Chapter 3

Her eyes were filled with utter contempt as she turned her head away, refusing to look at me.

"Have you realized your mistake after spending a night here?"

I pressed the elevator button, responding nonchalantly, "Yes, I have."

"I quit."

Vivienne suddenly turned to face me, arms crossed, scrutinizing my now disheveled appearance from head to toe.

"I know you've been reluctant to be my assistant from the start, but even if you wanted to go to that company now, they wouldn't take you."

"I'm warning you for the last time, think before you speak."

She was right.

When I first entered the workforce, I had better options.

But Vivienne was terrified and alone when she started her business.

She begged me to be her assistant, to accompany her on this venture.

Unable to bear seeing her worried, I agreed without hesitation.

Concerned that our marriage might affect her partnership, we signed a secret marriage agreement as a compromise.

In her eyes, emotions and career were never worth mentioning.

I thought by giving up my own career prospects to be by her side, she would eventually be moved by my sincerity.

That in our daily interactions, she would come to rely on my presence.

But I was wrong.

I was wrong from the very beginning.

"I've thought it through clearly.I took a deep breath and quickly entered the elevator.

Vivienne suddenly reached out towards the closing elevator doors, yanking me out and clutching my arm tightly.

"Archer, what do you mean by these things you've been saying the past couple days? Is it just because I celebrated with someone else?"

"I've explained to you so many times, Wylie is a rare talent that the company desperately needs right now. I have to keep him. The market situation is so dire, you can't help me, so can't you stop making things difficult..."

Before she could finish speaking, her phone rang.

Vivienne frowned deeply. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was calling.

Ever since Wylie started working at this company, there were too many unavoidable matters they had to discuss.

I had mentioned my discomfort many times, even just asking her not to do it in front of me.

But she only thought I was being unreasonable, not understanding her current situation.

This time, however, I had no reaction and made no attempt to stop her.

I entered the elevator and went downstairs.

When I got home, I was surprised to find the house had been cleaned thoroughly.

I let out a small sigh of relief and calmly went to rest in the guest bedroom.

I thought I would be up all night, but unexpectedly slept more soundly than ever.The night was falling when, inexplicably, my stomach began to ache terribly, the pain so severe I couldn't stand up straight.

I hurriedly took the painkillers from my bedside table and, hunched over, made my way to the hospital.

As I received the medical report, I stared blankly at the words on it. Just as I was about to leave, Vivienne's figure caught my eye.

She was carefully cradling Wylie on her lap, and he was wearing my coat.

Wylie spotted me first, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes as he dragged himself towards me.

"Archer, bro, what are you doing here so late?"

"I had hot pot last night and wasn't feeling well. Vivienne took care of me all night, and as soon as dawn broke, she went to the office to get my ID, then spent the whole day rushing me to the hospital."

"Actually, I'm fine. I've always been prone to getting sick since I was little, but Vivienne was worried and insisted on bringing me here to put her mind at ease."

I clutched the medical report tightly, forcing a smile. "It's rare to find a boss so attentive these days."

Vivienne frowned at me. "You still haven't answered the question. What are you doing here?"I look to the side, discreetly slipping the examination report into my pocket.

"I'm just wandering around looking for a new place. I'm nobody's pet, so I need to find a job to support myself."

I don't want to waste words with the people in front of me, so I try to walk past them.

Wylie quickly turns and grabs my arm, his eyes full of pleading.

"Brother Archer, I'm so sorry I couldn't get you in with us yesterday. I've felt guilty about it. Please come with us today, it's cold and hard to get a cab."

"I already scolded Vivienne yesterday, don't worry. She promised me that as long as I'm willing, anything is possible."

I raise an eyebrow and look at the person standing behind him, not bothering to respond to his words.

Vivienne approaches and says in a low voice, "Archer, can you stop being so ungrateful? When people are trying to be nice and offer help, are you deaf or mute?"

"You're full of lies now. At your age, even your former self couldn't find work here. Your lie about looking for a new place just flows so easily from your mouth.""Who do you think you are? I haven't received any resignation letter from you. You don't have any special privileges in this company. It's all just talk. I don't know where you got the nerve to think you can just up and quit whenever you feel like it?"

I avoided her gaze, nodding dully.

"No matter what you say, I'm done. I'm not interested in listening to you anymore. If you won't accept my resignation, I'll just stop showing up. I'll be AWOL for the rest of my life if I have to."

"You!" Vivienne lunged forward, jabbing her finger in my face.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to argue further with the woman in front of me. I followed the report's instructions and went to the appropriate department.

"Hello, could you please schedule me for the earliest available chemotherapy session?"