“What a disgrace!”

“Damn it, I can’t hold it in anymore!”

“Even if Mr. Parker is my boss and gives me my paycheck, I still have to say it—he’s cold-blooded!”

“I’m standing with Mrs. Parker!”

…

Sophia Reed and Lucas Bennett exchanged a glance, and a faint, almost imperceptible gleam of satisfaction flickered in their eyes.

“Everyone, please don’t say that,” Sophia said softly. “Ethan used to treat me very well.”

“Maybe the pressure from the company going public has just been too much lately. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll have a good talk with him.”

Hearing her still speak in my defense only stoked the crowd’s outrage further. My parents’ hearts grew heavier with guilt and resentment toward me.

Finally, my father, Richard Parker, took her hand and made a solemn promise.

“Don’t worry, child. I’ll stand up for you and make sure that brat gives you an explanation.”

The next morning, just after I got out of bed, I received a message from my father:

“Get yourself to the hospital right now and apologize to Sophia, or your mother and I will issue a public statement cutting ties with you.

When that happens, don’t say we didn’t warn you!”

I read it and tossed my phone aside without a second thought.

So they were pulling that card—harsh, but useless.

I went about my usual breakfast routine: shrimp omelet, clam stew, pan-fried mackerel, seafood and pork congee…

Only after setting everything on the table did I realize there was no one sitting across from me anymore—just me, alone.

These were all Sophia’s favorites. No matter how busy I was before, I’d make them for her every morning, switching up the dishes every day. It had become a habit—a sign of how deeply I’d loved her.

But now, everything had changed.

After a moment of staring blankly, I quietly picked up the only seafood-free item—a slice of toast, since I’m allergic to shellfish—and ate in silence.

An hour later, when I arrived at the company, I noticed employees giving me strange, sidelong glances.

No need to ask—my so-called “jerk move” at the hospital yesterday had clearly spread through the entire office.

I ignored them and headed for my office. As the elevator doors opened—

It was Sophia.

She was still in her hospital gown, her face pale as paper. Her back was slightly hunched, and she walked with visible difficulty.

“It’s Mrs. Parker!” someone called out.

Immediately, a crowd swarmed toward her, with several female employees carefully supporting her.

The affection and concern they showed her instantly made me, their boss, look like the villain.

“You’re so badly hurt—what are you doing out of the hospital?”

“Exactly, Mrs. Parker. If you need anything, just call us—we can take care of it for you.”

“No need, I can manage.”

Sophia smiled kindly, then lifted the fruit basket in her hand toward me.

“Ethan, I noticed you had a small cold sore yesterday. You must be stressed lately, so I brought you some fruit to help cool down your system.”

“Make sure you eat it—don’t neglect your health.”

“Wow!”

“How sweet is that!”

“Mrs. Parker, you know there are plenty of single people here—are you sure it’s okay to flaunt your love like this?”

“Boss, come on—the basket isn’t just full of fruit, it’s full of her love for you.”

“Sigh… after everything she went through yesterday, she’s still dragging herself here to offer you a way to make peace. If you don’t take it now, you really will be in the wrong!”

I said nothing.

But as soon as I accepted the fruit basket, Sophia’s gentle smile vanished, her eyes widening in sudden anger.

The next second, she yanked open my shirt collar and exclaimed furiously—

“Where’s the jade Buddha pendant I gave you?”

“Didn’t I tell you to wear it all the time? You’re not supposed to take it off—not even for bathing or sleeping!”

“You were wearing it yesterday. Why is it gone now?!”

I paused for a moment, then let out a mocking laugh.

“What’s wrong? Not going to keep up the act?”

Everyone glanced at Sophia Reed, puzzled by her overreaction.

It was just a pendant, after all.

So you don’t wear it—big deal. Was it really worth getting this worked up over?

Realizing she had lost her composure, Sophia quickly adjusted her expression, slipping back into that delicate, pitiful demeanor she excelled at.

“I know you’re irritated with me right now, maybe even hate me,” she said tearfully, “but that pendant… I knelt in prayer for three days and nights in front of St. Mary’s Monastery to get it for you.”

“It’s not just a talisman—it carries all my love for you.”

“You promised me—if the Buddha’s here, I’m here. But now…”

Her voice broke, and she could no longer speak through the sobs.

The crowd seemed to understand.

Hearing her story, that jade Buddha sounded even more meaningful than a token of love. No wonder she’d reacted so strongly when I stopped wearing it.

In their eyes, what I had removed wasn’t just a pendant—it was her heart, her devotion, her entire love for me.

They looked at me now with open contempt and disgust.

I simply gave her a cold smile and a sarcastic thumbs-up.

“Nice story.”

“Fantastic performance.”

Right then, someone couldn’t hold back their anger.

“Damn, Mr. Parker, that’s too much!”

“Even if your company just went public and you’re suddenly rich, and you want to swap wives like some other wealthy men—at least pretend. This is just shameless!”

“You’re really fine doing something so heartless and gutless? Aren’t you worried the public backlash will tank our stock price?”

I ignored the stream of curses.

Glancing into the fruit basket, I chuckled under my breath.

“Lychees, pomelo, dragon fruit.”

“Sure, they’re all cooling foods—but you somehow managed to pick every single fruit I hate.”

Sophia’s expression shifted ever so slightly before she quickly said, “Ethan, even if you want to paint me as the villain, you don’t have to lie about your tastes.”

“These are all fruits you love.”

My jaw tightened. Clever.

I never eat fruit at the office, so of course none of the employees knew what I actually liked.

With her twisting the truth, they’d all believe her.

Without a word, I grabbed a fruit knife from the front desk.

Resisting the urge to let her “experience the knife” again, I hacked the fruit into mush and called over the office’s only pet, our little dog Randy, to eat it all.

“Bastard!”

“I can’t take this anymore! Ethan Parker, you’re a piece of trash!”

“I’m done too! Even if my whole family starves, I’m quitting!”

“I can’t work one more day for this scumbag!”

“Quitting? Don’t bother!”

“This jerk doesn’t deserve Mrs. Parker. We should all back her up—let her divorce him and take over the company!”

“Yeah! We’ll work for her instead—let’s make sure he walks away with nothing!”

The office boiled with outrage.

Right on cue, Sophia fainted dramatically, and the crowd immediately scrambled to carry her off to the hospital.

As the elevator doors slid shut, I pulled out my phone and made a call.

“Get ready to move.”

That night.