Chapter 7 I Will Never Be the Mistress
1157 Words
Joanne forced a smile, “I can choose not to be the boss’s wife, but can you choose not to get married?”
Zane frowned, “Quinn and I are getting married for business purposes. It won’t affect our relationship...”
Joanne didn’t let him finish, “Sorry, Mr. Grey, I will never be the third party in someone else’s marriage.”
Zane watched her walk out of the office, his knuckles tightening so much that they turned white.
As soon as Joanne returned to her seat, she received a call from Harmony Hospital, urging her to pay the hospital fees for Miranda Bennett and Kyle Bennett as soon as possible.
Harmony Hospital was a high-end private hospital, with ridiculously high charges, but its medical standards were also far ahead of others.
So Joanne had never considered transferring them to another hospital.
After paying the fees, Joanne checked her bank balance, and she was still far from reaching the 7.5 million needed for the severance payment.
Recalling Zane’s words earlier, she opened her drawer, took out a jewelry box, opened it, took a photo, and sent it to a familiar luxury goods resale store.
Apart from the house and car, the jewelry that Zane had given her before, she had sold off.
No woman didn’t like jewelry, and Joanne was no exception, but she needed money more than anything.
The luxury goods store quickly called her back. “Miss Wren, this necklace is from BAXTER & CO., a high-end piece, and a VIP custom design. Its resale value is quite high, but it might be difficult to find a buyer.”
Joanne lowered her voice. “How much would you offer for it?”
“If you want to sell it, you’ll lose a lot,” the person on the other end replied.
Joanne replied, “Just give me a price.”
“About 30% of its original price, just over 4 million.”
Joanne nearly jumped up. “Why such a big difference?”
“Jewelry at this price range is hard to find buyers for,” the person suggested. “You’re a regular customer, and I don’t want you to lose too much. How about we put the necklace on consignment in my store? That way, the price could double.”
That would be 8 million. After paying the compensation, there would still be some left.
Joanne hesitated. “How soon do you think it could sell?”
“With good luck, it could be quick. If not, it’s hard to say.”
Joanne thought for a few seconds. “Then I’ll drop it off after work.”
After the call ended, she pinched her sore temples, looking troubled.
Suddenly, she sensed something was off and turned to see Zane standing at the door of her office.
He stared at her with a blank expression, not sure how long he had been standing there.
However, she had spoken so softly just now that he probably couldn’t hear her.
“Mr. Grey, did you need something?” She quickly stood up, flashing a bright smile.
Zane had been standing at the door for a while.
He had originally planned for Joanne to accompany him to a client’s company, but he had seen her frowning while talking on the phone.
He had almost never seen her look anxious or frustrated.
She was like a perfect robot—always smiling, always devoid of negative emotions.
Zane walked over slowly. “What’s going on? Do you need any help?”
“It’s nothing.” Joanne smiled and replied, “My cousin called to complain about her husband, and I was getting annoyed listening to it.”
Zane knew a bit about her family, but every time he asked for details, she brushed him off.
She had never asked for his help, whether in work or life.
He had long known that she was a woman who didn’t cause trouble.
So easy to manage that even if he wanted to push her away, it would be effortless.
She might even leave on her own accord.
She was the most well-measured person he had ever met, always knowing her place, never crossing boundaries.
Zane inexplicably felt a bit irritated. “Pack up. Come with me to Radiant Vista Group.”
Joanne instinctively checked the time. “Now?”
Zane’s gaze darkened. “Is there a problem?”
There were only five minutes left until the end of the workday, and this was the first time Zane had scheduled a client visit at this hour.
It was a bit unusual.
But even if he was acting out of character, it wasn’t her place as his secretary to comment.
“No problem.” Joanne quickly gathered her things. “Mr. Grey, let’s go.”
She had planned to drive there herself, but Zane directly tossed the car keys to her.
Joanne was confused.
Zane ordered, “My driver is off work. You drive.”
Joanne nodded. “Okay.”
Usually, when they were together and the driver wasn’t around, Zane would act as the driver, unless he had been drinking.
But now, it was overtime, and it was completely normal for her, as a subordinate, to drive her boss.
It was about seven or eight traffic lights from Bos Group to Radiant Vista Group, but it was the rush hour, and the road was so congested that what would normally be a ten-minute drive took half an hour.
Joanne parked the car, then followed Zane closely, taking the elevator straight to the CEO’s office at Radiant Vista Group.
Mr. James from Radiant Vista Group had been waiting for some time, ready with tea and snacks to warmly welcome them.
Just as Joanne sat down, her phone rang—it was a w******p message from Ethan.
“I’ve arrived. The restaurant is quite busy tonight. What do you want to eat? I’ll order first.”
He had also sent a photo of the menu.
Joanne suddenly remembered that they had planned to have dinner together, but with everything that had happened today, she had completely forgotten about it.
However, since she had already handed in her resignation, even if she canceled, Mrs. Grey shouldn’t have any major objections.
Still, since Ethan had waited for her so long, Joanne felt a bit guilty and immediately transferred a few hundred dollars to him.
“Sorry, I’m still busy. I won’t be able to make it tonight. I’ll cover this meal.”
Ethan almost immediately refunded the money, “It’s our first time having dinner together. How could I let the girl pay? It’s fine, you go ahead with your work. I’m not hungry, I’ll wait for you.”
Joanne wasn’t sure if he didn’t understand what she meant, or if he was pretending not to.
In any case, she didn’t need to worry about Mrs. Grey anymore, and It was time to be honest with Ethan.
- Writer
