Now, I am divorced.

You have no authority here.

Belial's POV

"Grandfather, I am not having a good day. You should be at home resting."

"How can I rest when you are killing "Bercelli"? After so many years, I had to come out of retirement to prevent this from collapsing."

"I could have solved it."

"And how would you have done that? By letting Ratja continue making the decisions?"

"She is in charge of that area; it's her job. Besides, she is a shareholder because her father invested when you were the president of Bercelli. Not to mention, she has Grandma's full support."

"And that's an excuse? For God's sake, son. You are the current president. I entrusted you with this position because I believed you could do great things. You started well, but since your divorce... You have just let Bercelli fall. Where is Belial Bercelli? That young promise in the business world!"

My grandfather's shouts made me furrow my brow in anger.

"Where? I'm surprised you're asking, grandfather. You and my father buried it. You're the ones who have controlled my life as you pleased. Do you not remember when you pushed me into marrying Ana?"

"I didn't do that. It was your father's idea so that he could get my money."

"But he did it because you wanted me to marry Ana. You hold her in higher regard than us, your own family."

"Don't change the subject, Belial."

"Listen, grandfather, I will talk to Ratja about this. I will find a solution to the bankruptcy issue, but I don't know how I will solve this problem that you have caused."

"Problem? Is that how you refer to Ana?"

"I will never forget that she caused Ratja to lose my child. That unborn being was not guilty of anything."

"You keep looking at the past and don't see what's right in front of your eyes."

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing! I reminded you that Ana has my full support, so think carefully about your actions."

My grandfather left my office, leaving his bad mood lingering.

Damn it. This is the last thing I needed, for the old man to be on her side.

Grumbling, I hit my desk, causing my glass of water to fall.

Ana, why did you have to come back? What the hell do you want? What are you looking for? Was it not enough to rub your marriage in my face? Although you were clever, marrying a dying man to inherit. The logical thing is that he could never compare to what I did for you; someone like him would never erase my tracks.

———————

Ana's POV

Reviewing the requested data, I noticed details that had led to "Bercelli" being in this condition. It wasn't as if the problem had appeared overnight.

There have been constant, slight declines, but why? I wondered, looking at the statistics and sales data. It has been exactly five years of consecutive minor failures until the company couldn't take it anymore and fell with this latest project. But who came up with the idea to buy so much second-hand material? They wanted to save money and only made the products seem cheap.

Realizing this was more than a market problem, I sighed at the incredible internal work needed.

There was a tiny budget for a new presentation. The risk of winning and losing everything was enormous.

Well, I am a woman of risks. I have faced great adversities, and I can handle them.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Ardley." one of the women who had been talking about Belial said.

"Go ahead." I smiled at her.

"A woman named Zia has just arrived. She says you requested her presence. Should I let her in?"

"Of course," I confirmed, getting up from my seat. "She's the person I've been waiting for."

More than being my assistant, Zia is, along with Will, my trusted person. It was she who found me that day when I almost lost my baby after that argument with Belial. Without thinking twice, she took me to the hospital, and we haven't been apart since.

"Ana?"

"She peeked her head in, and her hazel eyes filled with surprise upon seeing me."

"So it's true? When you called me, I didn't believe it."

"Well, it's true, and I need you with me."

"Me? But you have plenty of hands here."

"Quantity doesn't always mean quality," I replied. "From now on, I want you to oversee the sewist. You'll be the supervisor."

"Supervisor! But I only know how to sew; I think you're exaggerating."

"No exaggeration, you do more than sew; you work magic."

"Are you sure? Unlike the other times we've worked on big projects, we had the collaboration of other externally hired employees."

"I'm entirely sure. There's no doubt about it here, so please help me develop a theme for your first task. We have a limited budget, so it must be light but not insignificant."

Taking a seat, she pulled out her small notepad. "Um, what do you think of the story? We could draw inspiration from historical characters and events."

"It's an idea that can be used on other occasions; it has to be in line with the moment, something that captures the public's attention and convinces them to buy the product."

"It will require more than one person to think about, Ana."

"I have an idea: You will go with the other girls and ask for their opinions. It's better when you have many ideas, and it's also good to listen to the employees. They only receive orders and comply without questioning; I imagine they must be tired of that."

"It's a great idea to make them more committed to their work."

"Exactly." I replied, "That's what I'm looking for: commitment."

"Okay, I'll take care of it," she said, closing her notebook and ready to start working.

"By the way, you must sign the contract before leaving. I don't want any misunderstandings."

"I trust you blindly, Ana."

"And I trust you, but this way, we avoid arguing."

"I would never argue with the person who helped me escape that dark place; you were my light, Ana."

"For some reason, destiny brought us together, and we helped each other."

With Zia's signature, I returned to my desk, receiving a call that confused me, as it was very early.

"Will?" I said when I answered.

"Mommy!"

"Vera, sweetie, you're supposed to be at school. How do you have Will's cellphone?"

"Ben took it with his teeth at night, and since you can communicate with it, I wanted to be able to talk to you."

