Chapter 4 Quit Your Job

As the workday came to a close, City Hall was mostly empty, making the process straightforward.

Guided by the staff, Sheila and Shane paid the required fees and quickly received their marriage certificates.

Sheila looked at the certificate and gave a wry smile, lacking the genuine happiness typically associated with marriage.

She had never thought that the man she tied the knot with would be someone other than Niko. Nor had she ever imagined marrying a man she'd picked on a whim.

She handed one of the certificates to Shane.

"Do you remember what we agreed upon earlier?"

Before stepping into City Hall, Sheila had made her intentions clear. She urgently needed to marry to free herself from arranged marriage but had no intention of actually being a wife.

If he disagreed with the arrangement, they could annul the marriage.

"I remember," Shane replied.

She looked at him intently. "Given that my father will never approve of your current job, you need to find decent employment soon. I'll supplement your income. How does twenty thousand a month sound?"

Shane couldn't help but find the situation amusing.

He was the CEO of Luminary Group, handling multi-million-dollar contracts, and here she was, offering him a mere twenty thousand?

Seeing his grin, Sheila became anxious. Was her offer too low?

"How about thirty thousand?" she asked, her teeth clenched.

The wicked smile on his face widened.

She bit her lip. "Forty thousand, final offer."

"You got a deal."

At his quick agreement, Sheila confirmed her suspicion. He must have thought her initial offer was paltry.

Luckily, she had inherited some stocks and funds from her mother when she came of age. Although they weren't extremely valuable, they generated a decent monthly income. With some budgeting, she figured she could manage to support him.

After exchanging contact information, Sheila hurriedly left.

She had to get back quickly and tell her father that he could no longer consider her a bargaining chip.

As Sheila vanished from view, Shane looked at the marriage certificate in his hand. A slight smile crossed his lips as he took out his phone to call Zayd. "Come pick me up; I'm at City Hall."

"City Hall? My goodness, boss, you didn't actually marry that girl, did you? You don't have to go that far to repay her, you know..."

When Sheila returned to the Jones family home, it was already around 6 in the evening.

In the living room, Rogelio, Sheila's father, was seated on a leather sofa, visibly irritated.

Paula was beside him, attempting to soothe his mood. "Honey, calm down. Sheila probably had a good reason for not answering your calls. She might be busy," Paula said gently.

"Rita is at the company every day until late, bringing in significant profits. She doesn't go out and rebel like Sheila!" Rogelio vented.

Rita could barely contain her glee.

She thought Sheila was probably devastated that she had lost her virginity to a gigolo and was likely somewhere outside, crying.

How wonderful it would be if she never came back!

Nevertheless, she feigned concern. "Dad, have a cup of tea and relax. I've already sent the staff to look for her. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Accepting the tea cup from Rita, Rogelio sighed. "If Sheila were half as sensible as you, I'd be content." He then turned to Paula. "You've raised our daughter so well. I owe you a debt of gratitude for that."

Sheila had just entered the living room when she overheard this conversation. Her fists clenched in anger.

What did he mean he owed Paula? The person he truly owed was her mother!

Over two decades ago, Paula and her mother had been best friends. Devastated by a failed relationship, her mother had thrown herself into her work, eventually founding the Lothian Group.

Paula introduced Rogelio to her mother and facilitated his courting efforts. Eventually, her mother relented and even began transferring control of the company to him.

But while she was pregnant, she discovered that Rogelio and Paula were having an affair. To make matters worse, Paula had just given birth to a daughter.

The shock and stress caused her mother's premature rupture of membranes, leading to Sheila's early birth.

After giving birth, her mother was left physically weakened due to blood loss. Every day, Rogelio knelt beside her, begging for forgiveness and promising never to see Paula again. For the sake of their child, her mother chose to forgive him. However, she passed away a few years later.

Astoundingly, not long after that, Rogelio moved Paula and Rita into the house.

And he had the nerve to claim they were there to look after Sheila.

"Sheila, you're back at last. Your father has been terribly worried about you," said a servant, interrupting Rogelio's thoughts.

Glancing up, Rogelio saw Sheila at the entrance and felt a surge of anger.

"So you've decided to return? Where have you been these past two days?"

Rita, her back to Rogelio, chimed in with a false concern, "Sheila, Dad may be harsh, but he's genuinely worried. A young woman staying out all night can run into all kinds of dangers. What if you encountered unsavory characters, you know?"

What Rogelio couldn't see was Rita's facial expression, which was provocatively smug.

Recalling how this same person had plotted for her to lose her virginity to a gigolo, Sheila's anger reached a boiling point. Without another word, she slapped Rita hard across the face.