chapter 4
624 Words
I couldn't fathom why my heart was pounding relentlessly.
The sheer volume of information flooding in left me exhilarated.
I was curious.
What would John's reaction be once he found out?
Alice, equally excited, asked me, "Are we still going to the West Coast?"
I picked up the juice on the table and pondered:
"Yes. I've no desire to get involved in John's mess."
Alice, get someone to compile the consolidated content into a PowerPoint for me.
I'm sending it to John!
We both wolfed down our meals at the table.
After saying our goodbyes, I headed home.
Lying in bed, I opened my social feed and noticed Melinda had posted an update.
The photo showed John cooking in the kitchen.
The caption read:
Waaah, I'm crying with emotion! The little one's kicking like mad in my tummy, so my husband cooked dinner for me himself.
I purchased a screenshot of this post from someone else who'd added Melinda as a friend.
I added it to the PowerPoint and then slept soundly.
On the way to the airport, I felt the flow of the crowd.
My mood was exceptionally light.
I arrived at the airport precisely at 9:00.
This was John's email-checking hour.
I used a newly created account to send him the presentation with read receipt.
The surveillance in John's office clearly captured his computer screen.
I activated the feed and watched silently as John moved his mouse.
Finally, the email I'd sent appeared on his screen.
I held my breath, watching him click it open.
John's expression darkened. He flung his mouse across the desk in irritation.
He telephoned his secretary, instructing her to fetch Melinda to his office.
The mouse swept across the PowerPoint slides before landing on Melinda's WeChat Moments post from the previous evening.
The computer itself did not escape his wrath, meeting the same fate as the mouse on the floor.
At that moment, the boarding announcement sounded, and I hurried onto the plane.
I didn't want to miss Melinda and John meeting.
8
I took my seat and reopened the surveillance feed.
John's face remained dark and terrifying, his deep, ink-black eyes brewing a storm of extreme danger.
The secretary soon brought Melinda into the office.
The slightest stirrings among the company's upper echelons were known in crystal-clear detail by those below.
The secretary, well aware of their relationship, sensibly chose not to enter.
Melinda gazed at the laptop smashed on the floor, assuming it was the last business partner who had angered John.
She approached him, feigning hurt:
"It's all Jane's fault. If she hadn't pushed me and interrupted your call with the business partner..."
"The client wouldn't have been so upset as to cancel our partnership over that."
I couldn't help but laugh at Melinda's audacity.
I was eager to see how things would unfold between them.
John shoved Melinda onto the sofa and shouted furiously, "What right do you have to speak for John?"
I frowned, disdainful of his sudden shift in how he addressed me.
Melinda was startled by John's sudden outburst.
She stammered, trembling: "Sister Qin... what's wrong?"
John loomed over her, grabbing her by the collar: "Whose child is that inside you?"
The word 'child' made Melinda's face go pale.
Her lips quivered: "John, I..."
Melinda cried out in terror.
John, blinded by rage, paid no heed to her tears.
He struck her face repeatedly, her screams echoing throughout the room.
I grimaced in anguish, unable to bear the thought of her suffering.
After only a few blows, Melinda collapsed unconscious.
My interest in violent John waned.
Just then, the flight attendant distributed blankets.
I requested one.
Switching off the monitor, I reclined my seat and closed my eyes to rest.
- Writer
