I calmly started washing up after Austin left.

There was no need for me to cry aloud or make a huge fuss about my broken heart like the last time anymore. One could only get used to the pain, and then, it wouldn't have any significance to them anymore.

In fact, I found it a waste of energy to even shed a single tear for a jerk like him. I fell asleep right after that.

Sometime past midnight, I heard someone knocking on the door in my haze. The raps on the door were loud and urgent.

It turned out to be Ryan Collins, Austin's best friend from college. He then entered the house with a very blacked-out, drunk Austin in his arms.

Since Ryan was there, I made myself busy, helping him carry Austin to bed and feeding Austin some honey mixed with water.

Watching me bustling around, Ryan suddenly said, "Serena, Austin got really deeply hurt by Leticia in the past. That's the main reason why he was so excited when he saw her earlier today."

Ryan had suddenly brought up Leticia out of nowhere, indirectly exposing the lies Austin had told me that day.

"When Austin was still setting up his company, Leticia dumped him and married that billionaire, and it's always been something he could never come to terms with.

"Fortunately, he met you afterward, and you were the one who helped him get back on his feet. You're the reason he became the person he is today."

I tried my best to squeeze out a smile for him.

After seeing Ryan off, I flung the face towel I'd been wringing out into the basin, splashing water everywhere and wetting Austin's shirt.

The water only made the bright red lipstick stains on his snug white shirt stand out even more.

He had taken a shower and changed into clean clothes before leaving just now. It was obvious where he got the red lipstick stains.

I felt nauseated, so I turned, wanting to leave.

Suddenly, Austin grabbed my hand and mumbled, "Lettie… Lettie, don't leave me, Lettie… Give it to me… Just one more time…"

When I heard what he said, I felt my stomach churning. I was so disgusted that I needed to throw up. I angrily flung his hands off me and rushed into the toilet as I dry heaved into the toilet bowl.

After I had run out of energy, I finally forced myself to claw against the wall and make it back onto my feet.

I caught sight of my tired, exhausted face in the mirror and suddenly felt sorry for myself. How could I have put up with such a disgusting person for such a long time?

I made up my mind that I would contact my lawyer early in the morning and get him to draft a divorce agreement.

The next morning, I only found out at the company that Austin had just hired a personal secretary.

My colleagues crowded around me and spoke in a low voice. "That lady looks weak and helpless. I bet she doesn't even know what Microsoft Excel is."

"But Mr. Lockhart specifically picked her. That's just so weird."

"Do you think Mr. Lockhart is in love with her?"

I couldn't help thinking about Leticia's face as they continued gossiping about the new hire. I just smiled and shook my head, saying, "I don't know. That's the boss' business, so we shouldn't simply speculate."

As soon as I was done speaking, I suddenly heard Austin's voice calling me from the back. "Serena Jacobson, come here for a bit."

Nobody at the company knew that Austin was my husband. He said that it was to discourage other people from dating at the office, so he wouldn't give me any special treatment either.

That was why he treated me the same way as he treated everyone else at the office.

I followed him into his office. Austin closed the door behind us before stepping up and hugging me. He gently said, "Rena, I've got something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"One of my former college mates, Leticia Gomez, is looking for a job. So I told her to try it out at the company. Do you think that's alright?"

I carefully shook myself free from his arms and said indifferently, "Sure."

He continued, "Since I'm coincidentally looking for a personal secretary, I'm asking her to fill in the position temporarily. It would be faster for me to teach her myself. Would you be mad at that?"

I said calmly, "You're just looking out for your college mate. Why would I be mad?"

Austin then held on to my shoulder, his gaze flickering slightly. "By the way, I kind of got drunk with Ryan last night. Did I cause you any trouble when I came home? Don't get mad at me, okay?"

He was testing the waters with me.

His actions were making me look down on him. What, so he decided to cheat on me, yet he was still seeking my permission to do so?

I replied calmly again, "I'm not mad."

"You're lying. You slept in the living room all night. You can't tell me that you weren't mad."

I smiled and decided to expose him. "You were dead drunk and kept calling out another person's name. How were you expecting me to sleep next to that?"

Austin's face stiffened. He suddenly looked panicked as he asked, "Whose name did I call?"

I replied, "You were mumbling. I couldn't tell."

His facial muscles relaxed at that. Then, he tried to hug me again. "You couldn't tell? Then how would you know that I wasn't calling your name?"

I found it disgusting and avoided him. I couldn't help exposing him again. "I only said that to protect your ego. Don't you think you'd know whose name you were calling?"

Austin's face fell. A flash of guilt appeared in his eyes. However, he quickly recovered his senses and frowned at me.

He started to chide me. "Serena Jacobson, why are you always so suspicious of other people? You were exactly like this back when Gaby was an intern here. You just have too much free time on your hands, don't you?

"Since you've got nothing better to do, why don't you take up a course or something? Don't you dare think that I'll let you get by doing nothing at the company just because you're my wife."

That line of his nearly made me burst out in laughter. "Mr. Lockhart, you've forgotten the person who helped you raise the company back when it was at its lowest low, haven't you?"

Maybe what I said had brought up unpleasant memories for him. Austin's expression instantly turned dark.

