Dead at Heart

When Jayson returned, his face was as cold as ever. Nancy immediately knew that he had argued with Ariel. Jayson's irritation with Ariel was evident.

Renee, however, seemed distracted. "Jay, did she say anything to you? Like talking bad about me or anything?"

Jayson lifted his gaze to her. "What did you do to make her upset?"

"Nothing." Renee pouted as she sipped her juice. "I'm not that free!"

Perry walked in and glanced at Jayson. He didn't comment on the earlier scene, figuring it was best not to make Nancy upset. After all, it was hard to comment on the situation when another woman had thrown herself at her man.

Matt scoffed. "Why ask Renee? Ariel was out of line. She followed you here. She should know better than to make a scene when she's got no leverage."

Perry lit a cigarette. "From the looks of it, even if you file for divorce, she'll still cling to you. Jayson, you better be prepared for that."

Jayson remained silent, his expression unchanged as he poured coffee for Nancy.

Nancy simply smiled faintly, not offering any comment. She clearly wasn't bothered by this interruption.

Renee, watching the scene unfold, felt a fleeting moment of guilt. But then she quickly shrugged it off.

It was clear that Ariel was the kind of woman who would show up uninvited. Ariel would still come here even if it weren't for her.

Since that was the case, why should she explain herself?

Ariel was just a worthless woman. Did it even matter if others misunderstood the situation?

With that thought, Renee's confidence returned. She eagerly turned back to Nancy, asking about Ashford University.

…

Ariel had an appointment with her doctor next Monday to discuss her treatment options.

Friday morning, Janice messaged Ariel, letting her know that Chad would attend the Drone Flight Control Invitational that afternoon.

Originally, Janice, as one of the major shareholders, was supposed to attend as well. However, to help Ariel break the ice with Chad, Janice gave her the invitation so she could meet him on her own.

Ariel felt both grateful and sorry. She had wasted so much time on the wrong person, letting others down.

At 10:00 am, Ariel started the handover process at Bluum Corp. She had already identified someone in the PR department who was suitable to take over her role. She handed over all her key responsibilities without hesitation.

"Ms. Walker, are you really leaving?" The deputy manager, Alissa McKee, looked at her regretfully.

"Yeah," Ariel replied quietly.

Alissa had always liked Ariel. Though she often seemed cold and distant, Ariel was actually a kind person. "You've been feeling unwell lately. Have you had your checkup? Did your husband go with you?"

Ariel hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes, I had a checkup. It's nothing serious."

She didn't explain whether or not her husband had been with her. Even if she were dying, Jayson wouldn't have cared enough to be by her side.

Alissa let out a relieved sigh. "Aren't you supposed to bring lunch to your husband every day? Aren't you going today?"

Ariel was known in the PR department as the perfect wife.

She had mentioned that her husband occasionally had stomach pains and was very particular about food, so she made all his meals and personally delivered them during lunch every day.

But no one had ever actually seen her husband. They all wondered how lucky he must be to have such a wonderful wife.

Ariel's gaze flickered briefly before she lowered her eyes. "No."

She wouldn't be delivering lunch anymore.

Alissa didn't think much of it and quickly shifted the topic. "It's so reassuring to have a good husband. I now realize that some people's lives are just different from others. You know Nancy, right? Take a look at this photo."

Ariel glanced down at the phone screen.

In the photo, Jayson was helping Nancy walk up the stairs. In the next photo, he was lifting her up in his arms, completely ignoring the surrounding crowd.

"Nancy's high heels were uncomfortable. Mr. Larkin immediately picked her up and carried her upstairs. He's so protective of her. It's obvious she's treated like a princess. Now, everyone in the company envies Nancy.

"She's pretty, a top student, and all the top companies are competing for her. And on top of that, she's got Mr. Larkin, this powerful man, paving the way for her. I bet she'll be the lady of Bluum Corp soon!

"Too bad you're leaving, Ms. Walker. Otherwise, we could've gone together to meet her and try to get in her good graces."

At this point, everyone in Bluum Corp saw Nancy as the lady of the company.

After all, no one was blind. Jayson's favoritism was completely obvious.

Ariel lowered her eyes. She went to the restroom to touch up her makeup, trying to mask her pale complexion.

She didn't want to waste any more time.

Her resignation hadn't been approved yet, so she decided to head up to the top floor. She ran into Colton on the way.

"Where's Jayson?" she asked.

Colton frowned. "You're here to bring Mr. Larkin lunch again? It's not even noon yet. I told you, Ms. Walker, don't come up here unless it's absolutely necessary!"

Soon, Ariel would understand why Colton's attitude was so impatient.