Chapter 4
The moment I saw Zion, I felt a wave of relief. Despite all these years, he hadn’t changed a
bit.
Zion looked at me and nodded briefly before asking with mock surprise, “What did you mean by that just now?”
I pulled out my phone and opened a conversation from a month ago. There it was Spencer’s pitiful plea for help.
“Yvonne, I didn’t get promoted again. I’m just an assistant earning three thousand dollars a month. Can you cover the mortgage again this month?”
I turned the screen toward Zion. “Mr. Latham, would you mind explaining this? Eight years at your company, and my husband’s still just an assistant? We’re really struggling with the home mortgage and car loan!”
I pretended to be crushed by life’s stress and sneaked a glance at Shannon. Her face was deathly pale.
Zion frowned deeply. “Spencer is the manager of our business department, not an assistant.”
I dramatically covered my mouth and widened my eyes, as if I had just heard something utterly unbelievable. “What? Manager? H–How could my husband lie to me?”
Shannon panicked like a cat on a hot tin roof as she fumbled for her phone.
The other employees began whispering, “Mr. Freeman lied to his wife about making three thousand dollars a month? That’s unbelievable.
“You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Look at how generous he is with his secretary.”
Upon hearing the chatter, Shannon quickly slipped off the diamond ring Spencer had given
her.
Zion’s sharp gaze sent everyone scattering, and I was invited into the CEO’s office.
Zion listened to my complaints with a stern face, but his eyes softened whenever they landed on me.
Meanwhile, Spencer panicked and dared not look at Zion. Lowering his head, he muttered, “Mr. Latham, I’m really sorry. My wife and I had a small argument, and she got a bit emotional.”
He plastered on a strained smile while signaling frantically at me to play along. However, I just stayed firmly seated.
Zion didn’t even acknowledge Spencer. Instead, he pointed to the messages on my phone.
1/2
+25 BONUS
“You’ve been telling your wife you’re an assistant after eight years at the company?”
Shannon jumped in to cover for him. “Oh, Mr. Freeman didn’t mean it that way. He was just being humble, motivating himself to aim higher. Isn’t that right, Mr. Freeman?”
As she said that, she shot Spencer a look.
Spencer nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! That’s exactly it. It’s how I keep pushing myself forward.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “If he’s already a manager, then why did he use company funds to buy you a 100–thousand–dollar handbag, Ms. Lambert?”
The moment I said that, Zion and the company’s legal department staff turned their eyes to Spencer in unison.
Spencer’s face turned ashen. “Yvonne Sinclair! Stop making things up! You’re just mad I didn’t give you grocery money today, aren’t you? I’ll give you whatever you want. Just stop lying here!”
didn’t bother arguing. I played the audio recording from our previous video call instead.
In it, Spencer clearly admitted that the money was the company’s. He had transferred the money to Shannon, so she could post it and pay it back afterward.
The evidence was irrefutable, leaving Spencer speechless.
The legal team immediately began looking into the records, but after a thorough check, they couldn’t find any trace of the alleged misuse.
Feigning surprise, I turned to Spencer. “What? Does that mean that… the 100 thousand dollars was from our joint savings?”
I clutched my chest like I was heartbroken. “How could you lie to me?!!
Zion slammed his hand on the desk in fury. “Spencer! While you may not have embezzled company funds, your conduct is unacceptable.
“From now on, you’re being demoted to a sales associate with a base salary of three thousand dollars. This takes effect immediately!”
Spencer stood there, dumbfounded. He pointed at me but was unable to form words.
I ignored his theatrics and pulled out a photocopy of the title deed I’d prepared in advance. “Drop the act, Spencer.”
