Chapter 3 Working Again
1025 Words
"Nelia! Look at the mess you've caused!"
Buper stood outside the courthouse, his eyes bloodshot, as if he'd been tortured for days.
Nelia couldn't help but laugh. Wasn't he the one who started this mess?
All she'd done was sell a few of his dirty secrets and cheating videos to a rival company.
"Thanks to you, I've been temporarily suspended for the past few days, busy dealing with all the fallout."
"Let's just get the divorce over with. I'm in a hurry."
Nelia wasn't in the mood for a long conversation with him.
In just a few days, Buper had taken care of the car accident victim, ensuring they wouldn't press charges, which had gotten him out of prison.
The rival company's press had gotten a ton of material, but all he got was a temporary suspension...
It seemed like his father had stepped in personally.
"No! No way! My dad will kill me!"
Buper exclaimed.
"How about this? One year! Let's wait one more year before we divorce, okay?"
His panicked expression raised Nelia's suspicions. He seemed to have mentioned that they couldn't divorce until after three years of marriage.
"Why?"
"It's... something called Mermaid Cliff. He didn't tell me too much."
Buper explained, "My dad just said that we need you to get there. It's really important to our family."
Looking at Buper's flustered, helpless face, Nelia couldn't tell if he was lying, but what did it matter?
She handed him the pen, her tone indifferent. "Sign it."
"No! I won't!"
"Who cares? You were the one who cheated first! I still have the videos. If necessary, I'll force the execution."
When Buper saw that there was no turning back, his expression grew terrifying.
"You'd better know when to step down, you b***h! Once you're out of my family, you'll be nothing! I'll make your life a living hell!"
Nelia ignored him, her tone still calm. "Whatever. Just hurry up and sign."
*****
"You... b***h!"
When she ignored him completely, Buper's anger erupted. He suddenly lunged at Nelia and threw a punch.
With a look of pure disdain, Nelia swiftly sidestepped, twisting his arm behind his back.
"You seem to forget that I'm more than a housewife... I started learning martial arts back in college."
Buper's world spun. By the time he registered what had happened, he was already on the floor, pain coursing through his body.
As he stared up at her, he started to wonder if this was really happening.
Was this the same woman who once obeyed his every command?
"You... We're not done here! I'll make you crawl back to me and beg for my forgiveness!"
Though disbelief clouded his mind, his years of superiority over Nelia wouldn't allow him to back down now.
*****
"Ha, sure," Nelia said, walking out of the courthouse.
The gentle breeze outside felt especially refreshing.
Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, as if celebrating her newfound freedom.
The sunlight warmed her face, and she blinked her sapphire eyes, her lips, tinted like red wine, curling up in a subtle smile.
She took a deep breath, feeling warmth spread through her, like a bird released from its cage, soaring back into the sky.
She turned one last time to glance at Buper, half-laying on the ground, as if bidding farewell to her former self.
Then, she cheerfully got into Linda's convertible.
"How about we celebrate your freedom tonight with an all-nighter?"
"You know I would never turn your invitation down."
Later that night, Nelia watched Linda, who was completely hammered, and couldn't help but chuckle.
An all-nighter? It was barely eight o'clock!
Well, it worked out fine; there were still things she needed to take care of.
*****
Mermaid Cliff...
The words Buper had mentioned earlier still lingered in Nelia's mind.
What was so special about this place that could make him beg her in such a pitiful way?
There was barely any useful information online about it.
It seemed like she'd have to try the dark web.
After hours of searching, Nelia finally got some leads from an informant.
"You want to know about Mermaid Cliff? Did you verify your funds?"
"Done. They said I didn't meet the requirements yet... that's why I came to you."
"I see. Well, when the time comes, you can take half."
"Isn't that a bit much? I've worked my whole life to earn that."
After saying this, there was an eerie silence on the other end.
Nelia immediately realized she might have said something wrong.
"Ha, just kidding. I'll take whatever I can get. Money isn't an issue..."
But the other side still didn't respond...
Just as Nelia was about to ask someone else, a red skull icon appeared on the screen, accompanied by a single message: Die, b***h!
Suddenly, all the files on her computer started deleting automatically, accompanied by the skull icon laughing maniacally.
"How dare you hack my computer? You're doomed!"
*****
Later that night, Linda finally woke up and saw Nelia's fingers flying across the keyboard.
"My God, you're already back to your internet addiction!"
"Please, I'm working!"
After dealing with 78 different network accounts of the person who had hacked her, Nelia finally relaxed.
The rival hackers, Mermaid Cliff... Nelia wished she could have a few extra hands to help her gather more information.
Linda gave her a look of disdain. "You think I believe that? Come. I'll show you some real stuff."
With that, Linda handed her a piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"A job offer! How can someone with a senior bartender's certificate be wasting time on the internet?"
"I just invested in a bar, and I need you to be the boss and my personal bartender!"
Nelia was about to refuse but then thought it might be good to have a hideout for the future, so she agreed.
*****
A few days later, at the Bush Corporation headquarters.
"Dad, I found her. That filthy b***h is working at a new bar in the city," Buper said.
"Buper, you have to bring her back! Even if it means breaking her legs."
"Don't worry, Dad. I know what to do."
- Writer
