Sadie asked instead, "How about you? Were you being loving to me?"

Chad was taken aback. He frowned and replied, "Of course. You're the apple of my eye."

Sadie used to love his sweet talking, but all she felt now was disgust.

"Stop overanalyzing the situation. I'm not feeling well today, so I'd like to rest early. You should go back to your room."

When Sadie got him to leave again, Chad finally told her the reason he was there. "I have a business meeting with Mr. Umbridge tonight, Sadie. You know how difficult he can be. If you're not there, I might lose the contract."

Mr. Umbridge was from the real estate industry. He was known as a heavy drinker and a lecher. Even Sadie could not escape from being harassed every time they had dinner with him.

Chad ignored that she was not feeling well and still wanted her to socialize with him.

Her tired heart ached from the realization.

"I'm exhausted today. I don't feel like drinking."

Chad looked slightly shocked. He did not expect Sadie to reject him right away.

He tried to hold back his temper as he cajoled Sadie. "I'm sorry to brush your health aside, Sadie.

"But Mr. Umbridge holds the power to develop the land in your hometown. He is in contact with a major stock farming owner and plans to level the graveyards to build a pig farm. That's the reason why I'm eager to get the project. At the very least, I can help retain some memories of your home."

This took Sadie aback.

She could turn away from anything but her mother's grave. She had a right to that land. She could not allow this to happen.

While she was thinking about this, Sadie glanced at Chad. There was a chance that he did care about her.

Chad's thin lips tightened. "You should get some rest, Sadie. I'll talk to Mr. Umbridge and figure out a way to get the project."

"Wait! I'll go with you. Give me half an hour to prepare." Sadie got out of bed and dressed up within half an hour.

When she walked out of the bedroom, she saw Josie outside as well. Josie had put on exquisite makeup and looked like she was going to attend an event that night too.

Chad explained, "Josie is my secretary, and she needs to gain more experience. I'll be taking her along with us tonight to learn from you, Sadie."

"You've always helped Chad in business negotiations, Sadie. Let me share this burden with him now. You can stop worrying about it from now on."

Sadie was preoccupied with ways to convince Mr. Umbridge to stop the project, so she ignored Josie's words.

When they arrived at the venue, Chad pulled Josie away when she was about to sit next to Mr. Umbridge. He berated her angrily.

"Have some sense! That seat was never meant for you. It belongs to Sadie."

Chad moved to the side to reveal Sadie behind him. He gave her a slight push.

She sat right next to Mr. Umbridge.

Mr. Umbridge smiled widely at her. His expression was lewd. "You really have your ways, Mr. Simmons. I heard Miss Ellis has been recuperating at home for a while, but you still managed to get her to come here."

Chad was delighted at being praised. "You're much too kind, Mr. Umbridge. Sadie came to reconnect with you when she heard you were coming."

Mr. Umbridge was a plump man. He looked Sadie over lecherously. "How about a drink, Miss Ellis?"

Before Sadie could reply, Chad immediately answered. "She'd be delighted to drink with you."

Chad ordered a case of vodka for Sadie. He smiled and said, "We'll make sure you have fun tonight, Mr. Umbridge."

After that, Chad whispered to Sadie, "It's up to you to protect that piece of land now, Sadie. Don't mess this up."

Sadie was slightly taken aback and smiled bitterly.

Chad used to get upset when others gave her trouble while drinking. "I'm so sorry you have to suffer because of my incompetence, Sadie. You'll never have to humiliate yourself and drink with these men once I become successful."

He had gained traction in the business world now, but he had become even more adept at using Sadie to socialize for business.

Sadie looked down. She could not help thinking about how ironic this was. She pushed away the glasses on the table, picked up the case of vodka from the floor, and put it on the table.

"It's pretty slow to drink by the glass, Mr. Umbridge. It would be insincere of me to start small. How about drinking by the bottle?"