"Serena Jacobson! What exactly do you mean by that? Are you trying to emotionally blackmail me? Or did you want me to admit that my success today is all thanks to you?"

We'd been married for many years, and I'd always willingly made myself his pillar of support and stayed behind the scenes. I never thought that everything I did for him thus far was insignificant in his eyes.

How disappointing to hear.

I didn't want to continue listening to whatever else he had to say to me. I turned to leave, but he forcefully pulled me back against him. "I'm not done talking yet! What kind of attitude is this?"

I lost my balance and tripped. My arm banged hard against the edge of the glass coffee table, drawing blood.

When Austin saw it, the anger on his face quickly dissipated. "Rena! Are you okay?"

He was just about to help me up when knocks sounded on the door. He quickly withdrew his hand and backed away toward his desk.

Thoroughly disappointed, I picked myself up from the ground, opened the door, and walked out.

Leticia was standing at the door. She greeted me with a coy smile on her lips. "Sorry, was I disturbing you?"

I ignored her and walked off.

After getting back to my desk, my colleagues immediately crowded over again.

"Look at that! Mr. Lockhart just gave her a desk right in front of his office! He'd be able to see her if he just raised his head a little."

"Damn! He's being too obvious!"

"Indeed," I said nonchalantly, pulling out my phone and sending a text message to my lawyer.

It read, "Prepare a divorce agreement for me. ASAP."

There was a company get-together that night, with lots of drinking involved.

Since Leticia was a newbie, our colleagues continuously filled her glass with alcohol, making sure it was always filled.

The manager, Charles Clifford, then made another toast to her. "Leticia, you're incredible—landing the chairman's personal secretary role right after joining! Here, this toast is for you. Bottoms up!"

Leticia tried refusing it at first, but as the people around her started cheering her on, she kept downing drinks for the rest of the night and grew more and more tipsy.

Austin just continued looking at her quietly.

Charles then handed me a mug of beer. "Serena, you're the only one left who hasn't given her a toast yet. Come on. Give her a toast!"

I took the mug from him. But before I'd even said a single word, Leticia suddenly turned to me with tears in her eyes as she cried, "Serena, please, have mercy on me. I really can't drink another drop!"

Her words now made me seem like the bad guy, forcing her to drink half a dozen mugs of beer earlier.

I set down my mug at once. However, the rest of my colleagues just continued cheering us on. Suddenly, Leticia covered her mouth with both her hands and stumbled out of the restaurant.

Austin's face darkened immediately. He angrily slammed down his knife and fork and lost his temper with me. He yelled from across the table, "Serena Jacobson! Are you fucking done causing a riot?"

Everyone at the table jumped in surprise. Suddenly, I was made the center of everybody's attention.

"You can drink yourself to death for all I care if that's what you want to do! But what's the point of ganging up on her with the rest of them?"

Without even waiting for me to explain myself, Austin then sent his chair flying and stormed out.

My colleagues exchanged nervous glances with each other. Charles then came up to me and softly apologized, "I'm sorry, Serena. We were just trying to liven up the mood. We never thought that Mr. Lockhart would think of it that way."

"He can't possibly think that you told us to get her drunk on purpose, can he?"

"We're so sorry, Serena. We didn't mean to make you the scapegoat."

"It's fine," I said, my smile forced..

If Austin wanted to accuse me of a crime, then he would definitely find a way to do it. And since he thought of me as an evil, scheming woman, there was nothing I could do to change his mind. I would have to take the blame anyhow.

He had probably already forgotten everything else between us anyway.

My colleagues were still whispering and murmuring among themselves. "This is a low-alcohol beer, though. It's less than 5% alcohol. Is it possible for her to even get that drunk?"

"That's right! Say, you don't think that she's just pretending to be drunk, do you?"

"Who knows? Maybe she's just trying to get us to pity her. What a scheming person she is…"

I didn't hear the rest of what they said because my lawyer contacted me just then.

I stepped out to answer the phone. When I went back into the restaurant, I happened to catch sight of Leticia. She was being cornered against the wall by Austin, and her face was wrought with tears.

"What is it that you want from me?"

"Sign the agreement and accompany me. I'll give you an allowance of 150 thousand dollars a month!"

I had wanted to leave at first, but I suddenly heard Leticia exclaiming in determination, "No way!"

I stopped in my tracks. Suddenly, Leticia no longer seemed like the kind of woman I’d thought she was.

Austin chuckled lightly and asked, "Are you sure? You were the one who came to me first that night. You took the lead. And you have so much debt out there that you can't pay up. I bet that life's not so great when thugs and creditors are chasing you, hmm?"

Leticia looked furious. She raised her hand and slapped Austin hard on the cheek. "You bastard! Are you taking revenge on me now?"

"I am! You have a choice—be with me, or I'll send out a memo to everyone in the industry so that you'll never be able to find a job for the rest of your life!"

Austin's voice softened all of a sudden. "Lettie, I just want you to know that nobody else in the world can love you the way I do."

"I don't want to be your mistress."

He went silent for a short while. However, he then grinned and said, "Are you asking me to get a divorce? Over my dead body!"

I left as soon as I heard this.