Chapter 4

Xavier froze. He thought I was joking.

He leaned over to look and realized it was real. Only then did his expression change:

"What do you mean? I'm just letting Chloe stay for a few days! What's this nonsense about divorce!"

As he spoke, he reached out to snatch it.

I quickly hid it and looked at him:

"Xavier, wouldn't it be good if I just let you two be together?"

Xavier exploded in anger:

"Your mind is so filthy! I only see her as a sister—nothing else!"

At this point, he was still making excuses.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth:

"Is that so? There are so many financially struggling students out there. Why do you only acknowledge one sister?"

"How about I gather everyone together and you can all recognize each other as relatives?"

My words completely enraged Xavier. His face turned shades of green and purple as he fumed:

"Fine! Let's divorce then!"

Chloe was awakened by the argument. She came out of the guest room wearing my pajamas, pretending to mediate:

"Stop fighting, both of you. If I'm affecting your relationship, I'll just die outside and never bother Xavier again."

Xavier couldn't care about being angry anymore. He glared at me several times:

"Are you a block of wood? Hurry up and say you didn't mean it."

"As long as you apologize to Chloe, I can let today's matter slide."

He thought my divorce talk was just angry words. Little did he know, this was a carefully considered decision.

I nodded:

"Chloe, your understanding is very accurate. That's exactly what I mean."

Chloe hadn't expected me to actually stand up to her. Unable to save face, she angrily stormed out, even forgetting to change her shoes.

Xavier's expression darkened. He swept the entire breakfast off the table.

The sandwich I'd just taken from the refrigerator was also snatched from my hand and thrown into the trash.

"Didn't you want a divorce? Everything in this house was bought with my money. You don't deserve to eat it!"

After cursing at me, he rushed out to chase after Chloe.

Looking at the mess on the floor, I was too lazy to clean it up.

I was about to go out to eat when my former classmate called to invite me out. I immediately changed clothes and met him at a breakfast shop.

"Valerie, how did your resignation go?"

Just as I was about to say Xavier wouldn't let me go, a notification suddenly popped up on my phone that my resignation had been approved:

"It's all done."

My classmate couldn't even bother drinking his porridge. He pulled out an employment contract:

"Sign it quick. I'm afraid you'll change your mind, so I even brought the boss's stamp."

Seeing him like this, I smiled. Without disappointing him, I scanned the contract and signed it.

He carefully put away the contract and looked at me:

"Are you free today? Come with me to your company."

I happened to have nothing else to do, so I didn't refuse. After eating, I took him there.

As soon as I stepped into the company, I heard Chloe's sarcastic voice:

"Well, well! If it isn't Valerie, who was making such a fuss about resigning? How come you changed your mind right after your resignation was approved?"

Xavier was startled by the commotion. He turned to look at me and snorted coldly:

"Chloe, you don't understand. Valerie's old now. Nobody wants her anymore. She can only swallow her pride and come back begging us. Otherwise, she can't even afford to eat."

The company was currently celebrating Chloe's promotion. There was a large cake on the workstations.

Chloe cut a piece of cake, but instead of offering it to me to eat, she smashed it on the floor in front of me:

"Valerie, for old times' sake as my senior, if you lick the cake off the floor clean, I'll let you come back to the company and continue as director."

The colleagues joined in mocking me:

"No way! You can become a director just by eating some cake? Chloe, why don't you give us such a sweet deal? You really do favor your teacher after all."

Chloe laughed heartily and sneered:

"Of course. My teacher taught me with such dedication. It wasn't easy. As her student, I should repay her, shouldn't I?"

Xavier stood to the side, watching me be humiliated and mocked. He didn't defend me—he even stepped on the cake himself.

He pointed at the cream now marked with a shoe print and said to me:

"Valerie, you probably don't know yet, but the company has already invested all its money into this project's production line."

"As long as you eat it, I'll let you share in the project profits. That money would be enough for you to spend your whole life."

"Let's see whether you choose money or dignity."

Looking at Xavier's twisted expression, I smiled:

"Is that so? Are you sure the partnership can continue?"

Xavier raised an eyebrow, thinking I was bluffing. He snorted coldly:

"You're old and arrogant. I've put up with you for a long time."

"This time, Chloe has already negotiated with the client's project manager. They're very satisfied. The company doesn't need you anymore."

Chloe also stepped forward triumphantly:

"Teacher, you're old. I'm stronger than you. Hurry up and get lost. Don't be an eyesore at our celebration!"

No wonder Xavier had been blocking my resignation before but suddenly agreed to it.

It turned out he thought Chloe had already learned all my skills.

I suddenly laughed and asked:

"Is what they're saying true?"

My former classmate, who'd witnessed the entire farce, stepped out from behind me. He took off his sunglasses and said angrily:

"Absolute nonsense! When did I ever meet with you?"

Only then did everyone realize he was actually the client's project manager!

Chloe's lie was exposed. Her face instantly turned deathly pale.

Xavier hadn't expected my relationship with the client to be so close either.

But he'd already made his bold claims. Now he could only stubbornly push forward:

"Valerie, so what if you have a good relationship with the client? The contract's already signed. Breach of contract requires high compensation penalties. I don't believe he'd lose money just to help you!"

Before I could speak, my classmate sneered and pulled out the contract to show Xavier:

"Look carefully. You changed the project manager without authorization. You're the one in breach of contract!"

"Get ready to pay five hundred million dollars. We'll see you in court!"