Sadie did not become the top social butterfly of Seaport because of her beauty alone. She had brains and great emotional intelligence.

Men would always become full of themselves when their careers took off.

Men who proclaimed to be self-made always desired to conquer women. They had no interest in submissive women who gave in to their every whim.

The more rebellious and uncontrollable a woman was, the more they admired them.

"You have a great spirit, Miss Ellis. If you can finish this case tonight, you'll get the contract."

Sadie did not waste any time. She grabbed the vodka and guzzled down bottle after bottle.

She started to feel tipsy when she felt the burning sensation in her stomach.

Chad quickly grabbed her. "You can hardly stand, Sadie. Can you still drink?"

The alcohol had gotten to Sadie. She humiliated herself by asking, "If I can't do it, are you willing to let Josie take over?"

Chad looked at her with clear eyes. "Don't be absurd, Sadie. She's not good enough to take over drinking with Mr. Umbridge."

That made Sadie feel horrible. She smiled self-deprecatingly.

When Chad saw her smile, he felt a tinge of unhappiness.

Late that night…

Sadie finished every bottle of vodka. Mr. Umbridge applauded her as he heaped praises on her.

"You really live up to your name, Miss Ellis. I can't outdrink you. I admit defeat!"

Sadie finally smiled. "That means we'll get the contract for that land development project in South City, right?"

Mr. Umbridge looked bewildered when he heard her. "What land in South City? Are you drunk, Miss Ellis? Mr. Simmons is here to talk about City Hall's refurbishment."

Was this meeting not about her mother's grave? Chad lied to her!

Sadie's arm weakened, and the empty bottles smashed on the ground.

She glanced around. Chad and Josie were gone from the private room.

Sadie brushed aside Mr. Umbridge's surprised questions and apologized for remembering the wrong details because she was drunk. She asked to leave for the washroom to throw up.

Mr. Umbridge nodded understandingly, dismissing her.

Sadie could hardly walk when she left the room. She headed straight for the washroom.

She really wanted to throw up.

Sadie did not expect to hear a satisfied man's moaning coming from the female stall next to her.

"Chad, you said…

"You said you wanted me to replace Sadie in getting to know these VIPs. Why did you separate me from Mr. Umbridge?"

The crisp clanging of the metallic door locks echoed around them. The man laughed softly and huskily.

"You silly thing! Mr. Umbridge is a known lecher. I brought you here to learn to talk business, not let an old man molest you."

Josie's seductive moans got increasingly passionate. "I knew you loved me the most, Chad. Would Sadie get revenge on me if she found out it was my idea for you to trick her tonight?"

Chad was silent for a few seconds before replying, "She won't know it was you, but it doesn't matter even if she does. Sadie is so in love with me that all I need to do is beckon her, and she’ll come running.

"Besides, she's already thirty years old. It takes someone youthful to be a social butterfly. Who else can she go to besides me? Those old men who ravaged her for an entire night?"

Josie's laughter echoed in the washroom. "Chad, let's get married on the day you leave her at the altar!"

Sadie could not bear to listen any longer. Their conversation was too disgusting.

She stumbled out of the washroom.

It was raining late that night. Sadie walked through the rain, feeling numb.

She knew what kind of person Chad was.

However, she was still stupid enough to believe his lie tonight. She even dared to think he still cared a little about her.

In the end, it was nothing but his scheme. He was unscrupulous enough to squeeze every drop of value she had for his gain.

Sadie had drunk a lot and got wet in the rain. She had gone through an emotional rollercoaster, and she finally fell apart as she passed out on the ground.

Many people passed by, but none of them stopped to help her.

A limousine drove by slowly and eventually stopped next to her.

The back door opened, and a young man in casual attire got out of the car with an umbrella in his hand.

He passed the umbrella to his driver, who jogged over to him.

The man knelt on one knee to carefully pick Sadie up in his arms.

His driver quickly shaded him with the umbrella and opened the car door for him.

