Adeline Carter's POV:

Gill Webb didn't take my rejection lightly. He summoned me to his office immediately. His voice was soft, unnervingly calm. “Adeline, you shouldn't be so stubborn. Life is full of opportunities.”

He leaned back in his leather chair, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “I'm only interested in a certain… aspect of your husband. Why do you care so much?” He chuckled softly. “If you aren't using him yourself, why not let someone else enjoy the view?”

I stared at him, my mind reeling. His words were vile, disgusting.

He continued. “You could give him a little sleeping aid. He won't suspect a thing. He'll wake up feeling refreshed.” He promised, “No memory, no trouble.”

“Adeline, agree to this, and I'll promote you to VP. A million-dollar salary.” My current salary barely covered our mounting debts.

A million dollars. It was an astronomical sum.

“Go home and think about it. Give me an answer by the end of the week.” His tone carried a razor-sharp threat.

I panicked, trying to find a way out. How could I escape this? Gill's power was suffocating. I felt powerless.

He was my boss. He had a thousand ways to make my life miserable.

Adeline Carter's POV:

I stubbornly held out for a week, refusing to give Gill an answer.

The consequences were swift and brutal. My position as team lead was revoked. I was demoted.

To make matters worse, a petty, small-minded woman was promoted to my old position. She became my new superior.

Every day, she found new ways to harass me. “Adeline, is that report finished? Or are you too busy dreaming about a promotion you'll never get?”

Another week passed. I still didn't respond to Gill.

The bullying intensified. My new supervisor humiliated me in front of the entire team during a meeting, tearing my work to shreds. “This is garbage, Adeline! Worthless! Are you even trying?” My face burned with shame. I felt exposed, my dignity trampled.

Three weeks passed.

My desk was moved to a corner right next to the overflowing office trash bin. Coworkers, eager to please Gill, intentionally threw trash outside the bin. “Adeline, could you pick that up? You're right there.”

I couldn't quit. Our company was an industry leader. If I left, Gill would blacklist me, ensuring I'd never find a decent job in New York again.

He wasn't just my boss; he was a powerhouse in New York society with deep connections. I was a nobody, a disposable pawn. I had no leverage.

My will was breaking. But I couldn't tell Brock. I couldn't burden him when he was already under so much pressure.

Even as my world crumbled, I clung to my principles. My love for Brock, though battered, still flickered like a fragile candle in the dark.

Adeline Carter's POV:

Gill delivered his final ultimatum. “Adeline, this is your last chance. If you keep being this stubborn, you're out. Fired.”

Fired. Blacklisted. No job in New York. We'd lose everything.

“Adeline, you don't want to lose your job, do you?” Gill sneered.

I walked through the bustling streets of Manhattan, lost.

Brock and I were from a remote small town. we had worked so hard to get here. We both had to work; there was no other option.

And now, everything was at stake. I couldn't lose this job. I simply couldn't.

The thought of losing our home filled me with a cold, paralyzing dread.