Chapter 2
1319 Words
At the Harris Group building.
"Ms. Harris, Mr. Tate and his wife have divorced!" Mandy Harris's secretary announced as she entered the office.
Mandy stood by the window, gazing at the cars moving back and forth on the street, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
Hearing the news, she took a deep breath and slowly turned around. "Is the information reliable?"
The secretary nodded. "Yes, Ms. Harris. We've planted informants in the Wilson Group. Apparently, Mr. Tate has fallen seriously ill, and not only is Emily refusing to treat him, but she's also filing for divorce."
"Aiden is sick? Is it serious?" Mandy asked anxiously.
The secretary didn't say anything but nodded slightly.
Mandy slammed her hand on the desk. "How much money is needed? Arrange it with the finance department immediately. No matter the cost, we must save Aiden!"
"Two million dollars," the secretary replied. "Ms. Harris, please calm down. Even if you cover Mr. Tate's medical expenses, what reason would you use to help him? If you approached Mr. Tate directly, wouldn't your identity shock him?"
Mandy tried to calm herself down.
Her expression was composed, but her fists were clenched tightly. "Emily, if you don't cherish Aiden, someone else will!"
The secretary hesitated. "Ms. Harris, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"Go ahead," Mandy said curtly.
The secretary said, "I think Mr. Tate is quite ordinary. Is it really worth it for you to stay unmarried because of him?"
"Ordinary? That's because you don't know him," Mandy said as she slowly stood up, smoothing the creases in her dress. "Aiden is the son of a wealthy family. His family's antique business is the top one in Veridonia and ranks among the top ten richest in the country."
She revealed, "Of course, that's not the most important thing. What's important is that Aiden is skilled in antiques, medicine, filmmaking... He excels at everything."
She continued, "He could've had a bright future, but for Emily, he gave it all up, including his future and his inheritance. It's such a shame!"
The secretary was surprised. "I didn't realize Mr. Tate was so talented!"
"Talented? That doesn't even begin to describe him," Mandy said, her eyes sparkling as she talked about Aiden. "He's handsome, wealthy, capable, and nearly perfect, though he looks like a playboy."
The secretary was puzzled. "Ms. Harris, you've known Mr. Tate for over ten years. Why didn't you confess your feelings for him before he got married? With your looks, figure, and abilities, you're way better than Emily!"
Mandy smiled and shook her head. "Ten years ago, back in middle school, I was shy and insecure, so I was often bullied. Aiden always stood up to protect me. From that moment on, his image was etched deeply in my heart, and I could never forget him."
She said affectionately, "Even after graduating from college, I still felt I wasn't good enough for Aiden. Back then, I told myself I had to work hard so that one day, when I was worthy of him, I would confess my feelings for him."
She then let out a sigh. "But when that day finally came, he was already married."
The secretary asked, "So, you hid your identity and quietly kept an eye on Mr. Tate, giving him orders while he was managing Wilson Group, right?"
"Yes," Mandy replied. "Susan, I need you to do two things for me. First, keep an eye on Aiden. If he needs financial support, send him the money immediately, but don't let him know it's from me."
"Why?" Susan asked.
Mandy explained, "Aiden is a man of dignity. After leaving his family, he refused to take money from his parents. I'm afraid he'll get angry if he finds out it's from me."
The secretary asked, "Got it. Anything else, Ms. Harris?"
Mandy answered, "Second, now that Emily and Aiden are divorced, we need to reevaluate our partnership with Wilson Group. If their service isn't up to par, we can consider terminating the collaboration."
Susan nodded. "Understood!"
Mandy instructed, "Okay, go do your thing."
Susan took a few steps toward the door, then turned back with a playful smile. "Ms. Harris, now that Mr. Tate is divorced, aren't you going to confess your feelings for him?"
"Susan," Mandy said sternly.
Susan immediately grinned and said, "I'll get to work!"
After Susan left, Mandy closed the office door, returned to her chair, and thought about her past with Aiden. She couldn't help but feel emotional.
Suddenly, she leaned over her desk, her body trembling slightly. Faint sobs echoed in the office. "It's been ten years... Aiden, do you know I've loved you for exactly ten years, three months, and four days?"
Susan, who had just stepped out, suddenly rushed back in. "Ms. Harris."
Mandy quickly wiped the tears from her face. "What is it?"
Susan, flustered, said, "Ms. Harris, I just received news that Mr. Tate's condition has worsened. He's been rushed to the hospital."
"What?" Mandy exclaimed. "Hurry! Let's go to the hospital right now!"
Susan reminded her, "But Ms. Harris, there's an important client meeting this afternoon. If you go to the hospital now, the client..."
"Which is more important, the client or Aiden?" Mandy interrupted.
In the car, Susan still seemed worried. "Ms. Harris, there's something I've been wanting to tell you but didn't dare to."
"Go ahead," Mandy said.
Susan began, "You haven't seen Mr. Tate in so long. Does he still feel the same way about you? I'm just worried..."
Before she could finish, Mandy cut her off. "I don't need him to have feelings for me. It's enough that I have feelings for him!"
***
Meanwhile, in a 5A-grade office building, a middle-aged man was bent over his desk reviewing documents, while a middle-aged woman beside him was reading a book.
"Mr. Tate, Mr. Aiden Tate is critically ill. He's in an ambulance on the way to the hospital!" an employee rushed in and reported.
The middle-aged woman immediately put down her book. "Is it serious? What happened to him? Aiden just never listens to me. Over these three years he's been away, is there a single day I haven't worried about him? If we hadn't arranged for someone to keep an eye on him, we wouldn't even know he's being taken to the hospital!"
"Alright, everyone has their own fate. Don't worry yourself unnecessarily about them," her husband tried to comfort her, though his eyes were full of concern. He quickly stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed out of the office. "What's the situation now?"
The assistant replied, "Our people saw him suddenly coughing up blood outside the Wilson Group building. They quickly called for an ambulance."
"Coughing up blood?" The middle-aged woman frowned, her worry deepening. "Why are you still standing here? Go check on him!"
As they walked out, the assistant spoke while following them. "Mr. Tate, there's another matter I need to report to you."
Liam Tate said, "The situation is urgent. Let me check on Aiden first!"
The assistant said, "It's about Mr. Aiden Tate!"
Liam pointed ahead. "Let's talk as we walk."
"Mr. Aiden Tate is divorced," the assistant said.
Liam suddenly stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing. "That brat... is divorced? Back when he was chasing Emily, he didn't even wanna see us, ran away from home just to marry her, and now... Sigh! How did the Tate family end up with such a playboy as our heir?"
The assistant said, "No, it was Emily who brought it up."
"Emily brought it up?" Liam frowned deeply.
"Yes, Mr. Tate. Our people found out that Mr. Aiden Tate, being critically ill, asked Emily for money for surgery. Not only did Emily refuse, but she also... filed for divorce." The assistant lowered his head, not daring to look up.
Liam clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with anger.
- Writer