The man carried Sadie into the back of the car. He wiped away the rainwater and dirt from her face without hesitation and took off his coat to put it on her.

He leaned close to look at Sadie's pale face. There was fury deep in his eyes.

It took him five minutes to finally give instructions softly.

"Take her to the hospital. No need to mention me."

"Yes, Mr. Walker!" His driver quickly started the car without daring to glance at the rearview mirror.

He was a personal driver sent to Blake by Old Mr. Walker.

The driver had been working with Blake for two years. He had witnessed Blake's playboy antics and ruthless business executions.

He had never seen his powerful boss, who could have anything he wanted, rush to a little city by sea in one day just to tear up over a woman covered in dirt and rainwater.

Chad was already sitting by Sadie's side when she woke up.

"You're awake, Sadie. You've been unconscious for a day.

"Why did you leave alone last night? I looked all around for you. I only found out later that you passed out and got admitted to the hospital."

Chad's concern looked real, but Sadie did not bother to act alongside him. She replied coldly, "I left first because I wasn't feeling well."

"Does it hurt anywhere? Is it your stomach again? I made some nutritious soup for you. Have some! It will warm you up."

Chad opened a thermos beside him and poured out a bowl of soup. He scooped some soup with a spoon and gently blew on it before feeding it to Sadie.

"You're not feeling well, Sadie. Let me feed you."

Sadie frowned. She did not understand why Chad kept acting like he still loved her.

He had gotten everything he wanted. Why was he still doing this with her?

Was there a final revenge plot he had not gone through with yet that required him to continue this pretense with her?

Chad felt a little guilty when he noticed Sadie looking at him strangely.

"Why are you looking at me that way, Sadie? Did I do something wrong?"

Sadie took a deep breath and controlled her emotions. She said, "I'm fine. I can feed myself."

Chad did not object. "Have more soup. I'll fill the tub with hot water, so you can take a bath after you're done eating.

"I know how particular you are with hygiene. You must be feeling uncomfortable after a day and night of not washing up."

Sadie's fingers stiffened slightly.

Chad was putting up a really good show. He could totally qualify as an actor. He remembered all of her habits well.

Sadie hid the emotions in her eyes and drank her soup numbly. Suddenly, Chad's phone buzzed.

Numerous messages popped up on his phone. They were from Josie.

[Chad, why are you with that old woman? Hurry back. I'm waiting for you in your favorite outfit!]

[By the way, remember to get a nurse to disinfect you before you return from the hospital. That old woman's body is dirty. Make sure you don't get us infected.]

[Can you find a way to make her move out? She's dirty, Chad. She'll just stick out like a sore thumb if she stays with us.]

Sadie felt chills all over when she saw the messages. They made her feel even worse.

She was dirty?

Sadie had given herself only to Chad and had never slept with another man. She thought this was the greatest respect she could give him.

When they started dating, she had talked about changing jobs numerous times, but Chad always objected.

He told her that his company was at a critical point in its climb in the business world and that he needed her network to help him. The company could not survive without her.

Sadie believed him, but Chad took her trust for granted and even lied to her about business dealings.

She had no idea whether to describe Chad as generous or ruthless.

Chad walked out to see Sadie's pale face. He frowned with worry and placed the back of his hand against her forehead.

"Why do you look so pale, Sadie? I'll call the doctor over."

Sadie stopped him. "It's fine. I'll be okay after some rest."

It was not long before the end of the month arrived. Sadie could leave forever in a few days.

Chad was worried but still nodded. "We should be trying on our wedding outfits tomorrow, Sadie, but your condition isn't allowing you to move about.

"Josie looks around your size. Why don't I get her to stand in for you tomorrow? We'll share the pictures with you, and you can decide which wedding gowns you like best."

Sadie looked at him and said with a smile, "If you can change the woman trying on the wedding gowns so easily, it won't be difficult for you to change you bride, too, right?"