"Vera..." her idea touched me, but I knew her actions were wrong. "My girl, that..."

"Mommy, I wanted to call you to tell you I'm very happy about your new job. I would have liked to come with you, but I must be at school."

"Mommy is happy to have such a beautiful and bright daughter like you, but my dear, that cell phone belongs to Will; he must be looking for it now. When you return from class, you must give it back."

"Oh, but how will I be able to call you? I like it when mommy is nearby, but now that you're far away, I'll only see you at night."

"Do you think I'll have less time for you?"

"Well, a classmate said that his parents work a lot, and that's why he's alone."

"My Vera, Mommy will always be there for you. Remember that you're my treasure. I will never leave you, sweetheart. Remember that."

"Really, mommy? Do you promise? Pinky promise?"

"I promise, pinky promise, and all the fingers of my hand. Besides, this weekend, I'll take you to the water park. How does that sound?"

"Yay! I love it!"

Listening to the joy in my daughter's voice filled me with happiness.

"Alright, now I need you to go to your teacher and give her the cell phone."

"But it's Will's."

"I know, but in this case, it's better if an adult has it. And sweetheart, remember not to take things that aren't yours. It makes others sad."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't think about it. I won't do it again."

"It's okay, my girl. I am sending you a kiss."

We said goodbye, and as I was about to return to my computer, I received another call. I answered without checking, thinking it was my daughter.

"Sweetie, give the cell phone to..."

"Sweetie? Am I your sweetie already? Well, I like it."

"Josh!" I felt embarrassed by my carelessness and confusion. "I thought you were..."

"Yes, I understand. You surely thought it was your daughter."

"That's right, don't think I said it to you."

"No, I'm just joking; I know you call Verita that way. With me, you're always distant."

"Well, Mr. Doctor, you're the one who keeps traveling."

"Am I Mr. now? That hurt my heart."

"Oh, don't try to be funny, Josh. No one can break your heart. You're the one who gives false hopes to poor, naive single girls."

"No, that's not true. I also like the confident ones."

"Maybe it's time to settle down and stop playing around."

"Maybe... It's something I'll think about but for now... I just wanted to call you and see how you're doing."

"Well, I'm working. In fact, I'm on the clock. We shouldn't even be having this conversation."

"I understand; I have to meet with a group of doctors in a few minutes. I wish you luck in your new job and look forward to seeing you soon."

As soon as we said goodbye, a noise that turned into a commotion outside my office forced me to go out. "What was happening? What were all those screams?"

"Let me in! It's not possible that she... You!" she pointed at me angrily.

Ratja was standing before me, only held back by a few employees.

"What's going on here?" I said sternly.

"Imposter! Opportunist! All of you are my employees; how dare you let her in?" she angrily exclaimed. "I want you all out! Fired!"

"Stop there, Ratja. That's not for you to decide."

"I'm a shareholder, Belial's girlfriend, and the future heiress of the Rusticci. Therefore, I can decide about something that will soon be mine."

"I am Ana Ardley, head of this department, in charge of the next Bercelli project, a woman who does her job. Therefore, you have no authority to give orders to my employees!"

"What do you want? Wasn't killing my baby enough for you? Murderer!"

Everyone except Zia looked at me in astonishment, but I remained calm.

"I have no idea how the hell you're still free. You are a poor example of a woman. That's why Belial never loved you. I am the woman of his life, everything, and love."

"Perfect." I replied, "But I also told him to hurry up with the marriage. It's impossible that you're still engaged after five years."

"Where are you getting that from? Of course, I am Belial's wife! All the media outlets reported it!"

"All? What the hell are you talking about, Ratja?"

Appearing behind her, Belial achieved what the others couldn't. Calming her down.

"Belial..."

"What did you just say, Ratja? How is it that all the media outlets reported that you and I are married?! When did this happen?!"

"It's just that... I..."

"Answer, Ratja! What did you do?!"

"Uh... That was..." her voice sharpened, and tears filled her eyes. "Are you going to treat me like this? Me, who carried your child in my womb. How could you let this woman enter the company? She has disrespected me in front of everyone. I, who love you so much and have endured all these years of waiting. She mistreats me, and I am the one who gets yelled at."

"Belial." a voice interposed behind them; an older woman entered. "I sent out that news to announce your marriage. Ratja did nothing."

"And why did you do that, grandmother? How dare you meddle in my life?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. Tell that woman to apologize to Ratja."

We were all astonished, except for the smiling face of Belial's fiancee.

"She disrespected her; I witnessed it. So defend your woman."

"I am not going to apologize. I have only spoken the truth. I was doing my job, and that's it."

"Get back to work." that's all he said.

"What? But Belial, my love."

"Everyone to work!"

Leaving his grandmother and Ratja behind, he left without giving a further speech.

"You insignificant girl, how dare you approach my grandson. I am going to make your life miserable."

"Go ahead, ma'am, but rest assured that I am not going after your grandson. I have people who value my time, and neither you nor your grandson are included in my list."