A Loveless Deal

"Ms. Kit, I'm here to inform you that you should end your engagement with Mr. Ruben Catmore," the girl said sternly as she sat across from Vinnie Kit at the table. "I'm pregnant with Mr. Catmore's child, something you could never give him—an heir to the Catmore family," she stated confidently. With her arms crossed, Vinnie smirked at her former assistant, Angela Rogers. This naive girl was still caught up in her Cinderella fantasy of marrying into purple. Glancing at her flat stomach, Vinnie asked, "An heir to the Catmore family? Are you sure about that?" Angela replied with conviction, "Mr. Catmore is the eldest son of the Catmore family. Of course, he will inherit the family business, and our child, being the firstborn, will naturally become the future heir." Despite Angela's firm assertion, Vinnie didn't react as fiercely as Angela had anticipated. Eventually, Angela became impatient and said bluntly, "I already know that you're just an adopted daughter of the Catmore family. Don't ever think about competing with Ruben for the inheritance!" "Is that what he told you?" Vinnie replied sarcastically. "He really would say anything to get laid for free." "Hey! Mind your tongue!" Angela attempted to slap the table but ended up patting her chest after receiving a stern look from Vinnie. "You're just an adopted daughter. What's there to be proud of?" Angela muttered under her breath. Having worked under Vinnie as an assistant, she still felt somewhat intimidated, even when confronting her. Vinnie chuckled, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Indeed, the Catmore family did adopt a child, but it wasn't me—it was your beloved Mr. Catmore." "Despite the Catmore family's troubles, Ruben will never be the heir. That role is mine alone. Even if you managed to steal the business plan from me, don't expect to receive anything from Ruben," declared Vinnie assertively. Angela stood up abruptly, knocking over a coffee cup. She fixed Vinnie with a fierce look and said defiantly, "I didn't steal anything!" The noise drew the attention of other patrons in the cafe, but Vinnie remained staring at Angela mockingly. "Defend yourself all you want, but if I uncover any proof, you'll be the first one I send to jail! Haven't you realized yet that Ruben is just taking advantage of you?" taunted Vinnie. "No! That can't be!" Angela staggered back, disbelief written all over her face, and accidentally knocked over a chair. Pointing accusingly at Vinnie, Angela shouted, "You're just jealous of me and my unborn child! That's why you lied!" With tears streaming down her face, she grabbed her purse and stormed out of the cafe. "Go ask Mr. Catmore, darling!" Vinnie laughed mockingly, blowing her a kiss. After Angela left, Vinnie straightened up, took a large swig of her coffee, and slammed the cup back on the table with a resolute thud. Angela had been her assistant for three months, caring for her 24/7. Yet, in the end, she had an affair with Ruben right under Vinnie's nose. Ruben, the adoptive son of Vinnie's father, Mario Catmore, had grown up alongside Vinnie. Everyone once believed he would marry Vinnie and become Mario's most trusted aide. But how did he repay the Catmore family? He orchestrated a car accident that instantly killed Vinnie's mother and put her father comatose in the ICU, where he remained to this day. He then seduced Vinnie's former assistant, Angela, persuading her to steal Vinnie's business plans and putting Vinnie in dire straits. Because of these machinations, Vinnie had lost her influence within the company. Her confrontation just now was merely a bluff to scare Angela. In fact, neither the relatives nor the shareholders were backing her. The Catmore family was in chaos, with most of the assets now in the hands of this conniving man! Vinnie tilted her head back, struggling to hold back her tears. Indeed, Vinnie had just been holding onto her last bit of dignity in front of Angela. She knew she was on the brink of collapse. During her chaotic struggles, had Ruben and Angela been celebrating their sinister victory? They had even managed to conceive a child. Did they make love in her house? On her and Ruben's bed? Or in her bathroom? Did they use her favorite Damask rose bath bomb? Did Angela wear one of her favorite silk robes? Which one? Vinnie felt sick to her stomach. "s**t!" she cursed. If she hadn't fallen for Ruben in the past and given him too many resources, he wouldn't have climbed to where he was today. Vinnie was swamped by immense pain and self-blame, almost overwhelmed by her own regrets. Tears escaping, she grabbed a tissue from the table to wipe them away. With many pressing matters awaiting her, she stood up and picked up her purse, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her. Her phone chimed with a new message. She checked it and found it was from Ruben. How dare that bastard still contact her!