When He Let Her Sit His Car, I Scrapped It

Chapter 2

It was almost 11:00 p.m. when I returned home. I was leaning against the couch when Adrian came in a short while later.

"Why are you sitting here alone?"

"I was waiting for you."

He loosened his cuffs and walked over, barely suppressing the irritation in his voice.

"You went too far tonight. Chloe is only an intern. She's a 22-year-old girl who doesn't understand how things work. Was all that really necessary?"

"If she doesn't know any better, do you?"

I lowered my legs from the couch and looked at him.

"You know what kind of person I am, Adrian."

"Of course I do."

He tugged at his tie, and his voice gradually rose.

"You're too controlling. An intern sat in my car, and you reacted as if she'd committed a crime. What are people going to think?"

"Do you honestly think I care what other people think?"

He faltered.

"I have to take people around for work. I gave her a ride because she was on my way. What's wrong with that?"

"On your way?"

I smiled.

"Every home in our gated community sits on its own private lot, and all the families know one another. Tell me, Adrian. Where exactly was she on your way to?"

His face darkened. For a long time, he said nothing. When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

"I'll get rid of the car tomorrow. But could you ease up on the other part? She only just graduated."

"I don't take back what I've said."

"Valerie!"

"If you feel that sorry for her, you can go comfort her right now."

I cut him off and headed toward the bedroom.

"Once you walk out that door, don't bother coming back."

A long silence stretched behind me.

When I woke the next morning, a vehicle scrapping receipt lay on the coffee table beside a copy of Chloe's termination paperwork. Adrian's signature filled the appropriate line.

I glanced at the documents and set them back down. At least he wasn't stupid enough to oppose me outright.

My secretary sent me a brief voice message.

"Ms. Hart, Chloe Lane's termination paperwork has been completed. Mr. Foster signed it himself. She cried at reception for 30 minutes before she left and said one thing: Valerie Hart will regret this sooner or later."

I sent back a short reply.

Valerie: Keep a record.

I had heard threats like that countless times. Not one of the people who made them had ever given me a reason to regret anything.

I wasn't someone who enjoyed destroying people. I did, however, have one particular habit. The harder someone tried to challenge me, the more determined I was to make sure they learned that I would never be the one with regrets.

At lunch, a message arrived from Adrian.

Adrian: The car is gone, and so is she. Are you satisfied now?

I typed a short reply.

Valerie: That depends on how you behave.

He didn't respond. The matter seemed to end there.

A month later, however, I realized something was wrong. Adrian had been too quiet lately, far quieter than usual.

That night, I lay in bed and reviewed the transactions for every project he had taken over during the previous 6 months. When I found the unfamiliar name of a supplier, I took a screenshot and sent it to my secretary.

Valerie: What do we know about this company?

Her answer arrived 3 minutes later. It was long, but only one sentence mattered.

Secretary: Ms. Hart, I'll investigate further. There's something strange about the company's ownership registration.

I stared at the company name for a long while before turning my phone facedown on the pillow.

Before going to sleep, I sent Adrian one more message.

Valerie: Have breakfast with me tomorrow.

His reply came almost immediately.

Adrian: Okay.

I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. One thought ran through my mind.

'You'd better be okay, Adrian. You'd better not be hiding anything.'