Reborn to Destroy

Birth control pill

Henry couldn't figure out what Martin Riley was thinking, and he spent the whole day feeling uneasy, standing in the break room lost in thought with a cup in hand.

Hazel Morgan watched Henry's back, her mind racing. She took out a compact mirror to check her makeup, deliberately wiping off her lipstick to make herself look a bit more worn out, and then slowly walked over to Henry.

"Henry." Hazel tapped Henry's shoulder, her expression somewhat conflicted. "I heard... Martin and Sylvia Byrne..."

She lowered her head, her eyes perfectly red, instantly stirring Henry's sympathy.

He had always known that Hazel liked Martin, but Martin seemed oblivious to it, focusing entirely on his work. As just an assistant, Henry didn't feel it was his place to say anything.

But seeing Hazel looking so pitiful now, Henry felt he should do something.

"Hazel, actually, what happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding. It's partly my fault for not looking out for Mr. Riley. If he hadn't been drunk, that woman wouldn't have had a chance!"

Henry's indignant response was exactly what Hazel hoped for, and it lifted her spirits. It seemed she could use Henry to her advantage.

"Henry, do you think last night... did Martin take any precautions? I mean, Martin did say he wanted to divorce Sylvia Byrne, right? If a child comes into the picture, it would be just like last time."

Everyone knew how Sylvia ended up marrying Martin, and Hazel's reminder made Henry realize the potential issue.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Hazel. I've got something to take care of, so I'll be off."

Henry hurried to the office, feigned feeling unwell to take a leave, bought some things, and then drove home.

Crystal Foster was upstairs helping Otto with his studies when she heard the housekeeper mention Henry's arrival, leaving her puzzled.

Why would he come by at this time?

When Crystal Foster came downstairs, she saw Henry standing by the kitchen door, holding a glass of water in one hand and a box of pills in the other.

"Sylvia, this is what Mr. Riley instructed. Please don't make it difficult for me," Henry said, handing her the birth control pills and the glass of water. His face was expressionless, and his tone was stiff.

The water in the glass rippled slightly with Henry's movement but soon settled, much like her emotions. She had been momentarily swept away by Martin Riley's charm, but it was time to face reality.

Seeing Crystal's lack of response, Henry began to regret his actions. This was his own initiative, and if Sylvia Byrne took this up with Mr. Riley, it might not end well.

In the next moment, Crystal took the pills and the glass from him. She seemed to dislike the taste of the medicine, frowning as she swallowed it before turning and heading back upstairs without a word.

The housekeeper watched the scene unfold with disapproval in her eyes, but Henry was Martin Riley's assistant. His presence here was undoubtedly on Martin's orders, and she, as a servant, had no place to comment.

"What a mess this is," she muttered to herself.

Upstairs, Otto tilted his head as he looked at Crystal. "Mommy, why was Uncle Henry here?"

She gently patted Otto's head, feeling a pang of sadness. Martin Riley sending Henry with the pills was a clear sign he wanted no further ties with her. With the two-week mark approaching, it was time for her to leave this house.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" Otto, though young, could sense Crystal's sadness and reluctance. He clung to her sleeve, his voice filled with urgency.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Uncle Henry just came to pick something up." Crystal took a deep breath, regaining her composure and even managing a small smile.

"Otto, Mommy's a bit tired. Let's take a break from reading, and you can rest with me for a while," Crystal Foster said, feeling her mood dampened by Henry's recent appearance. Her head was starting to throb, and a wave of nausea was creeping in.

"Okay, Mommy. Otto will rest with you," Otto replied, taking Crystal's hand as they walked into the bedroom. As soon as Crystal lay down, she drifted off to sleep.

Otto, not feeling sleepy at all, was simply happy to be by his mom's side.

---

When Hazel Morgan learned that Henry had taken the day off, she had a hunch about his intentions. But she knew that wasn't enough. With Martin Riley's stance unclear, she couldn't just sit back and wait; she needed to take action.

"Henry, help me with..." Martin Riley started to say, only to remember that Henry was on leave. He glanced at his empty coffee cup, picked it up, and headed out of the office.

As he approached the break room, he overheard women gossiping. Normally uninterested in such chatter, he was about to leave with his refilled coffee when a familiar name caught his attention.

"I heard Sylvia Byrne insulted Hazel at the party last night. That's just too much."

"Exactly, who does she think she is? Just because she had a son with the boss? If you ask me, Hazel is the perfect match for him."

"But why would she insult Hazel out of the blue? Could there be some misunderstanding?"

Someone tried to defend Sylvia Byrne, only to be shot down immediately.

"What else could it be? That woman hates it when other women get close to our boss. Hazel is so talented, of course, she'd be disliked."

The gossip continued, as people shamelessly speculated about Sylvia.

Martin Riley's expression darkened as he strode over to the group, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.

"Who gave you the nerve to gossip about the boss's wife here? If you don't want to work, just quit. The company doesn't lack people!"

The group exchanged nervous glances, too scared to even breathe loudly. "Boss, we..."

"If I hear any more rumors like this in the company, you won't have a place here."

With that cold remark, Martin turned and left, leaving the group sweating and exchanging guilty looks before slinking back to their desks.

Hazel Morgan had been waiting to see Sylvia's reputation crumble at the company, but soon noticed the rumors had stopped. She was puzzled.

What happened? Weren't these women the biggest gossipers?

After some discreet inquiries, she found out that Martin had stepped in to stop the spread of gossip.

Hazel angrily threw the cup on her desk to the floor, and with a loud crash, it shattered into pieces.

How could this happen?

Martin actually stood up for that woman?

Could it be that he really has feelings for Sylvia Byrne?

This realization immediately made her face turn pale. She couldn't allow this to happen. After all the time she had spent by Martin Riley's side, she wouldn't let that woman just swoop in and take him away.