Chapter 3

Several years ago, Archer came home from work one day, his face dark and gloomy.

I quickly noticed something was off with his mood and asked what was wrong.

He sat on the couch, silent for a long, long time, then spoke with difficulty, saying he had encountered the family of the person responsible for the accident from years ago.

When Archer was eighteen, his parents were waiting at a red light when a drunk driver rear-ended them violently. Two cars, three people, all died instantly.

Iris was the daughter of that drunk driver.

Archer discovered this when Iris had already been working as his secretary for three months.

His eyes were bloodshot, his hands trembling.

"Jade, what should I do? I know she's innocent too, but I just can't help wanting to hold her accountable. I even... even have thoughts of strangling her..."

I held him, comforting him softly, "It's all in the past. You don't have to force yourself to face it. If you don't want to see her, then don't keep her around."

That day, for the first time, I saw him like a helpless child, clinging to me tightly, unwilling to let go.

After some time, I carefully brought up the matter again, and his demeanor was normal.

"I transferred her to another floor."

I was a bit worried, "Why not just fire her? Are you okay with this?"

He seemed very calm.

"You're right. I can't keep living in the past." Let's treat her existence as a whetstone to sharpen my character. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Later, I occasionally visited the company but never saw Iris again. Archer never mentioned the incident either, so I assumed he had resolved that emotional knot.

I never expected that today, in Archer's office, I would see Iris again.

"I thought you weren't Archer's secretary."

Iris smiled nervously, "Ms. Myerson is on maternity leave, so a few of us from the logistics department are taking turns covering her position for a while."

"That must be tough," I nodded with a smile.

Iris wasn't particularly pretty.

She was short, slender, with unremarkable features and dressed plainly. When she spoke or looked at people, she always gave off an anxious, timid impression.

Like...

A fragile, harmless rabbit.

She bowed to me and said softly:

"Mrs. Stratton, if there's nothing else, I'll excuse myself."

As she lowered her head, I caught a glimpse of several distinct red marks on her neck.

They looked like hickeys.

Archer returned from his meeting, dressed in his usual suit and white shirt, looking tall and dashing.

He leaned his long frame against the doorway, not coming in, just smiling at me."Finally, you've taken the initiative to come to the company and see me."

I walked over and hugged him. "Should I come more often then? It seems like the whole company welcomes me."

He ruffled my hair, saying sourly:

"It's mainly for me, why do you care about them?"

I chose my words carefully: "Just now, it was Iris who brought me tea."

He paused for a moment, then gave a low "Yes."

"She's been filling in as a secretary lately. Jade, don't worry, I've long since learned to handle this situation correctly."

I looked up at him, speaking softly:

"Mom always said you had determination and resilience, that you'd overcome any challenge. Archer, you're so impressive now, and you're managing the company so well. She was right about you all along."

His beautiful eyes lowered to meet mine, our gazes locked in quiet understanding.

After a long moment, he bent down to gently kiss my forehead.

"Jade, that's because I have you."