Chapter 3 Look Out, World!

The thought that Ryan might want to stay married made Jenessa's heart skip a beat, her chest heaving from anticipation.

However, under her hopeful gaze, Ryan scoffed coldly. "Jenessa, don't kid yourself." His tone was full of mockery, each word piercing her heart like a knife. "Do you really think I'd say 'no' to a divorce?"

He locked eyes with her, his gaze icy cold. "Remember this, Jenessa-you're the one who asked for a divorce. You'd better not come crawling back to me when it's all said and done."

With that, he got out of bed and left, slamming the door behind him.

Jenessa lay despondently on the bed, her heart heavy with disappointment.

Tears rolling down her cheeks, she gently placed a hand on her belly, feeling the little life growing inside her.

She had originally planned to tell Ryan the good news, but in the span of just a few hours, they were on the brink of divorce.

After thinking about it a moment or two, she decided it was best to keep Ryan in the dark about her pregnancy. Even if they separated ways, she could raise the baby on her own.

Then, thinking about her job as Ryan's secretary, she felt a pang of helplessness.

Ryan's grandma had arranged for her to work under Ryan to nurture their relationship, and back then, it seemed like a good idea.

But now, things were different, and it was high time she left that job.

The following morning, as soon as Jenessa arrived at the WorldLink Group's headquarters, a few of her more gossipy colleagues surrounded her.

"Jenessa, we've been waiting for you all morning! What's going on with Mr. Haynes and that Maisie girl? Are they an item now?"

"News of Mr. Haynes throwing a welcome-home party for international supermodel Maisie Powell went viral overnight. He even invited all his friends. Looks like he's planning to make their relationship public soon!"

"I heard that after the party, they spent the night together. Maybe she's his future wife!"

Jenessa felt a pang of bitterness as she listened. After a brief hesitation, she replied despondently, "I don't know much about it."

Her colleagues exchanged glances and rolled eyes. Obviously, they didn't believe her. "Come on, Jenessa! You're Mr. Haynes' secretary. You know him better than anyone. How could you not know any insider information? Just spill the beans already!"

Jenessa forced a weak smile. Everyone knew that she was Ryan's secretary, but very few people knew that she was also Ryan's wife. He was even reluctant to make their relationship public.

With a soft sigh, she stood her ground more firmly. "I really don't know, okay? Enough with the gossip."

The colleagues wanted to press her further, but Jenessa cut them off before they could get another word out. "I said there's nothing to say, so quit pestering me. Were you all hired just to gossip? Get back to work, all of you!"

Her stern expression made them uneasy, but she was right; they had to comply.

"Okay, okay, we get it."

As Jenessa walked away, they couldn't help but mutter and grumble among themselves.

"Who does she think she is? Acting all high and mighty. Humph! She's not the only secretary here."

"Yeah, when she started working here out of the blue three years ago, we all thought she had some kind of relationship with Mr. Haynes. But in the end, he didn't pay her any special attention-never took her to meetings with clients. She's his personal secretary, but what of it? Just eye candy!"

"Her days here are numbered. Once Maisie marries Mr. Haynes, Jenessa will be the first one to go. After all, who would trust a pretty secretary around their man?"

"Exactly!"

Their laughter and unrestrained chatter filled the office, but Jenessa turned a deaf ear to it all and walked straight to her desk, immersing herself in her work.

She knew how those seemingly friendly colleagues truly saw her. But she couldn't argue with them, because even she herself felt like a joke.

Before she knew it, it was time to get off work, and most of the secretaries had already gone home.

Just as Jenessa was packing her things, she received a call from her best friend, Brinley Lloyd.

"Hey, I saw the news this morning. What the hell is going on with Ryan and that Maisie girl? Just rumors, right?"

Hearing the disbelief in Brinley's voice, Jenessa sighed heavily.

"It's true."

Brinley gasped in shock mixed with horror. "What the hell?!"

Throughout the day, Jenessa had thought things through, so she was relatively calm as she explained, "In the first place, Ryan and I only got married as part of an agreement. I always knew he had no feelings for me; he only married me because his grandma insisted. Now that the woman he loves is back in the picture, there's no reason for me to stay. It's time to let them be together."

Brinley felt both incredulous and indignant. "But... What about the baby? Weren't you going to surprise him?"

"Would it be a wonderful surprise to him? Or a horrifying shock?" Jenessa instinctively touched her flat belly, a bitter smile on her lips. "Anyway, what matters is I've made up my mind-I want a divorce, and I'll raise this baby on my own. There's no need for him to know."

"Seriously, a divorce? Are you sure about that?" Brinley sounded very concerned. "If you don't want him to know you're pregnant, then you can't keep working at WorldLink. Your belly will get bigger and bigger."

"Don't worry, I'm way ahead of you. I'll resign soon. Then, I can finally go back to doing what I truly love."

The mention of her long-lost dreams brought a rare smile to Jenessa's face.

"Oh, my God! Jenessa, are you going back to your old career?" Brinley was thrilled. "That's fantastic! I always believed in you! You're a genius designer! Look out, world-Sloane Todd, a legend in the fashion design world, is coming! You shouldn't have wasted your talents as Ryan's secretary all these years. He's not worth it!"

"Sloane Todd..." Jenessa felt a bit dazed at the mention of that long-forgotten pseudonym.

For Ryan, she had lost herself for so long. She almost forgot who she truly was.

"Jenessa."

A magnetic, masculine voice suddenly sounded behind her.

Startled, Jenessa whirled around to find a stern-looking Ryan standing behind her.