Chapter 9
I couldn’t remain passive any longer!
I seized an opportunity to secretly record audio on my phone.
I planned with cold calculation, my mind consumed only with thoughts of revenge.
My counterattack was like a precision surgical blade, coldly and accurately cutting open the festering wounds beneath the surface of both the Brightwell and Fairmont families.
After a night of internal struggle and emergency consultations with select board members, Sebastian ultimately chose to stand with
Or rather, he chose Brightwell Corporation’s interests and future.
una’s insane actions, combined with the indirect evidence I provided suggesting our itinerary may have been leaked by Mrs. leanor Brightwell’s people-
everal blurry communication record screenshots and an anomalous hotel booking modification trail pointing to Mrs. Brightwell’s ssistant made him realize that internal and external threats could no longer be ignored.
In the day of my discharge, Brightwell Corporation issued three industry-shaking announcements:
imultaneously, the Fairmont family received a letter from my attorney, attached with audio recordings of Luna breaking into my oom-my phone had inadvertently captured a segment during the chaos.
he had admitted to surveillance and document destruction, plus a detailed itemization demanding astronomical compensation for nedical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, and potential project losses.
he Fairmont family attempted to fight back, leveraging their connections to apply pressure and even sending people to spread
umors in my hometown.
ut I had already provided backup copies of key evidence to trusted media contacts, making it clear that if I or my family suffered ny inappropriate consequences, all evidence would immediately be made public.
ublic opinion instantly reversed. Luna transformed from “a wealthy heiress mad with love” to “a psychotic criminal,” causing airmont family stock prices to plummet and their reputation to hit rock bottom. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s image as someone who righteously severed family ties” and Brightwell Corporation’s “protection” of employees actually won some public sympathy for the
ompany.
t that crucial tender meeting, thanks to my advance communications and testimony from several suppliers, the tender committee greed to give Brightwell Corporation an opportunity to supplement materials.
Пltimately, leveraging our solid technical proposal and accumulated early advantages, we secured the project against all odds.
it the celebration dinner, Sebastian found me alone on the terrace, taking in the night air. He looked much more haggard, but there vas something different in his eyes-appreciation, guilt, and perhaps something else.
Catherine,”
or the first time, he called me by my first name, his voice hoarse. “The project succeeded. Thank you. Without you, Brightwell Corporation might have…”
I raised my wine glass, gently clinking it against his, my tone distant yet polite:
“You’re too kind, Mr. Brightwell. I was simply doing my job.”
He watched me, my profile serene and unreadable in the moonlight.
He seemed to gather his courage, his voice carrying a barely detectable tremor:
“All of this… from when you laid out those conditions to gathering evidence, planning every step strategically… was it really just for revenge, for justice? During all our time working together, when you shielded me from those attacks and schemes… Catherine, didn’t you ever, even for a moment, feel anything for me beyond what an employee should feel?”
His eyes held a final glimmer of hope, even pleading.
turned to face him, my gaze calm as a frozen lake surface, without the slightest ripple.
answered clearly, each word deliberate:
No. Not even for a moment.”
he light in his eyes shattered instantly, like glass struck by a heavy blow.
ears rolled unexpectedly from his reddened eyes. This man who was always composed and self-controlled now cried like a child vho had lost everything.
All my efforts, all my dedication, were simply to honor my position and salary, to realize my own professional value,” I continued,
ny tone completely flat.
Mr. Brightwell, there was never anything between us beyond a pure employment relationship.”
Having said this, I tilted my head back and drained the remaining wine, placing the empty glass on the nearby railing with a crisp
ound.
My resignation letter has been sent to your email. I’ll complete all transition work via email and through my attorney.”
Vithout another glance at the broken man, I turned cleanly away. My heels struck the ground with firm, decisive sounds. The night vind lifted the hem of my dress like a farewell sendoff.
Valking through the noisy banquet hall and out of that opulent yet calculating and oppressive building, I took a deep breath of the
ree air outside.
My phone chimed with a new email notification-a graduate school acceptance letter from a prestigious overseas business school, omplete with full scholarship.
had prepared my exit strategy long ago. Or rather, my new beginning.
lagging down a taxi, I opened the door and slid inside.
Airport, please.”
The car merged into traffic, leaving behind all the glamour, entanglements, pain, and tears.
Watching the neon lights speed past the window in reverse, my lips finally curved into a genuinely relaxed smile.
This was no longer my battlefield.
And a new life was waiting for me ahead.
