Chapter 3

Perhaps Jake had heard my words, and he didn't look happy. Elsie, however, walked up to me with a naïve smile and said, "Isabel, you know what? Mr. Shaw took me to a social dinner yesterday evening, and it was the first time I saw so much delicious food. But the tastiest thing was definitely the Doughnuts that Mr. Shaw ordered just for me. He said it was good for me."

The air was thick with a sweet, overpowering floral scent, which caused me to cover my nose and cough lightly. I ignored Elsie, and Noreen said to Elsie, "You'd better address her as Ms. Douglas in the office. Are you unaware of that?"

Noreen merely reminded Elsie, but the latter instantly broke into tears. She shrank behind Jake, and her face was full of grievance.

Jake gently patted Elsie's head to comfort her and then cast a cold glance at me. "Discipline your assistant. We are in the office now, and you cannot vent personal emotions here."

Elsie quickly masked the fleeting smugness in her eyes and clung to Jake's arm. "Mr. Shaw, it's my fault. Please don't make things difficult for Ms. Douglas..."

Seeing her act so pitifully, Jake wanted to say something to Noreen, but I instantly pulled her out of the elevator.

Jake said, "Isabel, I haven't finished my words."

I took a deep breath, turned back to him, and said emotionlessly, "Did you call me Isabel? Have you forgotten what you just said? Do you have the right to call my name so casually? You are the vice president. Mr. Shaw."

Jake's breath caught. He seemed to be facing someone he had never known for a moment.

Instinctively, he reached out to me and said, "Isabel, I didn't mean..."

"Smack!" Jake's hand froze in mid-air, and the back of it turned slightly red.

More employees gathered around, but I couldn't be bothered with them. "Mr. Shaw, I hired you at a high salary in the company, not to let you deal with your romantic affairs. If you can't separate personal matters from professional ones, I would have to reconsider whether you are qualified for your position."

The hallway fell into a dead silence. Then Elsie suddenly screamed, "Mr. Shaw, are you okay? Does it hurt? I'm sorry to make you and Ms. Douglas unhappy..."

At the same time, she cradled Jake's hand and rubbed it gently, and her voice sounded with sobs.

Then she unexpectedly got down on her knees before me. She pleaded while crying, "Ms. Douglas, I'm inexperienced and don't understand the complicated matters. If I said something that upset you, punish me as you like. I can take it. But please don't treat Mr. Shaw that way. He's kind-hearted, and I love..."

The rest of her words went unsaid, but everyone clearly understood what she meant.

Jake seemed to just come back to reality. He looked at me and then at Elsie, who was crying uncontrollably on the floor.

He held her up in his arms and said in front of everyone, word by word, "I'm sorry, Ms. Douglas. My woman has caused you trouble. I'll be more careful next time."

Then he left without a backward glance, and I felt bitterness in my heart as I saw him like that.

As the office door closed, tears that had been welling in my eyes fell down.

Well, perhaps I just cried for myself from seven years ago.

I went to the business conference alone. After I had a few cocktails with others, Jake appeared at the entrance with Elsie on his arm.

Our engagement party drama had created quite a stir not long ago and caused some of our business partners to be unsure of how to address us.

I walked up to Jake and handed him the speech script calmly.

He was supposed to introduce our products that evening. Before he reached out, Elsie snatched it away. "Oh, this is the introduction script. It doesn't seem too difficult. "Jake, oh no, Mr. Shaw, can I try it later?"

I naturally understood what she meant and quickly stopped her. "The launch of the product is crucial, but you don't even understand the product's features..."

"She can."

Jake stepped between Elsie and me and looked at me indifferently. "This is my duty. Elsie is my secretary, so it's reasonable for her to speak on my behalf."

I bit my lip as I looked at him. I had worked hard with my team on the product for nearly three years. Jake knew very well how important it was to me.

Jake said, "Isabel, she needs opportunities to grow. Not everyone has the innate advantages you do."

I stared at Jake's determined eyes and was too shocked to speak.

He had seen how hard I had worked on the product, but he now...

I didn't have time to argue further. The host announced the start, and Elsie walked onto the stage under the gaze of countless people in the same industry and reporters.

As expected, her presentation was abysmal. She couldn't even finish it. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she looked at Jake with tearful eyes. "Jake..."

Jake was beside me. He pressed his lips tightly and finally made up his mind. He stood abruptly, and his gaze swept over me with a fleeting hint of guilt before he walked onto the stage amid the uproar of the crowd.

He reached past Elsie and firmly grasped the microphone. Then he held her in his arms and said, "I'm sorry. But my secretary isn't familiar with market operations. I'll handle the rest of the introduction."

I sat there and blankly watched their intertwined fingers.

Jake spoke eloquently, and even after his speech ended, the applause continued for a long moment.

Countless reporters swarmed forward and pointed their cameras at him and Elsie in his arms.

"Mr. Shaw, we've heard that you and Ms. Douglas had something unpleasant at the engagement party. Is she your new love?"

"Have irreparable conflicts erupted between you and Ms. Douglas?"

"Could you tell us about your relationship with this lady..."

Amidst the noise, Jake's gaze fell on me once more.

Everyone eagerly awaited his response, but I calmly looked at the phone screen that had just lit up.