancing at him with detached eyes. “Mr. Morrison, I remember I bought this pen with my prize money. Since you’re not using it, I’ll take it.”
With that, she made to leave but was stopped by Brettley with a hand on her wrist. His pair of black eyes were as deep as the bottomless night sky. He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You gave it to me as a present. Do you think you can take it back so many years later?”
With that, he plucked the pen out of her hand and held it firmly in his palm.
Bethan was surprised, only recovering her wits after he took the pen from her.
She turned, a taunting sneer in her eyes. “Why do you insist on keeping it since you don’t need it anyway? It’s useless to you, but at least with me, it’ll work as a warning. Why would you make it difficult for others?”
“And why would Ms. Bethan take away something someone else loves?”
Brettley looked at her with a thin smile on the corner of his lips, then swiftly dropped the pen into the pen holder. This pen has been with me for many years, I won’t be used to it if someone suddenly takes it away.”
Bethan frowned and side -eyed him. “It’s just a very old pen. Since you can’t bear to give it to me, just keep it then.”
With that, she turned and left, carrying the folder in her arms.
Brettley stood in his spot, watching as her retreating back disappeared in his line of sight, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.
He sat down in his chair once again, gazing at the pen quietly. The sight of Bethan from all those years ago appeared in his mind’s eyes, how excited she looked when she gave him the pen.
Back then, he was all that she saw and all that she thought about. Her gaze when she looked at him was filled with utter devotion and adoration.
He knew the love and effort she put into buying this present, he was utterly delighted when he received it that he did not want to use it, worried he would spoil it or something…
And yet when faced with her questioning, the words that poured out of his mouth were that he did not use things he did not like. They were the complete opposite of what he truly felt.
Back then, he felt ashamed that he had fallen in love with Bethan. After all, he only decided to marry her because he wanted to resist the marriage his family arranged for him. It was just an on-the-spur marriage, a random marriage, and yet he had fallen deeply in love with her…wasn’t it something to be ashamed of?
That’s why he continued treating her like a block of ice, continued to act, and speak against his true wishes.
Until he finally lost her… Only then did he realize the mistake he made.
And now… Bethan had changed her appearance, changed her voice, and changed her name. Even her gaze when she looked at him was no longer familiar.
Maybe for the rest of his life, he would never find another pair of eyes, that like hers back then, was filled with nothing but him.
“I didn’t know you were so smart; I’ll have to learn more from you in the future!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.